Parents Age requirement for level 4 - confused

[mllea2]

Hi,
My daughter, whom just started gym this past fall is supposed to move from pre-team to level 4 after summer. She just turned 6 this summer. I was told by a coach that she cannot compete because you must be 7 in order to compete level 4.
I do see this same info reflected on the USAG website.
However, This gym has competed 6 year olds at level 4 in the last 2 years. I know one of the girls personally that competed and the age group for her meet was labeled 6-7.
So can my daughter compete level 4 at the age of 6?
I know this (the coaches comment to me) is nothing against my daughters skills as she has her kip and floor skills.
Thank you for the info!

 

[amiandjim]

You are supposed to be 7. I know some gyms/meets have ignored this in the past but it's technically against the meets sanction to allow a 6 year old to compete 4. Now, if you are looking at results before fall 2013, level 4 was technically what level 3 is now so may have been different?

 

[mllea2]

This is so confusing for me, because the gym in which I am speaking about is a VERY highly regarded and competitive gym in our state. It wasn't like the hid the fact that these girls were 6 because the age division on their scores (mymeetscore.com) has the division by 6-7 year olds. Can this rule vary by state? And honestly what is the point of this rule, if it is not followed?
BTW - years I am referring to are 2015/2016/2017

 

[SMH]

I thought you had to be 7, and didn't think there was any way around it.
The groups in meets are divided by birth date- I'd think if their birth date is not within the correct range, they wouldn't be allowed to compete.
I know our level 3 team has a few 5 yr olds- but they will turn 6 ( you have to be 6 to compete 3) during the season and don't compete until then.

 

[mllea2]

I thought you had to be 7, and didn't think there was any way around it.
The groups in meets are divided by birth date- I'd think if their birth date is not within the correct range, they wouldn't be allowed to compete.
I know our level 3 team has a few 5 yr olds- but they will turn 6 ( you have to be 6 to compete 3) during the season and don't compete until then.

I thought this too, but girl girl (family member) that competed had a birthday in November. So she turned 6 like a month before she competed level 4 and was still 6 when she competed states.

 

[SMH]

I thought this too, but girl girl (family member) that competed had a birthday in November. So she turned 6 like a month before she competed level 4 and was still 6 when she competed states.

That's very strange. Our state meet had the birth date ranges for each section publicly posted, so there didn't seem to be any way around the age limits.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Perhaps this

1. For invitationals and qualifying meets below the State Championships, the Meet Director may determine the age divisions and must publish such information in the pre-meet information.

https://www.usagym.org/pages/women/pages/overview_jo.html

 

[Mommyo2az]

I believe you have to be 7 by the date of the state meet. So for fall compulsory that would be Novemberish and for spring, Aprilish.

 

[Mommyo2az]

I thought this too, but girl girl (family member) that competed had a birthday in November. So she turned 6 like a month before she competed level 4 and was still 6 when she competed states.

There is some manual checking involved by state boards, perhaps it was overlooked. They are very strict about checking in my state.

 

[mllea2]

Yes

There is some manual checking involved by state boards, perhaps it was overlooked. They are very strict about checking in my state.

They competed early states in Feb. Late states is May. Either way, she was still 6.
I am just trying to figure out what this means for my daughter. I was told beginning of summer that they were planning on moving her to level 4 after summer. But then in passing, one coach made this comment. Now I am super confused. lol

 

[notthatmom]

Honestly? Maybe they lied about her age.
You definitely have to be 7 by the first date of the meet in order to compete it. So who knows. I'd honestly stop worrying about the other child and just talk with the coach about what can be done for your daughter. Does your gym compete level 3? She's old enough.

 

[notthatmom]

Also, she can train with a level and just not compete it. Happens all the time. Then they just stay in that level till they're old enough to compete and it goes from there.

 

[mllea2]

Honestly? Maybe they lied about her age.
You definitely have to be 7 by the first date of the meet in order to compete it. So who knows. I'd honestly stop worrying about the other child and just talk with the coach about what can be done for your daughter. Does your gym compete level 3? She's old enough.

