Parents USAG and HS girls gymnastics

[BouncingCzech]

Can you compete USAG AND high school gymnastics? My daughter is still in middle school and I’m very new to HS gymnastics and I’m trying to learn more about it. She is at a private club since 5 years old and is level 7. We are in IL. Someone said to me it is illegal and they cannot do both? Or maybe it is same season and she would have to leave USAG and do AAU? Just wanted to gets facts straight as we go into HS in a couple of years and she was toying with the idea TIA

 

[Tiger93]

In Ohio, you can not compete for your high school at the same time as any other organization. My daughter will compete for her club for their first meet of the season in December so that she can hopefully get a qualifying score for the state meet (USAG). She will then do gymnastics with her high school. Once the high school season is over she will return to her club for their last regular season meet, the state meet, and regionals.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

It definitely is dependent on where you live. Are there any gymnasts at your club that have competed for the high school that you could ask? I forget the details, but I know girls in NC that compete for high school and club. But I think the seasons don't overlap too much and I do believe that they may not be able to compete both at the same time. So they have to finish the high school season before their first club meet. But that is for NC, and I do know every state is different.

Also, even if it is allowed by the high school, it may not be okay with the club. My daughter's gym for example does not want any of their jo girls competing high school gymnastics. Other local gyms are fine with it though.

 

[B&M's mom]

We lived in Illinois while my girls were still competing in gymnastics. The IHSA rules prohibit the girls from doing both USAG (or any other organization) and high school at the same time. If she really wants to, she could take a leave of absence from the USAG team during the high school season then return to the team (assuming the gym approves this) but the seasons may overlap so she may miss some USAG meets.

 

[novagymmom]

That's so interesting. I didn't realize that in some states it was a problem. In Virginia, there are MANY gymnasts that do both. Our gym does not let L10, but many L8/L9/Xcel do both. I know that for L8 and L9 gymnasts, most of the HS's are fine if the girls miss HS practice for club practice (as long as they prioritize come to 1 HS practice/week and all meets).

 

[Flippin'A]

Wow-- fascinating to see the differences between states. When I did high school gym growing up you were required to attend a certain number of high school practices before you were allowed to compete for the school and I seem to recall that number was pretty high. That stopped people from just practicing with their club but showing up to high school competitions. Nearly everyone on our team was an ex club kid, but we had one who was still competing level 9 and most days she had to run directly from practice with her club to practice with the school or vice versa. It was a brutal schedule but they didn't flat out say you weren't allowed to do both.

 

[NutterButter]

In my state (Minnesota), the state high school governing body for sports prohibits kids from participating in the club sport during the HS season. Since both JO and Xcel compete during the same time as the HS season, kids would have to stop JO/Xcel training if they wanted to do HS. High schools here don't provide the level of training and equipment necessary to support high level gymnastics so most clubs either don't allow or discourage their athletes from doing high school. Other sports like soccer, swimming and volleyball have seasons where kids can participate in both club and high school (the club training just goes on a hiatus during the HS season).

 

[MuggleMom]

Beware that HS gym can be very different as others mentioned above the equipment situation is usually very different. Where we are the floor isnt even a spring floor for HS gym its a carpet on a wrestling mat (its murder on your shins let me tell you!) We have some girls that do both club and HS gym but not typically at the higher levels, and if they do both they do watered down routines for HS. Level 7/8 will have you doing very well in our state for HS gym most girls arent at that level even and do fine.

 

[Tiger93]

The state to state differences are interesting to learn about. In my area the majority of high schools train at private clubs with coaches that are or were USAG coaches. In general, coaches/clubs are supportive of girls doing both. At meets there will be a wide variety of skill levels from just beginning to level 9/10. Placing at state is difficult for girls in level 8.

 

[CLgym]

In Illinois, as mentioned above, you cannot compete club and high school sports at the exact same time (this is true for all sports, not just gymnastics). However, the winter season for high school sports (including gymnastics) runs from approximately early November to early February. You can find the exact dates and more information on the IHSA website (they have a 5-year gymnastics season calendar posted). So it is technically possible to do both. A gymnast would have to take a break from club gymnastics during the high school season, and then back to club right after. In addition, because the "last day" to qualify for Illinois USAG state meets is usually in early March (depending on level), there is typically time to compete at least one or two club meets, qualify for state, and then possibly on to regionals, etc. However, this only works IF your club allows its gymnasts to do both. It's my understanding that many do not.

 

[cogymmom2dd]

In my state, you cannot do both at the same time. It’s not specific to gymnastics. The same goes for all other sports. For example, kids can’t do HS soccer and play for a club while in season (fall), but will play indoor club soccer in the winter and travel to tournaments with their club during the spring and summer. With gymnastics, there are ways to work around those rules. Typically, our gym will have an inner squad meet late in the summer/early fall and we will attend one other sanctioned meet before HS season starts. That’s how they get their qualifying scores for state meet. We have girls that continue to practice with the club team full hours on their off season and once HS season starts, will only practice with the school team.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Wow, I am really curious. Anyone know why they would have a rule preventing kids from doing both High School and club teams?

