USAG level 2 beam routine

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I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find a list of exactly what's required for the level 2 beam routine. There is one part where my daughter kind of hesitates (it's really awkward) and she acts like she's not sure what to do next---I'll try to explain:

After the forward roll, she does a scale, then does a kick with 1 leg and a kick with the other leg----at this point, I think she is supposed to do a step, step, and lock, then a tuck jump, turn and tuck jump off the beam. She kind of hesitates after the 2nd kick, and then she steps and locks, then steps and locks again (I heard her coach tell her yesterday that this is what she is supposed to do), and then she does the tuck jump, turns and does a tuck jump off the beam.

I hate to contradict the coach, but what is the correct way to do this? We have state this weekend, and I want to be sure that she does it the right way. She has not scored well on beam at most of her meets (except for 1 meet---she got a 9.5---but I told her to do only 1 step-step-lock), so I really want to be absolutely sure about this before I tell her to do it this way again.

Thanks for your help!

(P.S. one of the parents at practice yesterday said that maybe she was adding the extra step lock to get extra points---has anyone ever heard of this? I don't think that you can do something to get extra points at level 2, can you?
 
I am not real familiar w/ the L2 beam routine - I have only seen L2 at one meet that we went to. If memory serves they only did one tuck jump then turned and did a tuck jump off the beam.

My understanding of the scoring is that there is a very big deduction for repeating an element (that is not supposed to be in the routine) as the routines have to be exact. My dd is L3. She actually did 2 back hip circles on her bar routine ( she had huge cast - way too much power, LOL ) and she got her lowest score ever on bars in that meet. This could explain why your dd's scores have been low - But it is probably better for a coach or judge to really answer your question.

You may also be able to go to youtube and search level 2 beam routines - someone may have put up some videos. I know there are some L3 and up on there.
 
Frankly, I'd totally leave this alone. I don't think you want to challenge the coach's authority and confuse your dd as to whom she's supposed to listen to. Telling her to do something other than what the coach says really sticks her in the middle of a power struggle. I don't mean to be harsh, but it's level 2, who cares how she scores. This really should be all about fun at this point.
 
Frankly, I'd totally leave this alone. I don't think you want to challenge the coach's authority and confuse your dd as to whom she's supposed to listen to. Telling her to do something other than what the coach says really sticks her in the middle of a power struggle. I don't mean to be harsh, but it's level 2, who cares how she scores. This really should be all about fun at this point.

I'm not trying to question the coach's authority---my gosh! My daughter wants to do it right---that's why I asked the question. And yes, it is only level 2, but she does care how she scores---she has told me that she doesn't like not being in 1st place---she is very driven and likes to do her best. Sorry if my question has upset you in any way!!!
 
You may also be able to go to youtube and search level 2 beam routines - someone may have put up some videos. I know there are some L3 and up on there.[/quote]


Thanks---I'll try to check out some of the videos on youtube.
 
I have the JO Compulsory Program guidebook from USAG. This is what it says about the L2 beam routine:

1. Jump to front support mount
2. V-sit
3. Forward roll
4. Arabesque
5. Leg swings
6. Releve balance
7. Tuck jump
8. Tuck jump dismount

I think the releve balance (step 6) is where you're having the question. The book describes this step as:

"Step forward in releve on the Left; then Right foot. Close the Left foot behind the Right foot in releve "lock" position. Hold two seconds."

I hope this helps.
 
quote=lagymmom;22662]I'm not trying to question the coach's authority---my gosh! My daughter wants to do it right---that's why I asked the question. And yes, it is only level 2, but she does care how she scores---she has told me that she doesn't like not being in 1st place---she is very driven and likes to do her best. Sorry if my question has upset you in any way!!![/quote]

The question's not upsetting to me, I'm just trying to give you another prospective, or option (i.e., ignore it, go to the state meet, cheer like crazy, take lots of pictures, tell she rocks, and take her out for ice cream afterward). It might be worth posting on the coaches' forum to get their take too. I just can't see how this doesn't have the potential to cause a sticky situation for your dd. Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought you indicated you had heard dd's coach telling her to do it one way and now you're considering telling her to do it differently. She's going to have to choose to ignore one of you. Isn't she?

