Women Tops? Does anyone care?

[samadams]

Went to Dd's 2nd tops test and again there was only about 10 kids. Which leads me to the question does anyone care about Tops?

 

[CreateMagic]

I'm just speculating, but I think fewer kids might be testing because of the skills portion--the older testing at state level was all physical abilities. It's one thing to get an eight-year-old to climb the rope and handstand hold, and press, and do great splits. It's a totally different ball game when you add in difficult, high-level skill requirements. Many of the type of kids who used to go "for the experience" likely do not test anymore due to this. Again, just speculation. We don't do tops.

 

[Seeker]

I think that's a pretty good assumption. My DD is 9 and is testing this year (testing as a 10-yr old), but the skills are pretty advanced. I think that they changed the requirements to cut down on the number of kids testing "just for the experience". Learning the skills is no joke and a whole diff ballgame than the physical abilities stuff, so I think that it'll cut down the number of kids that can even do the testing. I am curious about the numbers though....how much have they decreased?

 

[Natasha]

I know years ago our gym used to do it "just for the experience." I don't think our gym has any gymnasts now that could do it. But, we are also not an elite gym and have no intentions to train elites.

 

[HoldThePhone]

There were two testing dates in our state, and the first was cancelled due to only one gym participating with just a few girls. That's what I heard anyhow. Wonder how that effects how many go to national testing if its a % of state testers that go?