WAG The New Xcel Rules

[Alorah Walsh]

I want to know if im the only one who thinks this way, but the new rules established by the USAG are just not good enough. I don't feel as if they grasp what the program is, and now i feel as if the new rules don't make it challenging enough for the students.

I am not a huge fan of the JO comp. program, and I believe that Xcel has more to offer to kids creative and fun wise, but I am a huge fan of the JO opt. program. I believe that students from excel who have made it to the highest level diamond should be able to transfer over to the JO opt. I dont find it fair that it can be done vice versa. I feel as if its discriminating to the kids, because they work just as hard as any other student.

Let me know what you think! Thanks!

 

[gymgal]

They can transfer over. They just have to test out one meet at each level. It's not difficult to test out. It just a matter of learning the routines enough to get the scores needed. If they are ready to go to 7 then they should have all the skills for each level.

 

[Bajanswife]

They can transfer over. They just have to test out one meet at each level. It's not difficult to test out. It just a matter of learning the routines enough to get the scores needed. If they are ready to go to 7 then they should have all the skills for each level.

But it's a pain to learn the compulsory routines just to test out! At least the level 6 routines are fairly similar to level 5 and involve just a few skill substitutions and a couple of minor dance element changes, but if you've come up in Xcel and never learned levels 3 and 4, it's all going to be completely new. I know it doesn't have to be perfect to test out - they can mess up on many of the minor elements of the routines and still get a high enough score - but it would still involve some time learning it all just for one meet!

Our girls would love to be doing optional stuff from much earlier, and from that perspective Xcel would be great. It's the transition back to JO that makes us hesitate - that and the fact that some of the meets we go to do not have Xcel competing. I do understand that Xcel and JO are two different philosophies on skill progression, so I can see why JO does not want to make the transition too easy.

 

[gymgal]

It really isn't that big a deal to learn the routines. Several people on this forum have said it only too their dds a couple weeks to learn them enough to test out. Dd learned the L5,6 routines in just a couple days and took a little time out of practice each week to practice for about a month. Granted, she was 10 and very determined. I'm not sure an 8 yr old could learn it that quickly. Dd is L7 I haven't looked at which levels will be mandatory test out starting next year but if it follows this year's then they should only have to test out 4,5. 6 will be optional routines so the girls would be able to use their routines with tweeks for the level skills.

 

[juliasmom]

At our gym we do JO in the fall and Xcel in the spring. Here's the order we do it. We do Level 4, then Xcel Silver. The next year we do Level 5, then Xcel Gold. Then, we do Level 6 and Xcel Platinum. A lot of times there Xcel routine is very similar to their Compulsory routine. That way they don't have to learn a whole new routine for Xcel. They love doing Xcel in the spring and being able to put their own spin on things and choosing their music.

 

[wallinbl]

Do you have a link to the new rules? Some in our gym seem to think that the mobility between Excel and JO will improve under the new rules. I haven't seen anything to support that, and I wonder if there will be an unpleasant surprise next year when gymnasts have to scramble to test out before their season (we do Excel instead of 6, so we'll have gymnasts going into new 6/old 7 that don't have a score for (old) 6). I've been trying to find something that explicitly states it one way or the other.

 

[gymgal]

Do you have a link to the new rules? Some in our gym seem to think that the mobility between Excel and JO will improve under the new rules. I haven't seen anything to support that, and I wonder if there will be an unpleasant surprise next year when gymnasts have to scramble to test out before their season (we do Excel instead of 6, so we'll have gymnasts going into new 6/old 7 that don't have a score for (old) 6). I've been trying to find something that explicitly states it one way or the other.

There was a notice released recently detailing what level each gymnasts could do given the current level she is in - for this year only they are allowing a variety of options for L5-8. I am using my phone right now and have a hard time finding what I need but if someone has posted it by the end of the day, I cannot look it up after work. It was posted on chalkbucket so maybe a quick "new rules" search might work.

If I remember correctly, those going into new 6 do not need old 6 scores. But they do need old 5 scores. Those going into new 7 need old 6 scores but not old 7.

 

[wallinbl]

If I remember correctly, those going into new 6 do not need old 6 scores. But they do need old 5 scores. Those going into new 7 need old 6 scores but not old 7.

I assume you're referring to this:
http://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/Junior Olympics/JOCompUpdateNovDec2012.pdf

Old 5 can go to new 4 or new 5, but not new 6, which is where our gymnasts that are doing Excel (they do this in place of old 6) would go to. Historically, they test out of 6 after Excel and prior to 7, but the gym seems to think this won't be required anymore (I'm not sure why). Given the similarity between the current 5 and current 6 routines, it seems easier to me to get those test outs out of the way before there are all new routines/music. The gymnasts practically know the 6 routines from having done 5.

