WAG Qualifying Elite at the ranch and other thoughts

[bogwoppit]

Just continuing my education here.

I understand that you can qualify elite at qualifiers during the meet season. The girls do both optional and compulsory routines at these meets, and must achieve a certain score at each in order to qualify.

I understand that you can also do the compulsory and optional parts at separate meets. But these are still at meets.

I now understand that you can qualify at a developmental camp at the ranch in two ways. Either through a judged "verification" of routines. Girls can get a "do over" for these routines and the routines are not verified all on one day, they are spread over a few days in non meet conditions.

I also understand that you can qualify at the ranch in an actual qualification that is held with judges and in more "meet like" conditions.

I understand that the scores from the latter two are not published.

Elites, once qualified, will compete at the USAG Classics. But not at Championships.

Also that once girls qualify as JNR or SNR elite this does not means they will be assigned International assignments, for that they need to be named to the National Team.

Are all those ^^^^^^ things true? What more can you add about the process?

Do you feel qualifying at the ranch in a verification situation is a lot easier than doing a full meet, with no do overs and an actual audience?

Why qualify elite in the first place, what does it get you if the gymnast is not amongst the stronger gymnasts?

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

Why qualify elite in the first place, what does it get you if the gymnast is not amongst the stronger gymnasts?

ooh good question, I have no answers, as I know less than what you even posted here, but I just want to say I have always wondered about the above ^ question myself.

 

[bogwoppit]

ooh good question, I have no answers, as I know less than what you even posted here, but I just want to say I have always wondered about the above ^ question myself.

Well lets hope people will add what they know and will illuminate me further. I totally understand the JO system, but once I get up to elite I get confused.

I haven't even pondered Hopes yet.

 

[happychaos]

I would like to know the answers too, Bog. Thanks for asking!

 

[Seeker]

Yeah, I am curious about all of those things too. I did know most of what you posted, but I didn't realize that qualifying at the Ranch allowed "do-overs". I guess I thought that it was a meet-like conditions with a judge.

I am curious about how Elites qualify to P&G though...if the quali's at the Ranch and other competitions only get them to Classics, how do they get to the Championships?

Thanks for starting the thread, Bog!

 

[bogwoppit]

I did know most of what you posted, but I didn't realize that qualifying at the Ranch allowed "do-overs". I guess I thought that it was a meet-like conditions with a judge.

I only heard about the "verification" type situation recently. But I did hear it from a parent whose kid was there, so I do believe it is true. Though a little bizarre.

There was a regular Ranch Qualifier immediately after the verification days, so if anyone didn't make it during verification, they could try again. Which makes it seem like the ranch is THE place to qualify, but would that indicate that some weaker gymnasts will get to elite that way. Good, bad??

Mind you weaker is just a word I am using, these girls are all seriously talented gymnasts. I am just trying to work out the motivations behind qualifying. What does it gain for the gymmie and the coaches and what is the benefit for USAG?

Clearly classics and champs need numbers to make meets viable, so USAG does need girls to qualify elite, even if they are not the most talented.

Just putting out the thoughts that are in my head, would really like to get the system worked out.

 

[wallinbl]

I am just trying to work out the motivations behind qualifying. What does it gain for the gymmie and the coaches

Marketing.

 

[Gymluvmom]

The kids that are allowed to qualify at the ranch have to be invited to several specific other devo camps early in the season. Typically November and January both have to be attended to be able to try and qualify. These kids have been verified several times and now get the chance to do it for "real." It always seams to me that all three of these camp times fall into inconvenient times for JO so the kids are sacrificing time off to rest and/or JO meets plus qualifying right after nationals which is not easy.
The compulsory qualifiers through out the year are two fold useful. You either get them out of the way and never have to do them again once you have your optionals score as a jr or sr elite, or you are weeded out as many gyms out there think they have girls who can be elites... You can see from these meets that only a handful attain the score needed and many are way below and not close. It gives those coaches a chance to see what level is needed and go back to work.

 

[bogwoppit]

You do have to re-qualify elite every year though?

 

[Gymluvmom]

You do have to re-qualify elite every year though?

No you have to re qualify to champs and classics. You are an elite once you hit your score. You do need to qualify to said meets as a sr with a higher score however you were still a jr elite. I suppose girls who didn't ever score high enough to qualify as sr can only say jr elite.

 

[gasrgoose]

I only heard about the "verification" type situation recently. There was a regular Ranch Qualifier immediately after the verification days, so if anyone didn't make it during verification, they could try again. Which makes it seem like the ranch is THE place to qualify, but would that indicate that some weaker gymnasts will get to elite that way. Good, bad??

My understanding is the kids must be invited to the verification, but anyone can enter the elite qualifier. There are girls who just competed level 8 and level 9 that competed in the qualifier this past weekend.

 

[Gymluvmom]

Think of it like a level 10. One year she qualifies to nationals but the next year she doesn't. She is still a level 10, she just failed to make nationals. Same with elites. Championships is the US elite Nationals w a fancy sponsor name

 

[bogwoppit]

So you qualify to Classics because you are elite and you qualify for championships from classics?

 

[Gymluvmom]

So you qualify to Classics because you are elite and you qualify for championships from classics?

Yes exactly! You score needs to be high enough to qualify to classics to be elite. You can also score high enough at a National Qualifier and be qualified directly to champs.

 

[rgmom]

This may be a dumb question, but how does a gymnast get invited to the ranch?

 

[Gymluvmom]

This may be a dumb question, but how does a gymnast get invited to the ranch?

Coaches submit a video including the girls optional skills on every event as well as some basics and the elite compulsory parts as well. Or girls are invited directly from National Team staff at level 9E/W championships or JO Nationals.

 

[rgmom]

Thank you!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

This may be a dumb question, but how does a gymnast get invited to the ranch?

thru their coach.

 

[dynamicduo]

Here's another dumb question…Why are there are level 8,9,10s at the verification or elite qualifiers, I thought Elite was above level 10? So how would a level 8 girl qualify if she hasn't done level 9 or 10 yet?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

you all have it just about right. the only thing i can add is that you can qualify to Champs at a qualifier/verification at the Ranch. whatever Marta says, goes.

and the reason it is spread out over a few days is because they are actively involved in the camp training at the same time. they are verifying events morning and evening. but then they designate 1 of the rotations as verification for an event. and they are judged.