Coaches Buzz about 2012-2016 new cycle... food for thought...

[emacmommy]

If you have read either the post in Technical Talk or visited the proposed 2012 changes PDF at USAG you have noticed that although there are some general skill changes the biggest difference is the slide of the Level titles to accomodate a 50-50 compulsory/optional split (i.e. a new optional level). So what would once skill-wise be Level 5 will be titled Level 4, Level 4 to Level 3, so on and so forth.

Here's the food to chew for the next year or so...

If you were a gym that started competition squads at Level 3, will you start your competitive program at Level 2? If you were a gym that started with Level 4, will you now start competing your Level 3's? Etc., etc., etc.

I'm curious as to what everyone is considering.

As a gym we haven't considered the repercussions yet, still trying to finish out the season and prepare for our end of the school year rec activities/spring program. But, we are a state that as of this year, FINALLY, has full support of all gym's to compete Level 3. We had two holdout larger gym's for the last three years and they are the gym's that comprise the majority of the state board, so we've truly never had a USAG Level 3 State meet and will for the first time next year. Do you think there will be similar slow acceptance of taking the first two Levels into the competitive mainstream?

 

[coachmolly]

I'm not planning on being at my current gym when all of this goes down, thank goodness because I have a feeling it will be mass confusion (but that's a totally unrelated topic...). My biggest concern with the new system is that gyms will split girls at a young age into rec. track/competitive track based on skills at that age, especially those who start competition at level 1. I'm not sure it's even a valid concern, but as a gymnast who was basically thrown away by a coach before he even saw my skills (I was an 11 year old level 5 and tall), I hate to see this happening to other kids. I'm just afraid some kids who want to compete badly, and who could manage that goal with a little extra time, might be thrown out early in the process if that makes any sense. I know it happens with the current system, I just wonder if it might become more pronounced under the new rules.

 

[MaryA]

I'm not planning on being at my current gym when all of this goes down, thank goodness because I have a feeling it will be mass confusion (but that's a totally unrelated topic...). My biggest concern with the new system is that gyms will split girls at a young age into rec. track/competitive track based on skills at that age, especially those who start competition at level 1. I'm not sure it's even a valid concern, but as a gymnast who was basically thrown away by a coach before he even saw my skills (I was an 11 year old level 5 and tall), I hate to see this happening to other kids. I'm just afraid some kids who want to compete badly, and who could manage that goal with a little extra time, might be thrown out early in the process if that makes any sense. I know it happens with the current system, I just wonder if it might become more pronounced under the new rules.

Just curious what in the new system would make this happen? I know someone on this board said something about the men's program adding different "tracks" and they were wondering if this is a good idea because there are already so many fewer boys than girls competing, so this would be breaking the boys up into even smaller groups. Is there something in the new system about tracking the girls as well? From what I have heard so far, it sounds mostly like a shift in the labels of the levels, but I only know what I've read on this site.

 

[coachmolly]

There is nothing written in the new system that would cause it to happen, it would just be due to coaches interpretation. I know that currently, some gyms discreetly separate their girls into rec vs. team track by using the lower levels of competition as sort of a "consolation prize". Girls whose coaches do not think can make it as a level 4 or higher will sometimes place those girls on a level 1 or 2 "team". Parents buy into the competition aspect, think their girl is progressing fabulously since she is able to compete, and shell out the bucks for meet fees, leos, etc. Not all teams work this way, many gyms use the lower levels as progressions to higher level teams, but with the shift in levels, I just fear it will become more common to split girls into non-competitive stay at pre-level 1 and those who coaches choose to go the competitive route.
I could be reading way too much into things, it's just an issue I'm kind of sensitive about because of my experiences, and that was my initial reaction. I doubt a quality program would let that happen, it would be more of a problem with those questionable programs which are all too prevalent in the gym world.

 

[emacmommy]

Sorry, I typo's the dates... 2013 - 2020 cycle... ooops. Hope I didn't confuse anyone.