Parents TOPs

[Fijiwater]

Anyone else out there anxious waiting for tops results? My DD says she hopes she makes the Diamond team, and hates that she has to wait a month to find out. I tell her she's a Diamond in my book regardless of the results.... All while trying not to seem like I am not just as anxious to find out as she is! Gymnastics is already nerve racking enough!

 

[wallflower]

I have heard from a pretty reliable source that hardly any 7 year olds tested at all so chances are good for those that did test. I wonder why so few 7 year olds are testing anymore? If its getting to the point where almost everyone who tests makes it I wonder if they will just get rid of the 7 year old portion?

 

[Fijiwater]

I didn't see very many seven year olds either, but that was just in the 2 test that we went to. In my opinion there are probably more 8 year olds that can do the skills part than there are 7 year olds that can do the physical abilities. Since the skills are weighted heavier than physical abilities, more people can participate and compete.

 

[Clover]

I have been told that skills and physical abilities are weighted evenly for 8 yos (50/50.) Then I think it goes up from there - something like 60/40 for 9yos and I think 70/30 for 10 yos or something like that.

 

[ann1245]

You should hear by the end of next week. Good luck to your daughter!

Sent from my SPH-L710 using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[gotgym]

This weekend is the last weekend to test. However the coach/gym that ran your daughters test only has one week to get results back to her coach . This way you can know how she tested and compare the test scores if your coach shares it with you. Last year I received my results for all but, my 7 year olds. The results for 7yr olds came a month later.. In 3 tests I ran into 3 other 7yr olds

 

[Muddlethru]

I have heard from a pretty reliable source that hardly any 7 year olds tested at all so chances are good for those that did test. I wonder why so few 7 year olds are testing anymore? If its getting to the point where almost everyone who tests makes it I wonder if they will just get rid of the 7 year old portion?

i may be wrong but I don't think it will ever come down to kids who don't deserve to make the team make it. I don't think there is a minimum number of girls that should make the diamond team. They will need to keep the integrity of the program by still maintaining the quality and talent at a high level. But you may be right, if the number keeps going down, they may need to do something with the 7 year old age group.

 

[SignHere]

My understanding was that Diamond level is the top 10 percent of the 7 year olds testing.

 

[Fijiwater]

My understanding was that Diamond level is the top 10 percent of the 7 year olds testing.

This is how I understood it as well, if you look at the results through the years you can see the fluctuation in the diamond team size.

 

[Muddlethru]

I've never heard that the diamond team actually represents the top 10%. I am not saying you are wrong. I've just not heard that. I think in estimating or when trying to figure out where one should be to have a chance at making the team, being in the top 10% is a good bet. In 2008, 48 made the diamond team, 2009-42, 2010-15, 2011-35, 2012-41 (more or less). I just don't know that their formula would be just get the top 10% though. The 7 year old diamond team still has a cut off score within 5-8 points of the older age group. In 2011, the 8-10 year olds had a cutoff of 70 and the 7 year olds cut off was 64. I still think talent and skill wise, they have to be in the same caliber as their older counterparts. I am of course merely speculating. It just makes sense to me. (Then a lot of things have made sense to me that were competely wrong!

 

[samadams]

I don't get the 10 %. That would be over 400 7yr olds last year. There was approx. 48 testing dates last year. I know alot of people said last year they didn't see hardly any 7 yr. olds. We went to 2 tests last year and saw the same two 7yr olds at each one. This year 3 tests and only know of 1 girl who was 7. I would not be suprised if every one of the 7yr olds was put on diamond last year.

 

[Fijiwater]

I know for a fact that last year two 7
Seven year olds did not make the diamond team. They tested three times.

 

[Seeker]

This year 3 tests ....

This might be a dumb question, but why did you go to 3 tests? Do kids actually test more than once during a TOPs cycle?

 

[Fijiwater]

Most kids don't do their best at the first or second test. More time training and knowing what to expect, goes a long way. Unless you max out on the first one, you should try again... All of the girls from our team improved their scores on their 2nd test.

 

[gotgym]

I take my gymnast to at least 3 tests.. Last year we saw only 2 other 7yrolds in 3 tests..I had 2 7yrolds make the team and 2 did not and should not have. A much as I would have liked them to I would not have been thrilled had they made it just because they were 7. This year we have seen 3 7yrolds in the 2 tests we have been at and we have our last test tomorrow. I expect to see the same group of kids.

 

[Clover]

Our girls only go to one test. It sounds like that may put them at a disadvantage.

 

[Seeker]

Yeah, we only have ever done one test too. Never occurred to me to do it multiple times.

 

[gotgym]

Its up to the coaches ,how many times they test. My first year doing TOPS we did 2 tests after that we have done 3. do you go out of state seeker?? Every test we have been to we have people from out of state as well..Maybe because Illinois tests are so small. We have also gone out of state but not far.. Like Indiana or Wisconsin

 

[Muddlethru]

I don't get the 10 %. That would be over 400 7yr olds last year. There was approx. 48 testing dates last year. I know alot of people said last year they didn't see hardly any 7 yr. olds. We went to 2 tests last year and saw the same two 7yr olds at each one. This year 3 tests and only know of 1 girl who was 7. I would not be suprised if every one of the 7yr olds was put on diamond last year.

The bold part is very, very (did I say very?) unlikely. That would also be a disgrace to the program and the gymnasts that deserve to be there. In case you did not know, a 7 year old gymnast that qualfies to the diamond level, qualifies a coach from the athlete's club to the National TOPS Training camp in December. USAG will pay for the coach's room and board and the athlete gets a National,TOPS warm up suit. So, you see, it is not a matter of just putting a gymnast's name on a list. It will cost the USAG about $400-$600 per coach to attend the camp plus the cost of the warm up suit of the gymnast. Further, the 7 year olds' scores are broken down into 4 different levels. See below:

• Cut off score for the 7 Year Old Diamond Level is:

• • 7 Year Olds = 64.00
  • National TOP Diamond Team
  • Gold Level - Denotes a 7 Year Old scored between the Diamond Level and the 8 Year Old National TOP Testing Qualifying score. These 7 Year Old athletes will receive a National TOP Testing Tee Shirt.
  • Silver Level - Denotes that the athlete scored between the Gold Level (63.50) and over a 50.00.
  • Bronze Level - Indicates the athlete scored below a 50.00.

In the two years my daughter tested for TOPS as a 9 and 10 year old, her old gym always ad 4-5 girls testing as 7 year olds. And none of them made diamond or even gold, maybe not even silver.

 

[kimute]

Our gym had two 7 year olds testing (including my DD) and I think there were at least a few others at our tests (Northern CA). My DD loved the testing process. Hopefully the result will be good too!