"TEAM FLORIDA" GYMNASTICS

Please carefully read the following changes that has been set forth effective immediately:

 

1.  INCREASE IN ENTRY FEES FOR QUALIFIERS-  Due to the fact that judges fees will be increasing this year, there is no choice but to increase our entry fees.  Fees will increase by $3.00 per qualifier; from  $35.00 to $38.00.  State meet fees will remain at $60.00.  The Florida AAU qualifiers are still a great deal less expensive than many other meets out there, so the board felt that $3.00 per meet would not cause a big hardship for parents. 

 

2.  DETERMINATION OF AGE GROUPS FOR MEETS:  Age groups for each level, each ability division will now be determined by date of birth rather than pre-determined, specific age groups.  The maximum number of competitors in an age group will be twelve and there will be a maximum of three years between the youngest and oldest competitor.  If there is more than a three year age diffference for a group of 12, that group will be subdivided so that there is no more than a three year age difference.  This will eliminate the problem that existed in the past of some age groups only having 1 or 2 competitors.  Be sure when entering your athletes, you put down their correct birthdate. 

 

3.  Any club who pays an entry fee with a check that is returned for insufficient funds will be charged a $50.00 service charge and must immediately cover the check with a certified bank check or money order, payable to the host club.  Check must be received by host within THREE days of notification, requiring overnight payment.  Further, the club will be required to pay for all entry fees with a certified bank check or money order ONLY for a period of one year.  After one year, any further NSF checks will result in suspension from the Florida AAU gymnastics program and possible criminal prosecution.

 

This policy has come about due to a number of situations concerning NSF checks.

4.  Only the new compulsory music will be allowed at Florida AAU competitions.  The old music will not be available, so there will be a deduction on 1.00 for not using music if you choose not to use the new music.

 

Reminders:  Be sure to register at aausports.org all your gymnasts, coaches and your club.  ALSO, be sure to register all your gymnasts, coaches and club with Team Florida as well.  Fees for Team Florida are $8.00 per gymnast and coach, and $15.00 per club.  You must be registered with both organizations in order to compete in any qualifier.  Forms for Team Florida registration are available at teamfloridagymnastics.org.  Go to the rulebook and the form is on the last page.  Checks are to be made payable to Team Florida and sent the the address below.  All registrations are due by Septmember 1st.  AAU cannot be done until that time, but you may register with Team Florida prior to Sept. 1.  Any club that is not registered by Sept. 10 will be removed from the mailing list.

 

For the fall, area codes will determine what section you are in.  For spring, as new clubs register or old clubs do not, the list will be updated.

Kathy Stuenkel
Florida AAU Gymnastics District Chair
4287 La France Ave.
North Port, Fl.  34286
941-429-5777
941-457-6131 (c)

SEPTEMBER 2010 NEWSLETTER

Hello to all AAU clubs and Judges!

Hope you all had a great summer and are gearing up for another year of competition.  I have been as busy as all of you all summer, so I am going to randomly put things in this newsletter as I think of them.

REGISTRATION

Please remember that all memberships (AAU and Team Florida) expire August 31, 2010.  To register with AAU national, simply go to:

aausports.org

You must register each competing athlete and each team coach as well as your club.  All fees are listed.  You may register for one, two or three years. Judges must register as non-athlete officials.

 

Go to teamfloridagymnastics.net

Click onto handbook and scroll to last page of document.  Use this form to list all competing athletes and team coaches, as well as your club, OR simply list athletes, coaches and club on paper.  Fees are $8.00 for each athlete and each coach and judge and $15.00 for each club.  Make check payable (credit cards are not accepted) and mail to:

Kathy Stuenkel, Fla. AAU Gymnastics Chair

4187 La France Ave

North Port Fl.  34286

When your TEAM FLORIDA registration is received, you will officially be on the email/mailing list and all information will be used from your registration form.  If you do not register with Team Florida prior to one week before the first qualifying meet, which is Sept. 18, 2010, your club will be removed/not added to the email list.  So please, as I have stated before, even if your club competes only in the spring, register the club only by the Aug 31 deadline with Team Florida.  This will make my job a lot easier and you will officially be on the mailing list.

