Jennie Adams - State Chair

jenniekadams@coastalnet.com

86 Rollo Road, Grantsboro NC, 28529 | Tel/Fax: 252.249.2825

From: Connie Maloney

Date: June 27, 2008

“What’s New for the Women’s Jr. Olympic Program in 2008-2009”

Connie Maloney, USA Gymnastics Women’s Jr. Olympic Program Director

June 2008

All of the following changes/clarifications are recorded in Administrative, Technical and JO Committee minutes from May & June 2008 and are effective August 1, 2008, unless otherwise stated.

�   All Agenda items relating to rule changes were tabled until the JO/WTC September meeting.

�   A new JO Code will be available in June 2009 for the 2009-2013 season.

I.    PROGRAM UPDATES

a.   RULES & POLICIES CHANGES

1.    Coaches must notify their RACC by fax or e-mail by the Monday following the State Meet of any athletes they intend to petition to Regionals.

2.    Member Misconduct (add to page 12): Any falsification of official documentation (scores, athlete DOB, athlete number, etc.) will result in the removal of the athlete from competition and may result in disciplinary action against the responsible professional member.

3.    Coaches/judges must produce their Membership card or credential at sign-in or in field-of-play if requested.

4.    Coaches attire at State and above competitions. State Committees may also implement at meets below State Championships:

        Shoes; closed toe athletic shoes

        Pants:  Athletic warm-ups or “Docker-style” pants (no jeans)

        Shorts: Athletic or tailored shorts that are a reasonable length (example-7” inseam) No shorts with tears, holes or short-shorts.

        Shirts: Collared shirts, business casual shirts, or T-shirts with gym logo. No spaghetti straps, low-cut tops or midriff revealing shirts.

        Hats: no hats or visors

5.    East/West & JO National spectator admission will be capped as follows:

        Per session: Maximum of $15 for adults; $10 for Children/Seniors

        Weekend pass: Maximum of $25 for adults; $20 for children/Seniors

6.    Meet formats: The only acceptable meet formats are listed in the Rules & Policies book. Any ideas for new formats should be submitted to Tom Koll for consideration and/or approval and possible inclusion in future R & Ps.

7.    For non-traditional or modified non-traditional competition formats with sessions of Level 7 athletes only: a maximum of 80 gymnasts per session (10 per squad). All athletes in the squad will warm-up; then all will compete (no splitting of the squad for timed or touch warm-ups).

        Traditional formats remain at 56 gymnasts per session.

8.    APPARATUS SPECS: The vault runway for Levels 8-10 is increased from a maximum of 80 feet to 82 feet, as per FIG specs. The minimum of 76 feet remains unchanged.

9.    Page 43, G. The recommendation for coaches to stand in front or behind the vault table to “spot” Round-off entry vaults will be deleted in the 2008-09 edition.

b.   new initiatives for the jo program

1.    LEVEL 9 EAST/WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS

        Format change: 16 age divisions, 2 divisions per session; 6 gymnasts per region per age division to allow for a total “Regional Team” format (no individuals).JO NATIONAL

2.    INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT (JO-NIT)

        As of 2009, the day following JO Nationals (Sunday) an individual competition will be conducted to include more Level 10 athletes in a “National” experience. The qualifications and format will be determined after analyzing date from 2008. The inclusion of Event specialists is being considered.

3.    JO NATIONAL TRAINING CAMP

        To be conducted annually (starting in 2008) in October or November at the National Training Center in Houston. Forty (40) athletes will be invited to attend at their own expense.

        Qualifications will be as follows:

        From JO Nationals: AA #5, 6, 7 & 8 from Junior A, B, C, & D and Senior A & B

        From East/West: Top AA athlete per age division

        If an athlete declines, the next ranked gymnast in that age division will be invited.        

4.    JO COACH OF THE YEAR: Congratulations to the Regional nominees:

        1 – Justin Howell-Airborne; 2-John & Tammy Carney-Gymnastics East; 3-Jason Baits, Jaycee Phelps, Kathy Vigil-CO Aerials; 4-Mike Hunger & Sammy Wozeny-Twin City Twisters; 5-Ruth Miller – Oakland Gymnastics; 6-Jamie Winkler, Sergie & Galina Petrouniak-Galaxy; 7-Tony Gehman-Northstars-NJ; 8-Johnny Moyal-Elite Gymnastics

        Congratulations to the 2008 JO Coach of the Year – Tony Gehman

c.   competition regulations

1.    Floor Exercise Music must be in the form of CD or MP3. Meet Directors of all sanctioned meets must have the necessary equipment.

2.    If equipment provided at Regionals or East/West Championships is unfamiliar to the coaches, the attending USA Gymnastics representative will determine if the timed warm-up procedures need to be altered.

3.    JO Nationals Regional Team Score for each age division will be determined by adding the top four (instead of five) scores on each event.

d.   2009 calendar

Level 9/10 State meets  March 28/29

Level 9/10 Regional meets        April 17-19

Level 10 only Regionals   April 25-26

Level 9 East/West                        May 7-10       East-Tupelo, MS; West-Bartlesville, OK

JO Nationals                                   May 14-16     Auburn, WA

JO NIT                                  May 17                       Auburn, WA

e.   2009 usag-brevet & national judges’ courses

Scheduled for July 2009. The format for all courses will be written and practical exams to directly follow the lectures on each event.

Judges re-certifying at their current level will be required to take an open-book exam and a practical exam.

Judges taking the course for the first time will be required to take a closed-book written exam and a practical exam

f.   chief judge fees

Chief Judge fees will be paid only at:

1.    State meets with FOUR-judge panels

2.    Level 8-10 Regionals, Level 9 East/West & JO Nationals, regardless of the number of judges per panel.

*Meet Referee fees will continue to be paid at State meet and above.

