XCEL vs. DP Gymnastics

Summary ::

The conversation delves into the differences between the XCEL & DP Gymnastics Programs, reviewing mobility between the two programs, judging & scoring, why some gyms treat "xcel" as a "lesser" program, and provide practical and actionable steps when dealing with mobility changes and level progressions with your coaches, warning about the toxic culture practices within gymnastics, highlighting how decisions regarding athletes' progression are often influenced by external factors rather than the athletes' own aspirations. It emphasizes the need for a shift towards empowering athletes to make their own choices in their sporting careers & providing them with the knowledge to make that decision themselves.

Takeaways ::

• Gymnastics has a toxic culture that affects athletes.
• Decisions about athletes' progression should prioritize the athlete's desires.
• Coaches often prioritize their own interests over athletes' well-being.
• Athletes should have the autonomy to choose their paths.
• The pressure on young gymnasts can be detrimental to their mental health.
• Body type and age are often unfairly considered in gymnastics.
• Empowerment of athletes is crucial for their development.
• Parents and coaches should support athletes' decisions.
• The competitive nature of gymnastics can lead to unhealthy environments.
• A shift in coaching philosophy is needed to support athletes.

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Email :: coachpaige.usag@gmail.com

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:10

Hello everyone, and welcome to episode eight of Pivot, a podcast for parents, athletes, and coaches competing in the sport of gymnastics. I'm your host, Paige Williamson, and on today's podcast, I'm going to be talking about key differences between the Excel program and DP, or the development program in USA's competitive artistic gymnastics. And so first things first, quick clarification for anyone not familiar with these terms, or if you're shopping around Start Gymnastics and you've come across this episode, DP stands for development program. It used to be referred to as JO or Junior Olympic, but now it's just DP. And it's composed of three parts developmental, compulsory, and optionals. Now I have used and have heard these terms used interchangeably, but if we're going by the book, DP is composed of 10 levels, and they are referred to as level one, level two, level three, all the way to level 10. Developmental refers to levels one through three. Compulsory refers to levels four and five. And optionals refers to levels six through ten. However, some programs may refer to any level between one and five as compulsory, and any level between six and ten is called optionals. But essentially it's all the same thing. Quick sub note collegiate level gymnastics is typically level 10 gymnastics with different difficulties of skills performed that don't really fall under any level anymore. In some cases, you can get into a college gymnastics program at a lower optional level, like eight or nine, but your typical D1 colleges that you see competing on TV are gymnasts that have competed or are competing level 10 skills and skill requirements. Thus, DP, the development program, is the traditional path most college track gymnasts follow. The Excel gymnastics program was created as a national program by USAG in 2013. It was designed as an alternative to the traditional DP program, offering gymnasts a more flexible, individualized, and less demanding competitive experience. Typically for those who may have wanted to do gymnastics and compete in the sport, but maybe not take it all the way to college or elite level training and performance. Unlike DP, which has 10 levels, Excel has six divisions. The levels of progression start with what's called the bronze level. Then it goes Excel Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and more recently, Excel Sapphire. Now, that being said, Excel is not a feeder into DP in the sense of automatic mobility, meaning you can't just hop from one program over to the other anytime you like or however you want. Excel is intentionally an alternative program with different goals, rules, and mobility pathways. I'll get into this a bit more here in just a second because it's a bit complex, but the information is vital and good to know if you're a parent or a gymnast and you want to make sure your options stay open. So I will talk about how that works. Essentially, when differentiating the two programs, DP versus Excel, what that may look like in practice is in DP, there's a clearer level-by-level curriculum, mandatory elements, composition rules, structured mobility scores to advance. In the compulsory levels, you'll see the same routines and the same skills being competed. Coaches have a book called The Code of Points that we follow with animations and text that explain what to do and how to do it. Quite literally, this program is by the book. However, if you're watching the Excel practice, more athlete coach choice, broader range of difficulty options, fewer compulsory