Kicked out of USAG at age 18?

[flippymonkeysmom]

With womens gymnastics I don't think there needs to be a max age - most girls "retire" fairly young at high levels because their bodies can't take the abuse anymore.

 

[gymdog]

Was this recently? I believe the age limit is a recent addition.

That was women's, unless there was a similar situation at MAG R7 L8 regionals. I don't know anything about about the MAG age limits.

Basically, to recap: There is no max age for WAG JO system, girls regularly (well, to the extent that they keep competing into their senior year) turn 18 before states, regionals, and nationals in their senior year. They can compete. I turned 18 in Jan of my senior year and continued competing. There are some examples of adults who aren't teenagers competing but it's relatively unusual. This applies to both the JO system and the NT. Two members of the last Olympic team were in their 20s and pretty much half of the current Sr elites are over 18 - Alicia, Nastia, Chellsie, Natasha Kelley, Darling Hill, Ashley Priess, Lou Stack-Eaton, Jana Bieger.

 

[Gym-Nice-tics]

I'm doing gymnastics still. I graduated high school and competed a few meets the next year. I stopped around level seven. I took a few years off, did a college club team, and then went back to USAG when I was 22. I did level 8, won states, went to regionals. It was really fun. Now I'm pretending to be a level nine, even though I'm not very good!

A lot of people look at being an "old" gymnast as a bad thing, but I really like it. Here in NY we have several people competing beyond high school age. It's a blast.

 

[NYgymfan]

I think being a gymnast post HS would be great. Definitely silly to have to give up a passion just because of age. I'm surprised more gyms don't have adult classes.