Parents Need advice...

[Ali'sMom]

I'm actually pretty happy about it as I much prefer the AAU L3 bar routine to the USAG L3 bar routine.

I thought they competed the same routines. What are the differences between the two?

 

[lovemygymnast]

I still feel new at this, so I won't give a strong "opinion" of what you should do, but I will tell you what we are going through.

DD competed AAU2 and AAU3 in fall/spring of 4th grade (old L #s). 5th grade (this school year), she moved up to new L3, and also to USAG. She did "okay" at states in December. I planned to keep her L3 for fall of 6th grade, so she could go back to states and feel confident. Well, a lot of girls have been working on their kips in open gym for a while, so when the time came, I thought "Okay, she doesn't have it, so she'll be happy to stay L3". When I mentiooned that to her she went instantly to tears.
So, she busted her butt and "just" got her kip, and May 1st starts training with L4.

All that said, she's now jumping in hours. instead of 2X a week after school plus Saturday, she'll be going 4 times a week afterschool. and in 3 months she'll be starting middle school... We aren't sure if she'll be able to handle it all. (I'm glad she is moving up with one month still left in school, because she'll get a taste of leaving school and going straight to gym 4X/week right now, it won't be so crazy in the fall. I hope.)

So, part of me wishes she'd jumped up her time a little younger, so that by middle school it wouldn't be such a change for her, and it would be second nature.

That's just my 2 cents about the hours

Good luck no matter which way you go!

Thank you! That's really what I'm thinking that 12 hours this young would be much easier than say in 2nd or 3rd grade? I think we are going to let her try it this summer and see how it goes. If we see or the coaches feel it isn't working, she'll drop back to 3. I know none of this should be so tough and I do think we're lucky to be at a gym that's allowing us as parents to have input in the decision. Thank you again!!

 

[lovemygymnast]

I thought they competed the same routines. What are the differences between the two?

They do on floor and beam also I believe but usag 3 bars are low bar only with a shoot through to windmill but aau 3 is a kip option to squat on, jump to high bar with 2 tap swings.

 

[lovemygymnast]

I know that AAU is different in each area; but from our experience with it, I definitely wouldn't think that going from AAU to USAG and level 3 to 4 would be too much.

Last year my girls were old level 2 and 3 with AAU. This year they were new level 2 and 3 USAG. They actually scored better this year in USAG than they did last year in AAU. For this coming season my youngest DD is changing to a gym that is a better fit for her (older DD is staying where she is) and she will be going back to AAU. I'm actually pretty happy about it as I much prefer the AAU L3 bar routine to the USAG L3 bar routine. If she moves up from L3 she will swap back to USAG. It is pretty normally in our area to do AAU for levels 2 and 3 and to then swap to USAG for level 4.

From what you have said, if it were me, I'd let my DD move up.

That's how it is at most gyms in our area also. Aau levels 1, 2, & 3 and on to usag 4 and up. One coach told me the AAU 3 gets them more ready for usag 4, I guess because they go to high bar but usag 3 doesn't? Anyway, I think we're going to let her try it and see how it goes. I'm still very nervous about it though.

 

[2G1B]

AAU 3 vault is I believe a flat back onto mats stacked up behind the vault table. An the bars are kip or glide, pull over, cast, bhc, cast squat on, jump to high bar, long hang pull over, and then I think some tap swings and dismount. No fhc, shoot through or mill circle!!

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

That's really what I'm thinking that 12 hours this young would be much easier than say in 2nd or 3rd grade?

As I've mentioned before, DD moved to higher levels (and thus higher hours) early on. I generally agree with the above. While the initial transition to 16 hours was hard when she was a few weeks shy of 7 years old...... after 3-4 months it was a piece of cake. When a few weeks shy of 9 years old she changed to 25 hours, it was nothing for her.

I think adding it on early at least allows them to get accustomed to gym and the demands of school all at the same time. As homework increases, etc. they are already capable time managers, etc. so it only becomes the incremental increases of schoolwork one year to the next.

You do move into the zone of limiting what can happen outside of school and gym, but that would happen regardless of age. (I'm talking other activities, school events, birthday parties, etc - all of that becomes more difficult). And IMHO, those decisions are more easily made by the 9 year old who is used to juggling and giving things up every once in a while due to their chosen "profession" as DD calls it

 

[Ali'sMom]

Thanks for the all the information about the diff between AAU and USAG!! I had no idea.
We were AAU for L2 and L3 (old), but then as DD moved to new L3, our whole gym went USAG. Any meets we've gone to, the AAU was on a different day than USAG, so I realize now I've never seen a L3 AAU routine!

I think adding it on early at least allows them to get accustomed to gym and the demands of school all at the same time. As homework increases, etc. they are already capable time managers, etc. so it only becomes the incremental increases of schoolwork one year to the next.

That's exactly why the one part of me wishes we added the hours earlier. But in my heart I do know that DD wasn't ready mentally for the higher level had we pushed when she was younger. So now we are hoping it all falls into place in 6th grade...

 

[iwannacoach]

Sounds like she has a lot of talent. If she doesn't compete until January she'll have 8 months to learn and polish level 4 twice over, and you'll wish they'd asked her to move up to L5.

 

[onebusymama]

I would move her to L4 for sure. She already has the skills & its a long way until next season. She seems to be talented & like you said learns quickly. So no need to hold her back IMO.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Sounds like she has a lot of talent. If she doesn't compete until January she'll have 8 months to learn and polish level 4 twice over, and you'll wish they'd asked her to move up to L5.

Ha, ha! I'm not sure my heart could take level 5 yet! When she was 5 jumping to high bar, I literally stayed awake for the first few weeks and had panic attacks. Of course, she doesn't know that! I'm glad she's so brave but this mama needs time to get used to the idea of her moving up each level. I do think she's talented for her age but I'm a little biased! Lol

 

[lovemygymnast]

I would move her to L4 for sure. She already has the skills & its a long way until next season. She seems to be talented & like you said learns quickly. So no need to hold her back IMO.

Thank you! I think she's going to work harder even to get it because she'll be with older girls. If I see her struggling though, I think we'll move her back. I never want her to feel overwhelmed. Thank you for the advice!!

 

[iwannacoach]

Thank you! I think she's going to work harder even to get it because she'll be with older girls. If I see her struggling though, I think we'll move her back. I never want her to feel overwhelmed. Thank you for the advice!!

I'd suggest you make a decision with her and have her stick to it. Dropping back a level is not going to set her up for a successful return to the level she dropped from. She may get the idea that dropping back will solve future problems, or her coach may feel she can't be counted on to follow through and work to solve problems.