Parents Thoughts on preteam until JO4?

[SophiaPD]

A gym in our area that we would consider seems to be dropping JO3 team and making preteam longer, then starting at JO4. I am wondering if anyone has thoughts on this approach or experience with it. DD competed XB last season so not competing for a year would be a hard sell, but there do seem to be aspects of JO3 that seem tempting to skip or at least make non-competitive (why master the mill circle?) and of course it would be less expensive. Any thoughts?

 

[Flyaway]

It would be hard to go from competing to not competing for a year, but from a parent's perspective I'm thinking about how much money it would save! lol. Our gym did away with L3 for reasons you mentioned, the girls compete Xcel until they're ready for L4.

 

[GymDadWA]

Had two girls go from pre-team to 4 this year and they struggled. Then about four girls that went to 3 instead whom had much more rewarding and less stressful seasons. The girls that went to 4 have learned more skills than the ones that went to 3, but they can just barely do the skills, so hard to say if it was worth it or not. Of course every girl/gym/program is different so if your gym has a plan to make it work and think it will make more successful gymnasts then great.

 

[NutterButter]

Less than half of the gyms in my area compete L3 anyways so out here it would be considered normal to have a long preteam period before competing L4. If the gym you are considering has a successful optionals program then I wouldn't worry about it. DD's gym does 2 or 3 inhouse meets each year for preteam. They wear a team leo and are judged on routines like a real meet.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

A gym in our area that we would consider seems to be dropping JO3 team and making preteam longer, then starting at JO4. I am wondering if anyone has thoughts on this approach or experience with it. DD competed XB last season so not competing for a year would be a hard sell, but there do seem to be aspects of JO3 that seem tempting to skip or at least make non-competitive (why master the mill circle?) and of course it would be less expensive. Any thoughts?

My younger daughter has competed all levels 1-6. It seems so excessive.

 

[SophiaPD]

Had two girls go from pre-team to 4 this year and they struggled. Then about four girls that went to 3 instead whom had much more rewarding and less stressful seasons. The girls that went to 4 have learned more skills than the ones that went to 3, but they can just barely do the skills, so hard to say if it was worth it or not. Of course every girl/gym/program is different so if your gym has a plan to make it work and think it will make more successful gymnasts then great.

I think the idea at this gym is to have the kids who would otherwise do JO3 have another year of preteam, rather than skipping girls from preteam over 3 to 4. It's basically making level 3 noncompetitive but not shortening the process. Was that your experience?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I would of loved have waited for 4

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

I think it depends on the gym and how preteam is handled. At our old gym, preteam was extremely intense and serious. Those 4-8 year olds worked harder than the optionals do at DD's current gym. There was no competition until level 4.

The gym has fun skills competitions for rec though, and ONE time in the 4 years, the preteam was allowed to participate. They loved it SO much. The renewed vigor they took back to training really shone a light on the fact that competitions were very motivating for them, showing them WHY they were working so hard on tiny details. I think letting them do it even once a year would have gone a long way. They were promised that they would get to participate in them twice a year, but like all the promises made to them, it didn't happen. If preteam is really serious, then it's a long slog to level 4 with none of the "fun" of competition. If preteam is more rec-like, then it's probably not an issue.

So basically, I don't really think anyone needs to learn level 3 routines and get a team leo and go to south state - but even a chance to put on your favorite leo and have special days for skills competition can be enough.

 

[ausnat83]

The skills aren't developed at competitions, they're developed in practices. Not competing level 3 definitely doesn't equate to not developing the necessary skills for level 4. I grew up in a gym that started competition at level 5 (which at that point was just a touch harder than present day level 4). Before that there was a series of levels of pre-team. As part of pre-team we would do shows/exhibitions/mock competitions a few times a year. We also did things like performing in parades with the rest of the team. We had a team leotard that was a short sleeve (read, cheaper) version of the big girls' and team t-shirts and shorts instead of the expensive team warm ups. Which is great, because 90s warm ups were hideous and I don't need more pictures of me in those horrifying wind pant things than absolutely necessary.

So we got to do the fun parts of competitions essentially, without the actual costs and pressures of competition. But we spent most of our time drilling basics, shapes, and conditioning as well as working on level 5 skills (kips, handspring vault over the horse, cartwheel and hand stand on beam, FHS and ROBHSBHS...), and I'm not sure I ever learned to do a mill circle or a vault on a mat stack. There was also less frustration trying to get little tiny kids to memorize routines and competition procedures - an extra year or two makes a big difference in memory and maturity level at that stage. This worked very well as a program structure, and now as a parent I looked for a gym that waited to actually start competing until level 4. It's not really the same thing as having a few kids skipping level 3 in a program that has that level as a regular part of their development path.

 

[GymDadWA]

I think the idea at this gym is to have the kids who would otherwise do JO3 have another year of preteam, rather than skipping girls from preteam over 3 to 4. It's basically making level 3 noncompetitive but not shortening the process. Was that your experience?

Our team is a bit different as we do compete in level 2,3,4 but depending on the girls skills and age they could start in any of those levels. The older girls whom the parents want them to "catch up" tend to start at 4 and those are the girls that struggled.

