WAG Level 4 to level 8?!?!?

[MinnieGymMom]

So let me just start this old my saying this really isn't any of my business and I'm really just wonder how it would be done.

There is a girl at my daughters gym who sometimes works in the same group as my eldest daughter. She is 12 I believe. Last summer just before the season started she broke both arms. She was supposed to compete level 4 that year (scoring out of level 3). Now this year she was fully recovered and her coaches put her in level 4. She did very well this year getting second place AA at states.

This summer she is working very high level skills for the level she just competed. I have heard from my 11 year old that she has her whole level 7 bar routine ( with clear hip on low bar) and she has a BWO BHS on beam. I have seen her flip a yurchenko in to the pit. They think she will compete level 7 next year but they (my kids) say level 8 is a possibility.

What would be the timeline for this...??

 

[bookworm]

She could do one meet at level 5, level 6 and level 7 (3 meets) and if she gets the required mobility scores, she could compete as a level 8...she's 12 so she's no spring chicken in the gymnastics world so they might want to move her along..

 

[txgymfan]

Except, she would not have to do the level 6 meet. So L 5 and L7. If she has the skills, more power to her.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

If she has the skills and scores out of 5 and 7, have at it. Good for her.

 

[ascarter1]

It's totally doable! My dd went from 3 to 6 several years ago. It's not easy, but it worked for us! She will just have to test out of lv 5 and lv 7.

 

[gymbeam]

We've got a girl at our gym working toward making the same jump. She's only like 3rd grade, I believe.

As for timeline, if they find the right meet she could score out of both 5 and 7 in one weekend. Or, the gym could do a mobility/in house meet where they bring a judge in and do it that way all in one day.

 

[VanessaJV]

Yes it's possible. My daughter did it. She had level 4 state in Dec, scored out of 5 in April, then scored out of 7 in November and then started competing 8 in January.

 

[VanessaJV]

Yes it's possible. My daughter did it. She had level 4 state in Dec, scored out of 5 in April, then scored out of 7 in November and then started competing 8 in January.

I should add we normally do compulsories in fall and optionals in spring. However, there were some random meets out of normal season she was able to score out of... so this timeline worked well.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Completely possible, I have seen it done and we have done it as well.

 

[Aussie_coach]

As she is already 12 perhaps the goal is to accelerate her so college gymnastics is a possibility in the future.

 

[MuggleMom]

We have 2-3 girls I anticipate going from 3 to 6 or 7 this year. One is older and very committed so they want to get her moving along, and the other is young but very talented. I think they will have in house mobility meets. This is what they did last year for all the level 4s going to level 6 (our gym doesn't compete 5).

 

[Gymmommy71]

Going from 4 to 7 is quite common w/ talented kids in my area (especially those who have a natural ability for bars - giants come very quickly to those types). 4 to 8 is more rare cause of the power needed to do a lot of those skills, so if she can do that she must be really talented all around. The scoring out through the levels is just a minor formaility.

 

[Seeker]

The biggest issue with going from 4 to 8 (rather than 3 to 6 or 7) is the flipping Vault and upgraded bar requirements (angles and pirouette). If she is up to level on those two events, the change will be more smooth. Otherwise, I'd probably stick to 7 while working those other skills.

 

[sppd]

My daughter went from level 1 to 4 in 8 months, qualified and competed state, took one season off from competition to train and is now on lvl 7 with a chance of lvl 8 depending on her skills and score at a meet in September. She was a late starter (first ever tumbling class on her 8th birthday) she is now 11. Being a little bit older than many of the girls on the lower levels she had the additional strength needed to quickly pick up the additional skills requirements to advance quickly. However, as she has somewhat caught up to her age, I am seeing the progression of skills slowing a bit. I do not believe that going to 8,9,or 10 will come nearly as quickly as she progressed from 1-7. That being said to answer your original question about timeline for progression, it all depends on scores and skills (availability of move-up meets) which will be different for each girl.

 

[gymcoach1]

We had an 8/9 year old (can't remember) go from 4-8 in a year and a half. Talented kid- this only happens in special cases.

 

[dancingimmie]

My dd went from level 3 at 8 yrs old to training level 7/8 in 18 months (she's 9 now) and low hours. It takes a lot of hard work but it is possible. I'm hoping she slows down a bit but she has other ideas. She wants to be a lvl 10 by the time she's 12...

 

[RTT2]

So, how does this happen? A kid shows a lot of promise and starts picking up skills really quickly so the coaches spend the time to teach them all the upper level skills? I'm new to this, and curious.

 

[ascarter1]

So, how does this happen? A kid shows a lot of promise and starts picking up skills really quickly so the coaches spend the time to teach them all the upper level skills? I'm new to this, and curious.

There were 4 girls (dd included) that went 3 to 6. They were paired with the kids that went 4 to 6. They just all joined together one day. I was under the assumption my dd was going to 4 but head coach/owner moved that small group to 6. There was an adjustment period, but it worked. My dd learned her kip and level 6 bar routine within about 5 months of each other. Doesn't work for everyone but it worked for us.

 

[dancingimmie]

They pulled my dd right out of Rec classes and put her on the lvl 3 team. A good 2/3 months before competing she had gotten all of her level 4 skills but she had never competed before so they kept her at lvl 3 for the entire season. By the time summer training came around she had all her lvl 5 beam skills and all of her level 5 and 7 floors skills. She just needed her clear Hip for bars and casting angles. She did one meet lvl 4, spent 4 weeks perfecting her level 5 routines and finished the season as a very strong 5. She even came in 3rd at states. She did all of this on 9/10hrs a week. The HC had her come in an extra hour here and there to work routines. Now she's working her giants and back handspring series on the beam. She has all her level 7 floor skills and will soon be ready to do her full without a spot and double back tuck on the floor instead of into the pit. She's also working yurchenko drills. Now she practices 12 hours but is still in the compulsory group. Our groups are small so she is able to work her higher level skills.
She made her goals and willingness to be pushed very clear to all of her coaches. She is not afraid to ask for what she wants. I think that is how she made this happened.

 

[LJL07]

Well...she's 12, so that's a bit of a different story. My daughter went from 4 to 7 and was young (8/9 yr old). It was no picnic. But I think gym philosophy plays a role too. If the expectation is 4 to 7 with 38's right out the gate, then I would think long and hard about this jump in terms of reasonable expectations, but with the right coach and the right progressions, talented kids can do it.