WAG Level 6 JO = xcel platinum?

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duyetanh

Proud Parent
I am asking this for a friend. Her daughter has done two years as a level six. Done fairly well, has some upgraded skills, would say she is in the middle skillwise. The child would like to do less practice time now that high school has hit, and is lucky the gym has xcel available and waiting. But the child is worried they will make her do gold because there are no platinums. The gym is completely open to her doing xcel, and hasn’t mentioned gold as of yet. Can a gym actually do this? The girl is 14 or 15, not sure if exact age.
 
Golds at my gym seem to be practicing and competing skills 5/6.
My gym sees it like this...
Bronze- Lv 1/2
Silver- Lv 3/4
Gold- Lv 5/6
Platinum- Lv 7/8
Diamond- Lv 9/10

Of course Xcel is a diffrent program from JO and the skill requirements from JO to Xcel is different, this is how my gym compares each level.
 
Golds at my gym seem to be practicing and competing skills 5/6.
My gym sees it like this...
Bronze- Lv 1/2
Silver- Lv 3/4
Gold- Lv 5/6
Platinum- Lv 7/8
Diamond- Lv 9/10

Of course Xcel is a diffrent program from JO and the skill requirements from JO to Xcel is different, this is how my gym compares each level.
In this instance it isn’t really about the gym’s preference for comparison. There is a mobility chart from jo to xcel and L6s have to transition to platinum, barring an injury or extenuating circumstance.
 
Golds at my gym seem to be practicing and competing skills 5/6.
My gym sees it like this...
Bronze- Lv 1/2
Silver- Lv 3/4
Gold- Lv 5/6
Platinum- Lv 7/8
Diamond- Lv 9/10

Of course Xcel is a diffrent program from JO and the skill requirements from JO to Xcel is different, this is how my gym compares each level.
This was our gym when we did Xcel but its been a while
 
In our gym, a lot of girls come over to Xcel after Level 5. Even if they didn't compete bars in L5 because they were missing a skill, they always competed Platinum and had no problem. It's definitely the norm that 5s and 6s go to Platinum. The training groups are combined for Gold, Platinum and Diamond in our gym so it doesn't really matter if only one or two girls are a one of the levels.
 
Golds at my gym seem to be practicing and competing skills 5/6.
My gym sees it like this...
Bronze- Lv 1/2
Silver- Lv 3/4
Gold- Lv 5/6
Platinum- Lv 7/8
Diamond- Lv 9/10

Of course Xcel is a diffrent program from JO and the skill requirements from JO to Xcel is different, this is how my gym compares each level.
Diamond is more like 7/8, definitely NOT 9/10. Some gyms say they equal higher levels to make the kids and parents feel better about it. Not saying yours does, but these levels should shift down to be more realistic.
 
Do you mean Diamond? But still Diamond is nowhere near level 9.

Yeah, my daughter is doing Diamond and she's doing more skills than required but it's still more like L8. You can do one D skill per event, but it appears to be rare (my daughter has some D skills but probably won't compete them). Plus there are caps on the kinds of vaults allowed that make it much more like L7-8.

As for only having one at a level, my daughter competed last year often as the sole Platinum from her gym at meets, and will likely start the season as the only Diamond, with hopes that some others will move up to join her during the season. The gym allows that, though.
 
I am asking this for a friend. Her daughter has done two years as a level six. Done fairly well, has some upgraded skills, would say she is in the middle skillwise. The child would like to do less practice time now that high school has hit, and is lucky the gym has xcel available and waiting. But the child is worried they will make her do gold because there are no platinums. The gym is completely open to her doing xcel, and hasn’t mentioned gold as of yet. Can a gym actually do this? The girl is 14 or 15, not sure if exact age.

My daughter is in platinum and is equal to a low level 6 due to an injury. She competed Gold last year. I can tell you most platinums compete level 6. It’s actually frustrating for straight Xcel girls when JO girls cross over into lower than they should be. In my daughters area the top girls are Alamo’s always girls who competed level 6 1-2years before doing Platinum. And last meet it was crazy - girl who won had competed level 8 placing at state, the next was first at state level 6 (second year), next two also 2 yrs of level 6.
I honestly think all those should go to Diamond as you can compete Diamond with level 6/7 skills.
Definitely a level 8 should not be in Platinum, it’s rare to see anything beyond level 6 skills with a little level 7 usually on floor in a tumbling pass.
 
My daughter is in platinum and is equal to a low level 6 due to an injury. She competed Gold last year. I can tell you most platinums compete level 6. It’s actually frustrating for straight Xcel girls when JO girls cross over into lower than they should be. In my daughters area the top girls are Alamo’s always girls who competed level 6 1-2years before doing Platinum. And last meet it was crazy - girl who won had competed level 8 placing at state, the next was first at state level 6 (second year), next two also 2 yrs of level 6.
I honestly think all those should go to Diamond as you can compete Diamond with level 6/7 skills.
Definitely a level 8 should not be in Platinum, it’s rare to see anything beyond level 6 skills with a little level 7 usually on floor in a tumbling pass.

I will add - Xcel is still competitive but it’s a different track with lower training hours. In Xcel girls should be put in a level they are able to do the skills needed. If a girl has Diamond skills - they should be Diamond. USAG states girls should move up when skills are attained with mobility scores for fairness. I know JO you see repeating level to win, but Xcel is a different program - and going in at lower level is unfair play imo.
 
A L8 competing platinum is actually against the rules. Just FYI.
"If a JO Level 8 or below athlete wishes to enter the Xcel Program in a Division below the allowable Division, her coach may submit a “reason for change” letter to the State Administrative Committee Chairman for approval. If a JO Level 9 or 10 athlete wishes to enter the Xcel Program in a Division below the allowable Division, her coach may submit a “reason for change” letter to the Regional Technical Committee Chairman for approval.
• Valid reasons would include injury, illness, or other extenuating circumstances that would have prevented the athlete from continuing to train at the level at which they previously competed. "
page 48-49

I was wondering too because I know a previous L8 gymnast (she did two years of L7 then one year of L8) who entered XCel Platinum. So I guess they had to petition her into lower division.
 
A Platinum team we competed against a few weeks ago - half of their girls were former level 6s, and the other half were former level 8s who were top 5 at regionals last year. I do wish someone was checking up on this stuff. Surprise, surprise when they went something like 1-5 in their age divisions.
 
Two years at level 6 would definitely be a platinum. My DD also went "down" to gold after level 5 because her new gym didn't have platinums, but now they do -- she also had a bunch of blocks and fears, so it made sense, and she was approved.

Perhaps next year this gym will have some golds to move up to be with her? She MAY get approval to be a gold (you would have to petition as others said), but honestly, she will probably be much happier as a platinum, especially at 14/15. In our state, there are not many diamonds, and many gyms don't have any at all. So you will see some pretty advanced stuff in platinum, especially on floor. But a girl who has competed level 6 twice would also be very comfortable there as well. She would also have plenty of room to grow at platinum.
 

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