WAG will the new level 5 get more participation?

[dmytv]

ok, well at the gym that I work at as well as the gym my oldest dd goes to, they are having kids score out of usag 6 asap;more so at my dds gym. (some are clearly not ready). Just wondering what the rush is and if now coming into the new season if gyms will actually compete the level 5 as a state team thing. When my dd did level 6(new5) it was for a whole season and she did well. but the year after so many gyms abandoned the state meet that there was just not comp. teams thought it silly and scored out in the summer and just trained for 7. Our states meets are comps in the winter and opts in the spring. So just thining that this contributes to the prob. what do u think ? will the new 6 fill the void?

 

[Quadqueen]

In our state, level 6 is competed the same as any other level, for a full year. I don't know of any gyms that score out of 6 as a general practice. But from what I read on CB, that's not the norm everywhere. Our season is fall-spring for both compulsories and optionals.

 

[wallinbl]

ok, well at the gym that I work at as well as the gym my oldest dd goes to, they are having kids score out of usag 6 asap;more so at my dds gym. (some are clearly not ready). Just wondering what the rush is and if now coming into the new season if gyms will actually compete the level 5 as a state team thing.

When you look at the mobility from old levels to new levels, there is a "sweet spot" at old level 6, where you have the most flexibility going into the new levels (can go to new 5, 6, or 7). I think gyms are just doing a 6 score now so they can see how the new levels shake out and how their gymnasts line up with it. Even if they wind up in new 5, there's no harm in having done a 6 score out this spring. I saw the mobility chart and my immediate thought was "well, all level 5's should go ahead and get a 6 score before the change". My question would be why not get the score for now?

 

[lhmom]

I know that DD's coach is having the level 5's and the ones who competed Prep-op Gold this past season score out of the current level 6 to give them options for next season (compulsories have a fall meet season, optionals spring). We've been told that no decisions will be made until they see the new optional level structure comes out next month and see how the girls are progressing skill-wise. DD's gym has not done level 6 for the past few seasons and there have been many gyms in the state who have done the same. Looking at this past State meet, there were 5 gyms who had level 6 teams competing (in comparison to level 5 which had 15 teams). I'll be curious to see if this will change with the new levels.

 

[3rd_time_around]

It is common practice to score out of 6 in our state, not just because of the new alignment coming up. Our gym started doing it 4 years ago because lvl 6 is just do darn hard and the judging us even tougher and it is very discouraging to the gymnasts. When the winning bar score at state is an 8.9, and girls who've been scoring 9.3-9.5 all season get 8.2-8.6, and 2 others get 5's on what should have been 7's, it discourages them. There has been a lot less quitting since we started scoring out of 6. The girls are excited to know that they only have to do 6 once then on to 7 or platinum (no one goes to a score-out meet until they are ready). Personally, I see the trend to score out of this level, call it whatever you want, will continue; and also I see just as much scoring out of the new level 6 as the old level 6. Because from what I've read, it is going to be a pretty easy level skill-wise, so if a gymnast can score out of 6 now and be ready for current level 7, why are they going to waste a whole season on an easier level than current 7? So I actually see 2 levels being routinely scored-out of in the future instead of just 1.

 

[sglemon]

My dd is competing the new level 5 next year. Right now we have about 20 level 6 s. At the level 6 and 7 state meet, it seems we have about the same number of level 6s and 7s competing. I don't see things changing next year. I am actually hopeful with the new level 5, they seem to be taking the 30 degree above horizontal cast requirement out.

 

[LizzieLac]

I don't see things changing much in my state. There is a slight drop in number of athletes from 6 to 7, but as I have said in previous posts, even across our region I just don't see a ton of these very low level 6 scores. The toughest judging is probably on bars, but even that is meet to meet and not a "rule." So, I believe the drop occurs at level 7 kids becasue of the giant.

Not all gyms in our state, but probably 2/3, compete a season of fall to spring. Only 1/3 do the fall state meet and wonder if that might go away over time. I mean, you can score out and move up any time...

So, really I don't see much changing other than maybe new level 5 bars scores will be a little higher than current level 6.

 

[Bajanswife]

ok, well at the gym that I work at as well as the gym my oldest dd goes to, they are having kids score out of usag 6 asap;more so at my dds gym. (some are clearly not ready). Just wondering what the rush is and if now coming into the new season if gyms will actually compete the level 5 as a state team thing.

Don't know about states, but the rush to score out this year might be related to the fact that the old level 6 routines aren't much different from the old level 5s - a few skill substitutions, slightly different choreography, but essentially very easy to learn if you know the level 5 routines. And also familiar because you've also watched the level 6s enough times. DD is level 5 but she could pretty much do the level 6 routines - she wouldn't score as high as level 5, but she could do them and could probably score out. If you are trying to get to optionals as quickly as possible, now is the time to do it. If you wait until the fall you have to learn a whole new routine just to test out at one meet! i.e. if you aren't planning to do a whole season of new level 5 (old level 6) anyway, it makes no sense to wait until the fall to score out - score out now while you already know the routines! That's how I think about it anyway.

We have no states or regionals, we just do invitationals, and DD has all the time in the world to train before competing again, so we (coach, DD and I) have decided we are done with compulsories. The only new routines we will be learning will be her own optional ones. Yes she needs the skills and form, and she will work them until she is competition ready, no matter how long it takes. We don't have "states" to be ready for.

 

[wallinbl]

Don't know about states, but the rush to score out this year might be related to the fact that the old level 6 routines aren't much different from the old level 5s - a few skill substitutions, slightly different choreography, but essentially very easy to learn if you know the level 5 routines.

Forgot to add that part! Yes, they're highly similar routines, and can be picked up in under an hour if you already know the 5 routines (not including time spent on the skills themselves).