Underage gymnasts competing

[bogwoppit]

It's funny that the L3 routines also have bridges in them, even though young ones are not suppose to do them. Does L2 have a bridge too? Those levels can be competed earlier than 6.

 

[ZJsMom]

TOPs athletes are allowed to enter the JO system as optionals. This is what Bianca Flohr did. It doesn't really address 5 year olds who want to compete, but it is an alternative for what to do with really talented little ones. They can focus on training TOPs and learning optional skills and compete level 8 when they're 9.
This is what the JO rules say:

T.O.P. (Talent Opportunity Program) National Team athletes who have been designated (in writing) by the National staff may enter the Jr. Olympic Program at Level 8 or below. The names of these athletes will be forwarded to the State Administrative Committee Chairman.

Frankly, I don't really see a problem. I understand that the 5-yo that trains with team is disappointed she can't compete with them yet. On the other hand, I really don't think there's a need to provide serious competitive opportunities for 5 year olds. I agree with gymdog that the US is doing pretty well internationally so USAG must be getting most of it right. The program is flexible enough for coaches to use TOPs or test out of levels if they want to skip ahead. But really, even if you spend an entire year per level and start level 5 at 7, you get to level 10 by 12 years old--that really should be fast enough for anyone.

 

[gymnut1]

Check out this video YouTube - défi 5 - Claudie, you can see an evaluation. If you check out her other vids you will see that she is now in the pre national stream. She is 10.

In the video she was in Defi 5, that is one level from the end.

Does the US have an equivalent. This whole thread has really got me thinking.

I know the UK has developmental streams and regular streams too.

We now have 3 streams - elite, national and club gradings.

 

[Deleted member 1703]

so she is competing under an assumed name

Is it just me that imagines

the one and only Baby Bog ............ AKA .... substitute real name... AKA ....... substitute assumed name.... with a fake mustache or wig


Link Removed not sure about the wings on bars, though



... so maybe a couple of wigs....





OR


Link Removed


saying out the corner of her mouth .... "Anybody see my scores?"

Yeah - you are probably right.....it is just me.

 

[bogwoppit]

Bwahaha. You know the nice thing about the French accent with her very Irish names means that they never say her names right anyway. In fact if she placed she wouldn't know the difference. You should hear the things my girls get called at meets, we laugh ourselves silly sometimes.

All the coaches from the other clubs in the league know about it, it is just a paperwork thing really. At two of the four meets with all the same clubs they will have her age group at the other two meets they won't. Silly and political. The coaches have known her since she did developmental comps when she was 5, she wears glasses and there is no mistaking her. They also have known me for at least 9 years. The only people who won't know are all the newish parents.

For us the fact that it is all about two meets, and they only get to do four, means that she will do what her coach says is the best for her. Wig or no wig! LOL

 

[pixie flips]

It's funny that the L3 routines also have bridges in them, even though young ones are not suppose to do them. Does L2 have a bridge too? Those levels can be competed earlier than 6.

Bog, here is Pixie's level 2 floor routine from last season. There is a bridge in it but from the kneeling position. I recall some teams had their gymnast just lean back instead of doing the brigde. I always wondered why they did that.

[youtube]Iha77Qx7VY4[/youtube]

 

[gymdog]

It's funny that the L3 routines also have bridges in them, even though young ones are not suppose to do them. Does L2 have a bridge too? Those levels can be competed earlier than 6.

L2 has a "hinge back" thing which is just kind of like a lean back from the knees. Level 1 has a "crab stand" or table top. The routines were recently changed mid-cycle to address this issue. Usually when that happens gyms have some time to "switch over" so that could account for what pixie describes. We really don't have sanctioned 1-3 competitions here (usually gyms will have an unsanctioned competition among a couple preteams where they do whatever routine the coach designs or a USAG routine) so I don't know exactly how they instituted the change.

You must be 5 years to compete L3 and the acro skill in bridge was changed to a push up bridge kickover (no more back bend which requires more control, harder on wrists, etc). The current recommendations allow kids who are 5 to do a bridge. It seems reasonable that a kid who is ready could learn the bridge kickover before age 6. I have had strong kids learn this (not a whole back walkover or a front limber) relatively quickly. I don't see how you would go from "introduce bridge at 5" to "full L4 routine with handstand to bridge and RO BHS" within less than a year, so I don't see how USAG can responsibly make one recommendation and then allow for something else. Personally at 5 I limit it and also do not "pull" or stretch them into a bridge position until they are 7 or so. Then - only moderately and do more work for them to achieve the strength on their own.