I have never heard of anything like that. It seems like it would be really damaging for sports organisations, losing their kids because they want to represent their school.

 

[PeanutsMom]

You can do both at the same time in Washington. We had several at our previous gym who did so. Usually they went to half of club practice (came late after HS practice) so they still got 4 hours of practice each day in and then did meets for both. I don't think sessions for the girls ever overlapped, so they could compete both. I know a friend of ours did a session for USAG in the morning and then left before awards to make it to her HS meet that afternoon.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

NYS you can do both at the same time. The skills vary. But to score well the expectation is at least level 8 skills. And many L9/10 girls compete.

There is a minimum number of practices you must attend (10).

My daughter competed HS for the first time last (very short Covid season) Year. They barely got the practices in due to all the quarantine BS. She would go to HS practice then late to her club. They won HS sectionals. There was no states this year for HS due to Covid restrictions.

She is a L8 gymnast, There was also an Excel girl on her team. They were the top 2 in sectionals, but I don’t think any of the schools had any L9/10 competin. Mine actually was able to compete some higher level skills that she couldn’t in Level 8. Don’t remember exactly which but it was on floor and beam.

 

[Tiger93]

Wow, I am really curious. Anyone know why they would have a rule preventing kids from doing both High School and club teams?

I have never heard of anything like that. It seems like it would be really damaging for sports organisations, losing their kids because they want to represent their school.

For Ohio, it is a state high school athletic association rule and it applies to all sports. I don’t know the exact reasons why (although I have heard numerous theories). In general, all club sport seasons are built around high school season. The USAG season luckily extends on both sides beyond the high school season. Clubs in my area are supportive of gymnasts doing both. It does allow gymnasts to do both which is not common, not even in the state of Ohio. It also prevents clubs from losing gymnasts completely.

 

[MuggleMom]

I'm not sure it would hurt club sports as much as HS sports. Where I am at club sports is where the higher level athletes are and recruiting etc happens. I dont see as much emphasis placed on HS sports as when I was in HS (many moons ago) Lots of travel and club teams for all sports around here.

 

[Eleven sol]

In my state, you cannot do both at the same time. It’s not specific to gymnastics. The same goes for all other sports. For example, kids can’t do HS soccer and play for a club while in season (fall), but will play indoor club soccer in the winter and travel to tournaments with their club during the spring and summer. With gymnastics, there are ways to work around those rules. Typically, our gym will have an inner squad meet late in the summer/early fall and we will attend one other sanctioned meet before HS season starts. That’s how they get their qualifying scores for state meet. We have girls that continue to practice with the club team full hours on their off season and once HS season starts, will only practice with the school team.

Is that really a state rule though or just customary? Just curious. My daughter competes in cheer for her high school in Colorado and also does gym for her club. In the not so distant past, girls would combine Xcel practice with HS gymnastics practice. Currently that is not happening because the high school gymnastics coach is requiring 5 days per week of practice and it appears… also recruiting girls to her gym after high school season is over . It’s been a bummer for my daughter who is missing her gymnastics friends, but doesn’t think she can reasonably combine high school gymnastics with cheer.

 

[rjb123]

this is an incredibly stupid rule. My son competes club swimming and also HS swim as do most of his teammates. this is in NC and it is very common to see high level swimmers from private clubs swim at HS meets. so why on earth would they discourage this with gymnastics?

 

[Tiger93]

Is that really a state rule though or just customary? Just curious. My daughter competes in cheer for her high school in Colorado and also does gym for her club. In the not so distant past, girls would combine Xcel practice with HS gymnastics practice. Currently that is not happening because the high school gymnastics coach is requiring 5 days per week of practice and it appears… also recruiting girls to her gym after high school season is over . It’s been a bummer for my daughter who is missing her gymnastics friends, but doesn’t think she can reasonably combine high school gymnastics with cheer.

I just looked over the official participation rules for my state and for “individual” sports such as gymnastics you can practice with a non-school team during the season but in bold it states that you can not compete for a non-school team during the high school season. Doing so can result in loss of eligibility.

 

[rjb123]

I just looked over the official participation rules for my state and for “individual” sports such as gymnastics you can practice with a non-school team during the season but in bold it states that you can not compete for a non-school team during the high school season. Doing so can result in loss of eligibility.

but in club gym you are not competing as a "team" per se. You competing as an individual, representing a club. sounds like a huge over reach for the state association to nose around in people's lives outside of school. I am of the belief that it is none of their business what my child does outside of school hours or when they are on campus.