I am not concerned with other child, I am looking back on the practices of the gym. I was under the assumption because girls that were age 6 competed 4, and from what was communicated to me, that my daughter was competing this year. She is a summer bday, so will not be 7 for any meets before states. I honestly thought that you could compete at 6 and was confused when I saw on USAG that you had to be 7. I thought perhaps if you turned 7 within the competition year (even though after state meet) you could compete. They do not compete lower levels.
I will have to talk with gym to clarify what their intentions are for my daughter. I really was and still am confused how a state meet can have age groups labeled age 6, when they are not supposed to compete 6.
I am still fairly new to world of gym, so still trying to figure out the workings

 

[notthatmom]

I am not concerned with other child, I am looking back on the practices of the gym. I was under the assumption because girls that were age 6 competed 4, and from what was communicated to me, that my daughter was competing this year. She is a summer bday, so will not be 7 for any meets before states. I honestly thought that you could compete at 6 and was confused when I saw on USAG that you had to be 7. I thought perhaps if you turned 7 within the competition year (even though after state meet) you could compete. They do not compete lower levels.
I will have to talk with gym to clarify what their intentions are for my daughter. I really was and still am confused how a state meet can have age groups labeled age 6, when they are not supposed to compete 6.
I am still fairly new to world of gym, so still trying to figure out the workings

That's what I mean though...don't worry about what the gym has done in the past with other gymnasts...just ask what they're doing with yours and that's your answer.
For JO Compulsories and optionals the age requirement timeline is different than say for national team members....
I don't know where you saw age groups for other meets, but essentially no, there shouldn't be a 6 year old age group for a L4 Meet. Are you sure that wasn't for a L3 Meet?

You say your new to the world, so it's possible you have things mixed up (or not...) but honestly, please take the advise when I say ONLY worry about your kid. Just talk with the coaches, ask what the plan is, and don't bring up anything about the ages of other gymnasts. When he says she can't compete, ask what that will mean for her for the season...and ask how the age thing works (seriously, just play dumb) so coach can explain it to you themselves and you can get a clear idea of what their plan/reasoning is for her.

Edited to add: I just realized you said they don't compete lower levels...so obviously this wasn't from a L3 meet, but where are you getting this age group information from? That's usually only something you see if you're at the meet (and even then they usually aren't labeled that specifically)

 

[mllea2]

It was definitely level 4. On the website, mymeetscores and meet scores, they will most of the time attach an age to the division (instead of younger, older or child). The division stated 6-7.
I totally agree with the fact that my daughter could train and not compete with the level 4's, but why would they require that she have her level 4 floor skills and kip to move into a group in which she won't compete those skills for another 14 months (late fall of 2018)??
Oh well....I guess I will do as you advise and just play dumb when being told where she will wind up in fall.

 

[notthatmom]

It was definitely level 4. On the website, mymeetscores and meet scores, they will most of the time attach an age to the division (instead of younger, older or child). The division stated 6-7.
I totally agree with the fact that my daughter could train and not compete with the level 4's, but why would they require that she have her level 4 floor skills and kip to move into a group in which she won't compete those skills for another 14 months (late fall of 2018)??
Oh well....I guess I will do as you advise and just play dumb when being told where she will wind up in fall.

Yeah the age thing is still really strange...
As for your question about them requiring her to have skills to train with the 4s that's only something your gym can answer. I mean it sounds like she's already with them, and "training" a level means working on and perfecting the skills needed to compete that level. So honestly the sooner she gets them the better, that just means she has that much more time to perfect them. So yes she'd stay there until she's old enough to compete (I mean where else would she go?) and if your gym uptrains, she could be blessed with extra time to get started on L5 skills in the mean time as well. Hope this helps! And good luck with your talk with the coach.

 

[MrsAnderson]

Haven't read all the replies but we have DEFINITELY been at a meet with a '6-7' age group for level 4. There were NO 6 year olds though. Only 7 year olds, not sure why they kept the 6-7 category.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

It

Perhaps this

1. For invitationals and qualifying meets below the State Championships, the Meet Director may determine the age divisions and must publish such information in the pre-meet information.

https://www.usagym.org/pages/women/pages/overview_jo.html

It depends on the meet. They can be younger than 7

 

[notthatmom]

It

It depends on the meet. They can be younger than 7

I think it also depends on the state...there's like no exceptions here (IL)
@mllea2 what state are you in? (If you don't mind sharing)

 

[Natasha]

As far as the age group being labeled 6-7, what may have happened is when they set up the meet in the computer system (i.e. proscore) you can set the age groups for all levels and it could be set age 6-7; 8-9; 10-11 etc, etc.... it may be that they just didn't go in and change for each level so even though there aren't 6 year olds for that level it is labeled that way because the age groups are set the same for L2, l3, l4...you get the picture.... I would't put too much thought into how they labeled the age groups.