Shoreline Gymnastics: Our Teams

As a member of USA Gymnastics, we participate in the national gymnastics programs. The women's program has 10 levels through which gymnasts may progress. Mobility from one level to another is determined by criteria established by the USA Gymnastics
Organization as well as the evaluations made by the team coaches of the individual gymnastics schools.

Developmental Levels are non-competitive and are designed to teach basic core gymnastics on all Olympic events. Levels 4,5,6 are the first competitive levels which use pre-choreographed routines of increasing difficulty. Gymnasts in these levels may qualify for State Championship meets.

Levels 7,8,9,10 are optional levels where gymnasts make up their own routines on all four events. The routine requirements increase as you move through the levels and therefore require a higher level of strength, flexibility and time commitment. Optional gymnasts may qualify to state, regional, or national competitions.

Team selection at Shoreline Gymnastics is an ongoing process. We are constantly watching for talented young gymnasts in our class programs. Any instructor can recommend a child for placement into various advanced classes. If the child performs up to our expectations she will be tested to see if she qualifies to enter our team program. All accepted gymnasts must continue to perform up to our expectations to remain on the team. We constantly work on strength and flexibility to give our girls the tools to remain competitive in their level.

Preparation for Optional Team (Prep. Opt.)

Philosophy
The Prep. Opt. Team is for the gymnast who is showing potential in the progressive class program and is ready to move on to longer workouts, in a program with competition as a goal and also an alternative competitive program for the gymnast who does not want to continue on the Levels team and has not qualified for level 7 states.

This is a new USAG sanctioned optional competitive program. It is a team program as well as an individual one so there is a level of commitment required. The level of commitment is not as intense as in the Levels program and allows more flexibility for the gymnast with less of a time commitment.

This is a pre- high school program and allows the gymnast to skip the compulsory levels 4-6 and go directly to working optional skills that may be required in high school competition.

Ability Levels
There are three ability levels for the Prep Opt program, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. Each ability level has a 10.0 start value as long as the requirements are met. The differences between ability levels are in the level of difficulty of skill requirements. Coaches will determine what ability level to compete each gymnast and move them up accordingly. All levels compete together. Awards at meets are based on ability level so a gymnast in the novice category is not competing against an intermediate or advanced even though they may be competing at the same time.