WAG Typical Start of Season Scores?

[MILgymFAM]

There is one girl at my gym who may be accused of sandbagging in level 6. She has a beautiful cast handstand - clear hip handstand - giant x2 - flyaway, beautiful front walkover and bwo - bwo on beam, and a very good front handspring vault along with great front tumbling on floor (front layout front tuck). However she cannot back tumble at all. Not even round of backhandspring. Since USAG requires a back layout for level 7, she is unable to move up. Last competition season she was getting 37's right from the getgo and I can see how people would wonder why she wasn't a level 7. She will be repeating level 6 this year and I think (not sure) that the plan is to get her to score out of level 7 next year (?) in order to compete level 8 where there are less specific requirements about back tumbling. In my opinion this isn't sandbagging even though she is knocking it out of the park on 3/4 events.

Not sandbagging, but I will say that the gym could still score her out. Missing the SV on one event doesn’t preclude a score out if a gymnast could be ready for a higher but less restrictive level.

 

[IreneKa]

Not sandbagging, but I will say that the gym could still score her out. Missing the SV on one event doesn’t preclude a score out if a gymnast could be ready for a higher but less restrictive level.

I agree. We had a girl with major back tumbling issues competing L8 and L9 with just front tumbling and scoring low 9s and up.
Even if this girl scores in the 8s on floor all season, she could still have a pretty good L7 season and move on to L8. Maybe not exactly sandbagging, but I can see how this might be annoying to first year L6s competing against her.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Not sandbagging, but I will say that the gym could still score her out. Missing the SV on one event doesn’t preclude a score out if a gymnast could be ready for a higher but less restrictive level.

That's definitely what I was thinking. I'd probably push for her to do L7 this year, and just accept her floor scores, and then be ready for L8 next year.

 

[gymgal]

Not sandbagging, but I will say that the gym could still score her out. Missing the SV on one event doesn’t preclude a score out if a gymnast could be ready for a higher but less restrictive level.

or just compete L7 without that requirement for the season. Sure she will get dinged but it is just like if she were to fall in the routine. Or scratch floor for the season. In the grand scheme of things, it is not a big deal. Her routine could be worked in L8 and above to play to her strengths.

ETA I realize that many gyms would never allow this to happen and if a coach thinks the gymnast will get the back tumbling with some extra training then it is probably worth it to hold her back and work on it a bit longer but if it is a long standing block/fear, why not just let her move on? If more gyms would allow gymnasts to begin to specialize in events and not require full SV on every event, we would see more gymnasts staying in the sport. Not everyone is destined to get to L10 with full 10.0 SV and a shot at college.

 

[Seeker]

What’s interesting to me is that there seem to be many responders here that seem as if they have some sort of input or say in what level their child competes. We have zero influence over that whatsoever. Coaches decide the levels, period. They say you’re competing L6 with these skills, that’s what you do.

 

[LindyHopper]

Coaches decide the levels, period. They say you’re competing L6 with these skills, that’s what you do.

Same here. Honestly, I am glad I have no input. Most everything I know about the sport I've learned here, so I am totally unqualified to make decisions about what Short Stack competes. Thankfully, as I have begun to develop opinions (and that's what they are) about the sport, and she is moving up the levels, I've been excited to discover that our coaches' philosophies mesh well with my opinions. Also, I just like to talk a lot and make obervations.

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

What’s interesting to me is that there seem to be many responders here that seem as if they have some sort of input or say in what level their child competes. We have zero influence over that whatsoever. Coaches decide the levels, period. They say you’re competing L6 with these skills, that’s what you do.

My parents don't have any say in my level, I do. I decide what skills I want to compete. My coach gives me the requirements and the choice if I want to let him decide the skills or do it on my own (he will see if it actually fulfilles the requirements afterwards). I like it this way and I've sorta become the composer of my teams optional routines (knowing what value a skill is and what you need for each level etc)

 

[Seeker]

My parents don't have any say in my level, I do. I decide what skills I want to compete. My coach gives me the requirements and the choice if I want to let him decide the skills or do it on my own (he will see if it actually fulfilles the requirements afterwards). I like it this way and I've sorta become the composer of my teams optional routines (knowing what value a skill is and what you need for each level etc)

Aren’t you an adult though? We’re talking about children, some quite young.

 

[MILgymFAM]

What’s interesting to me is that there seem to be many responders here that seem as if they have some sort of input or say in what level their child competes. We have zero influence over that whatsoever. Coaches decide the levels, period. They say you’re competing L6 with these skills, that’s what you do.

We’ve been in both situations, having a say (or DD having a say) and not, and there are definite drawbacks to both. I would overall prefer to not have a say, but I suppose only if the gym understands my kid, and knows when to push and when to not. I may not know enough about gymnastics to coach but I definitely know enough about my children to get their hang ups and motivations. Coaches- even really great, caring ones have really dropped the ball in pushing when it was to my kids great detriment instead of taking a step back to let them mentally catch up. Whenever we have no say we don’t become defiant but I do sit back and mentally shake my head at how little coaches want to listen.

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

Aren’t you an adult though? We’re talking about children, some quite young.

No, I'm officially not an adult. I'm 15 years old. I'm also not a young kid anymore though. But optional kids (when choices come into play) usually aren't quite young

 

[Seeker]

No, I'm officially not an adult. I'm 15 years old. I'm also not a young kid anymore though. But optional kids (when choices come into play) usually aren't quite young

Sorry, assumed you were older since you’re a coach. But either way — that is a very different scenario than we have. The coaches decide. Period.

 

[gymgal]

What’s interesting to me is that there seem to be many responders here that seem as if they have some sort of input or say in what level their child competes. We have zero influence over that whatsoever. Coaches decide the levels, period. They say you’re competing L6 with these skills, that’s what you do.

I think the talk is more hypothetical - "if I were the coach, I would" - even though they did not word that way.

Having said that, yes there are coaches who seek the parent and gymnast input when the gymnast is on the border between 2 levels. Everyone is different. Some gymnasts would do better repeating a year and gaining confidence by increasing scores/placements and solidifying the skills they plan to compete the next year. Others do better moving ahead and adding skills to the routines as they are mastered during the season. But the gymnasts have to be ok with lower scores/placements and likely falls in their routines. Again, just different philosophies. Many coaches would never dream of allowing this but for some gymnasts, it is the best option.

 

[sewgood]

There is one girl at my gym who may be accused of sandbagging in level 6. She has a beautiful cast handstand - clear hip handstand - giant x2 - flyaway, beautiful front walkover and bwo - bwo on beam, and a very good front handspring vault along with great front tumbling on floor (front layout front tuck). However she cannot back tumble at all. Not even round of backhandspring. Since USAG requires a back layout for level 7, she is unable to move up. Last competition season she was getting 37's right from the getgo and I can see how people would wonder why she wasn't a level 7. She will be repeating level 6 this year and I think (not sure) that the plan is to get her to score out of level 7 next year (?) in order to compete level 8 where there are less specific requirements about back tumbling. In my opinion this isn't sandbagging even though she is knocking it out of the park on 3/4 events.

We have a few girls at our gym struggling with back tumbling right now. They are all lovely gymnasts, just afraid to tumble backwards. A couple of them have moved to Xcel Diamond and a couple are doing L6 until the back tumbling comes back.