College Gym, Where to start?

[gym4life123]

So my gymnastics goal for the next couple of years is to be accepted on a college gymnastics team, but I have no idea where to start. Nobody at my club really knows because no ones done it before. I am not from the US, but I would like to be on a US team.
I am planing on graduating in 2012, and I am currently about a level 7 gymnast (no giant). Is it still possible for me to get on a team. I don't expect to get on a team, with a full scholorship in a division 1 school. If I couldn't compete on a team, is it still possible for me to train on a college team?
As to recruiting, what do I need to do? Is it too late to start contacting schools, or do I wait? What kind of information do they want? Should I contact division 1 2 or 3 schools. (I am guessing 2/3). Would I be usefull on a team? Do college teams take people from other contries? I was reading a bit about having to have a certain GPA, and a certain score on a SAT test and some other test; what are these? They don't do these where I live, as far as I know?
Anyhelp would be grately appreciated. If you know any good websites, or have gone through this prosses please share your information. Even if you could help a little please reply. If you need any more information just ask. I honestly have no idea where to start, and it looks like a complecated prosses, especialy when you are from a small club (in a different contry), with no one thats gone through this before.
Thanks for reading through this, and thanks in advance for your help!

 

[gym4life123]

I forgot, I was also going to ask what you think some must have skills are for college gymnastics? Skills that you could not possibly make a team without.

 

[bpatient]

Here's some background information for you:

Recruiting

The skill levels mentioned on that page (e.g., "a D or E dismount") reflect the NCAA code (essentially the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics code of points for Level 10), not the FIG code. (For example, a double salto UB dismount in stretched position is rated D by FIG but E in the NCAA.) The NCAA modifications of the USAG code are listed here: http://www.nawgj.org/2010_NCAA_Rules_Modifications.pdf

Here's a link to a Division 1 school's season highlight video to give you an idea of the skill level in the NCAA (this school was ranked 19th of the 83 (Division I-III) programs): YouTube - WMU Gymnastics Season Re-Cap 2010

 

[gymkat]

Here are some more videos:

Ball State (ranked 43/83 of all D1-3 teams): YouTube - Ball State gymnastics @ CMU - BARS

Yale (ranked 65/83): YouTube - Gymnastics vs. URI

I also don't mind telling you that I was turned down as a walk-on from two teams that were ranked in the 60s, and I was a solid L9 (qualified to regionals, placed 3 events and AA at state) with a very high ACT score. If you want to go to college in the US and do gymnastics, look into NAIGC.

 

[bribri514]

If you really want to be recruited in the US, you have to make sure you're a competitive level 10 (competing at JO nationals, winning JO states, regionals, etc.). It's even harder for non US gymnasts. Most of the outside US girls on major gym teams were on their country's national teams (Simona Lazo from Chile and formerly Jessica Lopez at DU, Lichelle Wong from Holland at UCLA, Gael Mackie from Canada at Utah, etc.)

Another option is focus on both school and gym. Then go to a good school you like with a gym team and see if you can walk on. Most schools will take level 10 girls, maybe some level 9 with some level 10 strengths in certain events as walk ons. It doesn't have the glamor of being recruited but you still have that option. Also if you can't get those skills in time, a lot of colleges have club teams where you don't need certain skills and continue to improve and train and have fun.

Hope that helps.

 

[polevaultpower]

First, you need to figure out what your academic goals are for college. Going to school in the US is going to be expensive and you are not going to earn a gymnastics scholarship. You need to have a plan for how to pay for it.

Second, you need to look at what schools meet your academic goals and start to think about what parts of the country you would like, what size of town you would like to be in, etc.

Third, you need to start looking at the admission standards for each school for foreign students. There are tests you need to take and each school's website will explain. If you come from a country where English is not the primary language, you'll need to take the TOEFL (but based on your posts I am guessing English is your first language).

Finally, you can start to look at the gymnastics aspect of it. I don't know if it's worth contacting most Division I schools. Your skills are too far below their level to even be considered as a walk-on, and it's unlikely you will improve THAT much in a year.

You may have better luck with Division III schools and schools with club teams. Usually their athletics websites will have a form where you can contact the coach.

Your other option would be to go somewhere and join a private gymnastics club to keep training, but this would cost even more money.

