Great Question....
Our team in general is huge. Over 200 girls and that does not include our boys team. I think we are in the 225-250 range...
Sean
Even though our team is huge, they really look at the whole individual and make decisions based upon the individual and not just the whole group. (Also, the coach/gymmie ratio is really good.) I think that's a big reason that so many gymmies who go to the gym stick with gymnastics longer than average. In fact, the gym has one of the highest retention rates in the country, which is awesome, I think.
Cait started out at age 5 on the pre-team, which is called Pets. After Pets, children either move to regular level 4, go back to recreational (which is rare, since the Pets selection is pretty sound), or go to Jets, which is the developmental program. Jets gymmies are the ones whom the coaches believe have the ability, motivation, determination, and risk-taking personalities to last long in the sport, and they train more hours. They also skip level 4, taking that time to train and become even stronger. Anyway, after Pets, Cait, along with about 75% of her group, moved to Jet 1. A year later, most moved to Jet 2 together, although some spent the summer as Jet 1s, moving up after proving themselves over that summer. This past spring, 1/2 of her group got moved to regular level 5, the rest stayed Jet 2s, and one gymmie from the regular level 5 moved into Jet 2. Cait and one other teammate have been 1/2 Jet 2 and 1/2 Jet 3 since summer, and Cait will be Jet 3 after she competes a level 6 meet, scores out, and begins competing level 7 in January. Basically, I think all of the about 15 gymmies she began with at Pets are still at the gym, but they are in different spots now. (Some are new level 5s, some are second year level 5s, a few are 6s, a couple are 6/7s, and, as I said, some are in the regular levels, and some are Jets.)