constraints. And coaches can choose skills to highlight an athlete's strengths. So unlike in DP, which says, okay, you're a level four, so on bean, you have to do a handstand, a cartwheel, and a routine that goes like this. Excel will go, okay, you're in gold, so you can do a handstand or a cartwheel. Or if you don't want to do that, you can do a back walkover, a front walkover, a back handstring, etc. And you can make up whatever choreography you want. So you'll have some gymnasts doing one skill and maybe other gymnasts doing other skills, but it's typically based on the gym's rules or the gymnast's strengths. While there isn't a specific comparison from the XL levels to the DP levels, you may see some skills overlap. So in that case, you could hear coaches compare like XL bronze to levels one and two, XL Silver to level three, XL Gold to levels four or five, XL Platinum to levels five and six, XL Diamond to levels six and seven, and XL Sapphire to level eight, nine, ten. But now it gets a bit tricky because we're going to talk about where your options are moving between the programs. This is also where I'm going to point out something I've said before, which is when you're starting your journey, it is good to be asked what your goals are. So that way you're not in a program that is not setting you up for success, or you're having to spin your wheels navigating a change in direction you did not anticipate originally, at least without understanding it first. What I hate to see is so many coaches and gyms don't know these rules and protocols. Believe it or not, this is not something we study. We have to look for it and research it, which is something USAG needs to do better, in my opinion. But I've had a lot of gyms or coaches put gymnasts in Excel who want to go to a D1 school or some big dream of level 10 and college gymnastics, only for that gymnast to find out down the road when they're in platinum or diamond that they essentially got, I'm gonna say it, screwed over. And that probably isn't going to happen. And hopefully this episode will explain why. So, all right, let's get into mobility between the levels. Moving from Excel to DP or from DP to Excel and back over again. First, there is no direct mobility from Excel into DP. Excel is a separate alternative program and therefore cannot be used to satisfy mobility requirements in DP. In other words, you can't use Excel results, like all-around scores, to automatically move up in the DP levels. So if a gymnast competes and does well in Excel gold, that alone doesn't mean next season she can be a level six. USA gymnastics and Florida rules state regarding mobility scores in DP. And the reason I'm saying Florida rules is because I live in Florida and this is taking place in region eight in Florida, but we're not the only region or state that has these rules. These are pretty standard across the nation. So um regarding mobility scores in DP, for levels one and three, no all-around score or score out is required to move from one, two, or three and into level four, because again, these are considered the true developmental levels. So you can have gymnasts like just go into one, or they can go into two, or they can go into three. Um but starting at level four, an entry level of a 34 all-around is required to move into level five. Or if an athlete scores a 36 all-around at two sanctioned competitions, the gymnast may skip level five and move directly into level six. Otherwise, in level five, a 32 all-around is required to move to level six or level seven. In level six, a 32 all-around is required to move to level seven. Athletes may skip this level. They may skip level six if scoring the 32 all-around in level five. In level seven, a 32 all-around is required to move to level eight. In both levels eight and nine, a 34 all-around is required to move to the next level. Now, there are some event specialists where there are gymnasts that do not compete all four events, like vault, bars, beam, and floor. And that is specific to level seven, eight, and nine. But just in case you needed to know, an 8.5 is required on that event that they're competing on to move to the next level, but on that event only as a specialist. For instance, if you compete on vault and floor and level seven, you get at least an 8.5 on both. You can now go to level 8, vault and floor, but you can't now do level 8 bars or beam. So those are the rules for mobility and scoring out in the development program. Regarding Excel, again, there is no mobility into the development program from Excel. All Excel athletes must enter DP at level four or below, or petition for an exception. New Excel athletes must enter at bronze, silver, or gold. A lot like in DP, you can enter in at levels one, two, three, or four. A mobility score to move to platinum is a 31 all-around from gold. Mobility score to move to diamond is a 31 all-around from platinum. So now we can shift into mobility from DP into the Excel program. DP athletes at level one and two may enter at bronze, silver, or gold. DP athletes at level three may enter at silver or