WAG Gymnasts turning pro? Will Florida's Team Disappear?

[JBS]

Here is the latest:

Is Aly Raisman turning pro? - National Gymnastics | Examiner.com

 

[MdGymMom01]

That's interesting. It seems like a lot of colleges are having to drop the gymnastics programs or at least consider cutting them due to budget cuts. I just read this the other day:

Maryland commission recommends six sports be eliminated - baltimoresun.com

 

[Optionals United]

It official Aly has gone pro. A post from gymnastike showed up in my newsfeed linking to this page.
http://www.gymnastike.org/article/9137-Alexandra-Raisman-Turns-Pro

 

[NGL780309]

That's interesting. It seems like a lot of colleges are having to drop the gymnastics programs or at least consider cutting them due to budget cuts. I just read this the other day:

Maryland commission recommends six sports be eliminated - baltimoresun.com

Florida is in no danger of having their gym team cut and I don't think that's what JBS meant by that title. In fact Florida is getting a new facility for their team that costs millions of dollars. Definitely no danger anytime soon.

 

[NGL780309]

Here is the latest:

Is Aly Raisman turning pro? - National Gymnastics | Examiner.com

Will Florida's team disappear because Aly turned pro? Did UCLA's team disappear when Alicia decided not to go there?

Aly is one gymnast on a very strong team. I don't think they will have any problems. I would even argue that Aly would not have even been their strongest AA gymnast. This is a team that has had great results with great level 10 gymnasts or elites that were never stars on the elite scene. College gym is really a different world than elite and an elite star is not always any more of a NCAA star than a great 10.

 

[JBS]

Florida is in no danger of having their gym team cut and I don't think that's what JBS meant by that title. In fact Florida is getting a new facility for their team that costs millions of dollars. Definitely no danger anytime soon.

Yes...I was just talking about the number of elites on their team. I'm just wondering if any more of them will turn pro...you never know these days.

 

[MaryA]

O.K. I know nothing about gymnastics above level 6, so bear with me here... What does a professional gymnast DO? I know what a professional football player does, or baseball or golf or whatever. But I have yet to see someone make a beer-and-natcho run because it's almost time for Monday Night GYMNASTICS!

 

[gymgal]

O.K. I know nothing about gymnastics above level 6, so bear with me here... What does a professional gymnast DO? I know what a professional football player does, or baseball or golf or whatever. But I have yet to see someone make a beer-and-natcho run because it's almost time for Monday Night GYMNASTICS!

Lol! They can accept endorsement money and can be paid for tv commercials. They also can accept prize money in the competitions and some competitions will even pay for the gymnasts just to compete. They can tour with the traveling gym group that does that skate and gym show. They can get paid for their autographs and for commentating a competition they are not in. There are lots of ways for them to make money when they go pro. But no, it's not like football.

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[AlexsGymmyMom]

O.K. I know nothing about gymnastics above level 6, so bear with me here... What does a professional gymnast DO? I know what a professional football player does, or baseball or golf or whatever. But I have yet to see someone make a beer-and-natcho run because it's almost time for Monday Night GYMNASTICS!

I was thinking the same thing. What do pro gymnasts do?

 

[JBS]

I was thinking the same thing. What do pro gymnasts do?

That is a great question. Check this link:

Sponsors of Nastia Liukin, Olympic Gold Medalist and Gymnastics Champion

Really...there is very little opportunity in pro gymnastics except for the most elite of the elites. Now if someone is planning on staying elite during their college years and college gym will get in the way of that...might as well take any offer that comes along. Not likely that it will make someone permanently rich though.

 

[wandrewsjr]

It is not so much about turning pro, as giving up NCAA eligbility to compete in college. The NCAA rules are VERY strict. Athletes can not profit from their sport in ANY way and still compete in college. Training elite is very expensive, so the vast majority of girls choose between training elite past 18 and remaining a member of the National team or competing in college(with of course a handful of exceptions like Anna Li this year).

Since we have so many Canadians on here, maybe you all can shed some light on this. It seems much more common for Canadian gymnasts to do both at the same time, maybe taking a year break from their college team if it's an Olympic year. Stanford seems to have at least 1 or 2 girls on their team consistently from Canada that will still also compete for their National team. Is there something about the elite training system in Canada that makes it easier for athletes to do both at the same time?

 

[JBS]

Here is another link:

Chellsie Memmel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia