WAG Dropping back a level

[BarCoach]

We have a new girl joining our level 3 team this coming Tuesday. She has been competing 4 in another state all season. We don't have any level 4s this year but even if we did our gyms standards would probably put her at level 3 anyway. She did one season of 3 last year scoring 34s and an occasional 35. This year as a 4 she has had three 32s. Our level 3s only have two more meets and states and then she will be able to train for next year. Our judge that is on staff is looking into it but I'm wondering if anyone has had any experience with dropping kids back a level from out of state. I know the rule states that they cannot be dropped back after sectionals. We will be able to find out on Tuesday if she has had a sectional meet get this year. But I wonder if it is different because it's a new state?

 

[BarCoach]

Nevermind. She got an answer back quickly. One of her meets was a sectional. She cannot drop back.

 

[gymdog]

Contact your state chair, I think they will allow her to drop back. However with just three meets left and her in between levels maybe it is best for her to just train with the 3s and not worry about competing any routines. I know this gets a little tricky with preparing for meets and running routines but maybe when her turn comes up she can just do whatever she is working on, etc. Treat it sort of like an injured athlete? Because even if she can compete 3 if she has been doing 4 she probably doesn't fully remember the routines, etc. I know I do stuff like parts of routines as a group which gets a little tricky but when I have another level athlete with me like for a makeup then I'll just have them do jumps or turns and such and when their turn comes to get checked I'll check that.

 

[gracyomalley]

Both the gyms my kids have been involved in took kids from other gyms who had been competing a level not up to our standard and simply explained to the parent and kid the reason for the standard, then had the kid train until they could safely and successfully compete at the level they had been previously called/competed - so we had kids who had done a few meets at L7 who trained for 18 months then competed L7 successfully, or who had done old L5 and trained 9 months then finished L5 successfully. No reason to drop back and compete the "old" level, waste of training time and parents money IMHO