At Peoria Elite, we strive to provide a challenging and disciplined, yet fun and comfortable environment for our competitive team members. We will always treat each team member with compassion and respect knowing that our team members will not be gymnasts forever. Given that fact, we want them to grow up to be healthy and productive adults. We want them to continue to love the sport of gymnastics and maybe later in their lives return to the sport by teaching our future gymnasts.
USAG Junior Olympic Team
Our Junior Olympic Team follows the traditional USA Gymnastics competitive program that has Levels 1 to Elite. Each level has its required skills and routines to compete. After Level 5, the gymnast becomes an Optional Level gymnast. At the Optional Levels (6 to Elite), the routines can be choreographed individually to fit the gymnast’s style with the skills required for that level. If a gymnast has dreams of being a college gymnast or going to the Olympics, this is the competitive program that they need to compete in and move through the levels. The majority of gymnastics schools start competing at Level 3.
Junior Olympic Team members typically start at a very young age and move up through our Jr. Hope and Hopes pre-team programs. When these gymnasts can successfully perform the skills required for the JO Team, we invite them to join our team with expectations that they will compete. Our gymnasts train 12-16 hours a week depending on their team level. It is a year-round training program. These gymnasts are held to a high-behavioral and discipline standard. These gymnasts compete in 6-7 meets a year during competition season, which is October-May. Most of these meets are 2-3 hours away. We choose competitions that will give our gymnast a wide range of competitive experiences that are well organized, have a safe environment with good equipment, and prepare our gymnasts for a successful, high-level career. PEGA also likes to take our gymnasts to an out-of-state meet each year in addition to Regional and Nationals, which Level 7 and up gymnasts need to qualify for each year. We hope that you will notice our team members in the gym, their work ethic, and example of beautiful skills that will inspire other gymnasts to strive for success.
USAG Xcel Team
Xcel is a USA Gymnastics competitive system that provides an opportunity for girls to compete in gymnastics without extensive preparation and with a smaller time commitment. This allows girls of all ages who love gymnastics to participate, while doing other sports and activities as well. Our current Xcel team members practice no more than two nights per week, and many are multi-sport school athletes as well.
While most Junior Olympic programs require up to two years of pre-team prior to competition, the goal of PEGA Xcel is to bring an athlete from joining team to competition in six months. Xcel levels are all Optional in composition, regardless of the ability of the gymnast. This means that coaches and gymnasts work together to make routines that are made up of only skills the gymnast is capable of, within certain requirement parameters.
There is never an upper age restriction to any Xcel Level; athletes who have just discovered their inner competitive gymnast can start at any age!
Here is a brief description of each Xcel Level:
- Bronze: This level allows the very beginning gymnast to have that Team experience!
- Silver: Gymnasts who have previous recreational gymnastics or tumbling experience will do well in Xcel Silver!
- Gold: Athletes can attain skill requirements for this level after some competitive experience!
- Platinum: More difficult skills are required at this level and the competition is fierce, but fun!
- Diamond: The most dedicated Xcel athletes will make it to Diamond!
USAG MEN’S Team PROGRAM
In 2019 PEGA introduced the competitive team program for boy’s age 6-18. Our boy’s begin competing at level 4 in the USAG compulsory program. Boy’s train on the six Olympic apparatus – floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar.
OPEN GYM IS FREE TO TEAM MEMBERS
Team Contact Information
Junior Olympic: Coach Jenna Parks — jparks@peoriaelite.com
Xcel: Coach Alyson Mackesy — amackesy@peoriaelite.com
Boy’s Team Coach: Coach Alyson Mackesy — amackesy@peoriaelite.com
Financial Questions: info@peoriaelite.com