 

[MaryA]

Slightly OT, but one of our coaches is on the local university's rec team (the university has a division I team as well). She said that they don't have a coach, just practice on their own! Also, they have to pay for their time on the equiptment! Is this normal? Doesn't give me great hope for my daughter's gymnastics career beyond high school. Seems like the best bet for that vast majority of girls who love gymnastics but never make it to the Elite level is to do what our coach does... go to a college with a rec team and work part-time as a coach at a near-by gym so you can use the equiptment (and maybe get some coaching) at the gym where you work.

 

[gymkat]

I haven't heard of many strictly rec teams, but I'm sure the gym arrangement depends on the school. My college has a very strong college club (NAIGC) program (no D1 team), and we don't have to pay to use the gym. However, the varsity teams have first priority in the gym, so we practice late at night and move equipment to accommodate their schedules. I don't see why it's so unusual to have to pay to use the equipment; a lot of teams have to pay to use fields, ice rinks, etc. Our equipment wasn't amazing (no pits, very limited # of mats), but it was perfectly acceptable for L9/10 skills. Some NAIGC teams have volunteer coaches (ours came in once/week), but I don't think any team has a paid coach. By the time gymnasts are in college, they're capable of motivating themselves and coaching each other, especially if there are gymnasts who are about the same skill level.

 

[polevaultpower]

I don't think rec teams for college students are very common at DI schools who have varsity gymnastics teams. I attended two major SEC schools and they did not have any opportunities for girls not on the team (though one of the towns had a private gym with an adult class).

Definitely something to check into when looking into schools.

The school where I went to grad school had a gymnastics "club" (no team of any kind). They went through the University's club program (like where you have French Club, Drama Club, etc). I think the University paid the tuition at the private gymnastics club and the kids in the "club" had to pay for the van rental to get there (it's a campus in a large city where most students do not have cars). The guy who led it graduated and I think the program might have disappeared.

 

[MaryA]

Sorry... the coach refers to it as the "Rec Team" but when I looked it up on line it is a NAIGC team. My daughter is 9 so I don't know much about college gymnastics beyond what I read here.

 

[gymkat]

I don't think rec teams for college students are very common at DI schools who have varsity gymnastics teams.

If "rec" = NAIGC, then I think about 50% of the D1 schools with varsity gymnastics have a club program-- certainly not uncommon, but also not a given. UCLA, Florida, Oregon State, Michigan, Georgia, Penn State, Illinois-UC, Boise State, Kentucky, possibly Washington (not sure), Minnesota, Iowa, and Kent State have NAIGC teams, and that's just going through the top 30 schools. (7 of the next 10 schools have NAIGC teams, too.) I also know someone who said she practices a little at Utah, so I wouldn't be surprised if other colleges have more informal, actual "rec" programs for students. Don't have any numbers to back that up, though; I only know the clubs that compete.

NAIGC programs vary too much to make any sort of conclusion about what prospective students might encounter; you'd have to talk to each team (some are more "rec"-ish than others ). We support our team with an organized class program and do a lot of fundraisers, so our dues are incredibly low. You also pretty much have to be a L9+ to make our A team, although we have complete beginners who compete an event or two on the B team (NAIGC uses L9/10 rules; it's a very legitimate back-up for NCAA if the club is organized). Another program-- located in the same state-- has fees that total about $500/year, not including expenses for Nationals.

 

[bpatient]

The NAIGC site includes a list of schools with club programs:

http://www.naigc.net/congresspresentation.pdf

 

[gym4life123]

So if I wear to make it to let's say level 8 (I don't know the US requirements) would it be possible for me to continu competing, while I go to college, and train 15 hours a week. (not necessarly exactly 15, I just used it as a example, I would be happy with 12 or 20... just not 2,3,4,5...)
Question for Canadians:
Does Canada have any way for adults to compete, while in university/college and afterwards?

 

[bpatient]

You can certainly continue competing even if you don't join a college team.

Some local university students train and compete at my daughter's gym. There's no age limit in the USA-Gymnastics Junior Olympic program: one of my daughter's teammates continued to compete into her thirties.

When my niece trained with the local school's NAIGC club team, though, I recall that she practiced about 7.5 hours each week, in the same gym but at different times than the facility was used by the Division 1 women's team.