SECTIONS OF STATE WHERE YOU COMPETE

Every year about this time, I get some questions regarding where do I compete?  For the fall, on the Team Fl website is a list of zip codes dividing the sections of the state.  These have not change for 2010.  For the spring season, check the list of competing clubs section on the TF website and included in your club info is which section you compete in.  If your club is not listed and you are a CURRENT member of Team Florida, please contact me immediately.

A reminder:

Each club must be REPRESENTED at two out of the three offered qualifiers.  Each athlete must compete in a minimum of ONE qualifier and achieve the necessary qualifying score in order to be eligible for state competition. It does not suffice for a club to attend one qualifier, then enter, pay entry fee and purposely scratch the athlete with no intention of actually competing.  If only one athlete is entered into the 2^nd meet and must scratch, a WRITTEN DR’S EXCUSE must be sent to meet director and myself.  The whole purpose of this rule is to encourage active participation in our program.  That is why three opportunities exist to participate.  I do realize that in these difficult economic times, travel expenses are a consideration, but with our inexpensive qualifier entry fees as opposed to other fees that are charged for invitationals, this tends to offset things well.

Petitions to the state meet for athletes will be considered under the following circumstances:

The athlete has been injured at the time of ALL THREE qualifiers.  This must be verified by a written Dr’s excuse.

She is competing in the same level as the previous season and scored the minimum qualifying score that season.

Coach must petition in writing to me.  Coach will be notified via email.

TEAM FLORIDA OFFICIAL HANDBOOK

I am in the process of working on getting the entire handbook updated in a new book.  This is not an easy task and Liz Nichols, Georgia AAU chair has graciously consented to work with me once again on trying to get the manual updated.  It is a tedious task, so in the meantime, please make sure you know the changes as I have sent them out. 

Speaking of changes, there is a new, very important one concerning MODIFIED OPTIONAL UNEVEN BARS.  Please read carefully and make note of it:

FLORIDA AAU MODIFIED OPTIONAL UNEVEN BAR RULE ADDITION (as of Aug, 2010):

Athlete is allowed to take ONE counter swing (extra swing) after an UNDERSWING before executing a salto dismount.  EXAMPLE: 

There will be NO deduction for the counter swing. 

If gymnast performs more than ONE counter swing, the deduction will be .30 for each extra counter swing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The current rule allowing a gymnast to perform a back hip circle on HB into an immediate cast to a dismount with no deduction WILL remain in effect.  This rule is designed to help those gymnasts who cannot perform a salto dismount, but the gymnast can continue to perform a salt dismount from the cast if so desired.

ALL GYMNASTS WHO PERFORM SALTO DISMOUNTS MAY GO DIRECTLY INTO THE SALTO DISMOUNT FROM THE PREVIOUS SKILL, OR CAN PERFORM AN UNDERSWING INTO ONE COUNTER SWING INTO SALTO DISMOUNT OR CAN USE THE EXISTING RULE OF IMMEDIATE CAST FROM A BACK HIP CIRCLE INTO THE SALTO DISMOUNT.

EXAMPLES OF ALLOWABLE SEQUENCES WITH NO DEDUCTION:

1. Long hang kip, cast to handstand, backward giant into flyaway.

2. Long hang kip, cast to back hip circle, forward under swing, backward counter swing into flyaway.

3. Long hang kip, cast to back hip circle, immediate cast into flyaway.

4.  Long hang kip, cast to back hip circle, immediate cast into sole circle dismount.

EXAMPLES OF SEQUENCES THAT WILL RECEIVE A .30 EXTRA SWING DEDUCTION:

1. Long hang kip, cast to handstand, backward giant, counter swing into flyaway (-.30. The counter swing must come after an under swing, as in compulsory L 5/6).

