physical abilities testing at the ranch for national team members

[momof5]

What is the physical abilities testing done at the ranch for the national team members? I remember reading before last world championships that an individual placed firstI can't remember who) so it must be something that is important. Could anyone with insight shed some light on how and why they are important and what skills they test on?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

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cause if you can't do most of this you don't have the physical ability to do the elite program.

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cause if you can't do most of this...

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cause if you can't...

 

[momof5]

So basically its the tops skills. That then gives a huge advantage to the girls that trained tops. I know that there has been a lot of talk on this board about girls sucessfully making elite even though their gyms don't do tops. It seems to me that they would be at a disadvantage. They may be well conditioned and be strong but if their training didn't specifically include these elements they would have a lot of catching up to do.

 

[gymnut1]

the exact reverse is true too - it is not neccessary to be part of the TOPs scheme to train the required elements to a high level either. If you are trying to go elite your training will include the skills you will be tested on whether you do tops or not. The skills are not a secret that you can only access through TOPs. There are many reasons why gyns do and don't take part in the TOPs programme. I am sure WOGA don't feel like they have a lot of catching up to do. LOL>

 

[Deleted member D3987]

absolutely correct gymnut1.^^^ those that know how to train/get to the elite program already do the necessary work...and then some. when they go to the ranch there are no surprises.

 

[gymcoach34]

The testing decribed are the TOPs/Elite physical abilities......not skills! If a gym is doing true elite program they are training the physical abilities as part of their basic conditioning program. Same goes for other non-elite clubs-there are many JO clubs that do the physical abilities as part of their program-whether or not they do TOPs.

 

[Muddlethru]

Is it safe to say that (1) gyms that don't train top abilities skills or the like as part of their daily training will not be able to get their girls to the elite level? I am askng this because our gym prides itself as an elite facility. We have one aspiring elite. Our HCs believe they can get their gymasts qualify to the national team yet we don't do any conditioning or training similar to the tops program except in the summer when they are trying to get girls to qualify for tops. After Tops season, we are back to our regular training which is pretty much just training and/or practicing for the current level.

In addition, would you say that gymnasts that cannot do the Tops abilities tests will never be able to do elite? How far can they go without those abilities?

 

[gymcoach34]

Is it safe to say that (1) gyms that don't train top abilities skills or the like as part of their daily training will not be able to get their girls to the elite level? I am askng this because our gym prides itself as an elite facility. We have one aspiring elite. Our HCs believe they can get their gymasts qualify to the national team yet we don't do any conditioning or training similar to the tops program except in the summer when they are trying to get girls to qualify for tops. After Tops season, we are back to our regular training which is pretty much just training and/or practicing for the current level.

In addition, would you say that gymnasts that cannot do the Tops abilities tests will never be able to do elite? How far can they go without those abilities?

The 1st thing that is done at any camp at the Ranch is the physical abilities testing. Anyone not proficient, and/ or not improving drastically and quickly will not be going back to another camp (I'm talking about Tops/ developmental camps- not National team.) They MIGHT get there without the correct physical abilities (probably not) but they wont be successful. The gymnast must have a basic mastery of the phyical abilities (10 cast to hs,10 press to hs, 20 leg lifts, sprint, 60 sec hs hold, etc) in order to be successful. For the elites, its just basically maintaining the portion that they test- they condition much harder than what the phys abiilities ask for. They are expectd to be done prefectly, however, so they do train them. If they cant do the physical abilities, I wonder if they are truly elites..and they are def. not strong enough.....its not hard stuff compared to the necessary skills for that level.