Parents Seriously considering Xcel

[notthatmom]

So we have to make some sort of a change. I truly feel like DD was "left behind" this season due to the fact that she isn't a star gymnast. Not making state has really shown me how the coaches feel about her. It's like she's being punished for not being good enough.
We are at a very good gym that produces olympians, national team members, and college gymnasts. And it's very obvious that they favor the girls who do better. There is a LOT of emphasis on making state to where DD feels like a failure because she didn't make it.
Our gym is also very expensive compared to some of the other gyms in our area. If we stay at this gym and she moves up and trains L4 there is still a very big chance that she will compete L3 again next year, and the way our gym does it she will be with the 4s meaning I'll pay L4 tuition only to have her compete 3 which to me is a waste of $.
I am going to have her do a trial at a different gym, but that one is farther away (it's a 20 minute drive compared to my 6 minute drive I have right now). I wasn't considering xcel at first because I thought at our gym if you go xcel you can't switch back to JO, but I have now learned this isn't true. So it's becoming a big possibility. I like our gym and I think if she does do xcel, one day when I can afford it she can do JO if the opportunity presents itself. This just seems like such a hard decision to make.
Other than the money aspect, I just don't want her to be in an environment where she is made to feel like she isn't as important as the other girls and if I keep her there for 4, that's how it will end up feeling for her.
I've talked to her about it and she isn't totally against xcel (she actually likes the fact that they get to pick their own music) and there are one or two girls on her team who are considering it too so she might have friends move with her which would be a plus. I haven't mentioned a new gym to her yet because I don't want her to say anything to anyone. At our gym if you leave, you most likely won't ever be welcome back, so if we move, that's going to be a big decision.

Do any of you have advice on switching or what you would do in this situation?

 

[MILgymFAM]

This is just *me* but in that scenario I wouldn't switch internally. Any external thing- the coaches or other girls- that makes her feel less-than for not being a superstar would probably carry over to xcel. In fact, I'm surprised that a gym that is score centric doesn't think of the whole xcel program as less-than. That's probably our negative experiences talking though, I freely admit. Every gym where there has been JO and Xcel together, Xcel was the red headed step child.

 

[caligymdad]

My advice is that you are still young in the process and I would advise against making serious changes before attempting to fight through what you perceive as your DD being 'punished'. I say this because one of the biggest gifts your DD will receive through participating in competitive sports is the experience of fighting through adversity. If you just change gyms or tracks because of one setback or shortcoming you will likely lessen the extent to which your DD learns how to handle adversity. I would first request a meeting with the coaches to have them express their plan for your DD. Ask them to specifically tell you where they see your DD in the program and what they feel your DD needs to do to continue to improve. Now if you leave that meeting still feeling that there is some type of disregard for your DD and that she has no hope in that gym because of a perception they have, then I would consider the gym switch but not the track switch.

 

[Flyaway]

This is just *me* but in that scenario I wouldn't switch internally. Any external thing- the coaches or other girls- that makes her feel less-than for not being a superstar would probably carry over to xcel. In fact, I'm surprised that a gym that is score centric doesn't think of the whole xcel program as less-than. That's probably our negative experiences talking though, I freely admit. Every gym where there has been JO and Xcel together, Xcel was the red headed step child.

I agree. Are you SURE that an xcel gymnast can jump streams to JO? Because by the way you've described your gym, that surprises me. And even if they do say they allow it, does it actually happen? Especially for a gymnast who was once JO and then switched?

 

[cadybearsmommy]

This is just *me* but in that scenario I wouldn't switch internally. Any external thing- the coaches or other girls- that makes her feel less-than for not being a superstar would probably carry over to xcel. In fact, I'm surprised that a gym that is score centric doesn't think of the whole xcel program as less-than. That's probably our negative experiences talking though, I freely admit. Every gym where there has been JO and Xcel together, Xcel was the red headed step child.

This would be my concern as well. That she would receive lesser coaching and still be made to feel "less than" at her current gym even doing Xcel. Especially since her gym has already shown that they have this attitude in general about girls who score lower than others.

Compulsories are tough. They are not for everyone. My dd was originally training level 3 but she had some fear and form issues and we switched her to bronze. She still had a not so great season b/c the gym as a whole did not focus on form. We switched to another gym where she repeated bronze, did silver and this year competed L6. She was slower to get skills, and she would have burned out in compulsories. Would have easily had to do 3 years of L3 b/c she didn't have her kip if she had not moved to Xcel. Then last summer something clicked and she started picking up optional level skills. She competed Level 6 this year, scoring in a range of 33's to 35's. Not the best scores, but she held her own as a gymnast that had not been through compulsories (other than scoring out of them). I felt she was a little less prepared for optionals because she didn't go through compulsories but everyone has a different path. Compulsories were just too much too soon and she would have burned out. She loves optionals and wants to continue with it and doesn't wish to go back to Xcel at this time (personally I love Xcel lol). And she has time to "catch up" and get her skills cleaner, etc, we aren't pursuing college gymnastics or anything, she just loves optionals and wants to progress at her own pace. My point is that there are a lot of different paths, Xcel is a great path, JO is a great path and sometimes they can even intersect along the way. But based on what you have said I think your dd might enjoy Xcel, although I'm not sure that it will change the feelings she has of being looked down on because of not being one of the high scoring "stars" if you do Xcel at your current gym.

