Why the huge drop off between 5 and 6

[drivingmom]

In our gym the girls aren't usually middle school age. 10 -11 so school is not a factor. Level 4 and 5 don't really require any "scary" skills. If you can tumble and kip you can do those levels.

Level 6 you need to flyway on bars, besides that girls struggle with clear hip and baby giant and BT on floor and BW on beam. Some girls find it to be the first time they are doing scary skills. Also you start training for L7 and they learn that you can no longer get by with just an okay BHS. You now have to really tumble and bars well there is faking a good giant and cast to handstand. If you have not been serious with strength training you will struggle.

Level 6 seems to be the year you learn if you have what it takes to go on.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

For my daughter it was after level 6 but there was a huge change in her passion for gym when she became a level 6. I think it was a combination of tough scoring, a large growth spurt, injuries feeling like she was missing out on other things, she turned 11. I have seen many girls who are approaching preteen years leave the sport and some of them were past level 6 and were having very sucessfull meets so maybe the socail thing is the biggie. I do think the girls who become optionals at a younger age have a better chance of sticking with it maybe that is why gyms are pushing 6 yo into competing so young. Anyway I have seen many more kids leave this sport that the numbers are not surprising. It really makes you have so much admiration for the kids who stick with it through injuries, the long practice hours and the missed socail functions.

 

[UnoMas]

...Also you start training for L7 and they learn that you can no longer get by with just an okay BHS. You now have to really tumble and bars well there is faking a good giant and cast to handstand. If you have not been serious with strength training you will struggle.

Level 6 seems to be the year you learn if you have what it takes to go on.

oh I hate to keep hearing this stuff about the BHS...as this is what older DD struggles with the most. Sigh. But I totally agree with your post, drivingmom!

 

[cher062]

I though you had to be 7yo to compete L6 per USAG?

I don't agree that at 6yo can handle it better than an 11yo. They might be less questioning of the coaches and do things because asked to do so but I think mentally the older child mentally handles the upper levels better. I know most of the L6 competitors around us are in the 10 - 12 range.

 

[CoachTodd]

From what I've seen between levels 5 and 6 there is the following:
1. Talent meet work.
Quite a few kids get through level 5 based on pure talent. They've had to put very little effort into not only competing levels 4 and 5 but they also scored quite well. Many of the skills at level 6 start requiring a bit more effort to achieve with good execution.
2. Fear
Now it's time to start going over backwards on beam, flipping on floor and doing skills that require speed and height on bars.
3. Social time
This seems to be a common age where girls become interested in middle school cheer and spending more time with friends. Only the more dedicated ones stick to being n the gym 15 hours a week.

 

[gymgal]

I though you had to be 7yo to compete L6 per USAG?

I don't agree that at 6yo can handle it better than an 11yo. They might be less questioning of the coaches and do things because asked to do so but I think mentally the older child mentally handles the upper levels better. I know most of the L6 competitors around us are in the 10 - 12 range.

I am not sure which post you're referring to but it seems to be this comment from Panda >>>" I do think the girls who become optionals at a younger age have a better chance of sticking with it maybe that is why gyms are pushing 6 yo into competing so young."<<<<

I did not take that to mean that 6yr olds are competing L6 - just that the coaches are pushing the young girls to compete in general.

I think younger girls are more likely to go further in the levels. Not just due to talent but because there are less external distractions for them (less likely to care about hanging with friends, no puberty issues, less fears, less schoolwork) - less stress in general.

An 9 yr old L6 is very different than a 11 yr old L6 in what they are facing outside of gym. The 8-9 yr old still has 2-3 yrs before she reaches those outside influences in earnest. And at that point, they are in level 8-9 and I think they can rationalize more easily how much time they have devoted to gymnastics. They are "almost there" to L10 or a college scholarship or elite so they make the commitment to go on. But the 11 yr old level 6 (and especially the older ones) have a long way to go in the gymnastics world while battling those outside influences the whole time. Many see those ultimate goals as unattainable (regardless of whether or not that is really true) so why continue when it becomes a lot more work and it's not longer fun.

There will always be older girls in the gym because they are truly dedicated to gymnastics but if gym is not your life and you have puberty, friends, boys, other sports distracting you, you are more likely to let your gym dreams fade away.

