Anon Gold to L6 OR Platinum to L7?

BusyMomof2 · Feb 7, 2023

Hi parents --

Looking for seasoned guidance on anyone who has moved from Gold to L6 or Platinum to L7. Our 9-year old Gold is being moved up when meet season concludes, and our coaches have been honest and told us that they are on the fence between Platinum and L6.

While it's not up to us, I do appreciate being part of the conversation (I think?). She is scoring out of levels 4 and 5 in late February and she has all nearly all of her L6 skills, but the time commitment is significantly higher in L6 compared to Platinum. Either way, next year will be her last year of Xcel and she would then go on to L7.

Any thoughts on which transition would be easier on a young gymnast, who is also very small for her age? Gold to 6 or Platinum to 7? Is there any other consideration beyond the difference in time (12 hours for Platinum, 16 for L6)? She thinks she would like to do college gym but who really knows, right?

I want her to be happy and continue to love the sport. I will continue to drive/fund as appropriate.

JBS · Feb 7, 2023

Since Gold doesn't progress to L6 and Platinum doesn't progress to L7... it would all depend on how your club does the transitions.

If she is interested in college gymnastics... then L7 would be the level that I would be looking to get her in as soon as possible. I would be looking for this exact bar routine...

L8 is a very easy transition on bars from this point.

moogacat · Feb 8, 2023

There are pros and cons either way. If her development on the events is asynchronous, I might consider Xcel so you can nurture higher level skills while working on skills that aren't quite there on other events. When my daughter was a Platinum she was competing L7 routines other than vault. The counter to that is if she is definitely going to the Dev program and L7, she might as well get used to the hours and setup of optionals at your gym. It's going to be a highly personal decision, and it's good that your coaches are treating it that way.

Deleted member 27150 · Feb 8, 2023

BusyMomof2 said:
Hi parents --

Looking for seasoned guidance on anyone who has moved from Gold to L6 or Platinum to L7. Our 9-year old Gold is being moved up w

While it's not up to us, I do appreciate being part of the conversation (I think?). She is scoring out of levels 4 and 5 in late February and she has all nearly all of her L6 skills, but the time commitment is significantly higher in L6 compared to Platinum. Either way, next year will be her last year of Xcel and she would then go on to L7.

Any thoughts on which transition would be easier on a young gymnast, who is also very small for her age? Gold to 6 or Platinum to 7? Is there any other consideration beyond the difference in time (12 hours for Platinum, 16 for L6)? She thinks she would like to do college gym but who really knows, right?

the switch between the programs should be up to you but her level should be up to the coaches, you and daughter. it depends what your gym requires for xcel levels and what skills she has

Anonymous Post · Feb 8, 2023

I *think* I understand your question, but apologies if my answer is not addressing what you intended!

My kid's team does XB, XS, XG and then moves to 6, 7, etc.

Most of the kids in the XG group last year ranged from 9 to 11 with a few outliers in either direction. After the XG season last year, of those who continued in gymnastics, about 50% moved to level 6 and 50% moved to XP. The girls doing 6 are training longer hours (20-22hrs) and traveling farther for meets while the girls who moved to XP train about 15 hrs and all meets are driving distance (some are 4-6hrs but still drivable). The girls doing 6 on the whole were the younger crew.

While the girls who moved to XP were told that they may be ready for 7 next season, my suspicion is that they won't be as they seem to be doing inconsistent upgrades, ie they can do level 8 bars, but only level 5 beam. Or they are working more complex front tumbling but not working on back layouts. This seems to be gearing them towards staying in the Xcel program.

The level 6 group is working upgrades across the board to be level 7 ready.

All that to say that you may want to observe what the current level 6 vs current XP groups are doing skill-wise, evaluate their approximate ages (age 9-10 may be really young for XP and she may not enjoy the social aspects of gym if that is the case). Also, no harm in trying level 6 and if the hours are too much, then you have a clear answer to switch.

Katie · Feb 12, 2023

9 is still pretty young. Another year with less hours and more play time would probably be good for her. But if the level 7 is a lot of hours (like 18-20+) the jump from 12 hours would be harder then from 16. The age of girls on both teams/where her friends are going can make a difference too, although I whole heartedly believe that kids don’t have to be the same age to be friends. Like some other people said, the consistency of upgrades across events is Xcel can be all over the place and may make preparing for level 7 harder. But she would have more control over what she’s ready for in platinum.

Anon Gold to L6 OR Platinum to L7?

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