Coaches Happy Medium

[emacmommy]

I'm curious what coaches feel is a happy medium starting score for the first meet of the season, lets give it two categories... first timers and 2nd seasoners. This is just a curiosity.

We just had our second meet of the season and it was some of the teams competing first meet. Scores from various teams were ALL OVER, and we are a tiny state in population. L3's that were 11+ scoring 37's from one team and L5's that were only 9 scoring 22.500 doing a bar routine that scored only a 3.00 (ya know the sympathy score). I found myself asking why? for both sides of the spectrum, and it's so early on.

I am so a believer that placement and mobility should depend on their own capabilty to safely and successfully perform the skills at their level, my own Mo gymmie is that way. Beautiful L4 beam (scored a 9.1 and won this weekend), improving tumbling, but can't kip either of the kips yet so we held her back... again (scored 7.95 on bars with a fall yesterday, L4).

So, to interpret my opinion into scores, I feel they should be able to achieve at least a 30.00 or so if they are new to their level. If they are returners I don't think they should be scoring better than a 36.00 at the first meet of the year, although I can't honestly say they do/don't have the skills necessary to compete the next level, I don't attend their practices, but you would think a Level 3 who scores a 9.5 on bars and a 9.6 on floor can probably make it through okay L4 routines.

I have to add this jab... the team that was stacking scores I think was a little bitter about last year as they were finally dethroned at the compulsory championships last year, getting demoted to third in most categories. It's a bit of poor sportsmanship to "seemingly" hold back girls from mobility so they can win team championships again. Sad.

 

[grizzoline]

I'm curious what coaches feel is a happy medium starting score for the first meet of the season, lets give it two categories... first timers and 2nd seasoners. This is just a curiosity.

We just had our second meet of the season and it was some of the teams competing first meet. Scores from various teams were ALL OVER, and we are a tiny state in population. L3's that were 11+ scoring 37's from one team and L5's that were only 9 scoring 22.500 doing a bar routine that scored only a 3.00 (ya know the sympathy score). I found myself asking why? for both sides of the spectrum, and it's so early on.

I am so a believer that placement and mobility should depend on their own capabilty to safely and successfully perform the skills at their level, my own Mo gymmie is that way. Beautiful L4 beam (scored a 9.1 and won this weekend), improving tumbling, but can't kip either of the kips yet so we held her back... again (scored 7.95 on bars with a fall yesterday, L4).

So, to interpret my opinion into scores, I feel they should be able to achieve at least a 30.00 or so if they are new to their level. If they are returners I don't think they should be scoring better than a 36.00 at the first meet of the year, although I can't honestly say they do/don't have the skills necessary to compete the next level, I don't attend their practices, but you would think a Level 3 who scores a 9.5 on bars and a 9.6 on floor can probably make it through okay L4 routines.

I have to add this jab... the team that was stacking scores I think was a little bitter about last year as they were finally dethroned at the compulsory championships last year, getting demoted to third in most categories. It's a bit of poor sportsmanship to "seemingly" hold back girls from mobility so they can win team championships again. Sad.

As far as competing a level you're not ready for (3.0 bars score) - I totally agree, what's the point?
I see the issue with L3 to L4 though, especially with older kids. They will probably pick up the details that in the end differentiate the scores quite quickly but are also more likely to develop fear issues. Therefore, the BHS can be a really tough skill to get (at least savely/consistently). Same with the front hip circle - I've seen a lot of kids struggle with that (though this is independent of their age). So they just might not be ready.

 

[gymdog]

Personally I just haven't seen many in my life scoring 37s that truly are nowhere close to the next skills of the lower levels. Optionals, sure. I've seen tons of girls in L8 (esp now with just the B acro things) that aren't ready for L9 but scoring 9s easily on L8 routines. In compulsories you do have the kids with mental blocks but L4 is just not all that hard. So that always does seem a little suspect to me when there are whole teams of it. But I do think there are some other valid reasons a kid might not move up, money, time, age, maybe they took the whole summer off and just couldn't even train the next level skills until this point. So who knows. I don't really care, but I rarely think when kids are getting 9.8s and such in L3 that they are truly unable to do the L4 routines. I've seen some youtube videos where I'm like, what is this kid doing in level THREE? And I'm not talking about 5 year olds who couldn't do anything else.

 

[coachmolly]

Scores really depend on the particular state/area and what is standard there, but 37s at the first meet in level 3/4 seem a little ridiculous. I think, based on what I've seen, 7/8s are pretty standard for the first meet at a new level give or take a little.
For the scores on the low side, I know I scored my fair share of 5s as a first year level 5, but it was due more to being a total headcase when put in front of judges rather than not having the skills. So that could be the situation for some of these girls, but if the entire team is scoring in that range there would appear to be some kind of problem.

 

[nevertooold]

first timers:
level 4 i would have a hard time putting out kids who i didn't think would get at least 8's across the board

level 5 looking for 8+ floor and beam, 7.5+ vault and bars

We have put out kids before at level 5 who could not do their kips and scored in the 4's and 5's... it was a rookie mistake and i would NOT do it again, let them repeat and take the 37 in level 4.

level 6 looking for 8+ everything but bars, where we will take what we can get

2nd years:
level 4 would expect 36 plus
level 5 9's on all but vault probably
level 6 9's on beam, 8.8 plus on floor, 8.5 plus on vault, bars would depend on athlete

 

[gymkat]

My gym did have a few 37s at the first meet this year. All of the 37s came from 1st years, and none of them are anywhere close to having their skills for the next level-- in fact, some of them *just* got all of their skills.

From a coaching standpoint, my "score minimums" would be very similar to nevertooold's, except I'd expect a 9 on vault by the 2nd year of L6 for most kids. I don't think my gym would let kids compete until they can score at least a 33.