WAG “Uneven” regions USAG

[GymnastMomX2]

Has USAG ever looked into readjusting the regions to make the number of girls per region even slightly more even?

Looking at the number of girls per age group for level 9/10 regionals and it just seems massively unfair for those girls in larger regions. For example if you’re a level 9/10 in region 2 you’re almost guaranteed a spot at Westerns/Nationals assuming you meet the minimum score. Some age groups only have 2 girls in them. Where someone in region 3 might be competing against 30+ girls in their age group.

Region 2 has 86 total level 10s competing at regionals, Region 3 has 261.

Surely they could re-do the regions to make things a little better, obviously it will never be exact, but when one region is 3x the size of another it just feels broken.

 

[RTT2]

Yeah, the numbers are pretty widely distributed. It doesn't feel fair when your kid is in a massive age group and you see that if she were one age group up or down there would be half- or less than half the girls competing for 7 spots.

 

[gymgal]

This topic comes up every year around this time. The premise of Nationals is a competition among the regions, just the Olympics are among the countries. Each region sends their best gymnasts to compete on the national stage. The problem with this rationale is that it doesn't end up that way because the smaller regions cannot fill their slots and therefore borrowing other regions' gymnasts, many of whom are scoring higher than their own gymnasts.

We are from a stronger region, where you generally need a 37+ to make it to nationals. I personally have always felt it should be run like many of the regions run their regional meets for 6-8. Each state (region for nationals) gets the same percentage of spots, based on the number of L9/10 in that state (region).
Many argue that then the age groups wouldn't stay consistent from regionals to Nationals. I argue that it doesn't matter. Just redo the age groups for nationals based on who qualifies.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Many argue that then the age groups wouldn't stay consistent from regionals to Nationals. I argue that it doesn't matter. Just redo the age groups for nationals based on who qualifies.

I agree, if they aren't willing to redistribute the states into different regions for more parity, then do a % based approach. Why does it matter if the age groups are consistent at regionals and nationals?

 

[Flicfliclay]

I think about this every year too! My daughter is in the strongest Region. ( meaning the Region that wins almost every year ).. It becomes very frustrating knowing others make it with much lower scores. I agree with the above idea, Nationals should have its own redistributed age group based on the % approach. It honestly makes no sense. If everyone had the same chances of making nationals it should be based on the best gymnasts.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Has USAG ever looked into readjusting the regions to make the number of girls per region even slightly more even?

Looking at the number of girls per age group for level 9/10 regionals and it just seems massively unfair for those girls in larger regions. For example if you’re a level 9/10 in region 2 you’re almost guaranteed a spot at Westerns/Nationals assuming you meet the minimum score. Some age groups only have 2 girls in them. Where someone in region 3 might be competing against 30+ girls in their age group.

Region 2 has 86 total level 10s competing at regionals, Region 3 has 261.

Surely they could re-do the regions to make things a little better, obviously it will never be exact, but when one region is 3x the size of another it just feels broken.

I agree that it doesn’t make sense the way it is. We are also in a big region (Region 8) and I don’t think my daughter has much of a chance of qualifying this year. Her age group has 24 which seems average and I suspect the cut off will be upper 37s to 38 ish.

I just checked and region 8 has 310 level 10s competing at regionals. The smallest age group has 18 and the largest (Sr F) has 39! So hard for all those talented seniors. You really have to be the best of the best to qualify in that age group.

But as has been pointed out already, this is topic every year and it doesn’t appear like it will change anytime soon.

 

[gymgal]

I just checked and region 8 has 310 level 10s competing at regionals. The smallest age group has 18 and the largest (Sr F) has 39! So hard for all those talented seniors. You really have to be the best of the best to qualify in that age group.

dd was in an age group with 43 gymnasts one year. 7th spot was mid 37.

 

[Dahlialover]

USAG MAG regions are being reorganized this year. They are going from 9 regions to 6 and consolidating the less populous regions into a giant geographic region. Our region will now include AK, CO, ID, IA, MN, MT, NE, ND, OR, SD, WA, WY! No more diving to regionals!

 

[josie55]

Yes it comes up every year and yes it’s unfair and sort of silly. My daughter is always in, objectively, the most competitive age group and region and it really does get to me, even though I try really hard to not let it. But at the very least let’s stop calling nationals the “best of the best” because it’s not. I suspect there will be girls who score 38s who are left home this year, and in that same age group girls who score 35 will be at nationals.

But like so many things it’s more about the adults than the kids, and the adults want it to be this battle among the regions and don’t want to change anything, regardless of whether it’s fair or makes any sense.

(Excuse my preemptive grumpiness - I have to get it out here so that I can put on a good face at Regionals.)

 

[GymMama3908257]

The good thing is the regions that are smaller fill spots with the regions that are bigger.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Has USAG ever looked into readjusting the regions to make the number of girls per region even slightly more even?

Looking at the number of girls per age group for level 9/10 regionals and it just seems massively unfair for those girls in larger regions. For example if you’re a level 9/10 in region 2 you’re almost guaranteed a spot at Westerns/Nationals assuming you meet the minimum score. Some age groups only have 2 girls in them. Where someone in region 3 might be competing against 30+ girls in their age group.

Region 2 has 86 total level 10s competing at regionals, Region 3 has 261.

Surely they could re-do the regions to make things a little better, obviously it will never be exact, but when one region is 3x the size of another it just feels broken.

It would seem to be a good idea to re-draw regions every quad or every 8 years, just like they do in politics after the census. But maybe loyalty to the Region you're in has something to do with it, and states don't want to change regions? Region 8 had 284 level 10s competing at Regionals.