WAG Guinea Pigs for D1?

[FlippinLilysMom]

You can look on lots of websites.. chalk warrior for example list the top regions. And Region 1 is it. Same with USAG.. top scores = top region = region 1

So the girls from the weaker regions making it to nationals?? Basically it’s easier for them?

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

You can look on lots of websites.. chalk warrior for example list the top regions. And Region 1 is it. Same with USAG.. top scores = top region = region 1

I only ask because I’m assuming we are considered a “weaker” region.

 

[Flicfliclay]

Our elite path girls also compete JO.

I think a lot do. I was replying to someone that said you won't see a lot of the younger girls because they are on the elite path..

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I think a lot do. I was replying to someone that said you won't see a lot of the younger girls because they are on the elite path..

Ok, gotcha. I dread the day when she can’t compete JO anymore...

 

[Flicfliclay]

So the girls from the weaker regions making it to nationals?? Basically it’s easier for them?

HUH? They compete in their region at their regional meet and make it fair and square. I said that the competition is different in Region 1 because it has a TON of competitors and a lot of high scores don't go because they are in a tougher age division.

 

[Flicfliclay]

Ok, gotcha. I dread the day when she can’t compete JO anymore...

So, once you qualify as elite you can't compete JO? I never thought about that really!

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

HUH? They compete in their region at their regional meet and make it fair and square. I said that the competition is different in Region 1 because it has a TON of competitors and a lot of high scores don't go because they are in a tougher age division.

That is true. Just didn’t want anyone thinking a girl making it to nationals from a weaker region somehow snuck her way in....

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

So, once you qualify as elite you can't compete JO? I never thought about that really!

Yes once you compete at a classic meet as a junior elite you can no longer compete in JO. So this will probably be my daughters last year to compete JO and her last chance to make it to nationals.

 

[Flicfliclay]

That is true. Just didn’t want anyone thinking a girl making it to nationals from a weaker region somehow snuck her way in....

Oh never would I think that. EVER. Although i am sure there are those people that think that! I have told my daughter to buckle up because you will be competing against girls now that are several years older than you.. Now its all about the skills and performance. Age is not something you even want to think about.

 

[Flicfliclay]

Yes once you compete at a classic meet as a junior elite you can no longer compete in JO. So this will probably be my daughters last year to compete JO and her last chance to make it to nationals.

Good to know. Do they drop down ever to go to nationals ?

 

[John]

I read something that says you can drop back to JO once, maybe it is something girls do when they are done with elite and set their sights on college?

 

[bookworm]

So you really need to remind yourself that getting into a D1 school on a scholarship is no easy task. While my daughter is set to be a level 10 by 6th grade ( next year as an 11 year old ) and has lofty goals of getting a scholarship at a D1 top 10 school, I tell her that it is a tough thing to do AND she goes to a gym that has many relationships with D1schools and has girls every year get said scholarships. Even knowing this WE still don't just assume that it will be easy or happen at all.

This is Sooooo true....my daughter's teammate wonLevel 9 Easterns as an 11yo (7th grader, Jr A) and then next year won Level 10 JO Nationals as a 12 yo (8th grader, Jr A) , went to VISA Championships (as they were called back then) that summer and was on the podium .....and her folks thought she was going to the Olympics or at least a college scholarship (because middle schoolers weren't committing back then).....fast forward to her Sophomore year in high school and she quits gymnastics as she didn't want to do elite any more and her parents and coach wanted her to.....she came back after 6 months off for about a month, had a ton of fears but still managed to win the meet she competed with a 38.5! But the next week , she was done for good and never did gymnastics again despite huge raw talent.

The sad part of this was not only did she NOT get a gymnastics scholarship, she only took a few community college classes and last we heard was a cashier somewhere....so even though she was a successful young level 10, things can and do change and gymnastics might not always be the vehicle to college people think.

 

[Flicfliclay]

This is Sooooo true....my daughter's teammate wonLevel 9 Easterns as an 11yo (7th grader, Jr A) and then next year won Level 10 JO Nationals as a 12 yo (8th grader, Jr A) , went to VISA Championships (as they were called back then) that summer and was on the podium .....and her folks thought she was going to the Olympics or at least a college scholarship (because middle schoolers weren't committing back then).....fast forward to her Sophomore year in high school and she quits gymnastics as she didn't want to do elite any more and her parents and coach wanted her to.....she came back after 6 months off for about a month, had a ton of fears but still managed to win the meet she competed with a 38.5! But the next week , she was done for good and never did gymnastics again despite huge raw talent.

The sad part of this was not only did she NOT get a gymnastics scholarship, she only took a few community college classes and last we heard was a cashier somewhere....so even though she was a successful young level 10, things can and do change and gymnastics might not always be the vehicle to college people think.

