How does TOPS and other clinics help?

[dancengym]

My dd has only been doing gymnastics for a little over two years. So, pardon me if I have been asking a lot of questions. I just have no other place to air them. My question: I believe TOPS camp (if you qualify of course) is only for 3 or 4 days. There are also clinics that take place over 2 to 3 day period. Now, I don't see how doing strenous/uptraining over just a few days in a year help the gymnasts. If the gym does not follow through, does not the gymnast lose the strength and/or skills acquired at those clinics? And at our gym, all uptraining is done during the summer. Once September starts, they start just working on routines.

 

[coachmolly]

A 3-4 day clinic is probably not going to make a world of difference in the progress of one gymnast, however it can provide the coach with a lot of new drills, techniques, and ideas to implement into the program when they arrive home. And I think many of these camps (TOPs, regional clinics) are largely about basics and progressions rather than teaching big skills in a short period of time.
And I think you are correct in that working these skills and drills for 3-4 days a year is not going to make a difference, they need to be used consistently by the coaches at the home gym.
As for only uptraining during the summer, quite a few gyms seem to have that philosophy. I prefer to do a handful of uptraining during the season as well, but I'm sure there are reasons for either way.

 

[flipper's fan]

They only help if the learning is brought back to the home gym and reinforced and built upon.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Clinics and camps can make in incredible difference. Just the act of working with different coaches, on different equipment and with different gymnasts can help things to click for a child that never did before.

Often thats what these clinics do, kids have been working hard on several things and it just takes another set of eyes or a different set or drills or just another way of explaining it and it all falls into place.

 

[gym law mom]

Really its the coaches that benefit most from the TOPs testing and other camps. Of course, nobody benefits if they don't bring the info home and try and use it in daily practices.

 

[dancengym]

It appears to me then, it is truly just a waste of the gymnast's money to go to these clinics. We've had a few girls in our gym qualify for the national testing and a handful who actually qualified for the team itself. We've had maybe one in the US National Team about ten years ago and had an elite a couple of years ago. So our coaches have been exposed and have benefitted from these clinics. Yet, I don't see or feel that they do bring in what they learn at these clinics in the gym with any kind of consistency. We will be going to national tops testing and spending over a thousand dollars, and are paying a few hundred dollars each time we send our dd to regional clinics. There appears to be no true benefit to the gymnast to even do TOPS or these clinics if it does not carry through to the gym thereafter. Would you send your dd to these clinics or even to TOPS?

 

[gymcoach34]

I have a different perspective to add. I agree the camps at the TOPs level are mainly for the coaches education, and to get the athlete into the "system". But, I have had athletes GROW tremndously in their confidence after being a part of the camps. Its really good for these kids (usually they are the best in their gyms) to get around other talented kids- and they gain so much confidence from being part of that-they can see how good they really are. They also start to think of themselves in a special way bc they are training in the same gym, same equipment, etc as their idols.

Yes, it can be really expensive, but there is a definite positive outcome of the camps.

 

[dancengym]

Its really good for these kids (usually they are the best in their gyms) to get around other talented kids- and they gain so much confidence from being part of that-they can see how good they really are. They also start to think of themselves in a special way bc they are training in the same gym, same equipment, etc as their idols. /QUOTE]

I did think that this was a benefit and was hoping it was not the only benefit. I just started to wonder why the gymnast is the one that shoulders the bulk of the expense if the gym also benefits equally if not more. I guess I am feeling a little bad because having four kids, I feel that I am spending a lot more on one kid. But thanks everyone for your insight.

 

[cher062]

My dd has only been doing gymnastics for a little over two years. So, pardon me if I have been asking a lot of questions. I just have no other place to air them. My question: I believe TOPS camp (if you qualify of course) is only for 3 or 4 days. There are also clinics that take place over 2 to 3 day period. Now, I don't see how doing strenous/uptraining over just a few days in a year help the gymnasts. If the gym does not follow through, does not the gymnast lose the strength and/or skills acquired at those clinics? And at our gym, all uptraining is done during the summer. Once September starts, they start just working on routines.

When my DD was younger and in the TOPS she never made it to the national anything but it was alot of extra conditioning during the practice and it really improved her gymnastics alot. when she got too old to be in TOPS they had a program called ODT which means Optional Day of Training - It was only a thing our gym did for any girl who wanted that extra day of tops style training. I noticed an improvement in my DD's skills from this extra training and I would recommend it to any one IF their DD is interested in being a part of it.

I don't know about the Tops camps or clinics but My DD have been to local clinics and love it. I see it as more of a team building thing. It's something other than a meet and other than practice they can do together. They can be alot of fun and that is why I would recommend it. It's a way for some fun with the team and bonding can happen. My DD loves going to the clinics and she has always come home with at least one she learned while she is there.

As for Camps she has never been to the TOPS camps/clinics but she has been to the summer camps and loved those she had alot of fun and comes home with at least 2 things she is bragging about.

 

[Tuduri]

It's the Journey that counts

Making the A OR B squad and going to a TOPs camp is a goal to strive for. It's a tool to motivate a young gymnast. But it is the journey to this goal that is important. True, a few days of camp don't make a lot of difference in the long run. However, the routine of discipline and hard work in TOPs training and the extra-conditioning and learning of new skills is something that will follow the gymnast throughout her career, whether they make it to the top of TOPs. It is the struggle to get there that is the crucible in which the gymnast is forged, not when the young blade is put in its scabbard.

Coaches are invited to the TOPs camp so that they can learn new coaching skills and take them back to the home gym, so that the gymnast continues to benefit from higher level coaching. The goal is to de-centralize high-level coaching from a few select gyms to many others. The overall goal is to have elite gymnasts coming from all parts of the country. This can only be accomplished by improving coaching for all promising gymnasts who excell in TOPs or similar programs.

There are terrific gymnasts who have not done TOPs, though they participate in similar training. TOPs is certainly more expensive, but the greatest expensive is traveling to Texas and the camp. The greatest benefit is found in the additional high intensity training whic occurs before anyTOPs camp or even National testing. It's the journey there that is important and all our kids can benefit from that.

 

[Galadriel]

it is the struggle to get there that is the crucible in which the gymnast is forged, not when the young blade is put in its scabbard.

i love this quote!!!