II.     compulsory updates

A.    BARS: Level 4 & 5 Front hip circle, cast:

        Level 4: front hip circle-small cast is one major element = 0.60. If the gymnast doesn’t cast immediately (or no cast at all), deduct 0.3. If front hip is not complete, deduct up to 0.6 (includes the 0.3 for no immediate cast).  Do not deduct up to 0.6 for front hip plus another 0.3 for no cast.

        Level 5: two elements-front hip circle=0.6; cast to horizontal = 0.8. If cast is omitted, deduct double the value = 1.60.

B.    Level 4-6 BEAM: Handstand dismount clarification: If the coach pushes the gymnast over to assist the gymnast in completing the element, the deduction is 0.50 for the spot, plus the value of the element (0.6 for Lev 4&5, 0.80 for Lev 6)

III.    optional updates

      a.    new optional elementS

The following new elements were performed at the 2008 Jr. Olympic National Championships:

      Additional elements evaluated:

        Bars: #3.207     Clear hip circle forward (Weiler kip) that finishes above horizontal (but not in handstand phase) = B

Beam mount: #1.409 should also include the McCool mount, Jump to handstand with hip angle (pike) to handspring forward to land on two feet (flyspring). This element was already added to the Beam symbol chart from November 2007.

Floor: Tour Jeté with ¼ turn to side-straddle position with an additional ½ turn           C

b.   vault updates

For Twisting vaults #1.105 (¼-½ on – ¾ -1/1 off); 1.205 (¼-½ on – 1¼ - 1/1 off); 1.206 ((¼-½ on – 1¾ - 1½ off) and 1.305 (¼-½ on – 2¼ - 2/1 off), the following requirement is deleted: “both must turn in the same direction.”

c.   bar updates

1.    Level 7: Change the wording of Bar Special Requirement of one cast to a minimum of 21° - 45° to include “from handstand (vertical)”.

2.    Counting of Value Parts: The casts will be considered different if they receive either a) no Value Part credit (lower than 45° from vertical), b)  “A” value part credit (21°-45° from vertical) or c)  “B” value part credit (up to 20° from vertical). They are each considered different for the counting of value parts. Examples:

a.    Gymnast performs a cast to 45°(A), then a clear hip circle to 45° (B) to a glide kip, then immediately performs another cast to 45°, clear hip to 45°, the gymnast has done the same exact sequence; therefore, the second clear hip will receive NO value part credit.

b.    Gymnast performs a cast to 45° (A), then a clear hip to 45° (B) to a glide kip, then immediately performs another cast to horizontal (no value) to a clear hip to 45° (B), the connection WILL be considered different, so the second Clear hip will receive B credit.

d.   bars & beam dismounts

Refer to JO Code, pages 49 & 131:

If a gymnast makes no attempt to dismount following a fall while executing an element, OR attempts

a salto dismount, but never initiates the salto action and falls without landing on the feet, then deduct:

        0.50 for the fall

        0.50 Dismount Special Requirement is not fulfilled

        0.30 No dismount (off Start Value)

e.   beam updates

1.    Scales forward: In order to receive value part credit for #5.101 and 5.201 (Scale forward), the back leg must be held above horizontal for two seconds.

2.    Clarification of Gainer salto backward dismount:

a.    Page 219 - All backward salto DISMOUNTS performed off the end of the beam, but starting facing in towards the length of the beam, may be performed with a two-foot or one-foot (swing through) take off.

b.    Page 221 – All gainer saltos backward performed off the side of beam have a one foot take-off (swing through).

c.    Page 222 - To be considered a gainer salto at the end of the beam, the gymnast must be facing out and performing a salto backward toward the beam (similar to a reverse dive).

3.    Level 7 Beam Clarification:

Beginning last August 1 of 2008, #302 Straddle pike jump from a cross or side position was

approved for use at Level 7 with “B” value given. Since there are two elements listed in the JO

       Code (page 168) under #2.302, the Straddle pike jump with a ¼ turn is also allowed.

4.    Level 7 & 8     

        Acro connections: if gymnast attempts a Back Walkover, Back Walkover series, and either breaks the connection or falls on the first Back Walkover, then performs a Handstand (with no 2-second hold; therefore, no VP) connected to a Back Walkover, the 2^nd performance of the Back Walkover will not receive “A” value credit because it is not considered a different connection.

        Reminder: If no value-part credit is given for an element, that element cannot be used to fulfill a Special Requirement.

f.   floor exercise updates

1.    Clarifications:

        JO Code of Points, Page 242, Large faults, #5 “Relaxed or incorrect foot/leg/body/posture” refers to posture faults on non-value part connections throughout the exercise. Deduct up to 0.30

2.    If the gymnast lands an element and is moving toward the boundary of the floor area (or actually goes out of bounds) and is spotted (touch/pushed) by the coach to prevent them from either going out of bounds or to prevent them from falling out of bounds, then only one 0.50 deduction will be taken, regardless if it results in a fall. If the gymnast does go out of bounds, a 0.10 neutral deduction will be taken by the Chief Judge.

3.    Page 5, JO Code of Points: n. Coach on floor exercise mat: Add the words, “inside the border marking”

4.    New Business for Floor Exercise: 

1.    Matting on floor: Rules and Policies - Page 82, F. 2

        Clarification: Only one skill cushion per tumbling pass may be used; however, a sting mat may be placed on top of the skill cushion.

2.    JO Code of Points, page 5. p. Excessive use of magnesia (chalk):

          Clarification: a single-line arc drawn with chalk in the corner of the floor mat is acceptable. No tape or Velcro markings are allowed within the floor exercise area. It is still acceptable to place tape markings on the corner lines to indicate the boundary line.

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