WAG DD can't do Level 4 bars anymore?!

[Amber]

My younger DD, 9, competed Level 4 this year but trains with our optionals. She is on Tops and is being "fast tracked". She is expected to score out of Level 5 and 6 this summer and compete 7 next fall. She has her Level 7 skills. I found out from her coach recently to expect her to not do well at the state meet this weekend because she can't control her power on bars. She casts into a handstand and messes up the low bar portion. She can't dial down the power. The coaches don't care at all...they say it is just an indicator of how ready she is too move up to harder bars skills. Her Level 6 bars are fine. How common is this? I would think if you were Level 7, you could still produce a great Level 4 bar routine. And aren't the Level 4 and 6 routines similar on the low bar? DD is worried about the state meet...she usually places really well. The coaches are working with her today and tomorrow to help her remember the feel of the Level 4 bars. Oddly enough, she usually scores 9.5+ on Level 4 bars...

 

[gymgal]

Dd has had this problem on some skills on floor and bars. From what I have seen, it is fairly common. Takes them a while to learn to control the power.

 

[Quadqueen]

She usually scores 9.5+ on level 4 bars but can no longer do them? How long has she not been able to do level 4 bars? Having a "too high" cast in L4 is not going to kill her score. I guess I'm just not getting it.

My advice is not to worry about it, especially if the plan is to move her up.

 

[LizzieLac]

I have seen this can happen. It isn't so much the power, from what I have seen, but the timing that they are used to that gets messed up when they are finally able to cast to HS. Being able to get the skills to flow out of the HS without a lot of practice and consistency can be tough to create in a meet.

Also, some of what you are saying about the levels isn't quite right. Level 4 and 6 are not similar, because level 6 is optionals and there are a few different things they can do on the low or high bar. Also, technically, your DD does not not need to score out of level 6 to go to 7. She can go right from level 5 to level 7.

Good luck to her!

 

[3LittleGymmies]

My daughter is kind of like this, once she learns a more advanced version of a skill, she has a hard time going back to doing it the easier way. Thankfully it has not affected her in competition yet. However, there is a girl on her team whose bars skills are very advanced. The problem is that when she is trying to do the level 4 routine, she can't control herself and ends up doing very sloppy advanced skills. But when she is intentionally doing the advanced skills, they are beautiful. Does that make sense? So unfortunately, her scores have suffered.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

As a side note, I realized that this was a problem with my daughter when I asked her to help her sister learn her backward roll into push-up position. She literally cannot not do a back extension roll. Boggles my mind since she did it 1 million times last season.

 

[Amber]

Thank you! Glad to know its common! QQ, all year she worked Level 4 bars, but since last month, her training group has solely worked Level 7. No level 4. She seems to delay when she comes down from the cast handstand...I was told its because she's working 3 different level routines right now..
LL, our gym competes 5 and 6, so the gym policy is to score out of every level competed (unfortunately)...

 

[Deleted member 14190]

You won't care next year so why care now.

 

[Amber]

You won't care next year so why care now.

She usually loves meets and is pretty care free about them. Now she' pretty stressed, even though I tried to calm her. It's her reaction that makes me care...not about the score...

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Tell her what I just told you. Then see what happens. Thats pretty much all you can do at any meet.

 

[shelovestoflip]

Thank you! Glad to know its common! QQ, all year she worked Level 4 bars, but since last month, her training group has solely worked Level 7. No level 4. She seems to delay when she comes down from the cast handstand...I was told its because she's working 3 different level routines right now..
LL, our gym competes 5 and 6, so the gym policy is to score out of every level competed (unfortunately)...

Seems odd to me that the gym has a policy to score out of every level competed but they are willing to skip her to 7! When you say score out, you mean one meet at that level, right? Not sure what area you are in but wonder how this will happen this summer? Are there regions that compete during the summer?

 

[MeetDirector]

Amber -

What coachp said times 100!

Tell her that the brass ring is getting to optionals and that her power will be very useful there and that she just needs to "get through" compulsories. Compulsories are a minor stepping stone on the way to the upper levels and, frankly, don't deserve the stress that they cause. Get through, it check the square and get to the optional levels.

Her performance at the compulsory levels will not define anything about how she does at the higher optional levels. Don't give it another thought.

 

[Amber]

Seems odd to me that the gym has a policy to score out of every level competed but they are willing to skip her to 7! When you say score out, you mean one meet at that level, right? Not sure what area you are in but wonder how this will happen this summer? Are there regions that compete during the summer?

In house score out meets? This fast track thing is new to me and uncommon in the gym...I'm just along for the ride as long as DD is enjoying it!

 

[MeetDirector]

Yes they can do in-house score-out meets as long as they are sanctioned.

 

[Seeker]

The cast to handstand thing came up for my DD when she was nearing the end of L4. It threw off her timing, but she was able to reel it in for that one meet. Good luck!

 

[shelovestoflip]

Yes they can do in-house score-out meets as long as they are sanctioned.

I thought that technically a girl could enter at any level?? My daughter started at Level 5, never competed before that. And this year we had a few girls skip from 5 to 7. Or was that because the levels changed??

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I thought that technically a girl could enter at any level?? My daughter started at Level 5, never competed before that. And this year we had a few girls skip from 5 to 7. Or was that because the levels changed??

==
You do not need to score out of level 6, however if your daughter competed level 5 this season without any prior meets, then, oops. If she competed 5 last season then no problem.

 

[Amber]

Thanks for the replies! I will try to get her to see the bigger picture- being an optional!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

My younger DD, 9, competed Level 4 this year but trains with our optionals. She is on Tops and is being "fast tracked". She is expected to score out of Level 5 and 6 this summer and compete 7 next fall. She has her Level 7 skills. I found out from her coach recently to expect her to not do well at the state meet this weekend because she can't control her power on bars. She casts into a handstand and messes up the low bar portion. She can't dial down the power. The coaches don't care at all...they say it is just an indicator of how ready she is too move up to harder bars skills. Her Level 6 bars are fine. How common is this? I would think if you were Level 7, you could still produce a great Level 4 bar routine. And aren't the Level 4 and 6 routines similar on the low bar? DD is worried about the state meet...she usually places really well. The coaches are working with her today and tomorrow to help her remember the feel of the Level 4 bars. Oddly enough, she usually scores 9.5+ on Level 4 bars...

no, you're incorrect. your coaches are being truthful. let the coaches manage your daughter. and in the scheme of things, level 4 is this teensy weensy stepping stone and not an end destination for most.

 

[iwannacoach]

Count your blessings!

This is a far better problem to have than the other extreme of being able to score a 9.6 on a level 4 bar routine, but having little to move with to the next level, and the next, and the next.

I'd rather see a happy kid with a bag full of optional level skills.