gold. DP athletes at level four must enter at Excel Gold. DP athletes at level five and six must enter at platinum. DP athletes at level seven may enter at platinum or at diamond. DP athletes at level eight and above must enter at diamond. So as you can tell, mobility from Excel into DP is a lot more tedious than mobility from DP into Excel. But that's why it's important to know what the specific rules and even exceptions are for the state your daughter is doing gymnastics in, because it can affect how she'll develop and transition further down the road. Again, more on this later. But for now, as a simple recap, from the national perspective, you cannot count Excel performance toward DP mobility or advancement. If a gymnast wants to move from Excel into the DP track, she must enter at level four or below. Or submit a petition to the SAC, which is the state administrative committee. Exception. If an athlete is 12 years of age or older and is coming from at least one season of experience in the Excel program, she may petition to enter DP at level seven or below like five or six. So she doesn't necessarily have to go all the way back to four, but again, that's an exception. In the DP track itself, you may not skip levels, except that level five is allowed as a skip from four to six. If the gymnast achieves two minimum all-round scores of a 36, and level six is allowed as a skip, so you go from five to seven under the minimum mobility score requirement, which for now is achieving a 32 all-around and level five. The third thing I want to discuss is the judging and scoring differences and why it feels different at an Excel meet versus a DP meet. First, in the development program, DP, judging is highly standardized and consistent nationwide. There are often two judges per event, sometimes panels of four at the higher levels, and judges are required to follow the compulsory text or the optional code of points in extreme detail. Execution, amplitude, artistry, and composition all contribute to the score, with small deductions taken as precisely and consistently as possible, though we're all aware this does not always happen. In Excel, judging is more flexible. Meets can often have only one judge per event at a bronze, silver, or gold competition, and routines allow a much wider range of skill choices. The evaluation is based more on whether the gymnast met the division requirements and performed cleanly rather than on the same technical precision or composition expectations used in DP. Though this does not mean judges don't deduct on similar or the same points of emphasis as in DP scoring, a judge still can and has deducted for things like bent legs or arms and flex sickled feet, head position, body position, etc. However, just like Excel is more of a flexible program, judging itself tends to mirror flexibility also. This difference means that scores don't always compare evenly between the two systems, even for gymnasts performing similar skills. Because of fewer judges and broader expectations in Excel, a gymnast might earn a higher score there for a routine that would score lower in DP due to stricter standards. Conversely, a gymnast used to Excel judging may be surprised when they transition into DP and they see lower scores for what they perceive as a similar performance level. For example, let's take a gymnast who competes a beam routine. In Excel, you have your own routine created at each gym program's or coach's discretion. And the judge looks primarily for safety control, hitting the minimum division requirements. Despite a lack of fluidity or artistry, such as weighing toes throughout the beam routine and having a tight, poised body shape with gymnast hands, the beam routine might score a 9.5. Even if the gymnast wobbles here or there and has some softer limbs, as long as it's clean, controlled, and there are no big errors such as falls or missing skill requirements, generally judges will let things slide. In DP, however, that same beam routine is evaluated under a stricter code and sometimes with more of a deduction. For instance, in DP, developmental and compulsory levels, because your routines are choreographed for you by USAG and broken down movement by movement, pose by pose, and explained both with pictures and in writing, a lack of fluidity, artistry, and not pointing your toes throughout your routine can cost you tenths off your score. Because of differences in deductions like this, the score could result in something closer to a 9.0. Overall, the Excel program was introduced to open the door to a wider audience of young girls and boys wanting to participate in gymnastics, but maybe not go pro. The judging, therefore, is to evaluate but also not discourage young athletes from continuing in the sport. To try to be fair, but also maybe not point out every flaw. That doesn't mean the code between the two programs is completely different. In fact, you have more deductions that are universal between the two programs than are, say, in one cut of points, but not the other. But it's important to notice and distinguish how, despite the