WAG Qualifying to Nationals

[NutterButter]

The pdf's are all available here:

https://www.region4gymnastics.com/regionals

L9 too

 

[amiandjim]

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[Flicfliclay]

Oh please let's not go down this path again...same thing happened last year. I couldn't believe how many people said my daughter only made it nationals because she was located in an "easy" region. Still makes me mad. And yes, there are 10 Junior As in region 4, that is the group my daughter is in. I thought there would only be 8 but 2 girls petitioned in, so now there are 10.

I remember the same post last year... I don't remember anyone saying that Lily only made it because she was in an easy region.. what i do remember is that people had the same complaint that some kids in have many more girls in their age division and region and that the frustration is that top 7 out of 10 is different than top 7 out of 20+... and that there are girls that don't get to go that had higher scores than some that got to go with lower scores. It is what it is and you should be proud of Lily no matter what. She is an amazing athlete and I am sure will do amazing at Nationals again! I think also parents get all fired up at this time with stress as well as excitement and words may come across wrong or misconstrued ? who knows..

 

[Gigi]

i just looked and there are 51 in jr a & c... so 2 age groups only that equal what 4 age groups are in region 4! that is crazy

That helps explain why Region 1 Jr A has 31. Ironically Jr A is the biggest(31) and Jr B is the smallest(14). So some other Region must have a bursting Jr B group.

Where would I find # of kids in R1 senior groups? Is the qualifying criteria Top 7 per age group with AA 35+ for R1? Thank you.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Where would I find # of kids in R1 senior groups? Is the qualifying criteria Top 7 per age group with AA 35+ for R1? Thank you.

Yes, it's top 7 per age group and 35+ for every Region. Here is the age group breakdowns: http://www.norcalgym.org/Site/pdf/Regionals/Level 8-10 Regional Age Breakdowns.pdf

 

[Gigi]

Yes, it's top 7 per age group and 35+ for every Region. Here is the age group breakdowns: http://www.norcalgym.org/Site/pdf/Regionals/Level 8-10 Regional Age Breakdowns.pdf

Thank you!

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I remember the same post last year... I don't remember anyone saying that Lily only made it because she was in an easy region.. what i do remember is that people had the same complaint that some kids in have many more girls in their age division and region and that the frustration is that top 7 out of 10 is different than top 7 out of 20+... and that there are girls that don't get to go that had higher scores than some that got to go with lower scores. It is what it is and you should be proud of Lily no matter what. She is an amazing athlete and I am sure will do amazing at Nationals again! I think also parents get all fired up at this time with stress as well as excitement and words may come across wrong or misconstrued ? who knows..

It wasn't on here, it was in a Facebook group where I got those comments.

 

[Flicfliclay]

Where would I find # of kids in R1 senior groups? Is the qualifying criteria Top 7 per age group with AA 35+ for R1? Thank you.

Link Removed

 

[Flicfliclay]

It wasn't on here, it was in a Facebook group where I got those comments.

Either way... Lily is a fantastic gymnast and while it is a valid frustration for parents that have kids that don't make it with a higher all around than some that do.. It isn't as if anyone is breaking any rules or doing anything wrong. I think that people don't realize that it comes across to others that it feels like they are putting down their kids achievements. I don't blame you for feeling mad!

 

[Gymmom0403]

Gotta keep in mind though that even in the same region kids can stay home in one age group with a higher score than a kid that qualifies in another. Being in a group of 19 vs 34 is quite a difference and those sizes are both in region 5. No matter how you slice it no one way is gonna make everyone happy

 

[Peachy88]

Should we also discuss the merits/deficits of the electoral college? Just joking, but same issues.

 

[John]

No athlete in the mix just an observation.

Everyone gets upset because society (gymnastics world) has implied success can be determined by placement and attending regionals, eastern/westerns, and nationals. To further exacerbate the issue it is apparent to those with college dreams that making nationals is a very valuable entry on your gymnastics resume.

 

[doublestrike]

My daughter's in Region 1 and the benefit to being in a big region like 1 and 3 is that there are a lot of college coaches at regionals (to an extent that NorCal refused to consider a move to region 2). I think having a group of about 20 is fair, more is very tight and less makes it seem uncompetitive. The Junior A and Senior E groups in our region this year is brutal. (there are always a few that just make me sick to think about -- and my daughter is fortunate to be in a regular size group). I think there is something wrong when gymnasts scoring over 37's get left home and other regions have less than 15 girls competing and their top 7 have lower scores. Obviously, there's no overscoring in region 1 or 3 as people suggest because they continue to score well at nationals. Terrific gymnasts can come out of any region, (I think Jordan Chiles was region 2), I hope people don't single out individual gymnasts, it's only when some high scoring gymnasts from large regions get left out that people get indignant, and rightfully so.

