COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., July 14, 2019 – Twenty-five members of the Junior National Developmental Team participated in the Future Stars training camp, July 12-15, at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The camp’s goals include basic refinement and skill development for the gymnasts and their routines.
“This week our nation’s top junior development team participated in the camp that had an emphasis on creating the same base of fundamental technique and physical preparedness throughout our national program,” said Dusty Ritter, the men’s Junior Olympic program coordinator. “Members of the Junior National Coaching Staff were in charge of individual groups throughout the week, which also had an emphasis on our coaches’ education program and mentoring the next group of athletes and coaches for success on the next level.”
Based on the results at the Future Stars National Championships, USA Gymnastics identified the Junior National Developmental Team, which includes the top 16 gymnasts in both the 10- and 11-year-old divisions and the top 14 gymnasts in the 12-year-old division. The top eight athletes in the 10- and 11-year-old divisions, and the top seven athletes in the 12-year-old division were invited to the special Future Stars camp.
The gymnasts who participated in the camp were Jaden Bottarini, Dylan Briones, Noah Copeland, Kiran Cox, Ethan Drake, Britton Edelin, Jesse Hanny, Joshua Hanny, Troy Holman, Kazuya Iwase, Max Kongabel ,Adam Lakomy, Xander Lucchini, Zander Malinis, Kadyn McCafferty, Wyatt Nagel, Joel Peroni, Wyatt Reynolds, Daniel San Juanico, Oleksandr Shybitov, Ami Solow, Kody Tokunaga, Kai Uemura, Jared Walker and Greyson Westmore.
The Future Stars program is designed to identify talented athletes and to start them on the right developmental path to national and international success. The program uses a special competitive routine format to evaluate the skill, strength and flexibility development of the elite athlete and coach. The Future Stars National Championships showcases the USA’s top 10-, 11-, and 12-year-old male gymnasts who perform special Future Stars competitive routines.
Based in Indianapolis, USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. The organization is committed to creating a culture that encourages and supports its athletes and focuses on its highest priority, the safety and well-being of the athletes. USA Gymnastics has taken specific, concrete steps to strengthen its athlete safety policies and procedures, including adopted the updated USA Gymnastics Safe Sport Policy. Former gymnast and business executive Li Li Leung is the new president and chief executive officer of USA Gymnastics. The organization’s disciplines include men’s and women’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and gymnastics for all (formerly known as group gymnastics). For more complete information, visit usagym.org.