Gymnastic (regional) grades

[Llanbobl]

Hoping there may be a gym out there who can help. DD is in development squad (small club) and her coach has decided that the squad are ready to go down grades route. They're doing grade 14 in March.

Coach has never done this before and I'm finding it hard to get answers from them. DD is weak on bars - can't do chin ups without help and only just started to leg lifts unsupported. She can fish swing and change grip to change direction whilst holding on with one arm. Everything else is hit and miss on bars. She is strong on vault and floor and competent on beam and in R&C. I know you can't say if she'd pass - but what happens if she doesn't average 10 across the multiple disciplines? Does she have to wait til next year and do Grade 14 agin or could she skip that and do Grade 13?

She wants to enter and I'm happy for her to give it a shot - I just want to manage her expectations and be able to explain what appends if she doesn't make the grade

Thanks for reading - sorry it's long

[LadyLech]

Hi,
My DD does gym comps and has done her regional 14 and 13. So 14 was a few years ago now and my knowledge might be a bit rusty!

In answer to your question, nicer they don't need to get 10 on every piece - my DD only got 9.75 on beam and she still passed. The scores are averaged out and they need to get one score to pass, I think it was over 50 out of the five pieces. My DD got: 12.35, 10.5, 9.75, 12.2 and 10.5. Then, if they get another score (for us it was 55), they got a distinction. However, when my DD did it, although she got a score of 55.3 she didn't get her distinction because on the day they required the range and conditioning score to be at least 11, and my DD only got 10.5. However, at the two regionals last year, they did not have a r&c minimum requirements.

My understanding is that if she does the 14 and fails, she will have to do the 14 again next year, but if she doesn't do the 14 this year, she could go straight to 13 next year. But check that with your gym coach as BG seem to change the rules all the time! My DD has just gone through this with nationals and decided not to do them this year, as she is struggling with the r&c bit and they have to pass this to pass her grade 8 (which is annoying because she can do everything else!)

If you have a look on YouTube, lots of people put up their children's routines, I know my DD likes to watch them, so she can see what she has got to do before her comps. It is quite a step up from county comps, but my DD really enjoys them!

And good luck :-)

[Llanbobl]

Hi LadyLech, thanks for the info it was really helpful. Fingers crossed for the end of March

[LadyLech]

Yes good luck and enjoy the emotional roller coaster that is competitive gymnastics