 

[GymLife]

I would wait it out. Yes, a lot of coaches will favor the better gymnast. If your gymnast is working just as hard and putting in that effort and she still seems to struggle, then maybe talk to a coach and see what her path should be. Our level 4 gymnasts this season will go to xcel gold. So it can be done. The only reason they are switching is because they can not devote as much time to JO practices like some of the girls. So yes, at our gym xcel is a step back if your ultimate goal is to compete JO. She will still have to test out of 3 (if she didn't get her gym's minimum) 4 and level 5. So you may be wasting money in the long run.

What does your DD want to do?

My DD was almost always last on her team at meets. She worked just as hard and put in extra hours, but it just didn't click. She needed more time in her level to mature. Every gymnast matures at different times. Maybe spending another year at level 3 would do her good. Our old gym kept girls at level 4 for 2 seasons and that was after competing level 1, 2, 3, xcel gold.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

How old is your daughter again?

 

[Committed]

I would wait a few months before you make a decision. I know it seems like a big deal right now, but soon enough, it will be forgotten. My DD has gone through several instances where she didn't feel important or she felt like she let her coaches down. It didn't mean that she didn't matter to them, though the kids develop a stronger relationship with their coaches as they get older and spend more time with them.

Also, I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but if she wasn't able to make the State qualifying scores at level 3, she most likely will not be ready for level 4 next year. It wouldn't be a waste of money to pay for L4 training and compete L3. You're not paying for the level she's competing, you're paying for her hours and training. I would find it more of a waste to only re-train level 3 and not learn skills for the next level, you know?

 

[notthatmom]

This is just *me* but in that scenario I wouldn't switch internally. Any external thing- the coaches or other girls- that makes her feel less-than for not being a superstar would probably carry over to xcel. In fact, I'm surprised that a gym that is score centric doesn't think of the whole xcel program as less-than. That's probably our negative experiences talking though, I freely admit. Every gym where there has been JO and Xcel together, Xcel was the red headed step child.

I'm also surprised that the gym allows transitions from xcel to JO which is why it wasn't even an option I'd consider until a few days ago.
I guess I feel that since the xcel team has completely different coaches it may be a positive thing for DD. It's hard to know though....I've got so much thinking to do.

 

[notthatmom]

I agree. Are you SURE that an xcel gymnast can jump streams to JO? Because by the way you've described your gym, that surprises me. And even if they do say they allow it, does it actually happen? Especially for a gymnast who was once JO and then switched?

Yes I learned that a couple gymnasts made the transition this meet season. I honestly had no idea that was even something our gym would do BECAUSE of the way they run everything else, that was the last thing I thought was possible.

 

[notthatmom]

How old is your daughter again?

She just turned 8

 

[notthatmom]

I would wait a few months before you make a decision. I know it seems like a big deal right now, but soon enough, it will be forgotten. My DD has gone through several instances where she didn't feel important or she felt like she let her coaches down. It didn't mean that she didn't matter to them, though the kids develop a stronger relationship with their coaches as they get older and spend more time with them.

Also, I hope this doesn't sound harsh, but if she wasn't able to make the State qualifying scores at level 3, she most likely will not be ready for level 4 next year. It wouldn't be a waste of money to pay for L4 training and compete L3. You're not paying for the level she's competing, you're paying for her hours and training. I would find it more of a waste to only re-train level 3 and not learn skills for the next level, you know?

I have a few months to decide so it's not like I'm going to make the change tomorrow I'm just figuring out my plausible options now.
And I absolutely understand your second point.... she missed state by about 1/2 a point, and it was only due to a skill that she won't need in L4, she's progressing rather well with the rest of the skills, so I don't want to completely rule out the possibility of her being ready for 4 just because she missed qualifying for state.
You're right though, I'd be paying for the training and hours of the higher skills, and if she wasn't ready to compete them , competing L3 would just make more sense. That perspective was very helpful so thank you!

 

[cyclopsmom]

I agree with pp and would probably ask for a meeting to discuss the coach's plan for your dd. 6 minutes is a really convenient commute, and if your dd likes the gym and her coaches, then it might be worth sticking it out. Training 4 whether or not your daughter competes at that level makes sense to me as she will get a chance to work on new and challenging skills like the beam cartwheel and the kip that often take quite a long time to master. As a parent, I would be disappointed if my dd had to practice nothing but level 3 skills all summer after already competing that level for a season.

