At Tri-Star, we believe that a gymnastics team should be more like a family and that we are teaching our USAG gymnasts much more than physical conditioning and skills. They are learning strength of character, hard work, dedication, sportsmanship, and teamwork that will serve them throughout their lives.
USA Gymnastics is the current official national governing body for competitive gymnastics in the United States as determined by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Gymnastics Federation. In addition to running the youth competitive program, USA Gymnastics is responsible for selecting and training the US Olympic and World Championship Teams. Unlike the GIJO/AAU program, judging is based on strict criteria that compare each routine to a ͞perfect͟ version. Judging is based on a max 10.0 score, but is often much more rigorous than the scoring that athletes are used to in the GIJO program. In addition to eligibility to compete in USAG sanctioned meets, USAG membership also provides secondary medical/accident insurance coverage at USAG sanctioned events and a subscription to USA Gymnastics Magazine.
We believe that there are many different ways to do gymnastics and that young athletes learn at their own pace. We are not a program that believes there is a perfect gymnastics body type or a perfect mindset. We believe that anything can be accomplished with hard work and that fears can be overcome with the proper guidance. We are also committed to allowing our athletes to have a life outside of gymnastics. As such, our practice hours are significantly less than many of the other competitive teams in our area. But in exchange, we expect gymnasts to come in prepared to work hard and be efficient every day of practice. And we are committed to developing each athlete into the best gymnast (and person) she can be.
Our Tri-Star USAG team consists of compulsory levels 4 and 5 and optional levels 7 through 10. While competing at their current level, gymnasts will begin training skills for the subsequent levels. The USAG team practices 12-13 hrs/week during the school year and 16-17 hrs/week during the summer. Additional training opportunities and open gyms are available on select Sundays to members of the optional team by special invitation.
Gymnastics is one of the few sports that requires this level of dedication (in both time and effort) at such a young age. The skills that the girls are learning only increase in difficulty over time. In order to learn these complex tricks and skills, the girls must be prepared to put in the hard work and time required to learn them safely.
As it is, Tri-Star’s competitive USAG team practices less than almost every other USAG team in our area. While this is intentional, it means that the girls MUST commit to the full practice schedule to be able to progress. Additionally, we can only accept a certain number of girls to the team. If you accept a spot on the team, it means another athlete will be turned away. Because of this, we ask that you understand and commit to the obligation before accepting a spot on our roster.
THE USAG TEAM IS A 12-MONTH COMMITMENT (Monthly payments from September 1st – August 31st). All USAG Team Members MUST enroll in AutoPay.
Annual Calendar:
August: Team tryouts
August – November: Final preparations for the upcoming competitive season. Final decisions about competitive level will be made during this time
November – April: Compulsory Competitive Season. Note: Competitive season continues through May for advanced optional gymnasts who qualify for regional/national competitions.
Mid-March: Illinois Level 8, 9, 10 State Championships
April: Level 8, 9, 10 Regional Championships
April – May: Gym Show preparation and off season training
Early May: Level 9 Eastern (National) Championships and Level 10 J.O. National Championships
3rd Saturday in May: Annual Gym Show. ALL USAG TEAM MEMBERS & THEIR FAMILIES ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE
June – August: Off-season training takes place in USAG Team Camp. Girls are expected to participate in a minimum of 6 out of 9 weeks of summer camp in order to prepare for the next year’s season