Parents AAU vs USAG

[flgymmom]

what is the difference really ?

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

It seems to vary a lot by state. I can't tell you the differences from a "rules" or "technical" perspective, but I can describe my observations. My daughter competes AAU in our state and a neighboring state. Some gyms at our meets have USA teams, but also have AAU teams as a "less competetive" option, meaning fewer hours in the gym. I've seen a lot of YMCA gyms at out meets. In our area, the entry fees are lower and the scoring is much more forgiving. For example, the deductions are smaller for spots during a routine. Also, one girl was able to compete L5 last year as a 6 yo, which was not allowed in USA. Locally, some gyms use AAU for competing lower levels (1-3 or 4), then compete L5+ in USA. In our area AAU uses the USA compulsory routines...but the prep op equivelents do not seem to match up to USA. Our team qualified for nationals last year, which meant a trip to the AAU Junior Olympics. It was not heavily attended.

I've only seen one gymnast compete above level 8 at an AAU meet. (not that it isn't offered...couldn't tell you that, just that the AAU programs in our area do not have gymnasts at that level). Our gym is not interested in competing USA...but we also have no one above low-level optionals, and no one training more than 12 hours per week. We have; however, had other gymnasts leave and be successful in USA programs.

 

[emorymom]

In Georgia the difference is that AAU is cheaper, does not have a mobility score, lets most kids compete States and Nationals, competes Jan-Apr, tends to give more awards out, and the compulsory routines have harder skills. I don't know anything about AAU optionals.

 

[dmytv]

I coach at a gym that does both USAG and AAU. We are a member of the state AAU which is different than going to an invitational that has AAU and USAG sessions. They have their own rules and routines and their own qualifiers. The girls compete in both AAU and USAG. The boys only do USAG. The meet entry fees are cheaper; the meets are smaller; the scoring is a little more lenient, and they have a level called modified optionals wich is similar to xcel gold. They also divide their awards in to catagories of elite, open, and novice, giving the girls more opportunities to place. There were 2 level 9's at this last meet we went to and no level 10s.

 

[flgymmom]

I know this is prob a very hard and maybe a stupid question... but is a gymnast "better off" to compete in one or the other ?

My dd's gym does USAG and I see the other gym in our city is AAU.

 

[emorymom]

Look and see if they don't both use USAG for optionals. It doesn't matter.

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

What they compete may not matter...but the choice to only compete AAU may be indicative of the gym owner's goals for his/her gymnasts and the "mission" of the gym. In our case, the desire to be less competetive and more fun means fewer gym hours, more breaks from training, and less intense training than the USA gyms in our area. If dd continues to show dedication and strong desire for this sport, we will be looking to switch to a USA program. In your situation, the AAU and USA programs may be more similar.

 

[flgymmom]

Thank you all for the information

 

[gymmom1974]

We moved to a new gym last year to compete USAG. When I have looked at college recruiting forms, coaches ask what USAG level the athlete is competing, and I have been told that in order to compete at the collegiate level, the athlete has to be in the USA program. I'm not sure if my daughter will make it to the collegiate level, but I didn't want to close a door that had to be open in order to try.....

 

[Deleted member D3987]

USA Gymnastics leads to more opportunity, to national teams, world championship teams, international competitions and Olympic Games. AAU leads to...um...uh...mmm...participation.

 

[wallinbl]

USA Gymnastics leads to more opportunity, to national teams, world championship teams, international competitions and Olympic Games. AAU leads to...um...uh...mmm...participation.

Guess it depends on how it is used. There are several gyms in the area that do AAU in place of compulsories, then switch to USAG for optionals. They perform quite well at the USAG meets.

One of them is a gym you've recommended to several people who've asked on this forum!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

not slamming the gyms that use the AAU program. the question was "what's the difference". eventually, the kids have to move to USAG for more opportunity.

 

[flgymmom]

Ok, so I guess this is really the biggest answer that I was looking for. Obviously, I want my DD to have "fun" in gymnastics but she doesn't spend 18+ hours a week in the gym to just have fun. She wants to do something with this and if she really does or not in the very end is a moot point, my goal right now is to lead her in the right direction and at the age of 9 she has a whole lot of make up time to do.

Thank you.

USA Gymnastics leads to more opportunity, to national teams, world championship teams, international competitions and Olympic Games. AAU leads to...um...uh...mmm...participation.

 

[JBS]

not slamming the gyms that use the AAU program. the question was "what's the difference". eventually, the kids have to move to USAG for more opportunity.

Yes...AAU is an organization that does gymnastics at a lower level than USAG...period.

 

[gymmom1974]

It really has to do so much with the philosophy of the coaches, too. In the gyms that do AAU in the early levels then change to USAG, they are probably training their gymnasts the way they need to be competitive in USAG. The first gym that my DD trained at only competed AAU, with no desire to compete USAG. When we moved DD to her new gym (they compete USAG along with AAU), our DD had MANY bad habits she had to break. In AAU meets with her old gym, she was scoring very well. However, in USAG, she cannot get away with some of the same things (such as an arched back during skills, cheating splits, etc). That is a big difference I see in the two organizations (from a competition/skill standpoint): and at meets (DD still competes both USAG and AAU-because of the area we live, USAG meets are at least 3-6 hours one way travel), we can see a BIG technical difference in the gymnasts that compete USAG vs. only AAU.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

no. ^^^ everything you have stated is a function of their programs. "technical differences" have nothing to do with the 2 different organizations. 1 difference is less hours. if you go too many "less" hours you will suck. both in AAU and USAG competitions. again, function.

 

[clark222]

My dd is at an AAU-only gym and I can say that we never see the highest levels at AAU meets. We might see a handful of L7s and L8s and that is it. Nothing higher. Our gym tops out at L7. Some have said the scoring is easier and having never been to a USAG meet, I do not have first-hand experience. BUT, at a recent meet there was a bar judge handing out 3s and 4s. I am not sure you can get harsher than that! And I read on here about people's kids getting 37 and 38 AA on a regular basis where we almost never see AA scores higher than 36 at meets, even for 1st. Dd took 1st AA twice last year, both times with a score of 35. So, I am not so sure about the scoring thing.

 

[gymmom1974]

What I was meaning was technical differences in the coaching: my DD's first coach did not emphasize correct technique from the beginning, and allowed bad habits to form (again, such as arched backs, cheating splits, toes pointed, etc). Hours in the gym are only good if the gymnasts are taught correct form and technique from the coaches while there. If you spend lots of hours From our experience, the coach who competed AAU was not as strict on some of the skills/techniques/ whatever you call them (maybe I'm using the incorrect terminology). All I know is that when we went to a gym that trained to compete USAG, my DD had to break some bad habits, and it has made a big difference in her overall abilities.