fact, scoring is generally different and thus leads to my next point why it matters. When coaches, parents, or gymnasts transition between programs or compare them, the difference in judging emphasis and staffing can create confusion. Gymnasts moving from Excel to DP might feel they're suddenly worse, but the expectations simply change. A coach who primarily coaches DP may undervalue Excel routines because they're judged on different criteria, and a coach who primarily coaches Excel may treat skills, routines, and progressions less rigorously. And judges who mostly judge one system may unintentionally apply their own bias toward what they're used to seeing emphasized. So now let's talk about why some gyms treat Excel like a lesser program and the underlying causes. In my professional opinion, this is a cultural operational issue rather than a rules one. Five common contributing factors with practical examples. Number one, resource allocation and focus. DP, especially levels eight through ten, is the pathway to elite or collegiate exposure. Gyms that chase that pipeline may devote more equipment time, head coaches, and choreographers to DP athletes. And sometimes an Excel program might not even be offered. Number two is perceived prestige and recruiting. DP has clear college recruitment pathways and history. So clubs market DP success more heavily. Number three, coaching and judging mindset. Some coaches view Excel as recreational light because it's flexible and often can get away with a lesser time commitment that can produce lower expectations or fewer technical coaching resources. Number four, administrative friction or rule ignorance. Because Excel into or over to DP isn't a clean mobility path. Some gyms simply avoid helping Excel athletes transition, or they make it seem difficult rather than learning petition processes or creating transition plans. Number five, economic incentives. DP level gymnasts can potentially bring more revenue through private lessons, choreography, meat travel, et cetera. So some gyms preferentially invest there. But that being said, I have seen multiple programs with far more Excel athletes at the lower levels than in the compulsory levels before. And at least for the margin of time those athletes are active in the program, Excel is the moneymaker for that gym. Cumulatively, these combine into a real barrier. Even though Excel was designed as a valued alternative, many clubs treat it as second class, making transitions or perceived fair treatment harder than the rule book, I believe, originally intended. Furthermore, and this kind of piggybacks off my previous episode, this should be opening up discussion for not just why Excel was introduced in the first place, but given its success and participating athlete numbers, what about it in general is enticing a lot of gymnasts in the first place? Because I believe there can and maybe should be two programs, but the frustrations come when parents and their athletes feel forced into one or the other and feel like they don't have a say, or maybe the coach wants to put them in Excel, but the kid still has dreams of going pro and knows that with the Excel program being treated as lesser. And now, hopefully, after this episode, understanding there is no direct mobility into the other program where they can just hop on over anytime they want, then yeah, they're not gonna want to be in Excel because it's going to make it that much harder for them down the road to reach their goals. That being said, I want to give you all some practical and actionable next steps and what you can say and or do if you feel like your child's coach or Jim is trying to force her into one program over the other. First, get clear about your child's goals and make this clear to her coaches. If her goal is to obtain a college scholarship, go to a D1 school and compete on TV, then the compulsory program is probably the best way to go. The Excel Sapphire level was designed to help gymnasts prepare for intramural programs or NCAA acrobatics and tumbling programs. But again, know your goals, know your options. If your daughter is invited from a rec program or class, tryout, whichever, into either DP or Excel before accepting, if you've been able to, and if you haven't, I highly recommend doing so. Go and watch the two programs. Find out when Excel girls train and when developmental compulsory girls train, and see if you can see a clear distinction in aesthetics, technique, and attention to training from the coaches. If, like I shared above, you can see Excel looks like a lesser program because you're seeing sloppier gymnastics or less hands on coaching, then you know that you're probably not going to be setting your daughter up for success by putting her in Excel. Also, I'll let you know that this is a true testament to the kind of gym andor program you're paying for or getting ready to pay for. If the coaches are pushing your kid that early on to be in one program or the other, oh, well, we just feel she's a better fit for Excel. Get them to tell you why and know that it's better to get your daughter