Don't make me sorry I posted this.
Well, the long version is on the blog. Here’s the (sort of) short version. She did really well at L2 (Spring 2008) so her coach decided to skip L3 and train her for L4. She did that for about six months before we changed gyms to one with a daytime training program (evening practices were hard for our family then). They didn’t do L4 so they trained her for L5 instead. Their goal for her was to get to optional as soon as possible so they didn’t spend much time on the L5 routines (they really were only looking for the 31 AA). She trained for three months, got her required score during the Spring 2009 season and began training for L6.
Then we moved to TX that summer (DH got laid off of work and was finally able to find a job in TX). The gym in TX thought she was making good progress and continued her L6 training. She competed L6 in TX that fall (2009; in TX, compulsories are in the fall and optionals are in the spring). Their plan was then to have her train for a year and then compete L7 beginning in January 2011. This was a great plan but then we ended up moving back to GA right after the L6 season ended (the darned economy made gypsies out of us for awhile there).
At the gym here, the L6 team was going straight into L7, rather than spending a year training for it. Since she had done L6 in TX, they put her in that group. As a result, she had two months to train for L7 and competed it last spring (2010).
Summer is the big time for uptraining and new skills, and levels are decided based on how the new skills are coming along. In spite of a rough L7 season, and because she has all of her L8 skills, she will likely compete L8 come January. (Her head coach will make this determination but she will consider Boo’s opinion about what she wants, also.)
A combination of circumstances has pushed her quickly through the levels. Luckily, she’s a pretty fast learner and has been able to hold her own through it all. Truthfully, I can’t wait to see how she does now that she has finally had more than a couple of months to prepare.
Thanks Shawn!! Since most gyms start competing at Level 4, the jump Boo made from Level 2 to 5 really isn't that drastic if you think about it. And then the rest is just a combo of different gym moves you made and gym training styles/philosophies.
I've heard that Texas is a very intense state for gymnastics (everything is bigger in Texas lol). Did you find that training and competiting in Tx was a lot different and more intense then in Ga? Is it really as intense as they say? Just curious. I have only lived in Md my whole life so that's all I know.