I would love someone toexplain why the qualifying to nationals keeps changing. It's always been top 7. Now this year some age groups are taking 8 or 9 and not because of ties. How is that fair? Are certain age groups special? Because if you take 9 from one age group, what about the girls that were 9th in the other age groups? Are they not worthy enough? Or one who placed 9th only gets to go to NIT and has to pay her own fee while another who placed 9th and gets to be on the team and her way paid plus all the apparel. It's not right! Then you have the group where they take 9 and 10th and 11th place go to NIT, but the other girls who placed 10th and 11th don't get to go. Can of worms!! It is going to (has already) caused a lot of bitterness and sadness.
They need to set a criteria and stick to it across all age groups. It's not right or fair to do otherwise.
GAgymmom, you're not thinking this through. gymnastics changes every single year. the number of gymnasts we have at all levels changes every single year. the attrition rate at all levels, including level 9 & 10, changes every single year.
with that said, it has been top 7 and 8 age groups for several years now. i'd give you a year it started but i can't remember due to my brain changing every single year. but that means 56 (top 7 X 8 age groups) from each region each year. that is what USAG and Connie Maloney (the JO boss at national office) attempt to accomplish each year. at least that much remains continuos.
BUT, how many kids they have in each region change every single year. consider this...there are 8 regions that comprise the contiguous 50 states. 6 states support 95% of the gymnastics being done in the United States. and those 6 states are the ones sending the majority of the kids to their regionals with a 34.00 or more. and it will be those majority that will comprise the top 7 for nationals.
understand? go to Maine. someone up there tell us how many 10's you have. 1? this goes for approx 12 other states. some have NONE.
now as far as the 34.00 goes. again, my brain changes every year just like this sport and i can't remember what year it was. a certain region left home 18 girls who had scored 37.00 at regionals. and in that year a certain region only had 14 of their gymnasts score a 37.00. 30 of them were between a 34 and a 35.5.
but in that same year, national poached 15 of those girls from that certain region and they competed for region 2. understand? national office can't predict just how many kids and what they will score every year. just not possible. but i will tell you that Connie Maloney is the brains that make this all happen. her vision. and has done so for several years.
and NIT was born to give those great athletes an additional opportunity to compete and be seen by the college coaches also. and give them a 2nd chance at a national competition in the event they had sucked wind at their regionals and they could be with their teammates. it's a good thing. but yes, there will be some gymnast competing for their regional team that qualified with a 34 and the NIT gymnast didn't qualify with a 36.20. life is not fair and gymnastics is not perfect
you know that i have stated that gymnastics is imperfect. and there it is.