WAG Changes to next years elite calendar

[Jenny]

I dont agree with this. I want my daughter competing against the best in the sport.

I thought your dd was elite? Isn't she competing against the best in elite/ open competitions?
Why would an elite need to to level 10 nationals? Don't they have their own nationals? Seems unfair to work the system to do both?

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I thought your dd was elite? Isn't she competing against the best in elite/ open competitions?
Why would an elite need to to level 10 nationals? Don't they have their own nationals? Seems unfair to work the system to do both?

No she is training elite. She is a HOPES gymnast but that is considered pre-elite.

 

[Texastwister]

I thought your dd was elite? Isn't she competing against the best in elite/ open competitions?
Why would an elite need to to level 10 nationals? Don't they have their own nationals? Seems unfair to work the system to do both?
[/QUOTE
True elites can not compete level 10. They have to pensions to drop down.

 

[Jenny]

No she is training elite. She is a HOPES gymnast but that is considered pre-elite.

But she has her own pre elite nationals. The Hopes Championship? She doesn't need to take a spot at level 10 nationals as well. One or the other seems fine.

 

[Texastwister]

But she has her own pre elite nationals. The Hopes Championship? She doesn't need to take a spot at level 10 nationals as well. One or the other seems fine.

The rules say she can.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

But she has her own pre elite nationals. The Hopes Championship? She doesn't need to take a spot at level 10 nationals as well. One or the other seems fine.

She earned her way to nationals just like everyone else. Just because she is also training elite that shouldn't be taken away from her.

 

[jennyj]

But she has her own pre elite nationals. The Hopes Championship? She doesn't need to take a spot at level 10 nationals as well. One or the other seems fine.

Being in Hopes usually happens at the same time as JO so it's completely acceptable to do both. Or are you actually suggesting someone in for example level 9 can't compete in westerns/easterns either just because she's also in Hopes?

 

[rjb123]

I don't personally care what parents or kids say their kid is "training". I mean, I could say I am training to go to Mars, but that doesn't mean I am going there! That said, I am not sure why a child who has gained the compulsory and optional score to qualify elite would WANT to do JO nationals. At that point they ARE elite. Not the hopes kids ( I don't really consider them elite- and it is my understanding that they are NOT elite- so those kids competing at JO nationals is really no different to me than girls who were Nastia Liukin qualifiers. They qualified to compete at an additional meet)- the actual real junior or senior elite score. Of course girls will petition back to level 10, that is a different story, but if a girl was working to get and DID get those scores, why go to JO nationals? They are no longer JO at that point- their goals are classics etc at that point. Moving up the elite schedule seems like no big deal to me- it makes sense in this situation.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I don't personally care what parents or kids say their kid is "training". I mean, I could say I am training to go to Mars, but that doesn't mean I am going there! That said, I am not sure why a child who has gained the compulsory and optional score to qualify elite would WANT to do JO nationals. At that point they ARE elite. Not the hopes kids ( I don't really consider them elite- and it is my understanding that they are NOT elite- so those kids competing at JO nationals is really no different to me than girls who were Nastia Liukin qualifiers. They qualified to compete at an additional meet)- the actual real junior or senior elite score. Of course girls will petition back to level 10, that is a different story, but if a girl was working to get and DID get those scores, why go to JO nationals? They are no longer JO at that point- their goals are classics etc at that point. Moving up the elite schedule seems like no big deal to me- it makes sense in this situation.

I guess I should ask my daughters teammate this question. She got her junior elite qualifying scores in January, hasn’t done an elite meet since, did an entire season of level 10 winning state, regionals AND nationals (her first and probably only appearance at nationals). She went to nationals and placed in the top 5 on every event and won the AA, almost breaking 39. I would venture to guess that she is pretty darn happy that she was able to compete at nationals at least once. Now that nationals are over she is gearing up for the start of the elite season, including competing at the junior worlds trials in 2 weeks. Her JO season will forever be over in less than a month once she competes at the classic in Utah (her future school, she verballed there a few months ago), unless she petitions back down to JO at some point. So I’m guessing that she is very happy with how she was able to close out her JO career. I wouldn’t wish that opportunity to be taken away from anyone. She worked her butt off in the gym this year with nationals being one of her goals (she didn’t qualify last year) and I am so very happy that she was able to check that off.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I don't personally care what parents or kids say their kid is "training". I mean, I could say I am training to go to Mars, but that doesn't mean I am going there! That said, I am not sure why a child who has gained the compulsory and optional score to qualify elite would WANT to do JO nationals. At that point they ARE elite. Not the hopes kids ( I don't really consider them elite- and it is my understanding that they are NOT elite- so those kids competing at JO nationals is really no different to me than girls who were Nastia Liukin qualifiers. They qualified to compete at an additional meet)- the actual real junior or senior elite score. Of course girls will petition back to level 10, that is a different story, but if a girl was working to get and DID get those scores, why go to JO nationals? They are no longer JO at that point- their goals are classics etc at that point. Moving up the elite schedule seems like no big deal to me- it makes sense in this situation.