2. Long hang kip, cast to back hip circle, forward under swing, backward counter swing, forward swing, backward counter swing into flyaway. (-.30, more than one counter swing).

I hope I have made the examples clear and everyone will understand the new rule allowing the counter swing.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER BRAND NEW CHANGES FOR LEVELS. 

Please give me several weeks to update the changes in the handbook.  It will be posted online when done.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE TEAM FLORIDA EDDIE WORTMAN SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP!

Lindsey Orr, from Gymtek, was the recipient of the 2010 Eddie Wortman Team Florida Senior Scholarship.  Lindsey was presented a $1,000.00 scholarship to assist with her college expenses (she is attending University of Florida).  Eddie’s family was present at the spring state championship to give Lindsey the award.  The Eddie Wortman scholarship will be presented each year to graduating seniors at the spring state meet.  All applicants WILL receive a scholarship, with one gymnast receiving a grand scholarship, voted on by the scholarship committee.  The criteria is that the gymnast must attend at least one Florida AAU competition in her senior year and the club she is affiliated with is a member of AAU.  In Lindsey’s case, she was an active AAU gymnast for many years and very deserving of the scholarship. 

If any club has a senior who will be graduating in 2011, please keep the scholarship in mind.  Our plan is to raise the grand scholarship to $1,200.00 for 2011 and a minimum of a $250.00 scholarship for all other applicants.  With the cost of college education so high, this money will be of great help to the girls.  A good incentive to stick out their gymnastics career.  Also in the plans are to continue to add to the scholarship grants each year if possible.  Application forms will be sent with the preliminary entry information by the 2011 spring state meet host, Tampa Gymnastics and Dance.

REGIONAL INVITATIONAL FOR 2011!!!

There are plans for a Regional Championship Invitational for 2011.  This invitational would include the states of the southeastern US.  More info on this awesome competition soon!  All levels will be included.

Please remember that the deadline for entering all qualifiers is 3 weeks prior (in hand with FULL payment) to the meet date.  The meet director reserves the right to refuse any entries after this deadline or to charge the late fee of $10.00 per athlete for all late entries.  Do not wait to send your entries into a qualifier if you do not receive an entry form.  It is your responsibility to get entries in.  Simple use a sheet of paper and list athletes, coaches and club info and include check payable to host club.  Entry fee is $38.00 for qualifiers and $70.00 for state.  A list of qualifiers/state is on the website.

LADIES DIVISION

I get many emails from young women looking for a gym to train in to compete in the Ladies division.  If your club offers this opportunity, PLEASE contact me. 

GYM ACHIEVERS

This fun, fabulous level is just what our clubs need to boost enrollment, and target a group of athletes that we just don’t seem to know quite what to do with.  Gym Achievers is a non-competitive, achievement based level for gymnasts who cannot or do not wish to spend many hours training, are training a level that is not quite read for actual score based competition, or love gymnastics and the challenge it’s training presents but are not yet ready for the competitive aspect of the sport.  I know we all have these athletes in our programs.  GYM ACHIEVERS may be the answer you are looking for.  The program is based on other team sports where one fee includes everything-uniform, entry fees, insurance.  The athletes still get to go to meets, still get to be critiqued, still get an award, but no score to freak them out and get their parents into the “my kid has to win or else” attitude.  Coaches can spot, give verbal cues and choose skills that the gymnast performs.  Participation in meets is minimal; one in-house event and the state meet per season.  Clubs who host an in house event are given rebates per athlete to defer costs and the state meet entry is already paid for, so no running to parents and hitting them with fee after fee.  The initial one time per season registration fee pays for everything except club tuition.  There is both a fall and spring GYM ACHIEVER season and the experience gained in GYM ACHIEVERS can ready an athlete for the next step into competitive gymnastics. I will be sending detailed info on GYM ACHIEVERS to each club.  If you have any questions on this great program, feel free to contact me.

I hope this newsletter give you some valuable info, and again, feel free to contact me with any questions.

Kathy

teamflorida@comcast.net