Young optionals and elite gymnastics

[Deleted member D3987]

This is off original topic, but dunno, I would love to hear your thoughts on the college recruiting process and what is entailed, where you think things are going as far as what difficulty levels are going to be expected in NCAA, how programs are evolving, etc. There's still a common thought that if you reach elite level you're going to get looks from the schools first. I've always been of the mindset that quality over quantity, but that's not how the real world operates...

And I agree with almost all of what you have to say - except for the school part. Our gym has elites of varying ages and elite levels. They all go to public school and are considered full-time. P.E. exempt of course, and possibly an independent study class for the high schoolers. So I do think it's possible to carry a full-time course load and do elite. Of course if we're talking about the time you get out of school, then yes, I agree with you - not enough time in the day to go to school until last bell and then train. Although some gyms I understand have double workouts - in the a.m. before school and then again after school?

yes. to clarify, what i meant was in lieu of 2 a days. if the school won't budge is where you find programs doing 2 a days. something has to give somewhere cause there are not enough hours in the day.

college will continue to scale down even as the athletes get better. collegiate gymnastics is an entertainment sport. it has value which equals revenue. there are already far to many injuries. and at the college level they are not 'new' injuries. most are from time in the sport. the college coaches spend a great deal of their time with support staff taking care of their bodies to withstand another 4 years. it's very hard work on their end of it.

and the few elites that go on to college will still go to the same top ten schools in gymnastics and whomever those top 10 are at that time. most of them drop back by their senior year and have great college careers. but remember that the overwhelming majority of college gymnastics is made up of 2 event level 9's and level 10's.