If you really feel compelled to deal with this, I would talk to the coach. Maybe you could say something like "dd's confused about whether it's one step our two in the beam routine. We've seen some girls doing two and some doing one." Hopefully, that will prompt her to go back to the text and double check.

By advising not to worry about scores, I'm not trying to diminish her accomplishment or anything. But what is she 4-5? At this early stage, it really should be about having fun. I'm actually really surprised your state gives out placements for Level 2. Our state starts competing at level 4, and while dd didn't compete level 4 here, my ds just finished his level 4 season. For the boys at least, our state doesn't allow gyms to give out placements even at invitationals. It's strictly achievement so they get blue ribbon for 9 and up; red for 8-9; white for 7-8. In the AA there's a gold medal for 54 and above; silver for 48-54; and bronze for under 48. This way the kids are getting an introduction to competition and being judged, but they really focus on competing against themselves instead of each other.

We go to probably the most competitive gym in our state, but ds's coach always says fun should be the primary focus at this age. Some of the parents seem to take level 4 really seriously here, but I don't think the coaches do. I was at one meet where there were some parents from one of the most competitive gyms from our neighboring state behind us and they seemed to be taking it really seriously. So on one event their son gets a low 9 and they think it should have been higher. The wife starts bugging the husband to go tell the coach to question the score. He says, "you want to challenge a 9?" She "YES; it should have been at least 9.5." So the husband goes and talks with the coach. He comes back and reports "He says he doesn't care about scores at level 4; he wishes they didn't even give them scores. They should just be having fun." So I guess the moral of this story is that even coaches from gyms that are all about getting kids to nationals, getting college scholarships etc., try to put more emphasis on fun than scores at the introductory levels of competition.
 
My dd is a USAG level 2 gymnast. The routine goes: Step, kick (leg swing), step, kick. Then you walk on your toes two steps and then lock your back foot to your front foot. We have the USAG level 1-4 dvd, and this is what it shows. Good luck at state. We have state this weekend, also. What state are you from? Us, Alabama.
 
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My dd is a USAG level 2 gymnast. The routine goes: Step, kick (leg swing), step, kick. Then you walk on your toes two steps and then lock your back foot to your front foot. We have the USAG level 1-4 dvd, and this is what it shows. Good luck at state. We have state this weekend, also. What state are you from? Us, Alabama.


We're from Louisiana---your description is exactly how I thought it should be---I wasn't too sure about the wording though. Thanks so much!
 
That's great! I'm so excited for your daughter!!! My daughter did okay. She tied for 3rd on bars, 9th on beam, 14 on vault and 13th all around. She really bobbled the floor routine big time (and in warm up it was soooo good!), but I told her it was no big deal and we went to celebrate at Chuck E. Cheese! We were so proud of her for hanging in there and not giving up on the floor. Her bar was awesome, and the beam was good too---she went over time by a few seconds (they have to do it in 30 seconds & if over get 1/10 point deduction). I thought her vault was really good too, but I'm not a judge, so who knows what they were looking for! There were 21 six year olds at this competition. I really think that not having any competitions since the first weekend in Feb. was not good for her. She goes to gym 1 day a week for 3 hours, and her coach said that considering that she doesn't go more, she did really well. We live an hour from our gym and it is already a challenge to get there. I don't know what we'll do when she has to go more (which will be soon, since her coach said that she will start learning level 3 & 4 skills). We don't have a gym in our town and the one we go to is the closest to us, and it isn't very competitive. We love our coach----she is very, very sweet and loves my daughter very much! I just wish the training was a little better. I guess I should just be happy that I have a gym, shouldn't I!!! Sorry to make this into more than what you asked me!!! I guess I just had to unload a little. : )

On a side note, we're trying softball. She has had 3 practices so far, and she is really good at it! I put her in the 7 & 8 year old league because she's been watching big brothers ever since we brought her home from China, and she knows what to do. She can hit, catch, throw and run, so I guess we have a little all around athlete on our hands!

