by site editor Rick McCharles
Last year I attended mostly Women’s Artistic Gymnastics competitions in the USA. All excellent.
This year I returned to my home club, Altadore, and coached at most of the meets available to our gymnasts in Alberta, Canada.
… not so excellent.
99 of 100 coaches in Canada would agree that the system and rules used in the Junior Olympic program in the States is superior to that we use in Canada. The American system has been bashed and tweaked and argued for decades. It works.
It’s been basically adopted in Australia and New Zealand. It works there.
Yet for some reason in Canada our leadership thinks we can invent a better wheel.
USA stayed with the “perfect 10”. Understood by every grandmother in the bleachers and the media.
Canada models our Provincial stream scoring system on that used for the Olympics. Many are baffled by what score what routine should get at each level.
USA has 10 levels of age group competition. Most kids, most years can “move up”. Feel they are progressing
Canada has 5 levels of age group competition. Half the kids are stuck between levels, undecided whether or not they should “move up”.
The goal of the JO program in the States rules of Level 10 in the J.O. program prepare the best girls for competing at the University level. With over 80 teams, this is a realistic objective for the best kids in many gyms.
The goal of the Canadian program is unclear. Is it to develop the occasional Sr. National Team member? Elite gymnasts should be developed through a separate, parallel stream.
The J.O. rules are rarely changed.
Canadian rules are changed frequently. New “interpretations” come out monthly. Connection requirements on beam (for example) vary meet to meet. Even our top judges are reluctant to be definitive on clarifications as the answer might be different next competition.
The American system is easier. More kids from more gyms can participate. This helps competitive coaches keep working.
Canadian gymnastics is not particularly accessible for new coaches, new gymnasts, new clubs. By glaring comparison, the entry level for boys in Canada could not be more encouraging. We can start 10-yr-olds and they do not feel out of place.
In the USA there are far fewer rules. Judges are very flexible on anything to do with athlete safety. Equipment can be adjusted. Vault horse raised or lowered to any height.
Don’t try that in Canada. Our lowest level competitors are held to rules totally unnecessary to any but Olympians.
At NCAA Championships 2009 gymnasts were allowed to have a coach standing on a spotting box in competition. No deduction. Three people holding landing mats. No deduction.
Don’t try that in Canada.
It seemed every Canadian competition I attended some new rule came to light to limit what coaches can do. One of the top judges, flustered, told me she was “wasting her time” trying to apply the lastest Bars rules interpretation. If she did, the wrong gymnasts came out ahead.
Yeesh.
Solution?
If someone is ever hired as new full-time, long-term National Women’s Coach in Canada — a position vacant since Claude Pelletier stepped down over a year ago — the first thing they should do is adopt the Junior Olympic competitive structure.
Within 4 years we would have a much healthier competitive program AND be producing more Elite gymnasts.
At my gym every single gymnast, coach, parent and judge would be happier tomorrow if we suddenly adopted the American J.O. program.
This is a no-brainer.
But in the top down socialist sports system we have in Canada, reason is unlikely to prevail.
It’s more likely that one Canadian Province or region will entirely adopt the American J.O. program. Ontario already opted out of the Provincial program we use in my region, instead using a 9 level scheme more like the American model. They should do it first.
Leave a comment if you disagree. Or have additional comparisons to add between the Canadian and American programs to add.
Thanks George Novak for inspiring me to finally post this, something many Alberta coaches have been discussing all season.
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I should note that our MAG program in Canada is just as good or better than the American JO program. And that our Trampoline and Tumbling rules are better. And Canadians have been far more competitive internationally in MAG and T&T than WAG.
==== UPDATE:
Gymnastics Canada is conducting an online survey:
With the 2009 FIG Code of points coming in effect next year, the Canadian Provincial Program will need to be updated.
The 2009-2010 Draft Version of the CPP Program is available on the Gymnastics BC Website.
However, before the program is finalized, the CPP Working Group is requesting your feedback. Please take a few minutes to review the draft version of the 2009-2010 season and answer this survey. Your opinion is important!
You can always provide additional comments in writing to Andree Montreuil at amontreuil @ gymnastics.bc.ca
To see it, click here.
They seem sincerely interested in the opinion of coaches and judges.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 