Everyone has their plan and philosophy and no one can say that they've got it all figured out as a rule. I will offer my most recent Hopes athlete's experience and try to show how there are different approaches that should also be considered.
The fall of 2013 was her first year as a level 4. She was a very good 8 yr old. She tested out of five and did level 7 in the spring of 2014. She scored as high as 39.3+ in January. She didn't win regionals and I think she may not have won state... Maybe she did? Anyway... Tops in the fall of 2014. She did one meet of level 9 (she wanted to go to Disney with the team). She didn't do anything incredible but did compete some new skills that would not have been what I would've had a level 9 compete if we were going for a win. She tested elite and passed the compulsory and won the optional test. She won classics in May. Then had an off day and managed top 5 at Hopes championships.
This is a better path for her gymnastics growth and birthdays come into play... She has a November birthday which means she's technically 12 this year even though she just turned 11 a couple months ago. A year of level 8 or 9 would've restricted her to just one year of Hopes before having to test elite. That's a huge challenge and a jump in level at some point that would, in my opinion, be more likely to create injury risks. I'm able to spot very high level skills easily and she doesn't have fear of them at this point. It was a huge advantage to be able to teach her "Ds, Es, Fs" without her ever having a hard fall.
This is just one example of why skipping 8 or 9 could be beneficial to a future elite. I believe this is the right decision for her. I also know that when there are so many variables, it's hard to give a black and white answer. I'm certain that some shouldn't do Hopes. I'm also certain that some should and sometimes the reasons aren't transparent from the outside looking in.
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