Every four years, USA Gymnastics makes changes to the rules for the Xcel Program. The most recent rules changes took place in 2022. (Click here to read about them.) The next set of changes to the Xcel Code of Points has been pushed back to 2028. However, each year, the committees meet and determine if […]
Every four years, USA Gymnastics makes changes to the rules for the Development Program (Dev Program). This year, the Code of Points got a full update. (Click here to read about the Code of Points changes.) Each year, the committees meet and determine if smaller-scale changes need to be made to address issues that have […]
This article has been updated to reflect the 2026-2030 DP Code of Points changes. Every four years, the rules change for optional gymnastics under USA Gymnastics. Sometimes there are a lot of changes, and other years, the optional gymnastics requirements stay pretty much the same. As of April 2026, the new rules for 2026-2030 have […]
It’s time… the new Code of Points is here for 2026-2030! Every four years, the optional (Level 6-10) Code of Points gets a refresh. The new rules will remain in effect for four years, with updates and clarifications each year. *As of April 2026, the list of elements on each event has not yet been […]
In recent years, Amazon has decided that Prime Day in July isn’t enough. So now, we have Prime Big Deal Days in October, too! For those who don’t know, Prime Big Deal Days is a day (or two) during the fall, during which Amazon offers deep discounts to its Prime members. In 2025, Prime Big […]
It’s the day you’ve been waiting for… Prime Day! Actually, it’s Prime FOUR Days this year, but either way, it means great deals for us! For those who don’t know, Prime Day is a day (or four) during the summer, during which Amazon offers deep discounts to its Prime members. In 2026, Prime Day runs […]
This post was originally published February 10, 2020, and was updated August 29, 2020, August 29, 2021, August 19, 2022, July 7, 2023, November 6, 2024, and July 8, 2025. If you’ve been at a Level 6 or 7 gymnastics meet recently, no doubt you’ve seen the new vault setup. Gymnasts now vault from the […]
This article has been updated to reflect the 2026-2030 DP Code of Points. Level 10 bars… this is some of the greatest stuff out there. There’s nothing else I’d rather be judging (or even just watching!). It’s funny because I never loved bars as a gymnast. I was tall, it was hard, and I much […]
This post has been updated to reflect the changes in the 2026-2030 DP Code of Points. Bar routines start to get a lot more complicated once you get to Level 9! There are more requirements, more choices, bonus connections… it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin! If you’re trying to decide how to construct your […]
This post has been updated to reflect the 2021-2029 compulsory routine changes, and was updated again in July 2023, and July 2025. It’s time to polish up those compulsory routines! Today we will look at the Level 3 floor routine. This was always one of my favorite levels to coach, because the kids are just […]