Should I try doing harder skills that are not for my level?

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I am recently trying to do harder skills that are level 9 material and I am only in level 8. Should I keep doing the harder skills so that I could be prepared for level 9 or should I just focus on my levels skills? :confused:
 
I think you would probably want to make sure your level 8 skills are nicely brushed up before trying to go ahead of yourself, because if your level 8 skills are in great shape, I would imagine it will make your level 9 skills come that much easier.
 
I think most everyone trains for the levels above them, otherwise you would have a long way to go each season. If you have your level 8 skills, you should try working on level 9 skills.
 
That makes sense. As I am still fairly new to the sport and its levels, and how moving up works. With ballet, we had to have everything practically perfect before we moved up and taught new stuff
 
It really depends on how well you can do your level 8 skills and what your competition schedule is. If you've got a meet next week, you probably want to work on you level 8 routines. If you don't have a meet for a while and can do your level 8 skills pretty well I don't see a problem with working some level 9 skills. What does your coach have you working on? I'm sure he/she is planning your workouts to get you ready for your meets and to move up.
 
It really depends on how well you can do your level 8 skills and what your competition schedule is. If you've got a meet next week, you probably want to work on you level 8 routines. If you don't have a meet for a while and can do your level 8 skills pretty well I don't see a problem with working some level 9 skills. What does your coach have you working on? I'm sure he/she is planning your workouts to get you ready for your meets and to move up.
My coaches try to get me to do harder skills that are for level 9, but for like 2 weeks I haven't been doing level 9 skills since I have a meet this weekend. So I guess I am just doing it once in a while.
 
We actually just talked about this today at my gym! We're the team around us who throws harder tricks that are level 9 tricks if were a level 8 and so on... Another team around us just does base level 8 skills and then wins. I'm not into doing the easiest thing I can do and winning. I like challenging myself and doing hard skills. Who cares if I get 1st place or last place? If I can do a hard skill thats all that matters to me.
 
Thats a good attitude to have! You don't get ahead without challenging yourself!
 
I am recently trying to do harder skills that are level 9 material and I am only in level 8. Should I keep doing the harder skills so that I could be prepared for level 9 or should I just focus on my levels skills? :confused:

This is a very vague and general question, and it's impossible for anybody here to give you a solid answer unless they know you in person. It depends on what skills you're working, what skill level you're at, what your goals and philosophies are, what your coaches goals and philosophies are, and a million other things. Nobody here can give an answer taylored to you the way your coach can.

However, I'll give it a shot with some general answers. The way I look at it, the ultimate goal at each level is to prepare for the next; winning and scoring well are of no importance. HOWEVER, this must be balanced with the need for strong basics! I spend a lot of time perfecting basics, and I do not like to allow a gymnast to move to the next skill in a progression if they don't have the step below it solidly and comfortably. But if they have the necessary base skills and are ready to push ahead, I will not stop them from doing so, regardless of whether they need it for the level they're at.

To put it in more concrete terms: suppose I have a kid with a very strong back layout on floor; I'm going to work with this kid on twisting it, regardless of what level they're at. And suppose I have a kid with a weak layout; I'm not going to have them twist it until it gets stronger, regardless of level. Right now I have a level 5 boy who can do an easy layout 1/1 on floor, and is standing up 3/2s on a mat in a pit (he's a natural tumbler, and his floor is miles ahead of his other events). I also have a level 9 who is not yet ready to twist his back layout (he's a front tumbler, and has always been extremely uncumfortable with any skill that rotates backwards). The thing that determines to me whether a kid should be working on a particular skill is, quite simply, whether he/she is ready for it. Level has nothing to do with it. That's my philosophy, anyway.

So if your level 8 skills still need work, I as a coach would have you focus on those. If you have them easy and are, in my judgement, ready to work level 9 skills, I absolutely would not make you wait.
 
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