in at DP and go over to Excel later than the other way around. Again, especially if you notice a training difference, at least in DP, she's gonna get the basics and fundamentals she needs for success, no matter which path she chooses. But if she starts off in Excel and you see the lesser laid-back coaching training style, there's a very big chance she'll never get over to DP. Oh, well, she can always move over to DP optionals down the road. It's not that easy and straightforward. Don't fall for that. Can she move over, like technically speaking? Yes. But a lot of that will depend on her foundational training. And I'm gonna say it one more time. If Excel is treated as a lesser program, you can say, with all due respect, I worry that the way the Excel program is run here, she won't build the foundations and discipline she needs in technique and artistry for her to have a fair shot at qualifying over to your optional program based on your current expectations and standards for your optional program. Also, does the gym know how to move your child over from Excel to DP? When do they evaluate that? What do they look for? How is that done? Because I've seen parents who, of course, they don't know, and why should they? But the gym says, oh, we're just gonna go from Excel gold to level six, and uh-oh, the gym doesn't know there's a process to actually do this, and that gymnast just got, and I'm gonna say it again, screwed over. They leave the Excel program after their gold season, start training level six skills, pay for a level six choreographer, and whoops! Turns out she's gonna have to go do a level four meet and learn those routines and skills first and earn a minimum mobility score before we can move on, like coaches. We have to do better at knowing about this stuff. And USAG, you've got to do your part at communicating this. And I don't mean some text or digital PDF. We'd only know to look for after this happens. How this isn't part of our initial training is beyond me. So yeah, here I am making a podcast episode about it, hoping at the very least, it will help parents and gymnasts out there become more knowledgeable and empowered to help guide their gymnasts down the right path and make the right investment. Now, let's say the conversation has come down the road. Maybe your daughter was in DP level three, and instead of moving to DP level four, the coaches want to move her to Excel goals. Again, know her goals. Why is the gym wanting her to move over into the Excel program specifically? Do not, do not fall for the overgeneralized, oh, we just feel like it'll be a better fit for her, or we just think she'll do better and score better in Excel, and it'll help her confidence. Because let me tell you, as harsh as it is and awful and horrible and disgusting, gymnastics is still a very toxic sport in a lot of ways, and girls will get kicked from DP to Excel for their age, body type. And overall, if the coaches think your daughter will help make them look good, or if they're gonna have to work really hard at training her, and they either don't want to do that, or they don't believe she's capable of competing to their desires, regardless. And that leads into another point I want to make. If you're trying to move to DP, say you've been an XL Platinum or Diamond and you want to go over to optionals at level seven, but coaches are showing kickback. The best argument you can have is going back to the code of points, meaning request that the coaches specifically point out what skills or requirements your athlete is missing and needs to work on in order to move forward and over. If that is indeed why she can't, you can always petition or get an exception to move in this case, especially if your daughter is at least the age of 12 and has competed a season of Excel, which in this example, let's say she has. But if you're getting kickback outside of the petition process and according to the code, she has all the skills she needs to be competing as a level seven. Then the coaches are going to be backed into a corner to give a really good argument as to why they're wanting to keep her in the Excel program. And there's only so many excuses they can try to give you before you understand the harsh reality that is this sport. There's a level of discrimination that they're just not able to legally tell you. But it's their truth. Seriously, parents, I know this happens. I hear about it, and it makes me want to come on here and start calling out gyms and coaches personally. But if you know the mobility requirements and petition process and you have all the skills you need and you've got your checklist, and you're like, yep, yep, yep, there's no reason she can't compete X level, but she's being told no. Keep an open mind and make sure that the reason that gym program or coach is giving you it's a solid, safe, moral, and ethical reason. A specific, genuine reason. Or you're dealing with a toxic culture, and it's probably best you just get your gyms out of there now before they do any more harm. Choosing to move out of DP or enter it should be up to the