Parents After working hard to get to optionals...we're back to Xcel

[BusyMomof2]

Not even sure what I am looking for with this post, but after watching my 9-year old daughter work her tail off to score out of levels 4 and 5, she is back to Xcel. She spent most of the summer training with her new team (combined level 5/6) and she was MISERABLE. The coaches were so nice, very skilled, excellent in every way that I could see. The teammates were all nice - very focused so not incredibly chatty, but all sweet girls. And yet after 6 weeks she was debating quitting the sport entirely. She cannot articulate the reasons other than "it isn't fun".

Last week, she tried practices with Xcel Gold and Platinum and LOVED LOVED the Gold team/coaches - so after much debate with the gym they are letting her move - or "downgrade" as they said (which honestly kind of bugged me although I do understand the sentiment). She competed Gold last year and was a podium finisher so this is a repeat for her. She's happier than I've seen her in months and for that I am thankful.

What a journey this sport is. There is a part of me that wonders if she'll regret this as our gym doesn't do a lot of mobility between Xcel and DP, but it is what it is.

 

[Coach Kate]

If she's happy, just support her in this. We became an Xcel only gym during covid. Some of our dp kids went to another gym, and one by one, they keep coming back because they're miserable. Some of these kids are winning state titles in compulsory and even optionals but it's not worth it if they hate it and are unhappy. We watch these kids come alive again and it's so wonderful.

I am wondering though, if she can score out of 5, I would think platinum would be a better fit skill wise.

 

[Dahlia]

Xcel can be a better fit for some. My Dd went from DP and reluctantly tried Xcel. After one week in Xcel she didn't even want to consider going back to DP!

If your daughter is happy, that is what matters.

 

[BusyMomof2]

If she's happy, just support her in this. We became an Xcel only gym during covid. Some of our dp kids went to another gym, and one by one, they keep coming back because they're miserable. Some of these kids are winning state titles in compulsory and even optionals but it's not worth it if they hate it and are unhappy. We watch these kids come alive again and it's so wonderful.

I am wondering though, if she can score out of 5, I would think platinum would be a better fit skill wise.

Yes, I thought so too, skill wise. Xcel at our gym (we're at a new gym, not the same place she did Silver and Gold) skews much older, so the Platinum team is 14 years and up. She is small for her age and just felt more comfy with the Gold group. Hopefully she'll still learn new skills but given she was about to quit and is now happy again...it doesn't matter to me at this point.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

This sport can be a rollercoaster sometimes! Glad she is happy, that’s the most important thing.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Not even sure what I am looking for with this post, but after watching my 9-year old daughter work her tail off to score out of levels 4 and 5, she is back to Xcel. She spent most of the summer training with her new team (combined level 5/6) and she was MISERABLE. The coaches were so nice, very skilled, excellent in every way that I could see. The teammates were all nice - very focused so not incredibly chatty, but all sweet girls. And yet after 6 weeks she was debating quitting the sport entirely. She cannot articulate the reasons other than "it isn't fun".

Last week, she tried practices with Xcel Gold and Platinum and LOVED LOVED the Gold team/coaches - so after much debate with the gym they are letting her move - or "downgrade" as they said (which honestly kind of bugged me although I do understand the sentiment). She competed Gold last year and was a podium finisher so this is a repeat for her. She's happier than I've seen her in months and for that I am thankful.

What a journey this sport is. There is a part of me that wonders if she'll regret this as our gym doesn't do a lot of mobility between Xcel and DP, but it is what it is.

At the risk of being blasted by some other CB members, I’m going to say this…if she scored out of level 5 she can’t compete Gold, she has to go to Platinum. I’ve checked and double-checked this and triple-checked with our state’s Xcel Coordinator. And it’s on the mobility chart. But Platinum isn’t a whole lot different from Gold, just higher cast and leap angle requirements, and a few other things.

 

[Coach Kate]

At the risk of being blasted by some other CB members, I’m going to say this…if she scored out of level 5 she can’t compete Gold, she has to go to Platinum. I’ve checked and double-checked this and triple-checked with our state’s Xcel Coordinator. And it’s on the mobility chart. But Platinum isn’t a whole lot different from Gold, just higher cast and leap angle requirements, and a few other things.

My interpretation was that she intended to/was ready to score out of 4 and 5, not that she already had. Just how I read it though and could be off!

 

[BusyMomof2]

That is interesting, I didn't even think about that. She already scored out of level 4, level 5 score out was scheduled for next month so she is fine for Gold this year.

 

[3rd_time_around]

That is interesting, I didn't even think about that. She already scored out of level 4, level 5 score out was scheduled for next month so she is fine for Gold this year.

Ok! I hope she has a great season. Sounds like she’s happy and ready to go.

 

[GymDadWA]

Our gym occasionally has mixed practices with Optionals and Xcel and it's like oil and water, the two groups just don't interact, nothing petty there is just very limited interaction with each other, wonder if your DD just didn't feel like part of the Optionals group and it is no fun being on the outside.

 

[BusyMomof2]

Our gym occasionally has mixed practices with Optionals and Xcel and it's like oil and water, the two groups just don't interact, nothing petty there is just very limited interaction with each other, wonder if your DD just didn't feel like part of the Optionals group and it is no fun being on the outside.

No, I don't think it was that. She did a few outside of the gym activities with the girls, and they all seemed nice. She finally told me yesterday that their focus kind of creeped her out. She felt like every practice was a meet and it wasn't fun. She couldn't believe how "serious" it felt and it sucked the fun out of gymnastics for her.

Now that she's back in Xcel, she's back to her old self. Our new gym seems to treat both relatively similarly in terms of hours and quality of coaching. The only big difference I can really see is the ages - the Xcel teams are much older. She's 9 and the youngest/smallest on Gold. I hope we aren't back in the same position next year but not gonna worry about that now. Her coaches said they'll work on uptraining as much as she can handle so that she'll be ready for whatever happens next year.