- Jan 4, 2008
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This is often done deliberately. Selection for team is rarely done based purely on skills/strength etc. There is generally not a list of things that need to be mastered so the selection criteria can be very subjective and many aspects are not things you can control.Not a huge amount of help, but I was very happy to see this post as I'm in exactly the same boat (albeit in the UK). 6yo is flying her way through recreational classes but the pathway beyond that is maddeningly opaque. Seems to be like joining MI6 during the Cold War, you just have to know the right people and wait for a tap on the shoulder...
Gyms will consider the gymnasts age, height, work ethic, muscle speed, technique, coachability, personality, fearlessness, effort, attendance, punctuality, how promptly they pay their fees etc etc.
Coaches will often select kids they like. As human beings we are drawn to some personalities and clash with others. Coaches Will unconsciously choose kids they like because they have to work closely with them a lot of hours per week.
This is why the system seems so opaque because it’s not what people want to hear. They want to hear there is a list of skills so they can master them. Not that their child is going to be picked based on their personality or things they can’t control like age, height and muscle speed. And things like work ethic are very hard to quantify.