athlete, parent, and coaches, with the athlete coming first because it's her out there competing and it's her life, her goals, her decision. If you have a kid who wants to go big, you better do your job, coaches, and figure out how to get them there. Or you better figure out how to be okay telling her parents the real reason you're so against the decision in the first place. There's a reason I started this podcast. I've been behind the scenes. I know there's a reason you don't say it out loud to the parent or the gymnast, regardless of what you may be okay with saying behind those closed back office doors and competition lunch meetings that happen away from prying eyes and ears, because you know on the other side of saying the truth is a lawsuit. You know it's wrong. It is morally, ethically wrong. It needs to change. You need to pivot your mindset. There is the chance a gymnast is invited or wants to come over from Excel to DP, but understand those mobility requirements. If your daughter competed Excel Gold and is invited to be level six, make sure the gym followed protocol. If they didn't specify in a meeting with you or in an email, here's a short checklist with suggested wording you can use. One, non-confrontational approach. Ask the gym or coach for documentation first. Can you show the paperwork or petition that authorized the Excel to DP entry at level six, four and then give your gymnast name? I want to understand the pathway the gym used. Request any petition approval or communication with the Florida State Administrative Committee or the SAC to whatever state you're in. Number two is reference the rule directly and calmly. Point them to the Florida rule or whatever state you're in, that there is no mobility into the development program from Excel. All Excel athletes must enter development program at level four or below. Ask whether they filed a petition or used any permitted exception. Again, you're citing the rules, so there should be no kickback here. Number three is if you don't get a clear answer, you can contact your SAC, the State Administrative Committee. You can ask for clarification whether an approved petition exists for your gymnast and for a copy of that approval. You can provide that gymnast name, date of birth, and the season they last competed Excel. Number four, if your goal is a proper transition to DP, ask the coach for a development plan. What skills, meets, and timelines they'll use to get the gymnast into DP properly. And that means enter at level four, earn her mobility scores, or submit a formal petition. If the gym is unwilling to comply, you can escalate this to the state committee. Number five, again, this is just something you should be doing in this whole process, but document everything. Keep your emails, your texts. If you're listening and this is something you're going through and you're interested in language, you can copy and paste for an email to the coach and or to the state committee. I've got you covered and you can email me. I'll provide it below in the show notes. But it's coachpage.usag at gmail.com. And I will just send a script over for you. All you have to do is like fill out your child's name, date of birth, levels, that sort of thing. But it'll make it so much easier for you if you're just nervous about how you're gonna open up that channel of communication. Um, talk to the coaches, talk to the SAC. I can help you out with that. Um, but for now, to recap, since we're kind of nearing the end of this episode, some key takeaways. Excel equals flexibility and participation, it keeps gymnasts involved and allows creativity. DP equals structure and progression. It's the traditional path toward higher-level gymnastics. There are mobility rules to move from Excel to DP or DP to Excel. So make sure you know what they are. I'm thinking of providing a post with a chart that makes it easy to reference. What do y'all think? Um, while Excel was not originally intended to be a lesser program, it is treated as such by a lot of gyms, coaches, and even judges. So make sure you know your child's goals so that you can make sure she's in the program that fits her best. Not based on what she'll necessarily be more successful in. You can still go to college from an Excel Sapphire or a DP 8, 9, 10 level, but it will dictate which college team you're recruited for and if there's a scholarship she has qualified for. Well, I hope this episode has brought some clarity for those of you who were interested in understanding the two programs or confused by them. And I hope it'll help you to better know which one your gymnast should be in. As always, feel free to like and subscribe so you don't miss the next episode. And feel free to hit that download button if you need to save this episode for reference. If you're interested in any visual aids or digital materials, you can find me on social media and my links are available in the show notes. Again, I am Paige Williamson, and this podcast, Pivot, a gymnastics podcast, is brought to you by Williamson Elite Performance. Y'all have a great week. I'll talk to you soon. Bye bye.