Should USFS change the current training system ?
I was watching the US Covergirl gymnastics classic and I started wondering, do you think that USFS should have a training program similar to the Karolyi Ranch in USA Gymnastics ? Do you think something like these would be good for US skating ? Here's something interesting:
"Following the success of the "Magnificent Seven" at the 1996 Olympics, USA Gymnastics experienced a lull. A new age limit kept some of their top gymnasts out of the World Championships in 1997. While American gymnasts did medal in international competitions such as the Goodwill Games and the Pacific Alliance, they were largely unsuccessful in most major meets. In both 1997 and 1999, the American team left the World Championships without a single medal.
After the 1999 World Championships, USA Gymnastics attempted to revamp their program by hiring Károlyi to serve as National Team Coordinator. Károlyi required that all national team members attend frequent grueling camps at his ranch near Houston and selection procedures for international meets became more arbitrary"
"In 2001, the National Team Coordinator position was handed over to Károlyi's wife, Marta. While Marta has retained some aspects of Béla's program, such as the training camp system, she has reduced the frequency of the camps. Her approach appears to be different, and generally more acceptable to both coaches and gymnasts. It has also yielded impressive competitive results: between 2001 and 2007, American women won a combined total of 34 medals in World Championship and Olympic competition, including two team titles, the 2004 Olympic all-around, eight individual event World Championships titles, and the 2005 and 2007 World Championships all-around."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Béla_Károlyi#1999.E2.80.932000
Sound familar ? Last time we won a medal on the international scene was in 2006 with Sasha's silver medal at the Olympics and Kimmie's Gold at World Championships. 2008 was the last time we had 3 spots for the World Championship. USA Gymnastics was in a slump back than in 1999 and 2000 like we are in now and they took action and changed what they felt needed to be changed and now look how well the us gymnasts are doing. So do you think that maybe American skaters would benefit and get better results international comps, if they were to "revamp" the training system ? I know there are threads talking about what's wrong with are us skaters, spots for the world and olympics, how to select who gets a spot on the national team etc.. Like take the 2011 Nationals ladies results, some people were saying that Rachael and Mirai should be sent to FCC and who ever gets the better results should be sent to worlds. What if all that was decided by a camp instead of a major competiton ? The whole Rachael going to Worlds injured, maybe if we had a camp were all the skaters were training together for Worlds ( alternates included ) someone would have noticed. Of course all this is hypothetical. But do you think maybe revamping the current training system and having one kind like they do in USA Gymnastics would help ?
I was watching the US Covergirl gymnastics classic and I started wondering, do you think that USFS should have a training program similar to the Karolyi Ranch in USA Gymnastics ? Do you think something like these would be good for US skating ? Here's something interesting:
"Following the success of the "Magnificent Seven" at the 1996 Olympics, USA Gymnastics experienced a lull. A new age limit kept some of their top gymnasts out of the World Championships in 1997. While American gymnasts did medal in international competitions such as the Goodwill Games and the Pacific Alliance, they were largely unsuccessful in most major meets. In both 1997 and 1999, the American team left the World Championships without a single medal.
After the 1999 World Championships, USA Gymnastics attempted to revamp their program by hiring Károlyi to serve as National Team Coordinator. Károlyi required that all national team members attend frequent grueling camps at his ranch near Houston and selection procedures for international meets became more arbitrary"
"In 2001, the National Team Coordinator position was handed over to Károlyi's wife, Marta. While Marta has retained some aspects of Béla's program, such as the training camp system, she has reduced the frequency of the camps. Her approach appears to be different, and generally more acceptable to both coaches and gymnasts. It has also yielded impressive competitive results: between 2001 and 2007, American women won a combined total of 34 medals in World Championship and Olympic competition, including two team titles, the 2004 Olympic all-around, eight individual event World Championships titles, and the 2005 and 2007 World Championships all-around."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Béla_Károlyi#1999.E2.80.932000
Sound familar ? Last time we won a medal on the international scene was in 2006 with Sasha's silver medal at the Olympics and Kimmie's Gold at World Championships. 2008 was the last time we had 3 spots for the World Championship. USA Gymnastics was in a slump back than in 1999 and 2000 like we are in now and they took action and changed what they felt needed to be changed and now look how well the us gymnasts are doing. So do you think that maybe American skaters would benefit and get better results international comps, if they were to "revamp" the training system ? I know there are threads talking about what's wrong with are us skaters, spots for the world and olympics, how to select who gets a spot on the national team etc.. Like take the 2011 Nationals ladies results, some people were saying that Rachael and Mirai should be sent to FCC and who ever gets the better results should be sent to worlds. What if all that was decided by a camp instead of a major competiton ? The whole Rachael going to Worlds injured, maybe if we had a camp were all the skaters were training together for Worlds ( alternates included ) someone would have noticed. Of course all this is hypothetical. But do you think maybe revamping the current training system and having one kind like they do in USA Gymnastics would help ?
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