Thanks for checking on us!
 
Something really strange has happened. I posted a reply to skfleming255, and it has now disappeared. I even viewed it from the forum topics page. I hate to try to reply again because it was a rather long post. Has it been removed for some reason? If so, what did I do? Thanks!
 
No extra points are given for extra steps although I love to hear parents guesses on scoring.. I dont think that by what your daughter is doing that I would take a deduction on it... do you have a video
 
No extra points are given for extra steps although I love to hear parents guesses on scoring.. I dont think that by what your daughter is doing that I would take a deduction on it... do you have a video

I do, but do not have a way to put it online. I don't have the right connecting cables or something----but it really doesn't matter anymore now. She's finished with level 2, and we'll be moving on to learning level 3 and 4 skills (according to her coach). Thanks anyway!
 
Sounds like she did well. That's alot of 6 year olds in one age group. There were 14 girls in my dd's age group. She was sooo happy, but one little girl on her team crushed her happiness and had her tearing up right before awards. :( She said, "You always have to be perfect, don't you?" I explained to her that she was just jealous and to reply that she just always tries her hardest and to move on. She must have gotten over it quickly b/c during awards, she was smiling so big.:)

We have a couple of girls at our gym that drive 45 minutes 3 times a week to practice. It's got to be tough. I don't know if I could do it. Good luck with your dd's new skills. We started back handsprings yesterday.
 
Sounds like she did well. That's alot of 6 year olds in one age group. There were 14 girls in my dd's age group. She was sooo happy, but one little girl on her team crushed her happiness and had her tearing up right before awards. :( She said, "You always have to be perfect, don't you?" I explained to her that she was just jealous and to reply that she just always tries her hardest and to move on. She must have gotten over it quickly b/c during awards, she was smiling so big.:)

We have a couple of girls at our gym that drive 45 minutes 3 times a week to practice. It's got to be tough. I don't know if I could do it. Good luck with your dd's new skills. We started back handsprings yesterday.

Oh no! That was so mean! That would have made my little girl upset too. I think she's glad to be moving on to other (more challenging) skills. She was really getting bored with level 2.

Good luck to your dd too! We began practicing back handsprings a few weeks ago. She absolutely loves it!:)
 
the beam

it is one step lock and then tuck jump on beam and then tuck jump off of beam.. im a gymnastics coach and have been teaching a long time.. tell her i wish her good luck and keep up the hard work...


I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find a list of exactly what's required for the level 2 beam routine. There is one part where my daughter kind of hesitates (it's really awkward) and she acts like she's not sure what to do next---I'll try to explain:

After the forward roll, she does a scale, then does a kick with 1 leg and a kick with the other leg----at this point, I think she is supposed to do a step, step, and lock, then a tuck jump, turn and tuck jump off the beam. She kind of hesitates after the 2nd kick, and then she steps and locks, then steps and locks again (I heard her coach tell her yesterday that this is what she is supposed to do), and then she does the tuck jump, turns and does a tuck jump off the beam.

I hate to contradict the coach, but what is the correct way to do this? We have state this weekend, and I want to be sure that she does it the right way. She has not scored well on beam at most of her meets (except for 1 meet---she got a 9.5---but I told her to do only 1 step-step-lock), so I really want to be absolutely sure about this before I tell her to do it this way again.

Thanks for your help!

(P.S. one of the parents at practice yesterday said that maybe she was adding the extra step lock to get extra points---has anyone ever heard of this? I don't think that you can do something to get extra points at level 2, can you?
 

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