Selection Camp

[LiveLaughTumble047]

Does anybody else wonder how this exactly came to be such the way to choose gymnasts to compete?

Personally I feel that sometimes how a gymnast performs in competition is an important part in proving themselves ready for the international competitive scence ie. the olympics and worlds. Sometimes it seems like selection camp can get a bit to subjective and lend itself towards playing favorites...

Any thoughts?

 

[MarR99]

I agree! I sometimes wish that they just took all of the scores from all the nationwide elite competitions, threw it in a database and then the top gymnasts with the top scores were placed on the team. OK, perhaps a couple of spots could be filled based on other criteria, but isn't this the way other sports choose which people make the Olympic teams?

 

[Galadriel]

what about having a 'real' elite competition that is named as a qualifier for x international assignment, maybe a month before, and then a selection camp competition and the scores averaged between the two competitions (with scores posted on USAG website for all to see for the in house one) and the top however many get to go because they have qualified, but allowing one or two wildcards in case top people maybe were injured for one competion but would not end up going due to the above criteria.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I think it is important to include something like a selection camp in the process. If you rely just on the results of specific competitions you can lose some of the important information you need about the gymnast. In particular if they have injuries that seriously affect their training and will seriously impact their preparation for the big comps.

 

[Bobby]

I despise the selection camp system. I'd understand it if it was used for just the last position or two for the purpose of selecting the highest probable apparatus scores across the team, but the way it is now it's just a political mess.
Perfect example is the Australian qualifier series for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Only the top 2 were auto-selected to the squad. Thank heaven they were the right two. Then the next dozen or so were supposed to go to camp for coach to choose between. Prob was - they added a girl to camp who didn't even qualify to the top zillion. And yes of course she was selected to the team as well and clearly never should have been. I think everyone who was at the stadium that (last qualifiers) day just about dropped dead on the spot from shock. It was incredibly unfair on the other girls who legitimately qualified. The team was demoralised and doomed long before the meet.

 

[gymcoach34]

The way the big meets are run is why they now have the selection camps. The old method of taking only AA gymnasts to meets is no longer the best way to put togther a team. 3 up 3 count for scoring, with only a team size of 5 makes running these camps and the way the staff puts togther a team necessary. They will take the top 2 AA gymnasts, and then they put togther a team of girs that can potentially give the highest score for the 3rd spot on each event. Your work ethic, past performances (consistency) and other factors are also taken into consideration.

Its not about favorites per say, but about them trying to put together the team that they think will have the best chance to score. If they took only the top AA, Alicia Sacramone would not be going to worlds, but a weaker AA gymnast who would definitely not score as well would be. The point difference between #1 and #10 in the all around at Championships was way over 10 points.. . Do we really want the person in the #8 spot (if gymnasts #6 & 7 happened to be injured) going over someone who can potentially win a world medal?? While it stinks to be the #8 athlete/coach, USAG is all about winning at the elite level, and winning is why they invest so much money in the camps & the training center, and what they hired Marta for.

The true downside is the fact that the girls need to keep pounding to show their readiness... so its not the fact that thay have the camps, but how they are run that is the issue. That is why the smart coaches did not have their athletes do AA at championships (if they were truly in contention for worlds) if they have some type of injury-they know there is a lot more to come and the camps are where they have to prove themselves. They really know who will be on the team right now, but they do the camps as the Olympic committee says they have to. All the athletes, parents & coaches have to sign an agreement that they understand & accept the process if they want to be in contention for the assignments.

Hope this insight helps.

 

[hannahsmom]

Do their club coaches go to selection camp or is it just the national coaches and the selection committee?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

coaches go the ranch with their athletes ALWAYS. and this is where we have come to. it's called modified centralized training.