DD used to be at a gym with "cold war" coaches and ownership. It takes some getting used to, as it is often more blunt than Americans can handle, but behind all that were people that really cared. You'd never see it as an outside observer (or even as a new parent to the gym), but they were mostly all bark, and really just teddy bears with a giant soft spot for the girls.
marty is a level 10 / jr elite , at meets that have elite he is a jr elite, usually international assigned meets and a few venues here in the states, but most of his meets he is a 10 (plain and vanilla)
. that is what he told me today at gym..... they do have some rule differences as well... hope that helps
this is out of context. and YOU didn't hear Marta say anything. what you were told was 2nd party. and qualifying Hopes is the equivalent of making level 8 regionals. let's not over glamorize the level, please. and if anybody is down there wasting everyone's time, it is her responsibility to "dis-invite" them. the core of our semi-centralized system ARE the athletes. it's her job to select those very best who will represent the USA in competitions. this level of gymnastics IS NOT JO.
you have to know Marta to understand her. she has done an awesome job in her position. and no one can argue her success at this helm. ask the rest of the world.
and qualifying Hopes is the equivalent of making level 8 regionals. let's not over glamorize the level, please.
My DD is too old at this point to bother thinking elite thoughts anyway, but because we toyed with the possibility, the whole process intrigues me. We considered Hopes thinking that it was a way to knock on the door, so to speak. It seems that Tops/Hopes programs were created by USAG to encourage coaches and kids that aren't from the powerhouse gyms to make a go of it. But standing where we are now, I do think that your gym/coach must be "in" with USAG, no matter what your kid wants or could theoretically accomplish. 
