USAG guidelines for prep opt practice schedule?

[5pomolos]

Does anyone know if USAG has guidelines/suggestions for what prep opt (first year, or whatever your state calls the beginner prep opt level) for how many hours a week girls should be working out/practicing? I am just curious what all the prep opt girls/parents of etc. in this forum are practicing to compare with the gym we are at.

 

[livelifetumble8dx]

GENERAL REGULATIONS
• Athletes must be registered with USAG
• Indiana’s age requirements: Bronze –Same as Level 4 (must have reached 6th BD), Silver &
Gold- Same as Level 5-7 (must have reached 7th BD), Platinum – Same as L8 (must have
reached 8th BD) - Since this program is an alternative program it CANNOT BE USED TO
SATISFY MOBILITY REQUIREMENTS IN THE JO PROGRAM.
• A gymnast may compete in both a JO State Meet and a PO State Meet within the same
season.
• Level 7 & 8 gymnasts may compete in the Platinum Level of Prep-Opt. Level 7 & 8 gymnasts
may not compete in Bronze, Silver or Gold level. For special circumstances a Level 7 or 8
gymnast may petition to the SAC to compete at the Gold level.
• Special Requirements must be satisfied by elements listed as “Aâ€￾ or higher elements in the
current USA Age Group Code or USAG Supplement (unless included on the allowable skill list
for Prep-Opt).
• NO additional compositional deductions besides the listed presentation deductions will be
used. However, a bonus of up to .2 for Artistry and a deduction of up to .2 Rhythm on
BB & FX will be used.
• Prep-Opt competitions must follow the current USAG Women’s Rules & Policies in regards to
the apparatus specifications, using as a minimum standard the specifications for compulsory
competitions.
• Prep-Opt competitions must follow the current USAG Women’s Rules and Policies concerning
maximum number of gymnasts per session. Bronze & Silver will follow compulsory numbers
allowed and Gold & Platinum will follow optional numbers allowed.
• Prep-Opt competitions may be judged by a 1 judge panel if all judges are L8 and above,
otherwise a two judge panel must be used. Indiana ruling
• Level recommendations: Bronze Level 4 or below, Silver Level 5, Gold Level 6, Platinum Level 7 & 8.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
• Prep-Opt gymnasts are not required to compete All-Around.
• Gymnasts must designate on the entry form which division (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum)
they will compete. All events must be competed in the same division.
• If competition squads have gymnasts of different divisions, gymnasts of the same division
must compete consecutively. Divisions must be designated on the rotation sheet.
• Indiana ruling- There is NO qualification to the State Invitational.
• Special Requirements can be met by skill attempts. An attempted Special Requirement that
results in a fall will be given credit as long as the skill technique is recognizable.
• Traditional format meets must allow Gold & Platinum gymnasts a touch warm-up.

 

[5pomolos]

prep opt practice

Thanks for all the great info! I really appreciate it. It must vary by state. Is there no guideline or recommended practice schedule? Just up to the coaches/gym? Thanks!

 

[gymdog]

It does vary by state. There is no guideline or suggested practice schedule. However in most gyms prep opt requires fewer hours than USAG JO competitive teams. This is not always the case, just a general trend.

 

[gymnastgets10]

At my gym, Intermediate Prep Opt (probably around Silver) practices 15 hours a week with the level 7's but they aren't as serious and seem to miss practice a lot more often. Our beginner prep opt isn't very competitive (they only do like 2 or 3 meets a year) and they practice 4-6 hours a week, I think.

 

[5pomolos]

Thanks again for the great input! After thinking about it and discussing it with my daughter it sounds like we need to take a look at a gym that will take her on level 4 (at age 10) so she can put that level 4s do just to be her personal best. I just never knew there were differences in what gyms "allow" on there level 4s in terms of what their goals are as a gym (number one at every meet, seek out olympians etc.) She wanted to after pre-team at our gym, but as I have explained she they didn't see the potential there I guess (and her age). Whew...there really can be alot of drama around the gym....I am just learning!

 

[gymdog]

There are definitely differences. Some gyms want all younger girls (not my personal philosophy...I started L4 at 11 and went through the JO levels, so doesn't really mesh with me). But most will probably look for her to have all the level 4 skills or be pretty close except for a couple. The main ones they will probably want readiness on are the roundoff back handspring, back hip and mill circles on bars, probably at least be close to front hip circle, if not have it. Other major skills are handstand, side handstand dismount on beam and handstand to flatback on vault mats. But for me, if a kid has a roundoff backhandspring but just hasn't really worked on those skills, I would assume they could get them in a few months. The bar skills would be the most important to me. Along with general strength and flexibility.

10 is not too old to start the JO levels but it depends on their readiness for the program. In full disclosure, I started the JO levels late but I had been doing basically rec gymnastics (4 hours a week) and was at about a level 6 skill level in terms of my skills when I made the move to competitive (kips on bars, back tucks on floor, back walkovers on beam). So that made a difference in how a competitive program would look at me at that age. When I started level 4 it was still not a lot of hours, one more day of two hours, so 6 hours. In level 5 I probably did 10 hours. So I do also think they can learn quite far in the basic skills at low hours depending on their ability but if they have the drive to do more it is an option at least to investigate. For some girls they will need additional hours in order to get more strength to improve, I was lucky to be pretty strong in my build and to have a very qualified coach despite it being a rec program, so I was able to advance very quickly in four hours a week.

 

[5pomolos]

Thanks Gymdog! She has most of the readiness skills, for sure. She just got a back handspring without being spotted coming off the tumbletrack, but still needs slight spotting on the floor (and tons of practice to keep up the confidence). Vaults very well with handstand flatback, does pretty good on bars, but is working on squat-on. She already does a handstand dismount on beam but really needs more time to work on beam in general. With only 4 hours a week it has been harder for her to get better (some girls seem to get it in less time? am I right?) She doesn't sound quite as advanced as you were entering level 4, but it is good to know that older girls can still participate in levels if they are ready. Thanks again so much for your thoughts.

 

[gymdog]

Thanks Gymdog! She has most of the readiness skills, for sure. She just got a back handspring without being spotted coming off the tumbletrack, but still needs slight spotting on the floor (and tons of practice to keep up the confidence). Vaults very well with handstand flatback, does pretty good on bars, but is working on squat-on. She already does a handstand dismount on beam but really needs more time to work on beam in general. With only 4 hours a week it has been harder for her to get better (some girls seem to get it in less time? am I right?) She doesn't sound quite as advanced as you were entering level 4, but it is good to know that older girls can still participate in levels if they are ready. Thanks again so much for your thoughts.

I mean, I am definitely not saying 4 hours is ideal, I just mentioned that in case you find this is your only option, hopefully she can still progress. My coach was very very good despite not being a competitive coach - definitely was qualified to teach many skills much higher than the rec level. I have met few coaches working in similar programs that are as qualified.

And I as mentioned, many girls that could progress, would benefit from more time to get stronger. Some are just not as naturally strong as others, but could build strength with additional practice. Also, while I progressed pretty far with it, it was far from ideal for me because if I had been in a competitive program earlier I almost definitely would have been competing much earlier and would have had more time to go through the levels.

My level 4s go about 8-10 hours a week (some more than others).

 

[5pomolos]

Thanks agian! We have been visiting other gyms and found a great one where the prep opt Rookies practice 6 hours a week w/ an optional extra 3 all summer. She can practice with the Prep Opt team all summer and start level 4 in the fall. But now I am thinking, why not just stay with Prep Opt and see where all this practice takes her! I thought that only the jr Olym. levels would be able to get in that kind of practice schedule.