Parents Xcel moving down a level?

[cjfparent]

My daughter told me that her coaches were planning to evaluate her team to see who has ‘gold level skills’ and would stay in Xcel Gold and who would move down to Xcel Silver? This team all competed Gold this spring season and all qualified to state.
I am very confused as I have not heard of this happening before at her gym and I would think had they not had the skills they would have moved them before competing this year (which a couple had to as they didn’t have minimum skills).
Has anyone heard of this before? My daughter didn’t want me asking the coach what they meant and which skills specifically are they concerned with, etc.

 

[moogacat]

I've heard of Xcel athletes dropping levels, but only before completing a full season at the new level, and usually because of significant struggles at the higher level or injuries. I've never heard of dropping someone down after completing a full season, especially if they made the state meet qualifying score. I think this would also have to be approved by the state chair. It sounds like the gym might be imposing new internal rules about mobility between levels, and is not contemplating grandfathering people who already moved up into the new scheme. Our gym did that last year (imposed slightly higher criteria for moving up that meeting the bare minimum for the next level), but people certainly weren't moved down if they didn't meet the new internal criteria for the level.

 

[cjfparent]

I've heard of Xcel athletes dropping levels, but only before completing a full season at the new level, and usually because of significant struggles at the higher level or injuries. I've never heard of dropping someone down after completing a full season, especially if they made the state meet qualifying score. I think this would also have to be approved by the state chair. It sounds like the gym might be imposing new internal rules about mobility between levels, and is not contemplating grandfathering people who already moved up into the new scheme. Our gym did that last year (imposed slightly higher criteria for moving up that meeting the bare minimum for the next level), but people certainly weren't moved down if they didn't meet the new internal criteria for the level.

Yes they did that before the season for a couple girls who just didn’t get to the skills required which makes sense.
They have told the whole team they will be evaluated though?? And nothing has been said about different skills needed or any of the skills they are expecting. I could somewhat understand if they were changing needed skills but they didn’t even say what they needed to have. But maybe that’s it - and it’s also coming for a girl on what coaches said.
And I think you are correct - to move down a level after competing a sanctioned meet and state they are supposed to have to send letter of explanation which does that include the gym just changing requirements?

 

[Carly]

I can see them evaluating the whole team to determine levels for next year but I would think that it would be only for staying in gold or moving up to platinum. I've never heard of a girl dropping back a level after completing an entire season of a higher level unless there was some type of injury that caused her to loose a lot of practice time and skills.

I found this info about dropping back a level in the usag rules and policies document:
D. Dropping Back through the Divisions 1. The State Administrative Committee must determine, prior to the beginning of the competitive year, a designated "declaration" date for each division. The highest division in which the athlete competes in a sanctioned competition after the “declaration” date designates her division for the remainder of the current season. 2. If the athlete competed at an Xcel State Championships (or higher) and wishes to drop back through the divisions, her coach must submit a “reason for change” letter. a. For Bronze, Silver, and Gold Divisions, the “reason for change” letter is sent to the State Administrative Committee. b. For Platinum and Diamond Divisions, the “reason for change” letter is sent to the Regional Technical Committee.