TOPs stands for Talent Opportunity Program. This program is designed to identify those girls between the ages of 7 and 11 who show particular talent in gymnastics and who are not already enrolled in an elite program or training for international competition.
Girls are first identified by their respective gyms and coaches as having potential for furthering their training. Usually, this means the girls show talent in flexibility and strength; however, both of these can be improved upon with further training in the TOPs program. TOPs is a separate program from any other training, including team training programs, and therefore, requires extra practice time. An extension of this is Baby TOPs, which is designed for girls who show talent but have not made it to any team training level.
Once they are identified as having potential, the girls are tested briefly by their coaches to identify any deficits in their skills. The purpose of the program is to provide training to correct these deficits. The training class also works on flexibility and strength with specific conditioning exercises.
At the end of each training year, the girls are then tested on their skills. This TOPs testing takes place over the summer, in the months of June and July. First, the girls are tested locally in several skills areas; and if they succeed in performing at the highest level, they are invited to test nationally. This is a chance for them to compare their performance with other girls in their age group around the country.
Girls test at the age that they will be in that calendar year. For example, a girl turning 8 in November will test at the 8-year-old level, even though they will only be 7 at the time of testing. Testing is available for girls from 7 to 11 years of age. (A similar program, called HOPEs, focusing on pre-elite girls aged 10-12, is available.)
The skills tested vary from year to year as the program is continually reviewed and revised. Currently, the tests for strength and flexibility include the following: right and left leg splits, bridges, vertical jumps, 20 meter sprint, rope climbing in the pike position, leg lifts, handstand hold, press handstands, and cast handstands. The requirements for each skill varies depending on the age of the gymnast. The goal for handstand holds for girls aged 7-9 is 30 seconds, while the goal for girls aged 10-11 is 60 seconds. Girls aged 7-8 aim to accomplish 5 press and cast handstands, while girls 9-11 must attempt to complete 10 of each. All should aim for 20 leg lifts. The goals for flexibility, jumping and timed running and climbing is more difficult to define, but all girls are encouraged to accomplish all these skills at the best time and distance as possible. Although no artistic points are given for any particular skill, penalties may be imposed for poor form, such as bent knees, arched handstands on the cast, etc. This happens more often at the national level.
At the end of the testing season, results will be posted and the gymnasts are placed in different levels. For girls aged 7-8, these are Gold, Silver and Bronze, with the top 10% given Diamond status. This category is equal to National Testing status in the older girls; however, they do not test nationally. Girls aged 9-11 are given Gold, Silver and Bronze and the top girls qualify for National TOPs Testing. National testing takes place in Texas. At the conclusion of this testing, the top 60 athletes are chosen for Team A to go to camp with Bela Karolyi as their coach, all expenses paid. The next 60 athletes form Team B and are invited to attend the camp but must pay their own way.
Although approximately 50% of the gymnasts on the US national team come through the TOPs program, it is not a guarantee that any girl will succeed to this level. Many factors will affect a gymnast's performance at any given time and place.
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