 

[my4buffaloes]

Our gym doesn't add a 4th day until level 7, so that is nice. My dd is level 6 this year and they have a huge group of girls. She is in 5th grade so I think that helps. Our district also starts band, orchestra and choir in 4th and 5th grades, so they can try those at a younger age. She likes violin, and has played for 2 years now. But she knows she won't be continuing in middle school. It would be too much. If she opts out of an elective like that she gets a study hall every day, which she will have to have to juggle gymnastics and middle school next year. I see fears in some of the other girls at our gym and combined with over-use injuries it can quickly become too much for little kids to deal with.

 

[NGL780309]

I though you had to be 7yo to compete L6 per USAG?

I don't agree that at 6yo can handle it better than an 11yo. They might be less questioning of the coaches and do things because asked to do so but I think mentally the older child mentally handles the upper levels better. I know most of the L6 competitors around us are in the 10 - 12 range.

Yes you have to be 7. DD will be 7 by next fall when the season starts here. 10-12 is a little on the older side for level 6 in our gym. Most of the girls in DD's group are 8-9 with only 2 10 year olds.

My question was geared toward the coaches because I was curious if that's why you see some gyms not wanting older kids just starting team. Or like another thread talking about A team and B team. Coaches realize the younger ones may have less distractions in their lives. They have less choices, social pressures etc.

I'm sure it varies by each child, but the coaches I have spoken to say that there is usually an age that fear kind of sets in. So they do find it easier with most kids to have them younger. Assuming they can handle the skill keel.

 

[usnagymnasts11]

As a coach, although I don't think my little ones can 'handle' the competitions and skills better, they certainly do better with the fear issues. (sometimes they do better at competitions too, because they don't hold themselves to such high standards like the older girls- many of them do not find faults within their performances). My 5-8 year olds still trust me completely that I won't let anything majorly injure them. I like having them begin to work skills when they are younger purely because I know the fear factor will set in eventually. If they start doing BWO on high beam, baby giants, cast handstands, and back tucks on floor (all spotted) then I am more likely to be able to help them with their head games once they do get older. The fact that they have done it before (even if it was heavily spotted) helps them to realize that they CAN do the skill, even if it isn't pretty yet. Not saying fear is the only reason for the drop off, just thought I'd comment from my perspective.)

 

[Jefferson smrs]

I think a lot of the reasons stated here are valid, just want to throw in my two cents.
If your at a program that produces quality optional gymnasts ie; stresses the form and tecnique necessary for success at higher levels, it get REAL at level 6. The higher casts require a much better kip, the free hip much better form and the ability to let go of the fear and really drop backwards, every kid wants to learn a back flip but are they willing to go backward on a beam? Getting over the table is one thing but are you willing to run as hard and fast as you can at that intimidating object at the end of the runway that is required to do higher level vaults? If your at a gym that is not that focused on great tecnique than you probably havn't had a tremendous amount of success at 5 and why work that long and hard to sit and watch other kids get all the awards for another year. I do think that there are a lot of gyms that move kids into 7 after just one 6 meet but even if you take that into account, I think you'll find the numbers still represent a huge drop out rate. I also think that you would find a similar drop in numbers between 8 and 9 for similar, albeit much bigger and scarier skills, reasons.

 

[flippin out]

Without reading this whole thread...... what are the stats for L7 and L8?

Here's why I ask

***More and more gyms either (a.) don't compete 6, only do 1 meet and move on to L7...there by messing the #s ...or (b.) move their kids to compete Prep/Xcel for a year before moving on to L7. Both options make it look as if there is a huge drop in #s between kids who've competed States @ L5 compared to kids competing States @ L6.

If the #s go up from L6 at Levels 7 or 8...then maybe that is some of the answer

 

[gymgal]

Without reading this whole thread...... what are the stats for L7 and L8?

The stats from 2009 (which I believe are the most recently published are from here:

http://usagym.org/pages/home/publications/usagymnastics/2009/1/32_stats.pdf

L5: almost 17,000
L6: 8500
prep-op 2200
L7: 7600
L8: 5300
L9: 3200
L10: 1700
Elite: 80


The drop is by roughly half from L5 to L6 and even more-so from 5 to 7. The prep-op does account for quite a bit, but then again I don't know if this is all prep-op or just that higher level. I know in NC prep-op has had a 3-4 tier system for several years.

