MAG Age divisions vs. levels

[samsmama]

It really is tough. And it's even harder because as I'm learning, every meet is so different. We have one on Sunday and I have no idea how many kids are in the group or how they'll split it up. It could be the same, worse, or a much smaller group.

In any case, has totally bounced back and is feeling really positive today. I think it was a good lesson for him and will help set his future expectations.

In a way, as hard as it was to see him so disappointed, I think in the long run this experience will serve DS well. I think about his younger teammate who got lower scores but won tons of medals. He is very talented and will probably continue to do well this season as long as he competes with 6-year-olds, but he already turned 7 last month and I think it will be a whole different story when he moves into the more competitive age group later this season or next. I expect he will have a very tough time the first time he doesn't win.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

You don't move into different age groups during a season. It's their age on Sept 1st that determines their age group for the following season.

 

[samsmama]

Yes, that's what I thought, too. Coach had said sometimes different meets have different rules, but I may have misunderstood what he was referring to. I still think it will be hard for the younger boy next year when he is in the much larger age group DS is in now.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

I found the lowest age groups have less competition though. The 7 year old level 5s don't seem to have as much competition as the 8 or 9 year old level 5s. That can vary year to year of course. My son is a level 6 in the 8 year old age division, and it is definitely getting tougher, simply because most younger kids tend to stay in a level a couple of years so they can mature in the sport, and those that move on need to have strong discipline and talent to keep up with the more difficult skills.

 

[skschlag]

When D was a level 5, the age division was 7-9! So when he was 7, he was competing against 9 yo regularly. It was a tough year, but he managed some placements here and there.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

Our state is so big, they usually break it up a little more because there are the numbers to fill the divisions.

 

[profmom]

Haha, you should have been at our meet over the weekend! They gave out so many medals that I thought that at any minute, they were going to start calling parents up.

 

[alongfortheride]

DS got his first Level 5 medals this weekend. I am not sure if he will get any more this season--this meet gave out a lot of medals also, and he was only competing against 7 year olds. There are some amazing 7 and 8 year old level 5's in our region/area. Seriously, this one kid (who wins the category in EVERY.SINGLE.MEET ) . .I watched his floor routine and it was sheer perfection. Obviously he has some type of talent that my son doesn't have, or he started gymnastics a lot sooner. Mine did not start until he was 6.

 

[profmom]

Keep in mind that he could be like some guys on our team -- they started competing L4 last year in the 6 YO division but are doing a second year at 4 as 6 YOs this year because they didn't turn 6 last year before Sept. 1. So next year they will be 7 YO L5s, but they will have been training L5 all this year. Reminds me too of DS's teammate, who was an 8 YO second-year L5 last year and stomped all over everyone most of the season.

There's a guy out there who is absolutely tearing up L5 this year whom you didn't see this weekend, but he just moved up to L5 after three years at L4. Just relax and give it some time. Your guy will get there!

 

[samsmama]

Haha, you should have been at our meet over the weekend! They gave out so many medals that I thought that at any minute, they were going to start calling parents up.

Hilarious!

 

[sce]

You don't move into different age groups during a season. It's their age on Sept 1st that determines their age group for the following season.

Yes, that's what I thought, too. Coach had said sometimes different meets have different rules, but I may have misunderstood what he was referring to. I still think it will be hard for the younger boy next year when he is in the much larger age group DS is in now.

Both are true. Meet to meet age groups vary, for states and regionals it's definitely age as of Sept 1.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

Hmmn ok, I thought it was a JO rule what age they compete, except for future stars. I'm not talking about divisions though.

 

[SSGZ]

Hmmn ok, I thought it was a JO rule what age they compete, except for future stars. I'm not talking about divisions though.

here is a the info on age directly from the JO Rules online:

1. The competitive season is defined as September 1 – August 31. For all aspects of the program, a gymnast’s competitive age is determined by his age on September 1st at the beginning of the competitive season.
   
   More details online here https://usagym.org/pages/men/pages/rules_policies.html

 

[Deleted member 10727]

That's what I thought.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

My son was on a team in the same level as a boy who competed as a 9 year old. The boy turned 10 a few days after the cutoff, but he was still considered a 9 year old competitor.

 

[skschlag]

Yes. They compete the age they are as of Sept. 1. However, meets can do the age divisions how they wish.

 

[profmom]

Most meets we go to follow the USAG guidelines and just do age as of September 1, but there's one we attend every year that does it with a different cutoff and it's always weird to see the boys competing against boys whom we know will be in a different age group at states.

 

[curlymop]

We went to an out of state meet last year that used actual ages. We also noticed that they didn't make an announcement about no flash photography, and it dawned on us that maybe it wasn't a USAG sanctioned meet.

 

[profmom]

We went to an out of state meet last year that used actual ages. We also noticed that they didn't make an announcement about no flash photography, and it dawned on us that maybe it wasn't a USAG sanctioned meet.

But DID THEY PLAY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM???

 

[curlymop]

But DID THEY PLAY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM???

Ha! I can't remember, actually. Last month we went to a USAG sanctioned meet where they forgot (I guess) to play the national anthem. One parent from our team was oddly indignant about it, but I hadn't even noticed.