 

[Muddlethru]

Gym choices and qualified, experienced and good coaches are also limited in the “weaker” regions. We are in one of the bottom ranked regions and our coach is not experienced and likely shouldn’t be coaching L10. The gym owner hired an experienced coach last September. Where the HC could not get any of the kids hit a 36 in any level, the new coach in a matter of months got our kids scoring mid to high 37s. We rarely had a girl stay on beam and now our girls are scoring mid 9s. We even now have a few in the top 100.

I would rather my daughter have a great qualified coach getting mid 37s but potentially staying home for nationals than getting a mediocre at best coach barely hitting 35 and making nationals. So on the flip side, is it fair to have an elite/national coach training girls for upwards of 25 hours a week compete against girls with inexperienced coaches training 15 hours a week? All a matter of perspective. Bottom line, nothing is ever really fair across the board but we hope at some point things even out.

 

[Gigi]

Since we are on the topic of how hard things are, our gymnasts are late getting into L10 so they will be up against many kids who have been competing L10 for a few years in their age groups so its an uphill climb sigh.

 

[doublestrike]

We

Gym choices and qualified, experienced and good coaches are also limited in the “weaker” regions. We are in one of the bottom ranked regions and our coach is not experienced and likely shouldn’t be coaching L10. The gym owner hired an experienced coach last September. Where the HC could not get any of the kids hit a 36 in any level, the new coach in a matter of months got our kids scoring mid to high 37s. We rarely had a girl stay on beam and now our girls are scoring mid 9s. We even now have a few in the top 100.

I would rather my daughter have a great qualified coach getting mid 37s but potentially staying home for nationals than getting a mediocre at best coach barely hitting 35 and making nationals. So on the flip side, is it fair to have an elite/national coach training girls for upwards of 25 hours a week compete against girls with inexperienced coaches training 15 hours a week? All a matter of perspective. Bottom line, nothing is ever really fair across the board but we hope at some point things even out.

Well yes, I'd rather have my daughter hitting 37's and up, but I'm paying for those 25 hours of stellar coaching and drive her to gym, sometimes in the car for 3 hours RT. She's in the car an extra 15 hours a week to get that training. The point is, that a gymnast scoring 37's at regionals should go, irrespective of what's happening at other meets. I'm fine with gymnasts scoring 35s at regionals and going if that's the top in their region, as long as those scoring higher at other more populated regionals can go too.

 

[Ali'sMom]

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Thank you!

 

[LemonLime]

This debate has been going on for at least 15 years and remains timely. Unless USAG loses its charter or the new President and new JO Director are messiahs, nothing will change. I believe 2 years ago there was a proposal to divide California and the professional gymnastics world went apoplectic. There have been little changes which have improved the system a little bit.

• There is no viable argument that the current regional qualification system is fair. It flat isn't. If 20 gymnasts compete for 7 spots in one region, and 10 gymnasts compete for 7 spots in another region, it's mathematically and statistically unfair. Even if all 10 in the smaller-population region are Simone Biles, that's generally a statistical aberration over time.
• It is true, however, that certain regions - including my home Region 3 - score higher than other regions. It is also true that Region 4 packs a big punch with fewer gymnasts. These are facts, not fantasies, but if we published the data it would feel personal and mean even if it was meant to be neutral. Looking at superteam is a gentle way to compare the situation.
• Another key fact which is indisputable is that competing at JO nationals is a major way to obtain a spot on a college team. It's not the only way, but it's perhaps 2/3 of the way.
• USFSA figure skating is full of carpetbaggers, but USAG rules make it difficult to jump regions.

So here we sit, waiting for a gymnastics sherpa to carry a bag of fairness into JO nationals qualification. We may be waiting a while, but I have more hope for restructuring than I did two years ago.

In the end, my heart goes out to anyone who misses JO by one spot, whether they were in a small or large group, a populous or tiny region, or scored a 35.1 or 38.1. On the flip side, anyone who says a particular gymnast did not deserve to go is a troll. Gymnasts compete in the system USAG creates for them and only USAG is responsible.

 

[Onarun]

That helps explain why Region 1 Jr A has 31. Ironically Jr A is the biggest(31) and Jr B is the smallest(14). So some other Region must have a bursting Jr B group.

Sadly junior A is our group

 

[doublestrike]

Sadly junior A is our group

Yes, there's amazing talent in that group, some Hopes qualifiers that probably won't get out of Region 1, gymnasts you will hear about in the next few years. I've seen elite qualifiers not get out of Region 1. It's tough when you can't say to your gymnast, "If you do your best, you will make it." Probably region 3 has the junior B's. I think 37 scores should be automatic entries.

LemonLime above--really nails it.