What your gym is looking to do sounds perfectly reasonable, though personally I think their is something to be gained by competing at the lower levels with shorter and easier routines and working your way up to harder routines, but I get it that not everyone feels the same way and how the time spent on the easier routines could be better spent teaching skills used past the lower levels.

 

[momofsushi]

Hi,
Were we are girls cannot compete until they are 9. they are in a preteam program were they have to master skills to go from a level to another (6 levels). They do evaluations in front of juges but are not compared between them. So my daughter spent 3 years in that preteam then went right to JO 5 this year. ( and is having a fantastic season).

 

[FlippinPrincess]

Hi,
Were we are girls cannot compete until they are 9. they are in a preteam program were they have to master skills to go from a level to another (6 levels). They do evaluations in front of juges but are not compared between them. So my daughter spent 3 years in that preteam then went right to JO 5 this year. ( and is having a fantastic season).

She scored out of 4 and competed 5? Why do they make them wait until age 9. Have they given a reason?

 

[triplethreat+1]

I think it would depend on the gymnast too- my ODD lives for competitions and our annual gym show, but my MDD is not a fan of competitions at all (slightly better this year at age 9/ level 3). If she could have been at a gym that started competing at lvl 4 she would have liked that. Although I do feel like there does need to be some sort of performance type event (such as our annual show and mock comps) as previous posters said.

 

[3rd_time_around]

My first gymnast was on preteen for 6 weeks, then placed on old level 4 at age 8 and worked her way through the levels. My 2nd gymnast started on the Gym Stars at age 9, which was a Rec team—they had a tank team leo and went to about 5-6 comps. They had simple to hard routines (a lot like Xcel) and the judges were coaches. She then did old level 4, Prep Op 2 (equivalent to Silver I think), then old level 5. My 3rd gymnast did preteam at ages 4 and 5, then levels 1,2, and is currently 3. I feel like my youngest competes better at level 3 than either of her sisters did (old 4 is new 3). She has a better understanding of what competition is about and is more polished, which I attribute to having competed levels 1 & 2. Because although she is not as naturally talented as they were, she is scoring higher and better than they ever did at this level.

All that to say I think repeating preteam is best if they aren’t going to compete level 3, as long as they are uptraining the skills. I also wanted to explain why I think competing at the lower levels is not a waste of time either. All the training should keep them moving forward skill wise.

 

[doublestrike]

My girls did pre-team and one of them went on to level 4 at age 8. I can't even deal with the thought of levels 1-3 now, and so glad they did not have it when my girls were that age (the compulsory music alone would do me in). My girls loved pre-team and the one that is now a level 10, obviously loves all of it. If she's at a strong gym, starting competition at level 4 is the way to go. It's a long road and your gymnast must love it, work hard and be talented to get to level 10 and further. I am still a strong proponent of no repeating levels until you hit 10, then you can repeat all you want. I know, it doesn't work for everyone and my daughter won a ton from 4-8, terrible at 9 and first year level 10. Caught on again after that.

 

[momofsushi]

She scored out of 4 and competed 5? Why do they make them wait until age 9. Have they given a reason?

Mmm... It's a rule.... ( we live in Quebec, canada). girls are not compared between them until the year they turn 9. They can then enter JO, at the level that goes with their abilities ( they enter at level 4,5 or 6) or go directly to elite if they are incredibly talented!

 

[Tmacs]

I’m new but I personally really like the JO levels 2 and 3. My daughter (8) did not like pre-team but as soon as she started level 2 and competed, she was hooked. Our program is run by a former Olympian and she really believes in uptraining but competing at a level lower for building confidence. While I’m tempted to have her skip L3 (she had high 37s/38s all year at L2 and has L3 skills), I also see the value of really getting the strength, power, technical things perfect before moving up. And having the fun of competing makes them want to work hard and accept the super nit-picky corrections. The gymnasts our gym trains have beautiful form on everything- even the ones who aren’t naturally as good. So, yes, pricey but worth it for us. It has been such a positive, fun experience full of bonding and learning that I don’t think would have been the same without meets and leos and warm-ups that cost more than all my clothes .

 

[Peachy88]

I’m new but I personally really like the JO levels 2 and 3. My daughter (8) did not like pre-team but as soon as she started level 2 and competed, she was hooked. Our program is run by a former Olympian and she really believes in uptraining but competing at a level lower for building confidence. While I’m tempted to have her skip L3 (she had high 37s/38s all year at L2 and has L3 skills), I also see the value of really getting the strength, power, technical things perfect before moving up. And having the fun of competing makes them want to work hard and accept the super nit-picky corrections. The gymnasts our gym trains have beautiful form on everything- even the ones who aren’t naturally as good. So, yes, pricey but worth it for us. It has been such a positive, fun experience full of bonding and learning that I don’t think would have been the same without meets and leos and warm-ups that cost more than all my clothes .

And I would say that thank goodness there are different gyms with different philosophies and strengths. My kid is not built for a program like that but I know many kids who are! Glad you’re happy!

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Our gym insisted all girls have to compete 3 when we did move ups in January. Now my daughter and a handful of others have just been told we are most likely skipping 3 and doing 4 instead.

Ask me in 6 months, I’ll let you know how it goes. lol