tops

[gymgirly1]

Ok i think a lot of pepole have heard of tops program for gymnasticks and i want to know waht the reqirements are for it. juges if you wana anser this go right ahead

 

[Nightflare514]

Hmm..trying to find them now for you. I'll post the link. I've read them tons of times before, just to see.

Here they are!

Link Removed
Link Removed

The first is psychical abilities, and the second is actual skills.
Both are in PDF format.

Enjoy.

 

[bribri514]

my personal experience with TOPs

like i said in the chat there's not really like requirements. i don't think TOPs has anything to do with judges either, more coaches.

what TOPs is is a program designed to find young girls with the right supposed physical/psychological skills to be good gymnasts and foster that talent. the main requirement is that you're between the ages of 7 and 11.

every summer gyms that do TOPs do skill evaluations set up through national coordinators. it's a lot of basics, but it changes every year. look on the USAG website. from there if you do well enough, you d national testing in october. if you perform really well there you can get invited to national camp in december. there's 3 groups. diamond for 7-8 year olds and a and b for 9-11 year olds depending on how well you do.

i had the chance to do national TOP B camp when i was 9 (in 2000). it was before it was at the ranch, it was in tulsa, but it was still an awesome experience. the idea was to get girls prepped for pre-elite. it allows you to qualify for elite by skipping the JO levels and go straight to qualifying meets. unfortunately b/c of family issues and gym locations i didn't get to go down that track, but a lot of TOPs participants do go on the elite track.

that said, it was a great program, but a LOT of hard work. it's not just something you can wake up and be like, oh i'm going to do this! if u don't want to really dedicate yourself. but it's totally worth the time and an amazing experience. i'd encourage all gymnasts in the age group to go for it.

hope that helps. Link Removed is the main TOPs USAG page for the details

 

[gymnut1]

what TOPs is is a program designed to find young girls with the right supposed physical/psychological skills to be good gymnasts and foster that talent. the main requirement is that you're between the ages of 7 and 11.

I was interested to find this week that the average score for the national tops testing in oct for splits right and left were considerably lower than the average score for the regional qualifying testing. As I understand it that means that the girls who went to national testing had generally poorer flexibilty than the testing pool as a whole. Casts to handstand, leg lifts and press handstands averages were higher (which is what i would expect for everything) I find that very sad as good splits are such a basic and fundamental move to me for gymnastics. i hope they stretch them 4 times a day at the December camp to sort it out! Sadly I doubt it.

 

[gymkat]

IMO, it's probably more likely that the test administrators at the national testing were stricter than the ones at the regional testing with respect to deductions for not being square, alignment, etc.

 

[gymch34]

Absolutely, the split test was much tougher at National testing! The testing is always tougher as its the best of the best and the kids need to be seperated.

Splits are definitely a basic position. The higher level you get, the less the sitting on the floor split is focused on- it turns into more of an active flexibility focus- how fast can you jump/ leap and pull a split in the air. The two really have very little to do with each other. Its always a challenge to peserve flexibility but build power & speed which is necessary with today's high level gymnastics.

 

[gymnut1]

IMO, it's probably more likely that the test administrators at the national testing were stricter than the ones at the regional testing with respect to deductions for not being square, alignment, etc.

I'm glad about that! Good splits are beautiful. i am however surprised that no gymnasts at all at national testing got a 15 one of the sides - I would have thougt at least one had perfect splits each side.

 

[LemonLime]

I'm glad about that! Good splits are beautiful. i am however surprised that no gymnasts at all at national testing got a 15 one of the sides - I would have thougt at least one had perfect splits each side.

Although physical abilities for elites are different than tops, they are extremely similar, and even the best of the best international elites do not often score truly perfect scores at physical abilities.

 

[gymgirly1]

so they wach the kids grow as gymnast and then if ther good enofe waen ther 16 they go to the olympics that mackes since but i could not do it i just tured 12