JumpyTheFrog Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 https://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/threads/xcel.60052/ USAG is now allowing an Xcel program for boys. I hope this brings many new boys to the sport and keeps many from quitting like they do after level 5 or 6. Maybe it will encourage more girls gyms to start up teams for boys instead of them having to quit at age 6-7 after they get too good for rec classes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 Oh, I hope so! There are so few gymnastics opportunities for boys in our area. One gym with a competitive team, the other gyms only have beginning classes for boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted June 21, 2017 Author Share Posted June 21, 2017 In that thread I linked to someone described a boy in their state who competed girls Xcel because there were no boys teams he could compete on within an hour from home. My metro area has five gyms with boys teams and it is still fairly common for parents to drive their boys 45-60 minutes to practice because the closer gyms aren't a good fit. I am currently sitting in another gym because it look like Tigger will be moving to gym number three because gym two is no longer a good fit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted June 21, 2017 Author Share Posted June 21, 2017 My town, the town to the west, and the town to the south have collectively at least four girls gyms with teams. Only one has anything beyond rec classes for boys. I'd guess my metro area has 30-50 girls gyms, and only five boys gyms. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 What is Excel? My youngest boy switched to the girls high school gymnastics team senior year when he no longer wanted the heavy time commitment of his regular team. He refused to do balance beam (worried about landing on the beam) or floor (because he didn't want to make the girls look bad) but he did the rest. He was light enough to do the uneven bars without breaking them and short enough that it was possible for him to do it. Another option might have been nice. Although now that I think about it, he was not unhappy about working out with a new set of girls, ones he hadn't grown up with. : ) Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniePoo Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 How is this different from the division 2 program that came out last year? One of my boys was a level 4 and competed without the bonuses. I wonder if this will replace that. I am all about this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniePoo Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 Just figured it out. The routines are original and practice times will be less. Crossing my fingers this comes to my city! I really do not want the commitment of a level 5 and would much prefer this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted June 21, 2017 Author Share Posted June 21, 2017 I don't think Xcel is intended to replace having two divisions in Junior Olympic (JO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted June 21, 2017 Author Share Posted June 21, 2017 I really do not want the commitment of a level 5 and would much prefer this. How many hours is level 5 at your son's gym? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 https://www.chalkbucket.com/forums/threads/xcel.60052/ Maybe it will encourage more girls gyms to start up teams for boys instead of them having to quit at age 6-7 after they get too good for rec classes. But there would still be an issue of finding qualified boys coaches. I'm not going to say I'm anti-excel, but I was definitely anti-excel until people began to take it halfway seriously in this state. Those early meets were terrifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 Wait, but I want to say that just a couple of months ago I was talking to a couple of coaches who both agreed that if boys had something like excel, they would have stayed in the sport. And I know plenty of stories where girls are really happy about it, so I can see it being a good thing. I just worry from a professional perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkacz Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 How many hours is level 5 at your son's gym? You didn't ask me, but boys' JO at our gym is: Level 4 - 4 hours (2 days) Level 5 - 8 hours (3 days) Level 6 - 12 hours (4 days per week) Level 7 - not sure but I think 20 plus Personally, I don't see boys' excel being offerred at our gym unless it's done by the rec coaches. Maybe as something similar to the ninja program? Our team coaches are already stretched thin time wise as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkacz Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) Wait, but I want to say that just a couple of months ago I was talking to a couple of coaches who both agreed that if boys had something like excel, they would have stayed in the sport. And I know plenty of stories where girls are really happy about it, so I can see it being a good thing. I just worry from a professional perspective. Girls excel bronze and silver are still 12 hours per week at our gym. Level 5 girls are at 20 plus. While excel is a reduction, those hours IMHO are still ridiculous. I really thought this was the whole purpose of JD - giving boys who want less practice hours an opportunity? Unless they are using this as a feeder to JD - the sample routines seem like a jumble of level 4-6 skills. Edited June 21, 2017 by Jkacz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) Girls excel bronze and silver are still 12 hours per week at our gym. Level 5 girls are at 20 plus. While excel is a reduction, those hours IMHO are still ridiculous.Ah, the top few gyms here have platinum/diamond at 9 hours; only a couple have 12. One of the bigger gyms had bronze girls at 3 hours/week and silver at 4! But then again, not many gyms here have JO workouts like other states. Usually, 9-12h compulsory, 16-20 for level 7+. I can only think of three gyms that have daytime workouts. Eta: as far as making it a feeder, as far as I know, that is not how it is working for the girls side. Weird, but still potentially neat. Edited June 21, 2017 by Ailaena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniePoo Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 How many hours is level 5 at your son's gym? Level 4 was 6 hours but at least half the boys added another day to make it 9. 3hr practices. Level 5 is 9-10 hrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 But there would still be an issue of finding qualified boys coaches. I'm not going to say I'm anti-excel, but I was definitely anti-excel until people began to take it halfway seriously in this state. Those early meets were terrifying. My son said he was terrified for his public school teammates because they hadn't done enough conditioning to safety do the routines they were practising, and they hadn't been taught some of the fundamentals. The meets were pretty scary. We were told that it took lots of hours to learn to do the fun stuff, which is how we wound up being 4 or 5 days at the gym each week. Mine weren't in it for the competitions. I hope excel contains enough conditioning and fundamentals to do some of the fun stuff safely. Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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