This right here is the cold hard reality. As a parent you have to always have that in the back of your mind when you are excited and happy about your daughter rising to the top... then they become teens and well.. stuff happens right!? So for now, as my daughter is young, my biggest goal for her is to be HAPPY and WHOLE... I tell her all the time that i don't want her to be a 20 year old in an 80 year old body!

 

[Flicfliclay]

I read something that says you can drop back to JO once, maybe it is something girls do when they are done with elite and set their sights on college?

yes, that is correct. you can do that. i as just curious if you could compete both JO and Elite?

 

[reluctant]

Well, She will be amongst the youngest in JrA age division. WE are in the toughest region (1).. so we see lots of young girls in those levels. You may not see many young level 9/10 gymnast and westerns or nationals simply due to the fact that they are in a huge scoring age division.. It is quite often that in that youngest age division you see 38's and only the top get to go out of each age division. So you will have girls going to that didn't even score as high as a lot of these young girls that will make it to these competitions. Not exactly fair, but it is what it is.

I guess the rationale is that they have 6 or 7 more years to make it to nationals while older girls who can actually go to college soon are running out of time.

 

[reluctant]

I read something that says you can drop back to JO once, maybe it is something girls do when they are done with elite and set their sights on college?

Per the USAG rule book you can return to JO by petition: A US Elite gymnast (an athlete who has competed as a Junior or Senior International Elite in a Classic Meet or higher) who wants to enter the JO Program MUST petition to drop back to the JO program, regardless of the year of competition, by sending a “reason for change” letter FROM HER COACH to the National Junior Olympic Committee Chairman. For Information regarding Foreign Athlete (Elite or non-elite) participation in the Junior Olympic Program, please refer to Chapter 2, page 26. a. All petitions must be received at least three weeks prior to the Level 10 State Meet. b. The National Junior Olympic Committee will review the petition and the Chairman will notify the coach of the acceptance/denial of the petition and will copy the respective State and Regional Administrative Committee Chairmen and the Regional Technical Committee Chairman. Chapter 8 80 c. Accepted petitioned athletes may not re-enter the Elite/Pre-Elite Program during the Elite competitive year (through Championships of the year in which she competes Level 10). d. Clarification: An elite athlete dropping back into the JO program is considered a JO athlete when she enters her first USA Gymnastics sanctioned event as a Level 10 athlete AFTER the petition has been granted. e. All scores obtained before the petition is granted are INVALID for qualification to State Championships and above in the current season.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

yes, that is correct. you can do that. i as just curious if you could compete both JO and Elite?

No, you cannot do both elite AND JO, but yes, you can petition back to JO after you become an elite. In 2019 Lily will be competing JO level 10 and trying to qualify as a junior elite, she will be able to compete in JO level 10 meets and will do the elite qualifier meets in the hopes of making it to one of the classic meets. If she makes it to a classic meet and competes at a classic meet as a junior elite then her time as a JO gymnast will be over.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

This is Sooooo true....my daughter's teammate wonLevel 9 Easterns as an 11yo (7th grader, Jr A) and then next year won Level 10 JO Nationals as a 12 yo (8th grader, Jr A) , went to VISA Championships (as they were called back then) that summer and was on the podium .....and her folks thought she was going to the Olympics or at least a college scholarship (because middle schoolers weren't committing back then).....fast forward to her Sophomore year in high school and she quits gymnastics as she didn't want to do elite any more and her parents and coach wanted her to.....she came back after 6 months off for about a month, had a ton of fears but still managed to win the meet she competed with a 38.5! But the next week , she was done for good and never did gymnastics again despite huge raw talent.

The sad part of this was not only did she NOT get a gymnastics scholarship, she only took a few community college classes and last we heard was a cashier somewhere....so even though she was a successful young level 10, things can and do change and gymnastics might not always be the vehicle to college people think.

I'll be honest and say that this is one of my biggest fears, just taking every day as it comes. We never know what the future may hold so just enjoying every day that she is still in the sport and still loving it just as much as ever.

 

[Seeker]

They may compete JO, but they often don’t make Nationals for all the reasons stated above. With the Hopes and Elite qualifiers right around that same time, many seem to compete JO to get that competition experience under their belts, sometimes with harder skills that don’t score as well on the 10.0 scale. Then they sort of break off from that JO pack and move on to Qualifiers as Elite season begins. Once they qualify Elite, they don’t usually come back on that track for a while (if ever).

 

[2gymmies]

Guessing that’s a big no! Lol there’s TONS I’m sure! I’ve never researched ages of gymnasts at certain levels.. just assume that they’re out there because they compete against her in her age division.

There are lots of talented young ones... many are junior A at JOs more than one year (my dd and two others from our region were second year JO qualifiers this year and second year Junior As).