WAG Is this sport seriously that nitpicky?!

[mouey77]

DD is 6 yrs old and new level 1 (will be competing at meets). I realize she is behind the curve in terms of level based on the majority of posts I see here. I am reading most gyms start competing new level 3 and have many 6 yr olds at this level. I have posted several questions going back and forth about why DD was placed level 1 and is this a waste of our time. On Wednesday, I finally got a chance to talk to DD's coach, and he told me that DD 's weakest event is floor. He estimated her earning in the 7's on floor and 8's and 9's on other events. Whaaaaat? I have been convinced that DD's strongest event is floor. She does great Round off back handsprings (coach actually said her form is pretty good for her age), and can even do back tucks on floor at gym, although I can even tell that those are not pretty at all and need work. So he basically said tumbling is great but her form is "behind tumbling" and she isn't tight enough. We are talking front rolls and back rolls in this routine. I know 4 year olds compete this level, so is he serious?? He is talking about things like keeping her hands by her ears before kicking up into her handstand and mentioned deductions for back being too arched in handstand. He did say she has lots of potential. This sport is completely baffling to me. That is all.

 

[Soc123]

Yes keeping hands by your ears is very important later on in higher levels. They will deduct for that. They will need to keep their hands by their ears for so many things. Vault, balance beam especially. Back arching they take off on all vaults it's quite a deduction. Those things need to be fixed now before they become bad habits much harder to break later on. And yes this sport is very nitpicky.
If you have your foot on the beam pointed a wrong way they take off for that in my daughters level too. You should look over the code of points and see what they deduct for.

 

[2G1B]

They will deduct for the arms being bent in the backwards roll (at least at level 3 and I think 2, not sure for level 1). They deduct if the handstand isn't proper form. They deduct at the compulsory level if arms aren't in the right place. They deduct if you touch a toe down at the wrong time, or don't point toes. It is very nit picky. I have seen a lot of coaches on here post about having to correct form for kids who can "do" tumbling skills; but they aren't doing them correctly. I'd go with what the coach suggests and trust that he is likely correct that while she can do certain skills that she really needs to go back to concentrating on the basics and cleaning them up. There is nothing to say that if she gets everything clean that she won't skip to level 3 rather than competing level 2.

I'll add in that while we are talking about a level that has 5 and 6 year olds competing it (I have now been at 3 meets with level 1s competing and haven't seen any 4 year olds), there are also some 7 and 8 year olds competing too. And they are all judged the same. I know that I have seen some videos of kids doing "back tucks" at "Only 5!!!!" and they have honestly scared the crap out of me - it looks like the kids are going to land on their heads! I am pretty sure that if any of my kids' coaches saw a kid doing a tuck like that that they would be told not to do it again until the coach 1) told them to and 2) was there with them to work on form. I'm pretty sure the moms of these kids would expect them to come into a gymnastics team as a level 4 (most seem to be cheer kids); but I'd be willing to bet that most coaches would put them at level 2, maybe 3 because their skills need so much cleaning up.

 

[EastCoastGymMom]

Gymnastics is probably THE MOST nitpicky sport there is, maybe along with diving? A bent leg or wrong foot placement can be the difference between first place and tenth place. A handstand is an essential skill in gymnastics and used in every event in every level (floor tumbling, beam, cast handstands on bar, vault, etc...). She is only six years old - she has lots of time to learn all this and many years to perfect her skills!

 

[mouey77]

Thanks for your responses! I was afraid of that. How in the world can a coach convey to a very hyper 6 yr old how impt these details are?! How can they even spot all of this stuff? She should definitely not being doing back tucks. Her coach isn't encouraging that. She just thinks she can do them. Her coach has only recently let her work on the back handsprings because they have improved so much.

 

[gymgal]

Compulsory is very picky. It is meant to be this way to develop proper form for the upper level skills. You tube has lots of old level 2 videos, which will give you a sense of form and scores.

 

[mouey77]

And as far as age and level, the kids in our state are 6 and 7 competing new level 1 and 2. How are so many children on these forums competing 3 and 4 at 6 and 7 yrs old? I just keep thinking form must come with age??

 

[2G1B]

IMO, getting in to a competition is the best thing to show them that they need to pay attention to the details. When they suddenly realize that, "whoa! the coach was right, pointing toes DOES make a difference and not doing it makes me score low!", they suddenly start trying to point those toes.

 

[mouey77]

IMO, getting in to a competition is the best thing to show them that they need to pay attention to the details. When they suddenly realize that, "whoa! the coach was right, pointing toes DOES make a difference and not doing it makes me score low!", they suddenly start trying to point those toes.

Yes! I just don't think she gets it even with the extra practices they are doing now. The meet is the only thing that will bring the point home. I refuse to offer her any advice even when she asks bc I have no clue about these details. She looks just fine to me!

 

[my4buffaloes]

As far as getting a late start - I don't think your dd is too late. I have noticed that girls that start a bit later competing tend to pick things up quicker (corrections especially) and can possibly advance quicker than the younger kids.

Yes in gymnastics they deduct for EVERYTHING!

 

[mouey77]

As far as getting a late start - I don't think your dd is too late. I have noticed that girls that start a bit later competing tend to pick things up quicker (corrections especially) and can possibly advance quicker than the younger kids.

Yes in gymnastics they deduct for EVERYTHING!

I didn't think she was getting a late start either until I joined chalkbucket, but honestly I read a thread earlier today about a very young child competing level 4 (new) and the parent wondering whether the child had talent. Not to sound like a jerk, but really? Our level 4s are closer to 9 Yrs old. I see so many threads about these young kids, and did they start competing at 3? 4? And if so, there can't be many kids that age with perfect form. I have a 3 1/2 yr old doing rec gym, and she seems just as "agile" as her sister, but I'm not even thinking about team yet for her. I am just finding this sport subjective and confusing!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I didn't think she was getting a late start either until I joined chalkbucket, but honestly I read a thread earlier today about a very young child competing level 4 (new) and the parent wondering whether the child had talent. Not to sound like a jerk, but really? Our level 4s are closer to 9 Yrs old. I see so many threads about these young kids, and did they start competing at 3? 4? And if so, there can't be many kids that age with perfect form. I have a 3 1/2 yr old doing rec gym, and she seems just as "agile" as her sister, but I'm not even thinking about team yet for her. I am just finding this sport subjective and confusing!

hold on a second...you never read that i said she started too late. 6 years old is closer to diapers than she is to level 10 at the moment.

 

[mimi]

Form is very important. What may not seem like a big deal now can become a big deal later if it is not learned correctly. And from what I understand it is often harder to re-learn things than it is to learn them correctly from the beginning. There is a method the the "madness" as a lot of these lower level moves progress into bigger things as you move up in the levels.

I don't think she seems behind at all, especially when it is not uncommon to skip some of the lower levels at some point if the gymnast progresses quickly.

 

[mouey77]

hold on a second...you never read that i said she started too late. 6 years old is closer to diapers than she is to level 10 at the moment.

Not you. If I am remembering right, you said the opposite. I just know that I see a lot of threads about 6 yr olds competing level 3 (new) and 7 yr olds competing level 4. I see more of that than the other way around, but maybe I just miss the other threads?! :-D

 

[mouey77]

Form is very important. What may not seem like a big deal now can become a big deal later if it is not learned correctly. And from what I understand it is often harder to re-learn things than it is to learn them correctly from the beginning. There is a method the the "madness" as a lot of these lower level moves progress into bigger things as you move up in the levels.

I don't think she seems behind at all, especially when it is not uncommon to skip some of the lower levels at some point if the gymnast progresses quickly.

Mimi, I am trying to understand a method to this madness! It is slowly startling to make some sense. I can definitely see what her coach is talking about regarding the loosey goosey legs.

 

[2G1B]

There is an almost 8 year old at our gym who is going to compete level 6 this year (maybe level 7). She has amazing form. I think kids like her are more the exception than the rule though.

 

[CreateMagic]

I didn't think she was getting a late start either until I joined chalkbucket, but honestly I read a thread earlier today about a very young child competing level 4 (new) and the parent wondering whether the child had talent. Not to sound like a jerk, but really? Our level 4s are closer to 9 Yrs old. I see so many threads about these young kids, and did they start competing at 3? 4? And if so, there can't be many kids that age with perfect form. I have a 3 1/2 yr old doing rec gym, and she seems just as "agile" as her sister, but I'm not even thinking about team yet for her. I am just finding this sport subjective and confusing!

These little ones usually start competing at 6. Most gyms do not compete before new level 3, and some not until new level 4. Level 4 is the first level USAG requires to get a score to move up. Anything below that is completely up to the coach whether or not they compete or move up.

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd is 9 and will compete for the first time this year at level 4. It depends on the gym, but many gyms do not start competing until level 3 or 4.

 

[Muddlethru]

Three things:

1) if you think you are at a good gym and the coach knows what he is doing, then I wouldn't worry too much about her age and the level she is competing;

2) My daughter started gym close to 7 years old. They did one "fun" meet which we were told were l1 routines. She competed L4 at 7 and was an L9 at 11 years old. So don't despair. You never know how quickly she'll progress. You may want to find out what plans your coach has for your daughter; and

3) I honestly cannot see spending money to compete L1-L3. I hope I don't offend anyone but I would not go to a gym that will have my 6 year old compete L1 for a whole year. There is hardly any "gymnastics" at those levels. I get being tight, keeping hands by the ears, etc. but these are things that even higher levels have to be reminded. This is not something that has to be perfected at L1. What troubled me is what I perceive to be a focus on scores. I've seen many gyms have stunning compulsory gymnasts but fall apart at optionals. I think compulsories must be mastered to the point of having a solid foundation for optionals. But to master it to the point of wanting perfect scores and perfecting ever nuance. is a waste of time and energy.

 

[rjb123]

Our gym doesn't start competing until level three (old level four). Most of the girls in that level are 7-9 years old. My DD is one of the youngest at new level four at age 7. Last year there were three of them at age six (on her team) at old level four (new 3). To be honest, I had no idea until this year that kids competed levels one and two.