Greetings USA Gymnastics Family:
Here we go!!
Earlier this month, 14 men qualified for the 2012 Visa Championships. This was the final opportunity for the country's top male gymnasts to qualify for the Olympic selection process that begins to unfold in St. Louis in just a few weeks.
Additionally, in Cleveland, trampoline and tumbling held its second of three selection events. Steven Gluckstein and Savannah Vinsant lead the men and women's standings, respectively. The final event will take place in San Jose in late June.
Later this week, the women take center stage at the Secret U.S. Classic in Chicago. Without question, the challenge of making this team will be among the biggest sports stories of the summer.
This is YOUR team that is being selected – America's Team. Nothing matches the incredible spectacle of gymnastics at the Olympic Games – nothing. This past week, I was inspired by two particular encounters.
The first was a corporate session that was held in Visa's headquarters in the Bay Area. Their campaign for the summer is for the world to "Cheer" for their team. Think about the incredible energy our country can create by "Cheering" for our athletes. Social media – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube – provides a tremendous opportunity for you to share your message with our team, and Visa is leading the way in delivering this message. Create and deliver your Cheer to Team USA by clicking here and show your support for the team.
My second moment of inspiration came from spending time with two amazing television executives – David Michaels of NBC and Doug Wilson, formerly of ABC Sports. Together, these two gentlemen have televised more gymnastics than anyone in the world, and both represent creative genius, reflected by the number of Emmys they have been awarded. David Michaels shared his thoughts and ideas about how the incredible story of the TEAM success at the past two Olympic Games sets an incredible stage for what lies ahead in London – it is US against the World. Doug Wilson relived some of his most memorable moments as an ABC Wide World of Sports director while attending the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame dinner. He quipped "Gymnastics is the ultimate example of the lengths the mind can go to convince the body it can do something." Both men share a passion and love for showcasing this amazing sport at the highest level.
The next few months are going to be an incredible journey for USA Gymnastics and we invite you to join us.
The Secret U.S. Classic will be televised on Universal Sports. The Visa Championships and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will air on NBC Sports and its family of networks. We have launched www.usagymnast.com to keep you connected to all of our national team athletes. And, the excitement of the Olympic year will continue well past the London Games when we bring our top gymnasts to 40 different cities on the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions later this year.
There are only about two weeks left for clubs to purchase tickets at the Early Bird rate and earn the opportunity to have their gymnasts participate in the Kellogg's Tour. The entire USA Gymnastics community can be there to welcome home our team. Be sure to buy your tickets early and reserve your seats right in the front.
Thank you for your support! As I said, join the effort any way you can and show America's Team that you are behind them.
It is going to be an unforgettable experience for all of us!
See you in the gym,
Steve Penny
President/CEO, USA Gymnastics