My dd is one who learns skills very slowly and has repeated levels 3 and 4. She does not have fast twitch muscles and is sometimes fearful. The first year at each level she scored 30-33 with no placements and the second year 35-36 with some 1st places. Not fabulous, but much, much better. This year she tested out of 5 and had a difficult 6 season with almost no placements and 31-34 scores (which were the lowest in her sessions). Dd did not enjoy being last, but she loves gymnastics and her team enough to keep on plugging away for another season. I don't know that she will get any 1sts next year, but I know she will improve and gain confidence doing something she enjoys. The same might be true for your dd. best of luck with whatever you decide!

 

[raenndrops]

So we have to make some sort of a change. I truly feel like DD was "left behind" this season due to the fact that she isn't a star gymnast. Not making state has really shown me how the coaches feel about her. It's like she's being punished for not being good enough.
We are at a very good gym that produces olympians, national team members, and college gymnasts. And it's very obvious that they favor the girls who do better. There is a LOT of emphasis on making state to where DD feels like a failure because she didn't make it.
Our gym is also very expensive compared to some of the other gyms in our area. If we stay at this gym and she moves up and trains L4 there is still a very big chance that she will compete L3 again next year, and the way our gym does it she will be with the 4s meaning I'll pay L4 tuition only to have her compete 3 which to me is a waste of $.
I am going to have her do a trial at a different gym, but that one is farther away (it's a 20 minute drive compared to my 6 minute drive I have right now). I wasn't considering xcel at first because I thought at our gym if you go xcel you can't switch back to JO, but I have now learned this isn't true. So it's becoming a big possibility. I like our gym and I think if she does do xcel, one day when I can afford it she can do JO if the opportunity presents itself. This just seems like such a hard decision to make.
Other than the money aspect, I just don't want her to be in an environment where she is made to feel like she isn't as important as the other girls and if I keep her there for 4, that's how it will end up feeling for her.
I've talked to her about it and she isn't totally against xcel (she actually likes the fact that they get to pick their own music) and there are one or two girls on her team who are considering it too so she might have friends move with her which would be a plus. I haven't mentioned a new gym to her yet because I don't want her to say anything to anyone. At our gym if you leave, you most likely won't ever be welcome back, so if we move, that's going to be a big decision.

Do any of you have advice on switching or what you would do in this situation?

She is only 8. If the gym is following the JO to Xcel placement chart, she would have to compete Xcel Gold, although a lot of gyms cheat and place them down... especially in the case of a L3 that did not qualify for state, they would probably place her in Silver (technically requires a petition).
If they put her in Gold, that is a huge step up.
Bars - jump to high bar (L4 skill)
Beam - 2 acro skills (L4 skills work), full turn (L5 skill)
Floor - Acro series (L3 ROBHS works), a 2nd acro series or a salto or aerial (L5+), full turn (L5 skill).
Vault - go over the vault table (L4+ vault).

My YG made the jump from L3 to Xcel Gold (but she competed two years of old L4 and a year of L3, so three years at the level in total). Every off-season, she had up trained and actually had several higher skills on floor and a long hang pullover from the jump on bars. She was missing the DFK, so no L4. She has it now.
We are hoping (if drama stays away) that she can score out of L4 and L5 and compete L6 next season. If not, she will compete Xcel Platinum or repeat again.

 

[Gymmommy71]

I don't know if I'd switch a child as young as 8 to XCel based on one lackluster season at L3. What was the state qualification score that she was unable to achieve? Were the issues that led to her not getting the state score more form related or lack of skills? Does she have her kip?

 

[notthatmom]

I don't know if I'd switch a child as young as 8 to XCel based on one lackluster season at L3. What was the state qualification score that she was unable to achieve? Were the issues that led to her not getting the state score more form related or lack of skills? Does she have her kip?

She needed a 34 to qualify for state...she got a 33.475
I'd say the issues were more form related, she has the skills...some are just a tad shy of being fine tuned (particularly a skill on the bars that shall remain nameless...but I'll tell you it rhymes with shmill shircle)
She doesn't have her kip yet but is working on it....getting close to cast to handstand as well.
If she stays in JO we'd have to switch gyms, the cost is just getting ridiculous and we need to make that financial change for our family.

 

[profmom]

No matter where you go, the cost will not go down as she moves up the levels in JO.

 

[notthatmom]

No matter where you go, the cost will not go down as she moves up the levels in JO.

I know, but the gym we are at now is drastically more expensive than the others in the area...so it will be less $$ at least for the next few levels.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

She just turned 8

So repeating level three wouldn't be a tragedy, especially since they up train. I'm also guessing this gym does 5 to 7 or 6to 7.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I know, but the gym we are at now is drastically more expensive than the others in the area...so it will be less $$ at least for the next few levels.

And you get what you pay for.

If you like the coaching, the conditioning. And the gymnastics. The level is the least of it. Especially if they up train.

Regarding the price, do the hours go up per level? And the skills. She is learning new skills. Because that is what you are paying for, not the "meet level".

And you are not even sure at this point what the plan is because you haven't asked?
Or am I misunderstanding.