 

[gymmomtoo]

My complete guess is that most gyms compete girls for the first time at level 5, so level 5 is the time when most of the kids are getting experience on a team. Not surprising that a bunch find that it's not for them--so they quit.

 

[MaryA]

My complete guess is that most gyms compete girls for the first time at level 5, so level 5 is the time when most of the kids are getting experience on a team. Not surprising that a bunch find that it's not for them--so they quit.

If the girls at the lower levels weren't competing, they wouldn't be registered with USAG (or at least I wouldn't think they would be... why pay the registration fee if you're not competing?) so they wouldn't be a part of this survey.

 

[gymgal]

If the girls at the lower levels weren't competing, they wouldn't be registered with USAG (or at least I wouldn't think they would be... why pay the registration fee if you're not competing?) so they wouldn't be a part of this survey.

Correct. and there are a lot of 4 - almost 22,000. there's only 1000 level 3's

 

[raenndrops]

The drop-off from 5 to 6

As others have said, part of it is school related... and fear related... and some girls move on to Prep-Op because they get "stuck" at level 5. Others may not be able to handle the time commitment of a USAG club. The numbers quoted only included USAG member athletes. In some gyms, they also have a recreational competition team that goes through level 6- but girls who switch to that program would no longer be counted. Other girls cannot afford the cost and switch to a YMCA program- which competes USAG routines, but does not necessarily have their girls get USAG memberships.

In our gym (a YMCA that does not also have USAG memberships), we had 13 Level 5s last year. 2 moved away- one went to a Rec Op program in another state and one went on to cheerleading at her new high school. We had one quit - she was injured for more than half of her last 2 years as a level 5 from non-gym-related injuries- and she has decided to do cheerleading, volleyball, and dance instead. We had another decide to take a year off competition and concentrate on Dance, but she is training in our non-compete team class. Of the four girls that left, only one had qualified to move up to level 6. Of the remaining 9, 8 have moved up to level 6 (the last one is only 9 this season and struggled with Level 5 Bars and Vault last year).

These 8 girls join 3 of our 4 level 6 gymnasts from last year (the 4th left for a combination of reasons- fear of back tumbling, injury, and other sports). One of our returning L6s came to us in the Summer of 2010 from a USAG club where she competed L5. She would be the type of girl that would not be accounted for in L6 even though she did compete L6- just for the YMCA.

Hope this explains it

 

[raenndrops]

I am pretty sure they were going by registered USAG athletes. And technically, Prep-Op is not to be used as a way into level 7... it is designed as another track outside of the Junior Olympic levels... but part of the drop is that girls get tired of compulsories and switch to Prep-Op after getting stuck at level 5.

 

[LizzieLac]

From my perspective, I think homework is a big factor at the level 5-6 stage. Many kids right around middle school and where we live middle school is like prep for high school and they take things pretty seriously. So even if DD has accepted "less time for friends" I think gymnasts tend to be high overall performers and achievement oriented. Something may have to give with pressures frolm both sides and quitting school is not likely to happen.

 

[gymgal]

I am pretty sure they were going by registered USAG athletes. And technically, Prep-Op is not to be used as a way into level 7... it is designed as another track outside of the Junior Olympic levels... but part of the drop is that girls get tired of compulsories and switch to Prep-Op after getting stuck at level 5.

Actually, Prep-op girls must register with USAG to compete as it is an official USAG program. And they do count them separately from the JO levels. I can't tell from the number listed on the link if the 2000 listed for prep op is supposed to be all the levels or just the gold/platinum level usually used between L5-6. I do know that in 2011, we had about 800 girls from bronze to platinum compete in the NC state meet. And that is assuming that there were more girls who didn't make it or chose not to go. So we probably have about 1000 girls competing prep-op in NC alone. There are some teams that compete both compulsory and prep but not a significant amount to skew the numbers much. Most teams have chosen one or the other. Or they have two separate teams, not one team competes both.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

the higher you go the harder it gets. the older you get the harder it gets. the 1st will require more time in the gym and we'll call it 'hot'. the 2nd will require more time outside of gym for several reasons related to age and we'll call that 'cold'.

what happens in the atmosphere when hot meets cold? that's right. storms named adolescence, homework, peer pressure, boyfriends, girlfriends, group projects, religious education, family vacation, community service, mono, flu, strep, and on and on and on.

next would come attrition cause the sport is just so danged hard. plain and simple.