MAG Move ups?

[RTT2]

I have a decent understanding of how different gyms do move ups in WAG, but MAG is still new to me. DS started in a one hour rec class last spring and quickly moved to team. He (9) has been competing division 1 L4 and has had a great season so far- States are next weekend. He competes all bonuses and is on the podium at every meet. In the 55 range. I get little feedback from the coaches and DS says he thinks he'll move up, but doesn't know. In MAG is it expected to compete one level per season than move up? Do boys often repeat in compulsories? I can't see what more he could get out of repeating L4, but am open to learning.

 

[skschlag]

There are as many answers as there are gymnasts. I will say, there is typically less drama.

A lot of boys' teams will have a "training" group, and see where boys land in the fall. That is what our gym does. If you get the skills, you compete the level. Some repeat, some move up 1, some can even move up 2-3.

I agree that repeating L4 is probably not a good idea, and I would guess, would not happen.

 

[Juniper311]

Your mileage may vary BUT ... as he is older for L4 and his scores are great and he’s learned tons of bonuses, yes it’s expected for him to move up. You might even see him move up a level a year for a time. That might change at level 6/7/8, depending. And he might even skip one of those levels entirely (7 is most likely). Optionals/JD are a whole other bottle of wax.

Mine started competing L4 at 6 (back when there were no D1s or D2s) and was one level a year until L6, which he repeated. He started this year as L7D2, is finishing it as L7D1 and I honestly don’t know if he’ll repeat L7 or not. I’ll know by the end of summer.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Repeating a level does not nessesarily mean doing the same stuff for another year. Ideally if he is repeating he will need to spend less time on things like leanring routines, so her can spend more time on skill development. If done correctly a repeat level 4 can end up at a far higher ability level after that year than a gymnast who moved to level 5 and needed to spend a long time perfecting routines.

 

[Cheryl]

I would imagine if he is scoring well and doing most bonuses, he will move up. My son also started competing late and always moved up a level through compulsory levels. Because of his age, and the upper restrictions on age, he never did 7, but went to JD. Since your son seems to have the same trajectory mine did, you need to speak to the coach to see if they offer JD, and if not, what do they see his path being. Some gyms let boys compete out of age levels in optionals, some don’t. There was a recent post about a boy who could not compete in States or Regionals because he was out of age group.
I agree there is less drama, but the ages and levels are way confusing.

 

[sce]

Boys repeat levels, do a level a year, skip levels etc. Each year brings new challenges. I would assume that your boy would at least move up to level 5. Most gyms determine the next season's level based on the skills acquired during off-season. One thing different from girls: there is no required score per level. Thus why boys can skip levels.

To give you a snap shot of one boy. My boy competed level 4 when he was 11yo, Level 5 12yo, Level 6 13yo and 14 yo, level 9 15yo, Level 10 16yo and 17 yo (and plans to compete next year too, 18yo and high school senior). Started late, repeated and skipped levels.