WAG I don't understand xcel

[mayestra12]

Hi,

I don't understand xcel and I'm afraid to ask my dd's coach because I don't want to sound like a CGM! I thought my dd was competing gold but the coach said she is behind in tumbling and needed to compete silver. I'm ok with that but what does she need to be in gold? She has a back tuck on floor (it's not beautiful). She also jumps to high bar and girls that did not scored better. Should she just do easier routines for silver but continue to train the harder skills? This is our first experience with xcel. Just wondered what is required for gold in tumbling?

 

[iwannacoach]

The bottom line is your dear daughter and her coach should work through the question of skills used and level of competition. Part of the problem with asking questions is understanding that the answer can vary greatly among a group of coaches. Complicating matters is the fact that kids have individual strengths and weaknesses that are weighed when crafting an answer about a child.

Honestly, if you were to assemble five coaches chosen at random and asked them how they would move forward with each of five kids of unequal ability, you'd likely get 25 different answers. Sure some of the answers would be similar to others, but I doubt you'd get a general consensus on all but the one child with the most apparent ability...... and that is a "crap shoot" in and of itself. If you spend much time among parents from your club and others, you hear of many different courses taken by this coach, that club, and how other parents feel.

So what do you ask, of whom do you ask it, and what will you believe.

My own short answer is if you know you only want to be included in the plans your coach and daughter are making, ask your daughter and patiently listen to the answer. If that creates confusion in your mind, or you hear something inappropriate, then it's time to seek out the coach or club owner for clarification.

It is what it is, and that's the way it usually stays.

 

[raenndrops]

There are MINIMAL levels of skills needed up to MAXIMUM levels of skills for each division of Xcel.
Some gyms are ok with having a girl with the minimal level compete, but others would rather have them competing on the high end of the previous level.

I am one of those who believes a gymnast should compete whatever will maximize her scores within a Level (JO) or Division (Xcel)... especially when it "counts" - because EXTRA skills can only earn deductions and UGLY skills (if there is a prettier alternative) can only earn deductions.

At a MINIMUM, Xcel gold requires a tumbling series with AT LEAST 2 flight elements AND either a second (different) series OR an isolated salto or aerial.
So... a minimalist routine would be a roundoff-back handspring and either a front tuck or a front handspring step-out front handspring (or a front handspring-roundoff).
At Silver, they require a series with at least 2 directly connected elements, but only one has to have flight AND either a 2nd series (with or without flight) OR an individual flight skill.
So... a minimalist routine would be a roundoff-rebound-backward roll AND a cartwheel-cartwheel.
Of course, at Silver, you are allowed to do up to 1 salto in the floor exercise, so there is room to have a "Gold ready" floor routine at Silver.
As for bars, a high bar dismount is not required at Silver, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong in the attempt to do a squat on... the actual jump... and any subsequent skills on the high bar, so a lot of coaches have their gymnasts do their whole routine on the low bar. Typically: glide and return-pullover-cast-back hip circle-dismount. That meets the requirement for silver.

If you have any more questions, feel free to message me or join the Xcel Social group on here

 

[Natasha]

Hi,

I don't understand xcel and I'm afraid to ask my dd's coach because I don't want to sound like a CGM! I thought my dd was competing gold but the coach said she is behind in tumbling and needed to compete silver. I'm ok with that but what does she need to be in gold? She has a back tuck on floor (it's not beautiful). She also jumps to high bar and girls that did not scored better. Should she just do easier routines for silver but continue to train the harder skills? This is our first experience with xcel. Just wondered what is required for gold in tumbling?

The answer to that depends on your coach's philosophy and goals. Since Xcel does not give bonus points for harder skills, the simplest routines will score the highest. However, your coach may choose to have her compete the gold skills so that she will have the experience competing those skills in meets before she gets to that level. Either philosophy is valid, but the most important thing is that your daughter believes that her coach has her best interest in mind.

 

[raenndrops]

The answer to that depends on your coach's philosophy and goals. Since Xcel does not give bonus points for harder skills, the simplest routines will score the highest. However, your coach may choose to have her compete the gold skills so that she will have the experience competing those skills in meets before she gets to that level. Either philosophy is valid, but the most important thing is that your daughter believes that her coach has her best interest in mind.

Or the most cleanly executed with the fewest extra skills. My OG does some of her upgrades for Platinum next year as a Gold and as long as she does them cleanly and doesn't have extra stuff, she scores well. Whatever the coach has her do should be done as cleanly as she can, so she can maximize the score. It doesn't have to be the simplest routine, just the cleanest

 

[mayestra12]

Thanks. My dd thinks she gets extra points for harder skills. Most of her team does pull over, 2 back hip circles and dismount on bars. She did her squat on jump to high bar and scored lower than her teammates. I'm fairly certain she could rock the two back hip circle routine but I don't see that as progress for her. I don't want her to water down the routine to score better. I guess I feel she should progress vs. score well.

 

[raenndrops]

Thanks. My dd thinks she gets extra points for harder skills. Most of her team does pull over, 2 back hip circles and dismount on bars. She did her squat on jump to high bar and scored lower than her teammates. I'm fairly certain she could rock the two back hip circle routine but I don't see that as progress for her. I don't want her to water down the routine to score better. I guess I feel she should progress vs. score well.

I think it's nice when they progress AND score well
My Older gymmie is in her 2nd year of Xcel Gold. This year, she has upgraded everything. Her high scores the first season of Gold (she only competed in 4 meets, including YMCA Nationals)... Bars - 8.6 (low was 7.15)... Beam - 8.25 (low was 7.75)... Floor - 8.75 (low was 8.45)... Vault - 8.6 (low was 8.175)... All Around - 33.25 (low was 32.15)
This year's high scores, with the upgraded routines (4 meets so far this season)... Bars - 8.8 (low was 8.0 - only 2 practices after 3 weeks off before the meet and the judge mistakenly took away the Cast SR if they didn't hit horizontal instead of giving it and taking a deduction for how much it was missed by)... Beam - 8.6 (low was 8.1 - didn't get credit for her acro or her jumps, so 9.0 Start Value)... Floor - 9.15 (low was 8.35... she had a fall - put her hands down on her back tuck... didn't need it, should have left it out that day)... Vault - 9.0 (low was 8.7)... All Around - 34.8 (low was 33.85).
She has been competing most of this season on 2 practices a week (a total of 4.5 - 5 hours a week) due to family issues and homework. She is hoping to go to practice 3 days this week because we have a meet on Saturday and she wants to get all 9s
No matter what, she will be moving to Platinum next season, so she is working on incorporating B skills into her routines (has a jump full turn on floor... working on clear hip on bars... working dive cartwheel on beam... AND jump 3/4 turn - because her split jump isn't 180º or she would go with that. She split the beam last time she did a 150º split jump in practice, so I have a feeling it will be closer to 120º tomorrow.)

 

[mayestra12]

My dd competed at YMCA Nationals last year too.

 

[raenndrops]

My dd competed at YMCA Nationals last year too.

Cool. Both of my gymmies will be back to Nationals this year