The September 2017 Elite Squad Camp was attended by 23 gymnasts from across the country. It took place at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, September 14-19.
The purpose of the development squad is to provide elite training opportunities as professional development for coaches working with skilled young rhythmic gymnasts. To this end, the experts and staff worked directly with coaches to ensure they understood the techniques being taught and specific areas of recommended work for their athlete(s).
This Elite Squad camp provided a unique opportunity for gymnasts and coaches to receive expert instruction and feedback on their routines for the 2017-2018 season from world-class experts, including Russian National Team Coach Yana Arintseva and National Staff Lana Lashoff, Brooke Toohey, Galina Burns, and Sonya Yankova. Clinicians worked with the athletes and coaches to enhance the character and improve connections in the choreography while emphasizing proper basic body technique and posture.
Each morning, the athletes had training sessions focusing on ballet, apparatus handling, and strength/conditioning with the staff. Doctor of Physical Therapy, Amanda Scully, worked with the girls on a conditioning program with yoga, Pilates, and cardio, developed specifically to target areas of weakness seen in US rhythmic gymnasts.
The top 12 Junior Elite athletes from the USA Gymnastics Championships who remain Juniors in 2018; and 15-18 gymnasts born by selection from the National Championships, JO Championships, and video submissions were invited to the September Elite Squad Camp. Full selection procedures for the rhythmic squad camps can be found by clicking here.
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Interested in attending a USA Gymnastics camp with your athletes? Look for the 2017 Open Camp Information to be released soon! The 2017 Open Camp will be held December 7-11 at the National Team Training Center in Houston, TX.