No one got moved down two levels from what they were on, I don't think anyone made a lower level then they were last season. In fact most of y3 made j4 and most of y2 made y3 and most of y1 made y2. A lot of kids moved up.
What they meant is we have leveled tryouts, meaning you pick what level you are trying out for. They teach you a mini routine level appropriate, and make decisions from there after 6 days of practices.
A couple kids who tried out for levels with skills they don't have. They let those kids continue with tryouts at the level those kids wanted to try for and some of them made two levels lower.
They don't hurt feelings in the beginning usually so if a kid with a tuck wanted to try for level 5 they actually let them continue with tryouts in hope the kids will see for themselves that level 5 isn't for them or so on.
On the other fb someone asked me a question about our mini routine tryouts and I just remembered someone sent me this video so I uploaded it.
Here is my daughters tryout stunt group for level 4, they were playing the music so they kind of marked everything before they did the stunt. But you can see the layout of the mini routine. (There are a couple extra kids trying out for 4 just standing there so they did the dance too but they weren't actually in their group, they belong to other stunt groups and they go back group by group on the final tryout day.
Dance, jumps to tumbling, stunt.
All levels received a different routine, like 1 and 2 dance was slower, and then level appropriate tumbling. This was the level 4 one and after jumps they would all do BHS back tuck, and then go in to this basic level 4 stunt sequence.
Now after the stunt on final tryout day they line the kids up right after and tell them to choose their 1 hardest standing tumbling pass, and they showcase that, and then go to the corner and showcase their one hardest running tumbling pass. The coaches all have their sheets and they grade them from what they performed.
They had been grading and giving them corrections all 6 days. On day 1 they gave them a stunt group and taught them a dance. They also worked on tumbling everyday just giving them corrections as well as their stunting what each person could do better. They see who is able to take corrections and make changes and who just can't hang on that level. They probably have a good idea before day 6 who is in over their head and who is doing great. On day 6 though they actually put real comments on their sheets. Great performer, great stunter, level appropriate tumbling but lacking a lot in technique. Head back , feet bent and all those things.
Then then spend days creating teams, pairing stunt group and back spots and bases all before posting results. Making sure the team is strong all the way around.
Though I had no decisions in who made what -I did get to see the tryout process from the other side this year, I in no way could put those teams together the way they do and I wouldn't want too!
FYI- please don't judge this group. Since my daughters whole y3 stunt group tried out for 4 they kept them together for the tryout. All these kids were just youth age, except the bask spot who just aged out of youth. None of these girls had ever done 4!
In fact my kid just learned to base last season after flying and she says its wayyy better!
The other groups had kids who had been on 4 and were trying out again mixed in it so they may have been a little stronger! Lol