 

[gymgal]

Yes, that's it. I'm with you on thinking it would be better to test out of 6 this season. Dd tested out of 5 and 6 last year before she completed platinum so that she didn't have to worry about 6 this year. Like you said, the routines are very similar.

I am wondering if the folks at your gym are talking about rumors from before this notice was released - I remember several people talking about how level 6 might not have a requirement but it seems obvious from the release that this is not the case.

 

[2gymmies]

Rumor has it that our current 5's will do their score out meet in June, right before the new levels/rules take effect. Seems like a smart thing to do if the kids are ready (they only need a 31 AA). And like others have said, my older dd did her Level 6 score out with less than 2 weeks of preparation and scored about a 36 with a fall on her squat on, so it doesn't take alot if you are training for optionals.

 

[LizzieLac]

Can someone explain to me why gyms do this jump over to excel to avoid certain levels? I don't get it. There has been a lot of discussion on this board about what level one competes not being as important as the training and progression of skills. Our gym in particular is trying to get the girls to stop labeling themselves as "a level 6" or whataver gymnast and instead say "I am training giants or backhandsprings on beam."

So why do gyms hop over to Excel??

 

[Quadqueen]

There are lots of threads addressing this. From what I hear, many gyms find the scoring too harsh. Also, in some areas, so many gyms are no longer competing 6 that other gyms decide not to because there's no one to compete against at meets. Around here, everyone competes 6. In fact, at DD's last meet, the L6 group was the largest group.

 

[wallinbl]

There are lots of threads addressing this. From what I hear, many gyms find the scoring too harsh. Also, in some areas, so many gyms are no longer competing 6 that other gyms decide not to because there's no one to compete against at meets. Around here, everyone competes 6. In fact, at DD's last meet, the L6 group was the largest group.

Lack of competition, difficult scoring, and the desire for the girls to get their own routines contribute. A compulsory meet around here will be 3-4 L4 sessions, 3 L5 sessions and an L6 session (if they don't just combine the few L6 girls into an L5 session). Many gyms shift to Excel in place of L6, though it's also common to see the "good" girls just go from L5 to L7. This works because we have compulsories in fall, so you have 13 months between L5 end and L7 start, and many of them appear to be good enough to cover that gap in 13 months.

 

[gymgal]

Can someone explain to me why gyms do this jump over to excel to avoid certain levels? I don't get it. There has been a lot of discussion on this board about what level one competes not being as important as the training and progression of skills. Our gym in particular is trying to get the girls to stop labeling themselves as "a level 6" or whataver gymnast and instead say "I am training giants or backhandsprings on beam."

So why do gyms hop over to Excel??

My best guess is that it keeps girls in the gym. After 2+ yrs of the compulsory routines, it becomes tedious, particularly if the scores aren't reflecting your hard work. Before prep-op, there wasn't an option... If you wanted to stay with gymnastics, you had to do L6. But with the increase in xcel (and the competition within it) this becomes a viable option in many areas of the country. I think at the 6 level, girls have just become tired of the repetition of routines at meets, the precision of arbitrary arm/leg poses, etc. Xcel allows girls to have their own identities during a time when so many of them are pushing for it - tween age.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

My best guess is that it keeps girls in the gym. After 2+ yrs of the compulsory routines, it becomes tedious, particularly if the scores aren't reflecting your hard work. Before prep-op, there wasn't an option... If you wanted to stay with gymnastics, you had to do L6. But with the increase in xcel (and the competition within it) this becomes a viable option in many areas of the country. I think at the 6 level, girls have just become tired of the repetition of routines at meets, the precision of arbitrary arm/leg poses, etc. Xcel allows girls to have their own identities during a time when so many of them are pushing for it - tween age.

This ^^^^^^^^! My own DD competes Xcel Platinum right now. She will score out of Level 6 and move to Level 7 when she is ready! She likes having her own routines and it feels more like the optional levels to the girls that compete Xcel.

 

[Quadqueen]

This ^^^^^^^^! My own DD competes Xcel Platinum right now. She will score out of Level 6 and move to Level 7 when she is ready! She likes having her own routines and it feels more like the optional levels to the girls that compete Xcel.

yep...my DD is L6 and has been competing since L3 and would LOVE to get to optionals quicker! Hopefully next year