And just getting your scores does NOT make one elite. They are not elite until they compete at a classic.

 

[jennyj]

Most Hopes gymnasts (and the younger; tops gymnasts) do JO at the same time and since Hopes girls are aged 10-13 there's even level 8's there competing. Doing Hopes is like taking honors classes at school in addition to the regular ones. They're not mutually exclusive things. Actual elite is another thing and even then I have no problems with recent qualifiers competing at the JO nationals before the classic.

 

[ausnat83]

I don't personally care what parents or kids say their kid is "training". I mean, I could say I am training to go to Mars, but that doesn't mean I am going there! That said, I am not sure why a child who has gained the compulsory and optional score to qualify elite would WANT to do JO nationals. At that point they ARE elite. Not the hopes kids ( I don't really consider them elite- and it is my understanding that they are NOT elite- so those kids competing at JO nationals is really no different to me than girls who were Nastia Liukin qualifiers. They qualified to compete at an additional meet)- the actual real junior or senior elite score. Of course girls will petition back to level 10, that is a different story, but if a girl was working to get and DID get those scores, why go to JO nationals? They are no longer JO at that point- their goals are classics etc at that point. Moving up the elite schedule seems like no big deal to me- it makes sense in this situation.

I don't think it's that different from say a level 7 gymnast who gets the required mobility scores and skills for level 8 midway through their season. Should they immediately be expected to stop competing level 7? No. Most will finish out the season as a level 7 and then compete 8 the following year. Level 10 gymnasts who qualify junior elite mid season should be allowed to finish out their current level 10 season before moving on to elite competition as well. Similarly, a gymnast may manage to barely achieve the minimum requirements for competing junior elite but still not actually be ready (or interested in) actually competing at the elite level quite yet... just like a gymnast may achieve the mobility score in 7 but for various reasons (fear, injury, a desire to not add hours, still being super inconsistent with level 8 skills) be best served by competing 7 again.

 

[InbarSquirrel]

It's all subjective when it comes to meets/scores; I don't see any problems with kids who train/compete HOPEs or Elite that participate in JO meets while they can. Too many variable that can quickly change from day to day.
While my child only does JO - I commend these families doing both for it takes a lot of effort to keep those kids in good health as well top of their game.

 

[NutterButter]

I'm less concerned about the fairness of someone in her position competing at nationals than I am about burnout. "One more shot at a nationals title" sounds like a lot of pressure on top of what is already stressful/difficult elite training. Especially since you've publicly talked about feelings of disappointment and jealousy after her nationals showing. Hopefully your DD will have a long elite career ahead of her. She can always go back to JO (and people will complain about the fairness of that too!).

 

[rjb123]

And just getting your scores does NOT make one elite. They are not elite until they compete at a classic.

But isn't that the point of this discussion? The classic is moved up, you are mad because it isn't fair? My point is that if they have the scores for junior or senior elite, then why should the classic being moved up be a bad thing? Or something to be upset about? You get to move forward in your elite journey, right? Isn't that the point?

 

[Aussie_coach]

I think the problem isn’t so much the rule itself, but the fact that it is changing and those changes were not expected. If these kids knew from the get go that going for elite would mean they would not do JO Nationals that year, then they would set their plans and goals accordingly. The changes have thrown a spanner in the works and they need to now change their goals and replan their approach to elite.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Yes, exactly this.

I think the problem isn’t so much the rule itself, but the fact that it is changing and those changes were not expected. If these kids knew from the Get go that going for elite would mean they would not do JO Nationals that year, then they would set their plans and goals accordingly. The changes have thrown a spanner in the works and they need to now change their goals and replay their approach to elite.

 

[amiandjim]

Well she wasn't technically a senior elite yet....

She is definitely a senior elite now! She had an amazing competition today.

 

[wandrewsjr]

She is definitely a senior elite now! She had an amazing competition today.

What an impressive senior debut! Has she been on the radar at all, been to any camps, done any junior elite or hopes in previous years?

 

[amiandjim]

Not that I’m aware of? She has been a level 10 since 2015 but I think this is the first year she has attempted elite.