Colorado E.A.G.L.E.S.

The purpose of this league is to provide a low- pressure, positive meet experience to beginning gymnastics competitors at a reasonable cost to their parents.  We seek to give all of our students an opportunity to learn routines and compete in casual competition for awards without a commitment to long practice hours and still be able to reach their full potential.

We are providing for the beginning to intermediate gymnast who is not yet ready for USAG compulsory or optional competition, but wants to get involved in our sport.  This program is designed to provide a positive, rewarding experience based on individual and team accomplishment.

Philosophy

The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part.  The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.  The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.  To spread these concepts is to build up a stronger and more valiant and, above all, more scrupulous and more generous humanity.

-Baron Pierre de Coubertin-

In the USAG system, gymnasts may not compete until Level 4 or 5.  However, there are many reasons for girls and boys to compete at lower levels.  The primary reason is to make gymnastics a viable alternative to other children's sports.  Why would a child with a competitive spirit choose to practice gymnastics for two or three years without being "good enough" to compete Level 4 or 5, when they can try out for the soccer team and play a game two weeks later?

Every gymnastics program has lost students because they had been doing gymnastics for three of four years, and they were not yet ready for competition.  Maybe they started gymnastics when they were four or five years old - they've been coming to gymnastics every week for half their life - and still, they get the message that they're not good enough.  Or - perhaps they didn't start gymnastics until they were 13 years old, and their goal is to make the local High School team.  These kids don't want to go to the Olympics, and yet they still want to participate.

We are dedicated to the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in athletics, and compete if they wish, no matter what his or her ability level may be. We need to encourage girls and boys that want  to compete in gymnastics by letting them feel successful from the beginning of their competitive careers.

 At the lower levels, we should make the meets enjoyable and accessible.  Part of this includes providing rewards for all participants by insuring that all participants can earn awards, and it shouldn't take all day to do so.  Let's get these kids (and their parents) hooked on the sport by making it fun and affordable!  Parents should enjoy (or at least not hate) going to meets.  Meet sessions must take less than three hours total, including warm-ups and awards.

Why can't kids compete optionals before they can swing giants on unevens, or do fulls on floor?  Let's face it - optionals are more fun than compulsories.  Girls aren't drawn to our sport so that they can do the same routines as everyone else.  Many gymnasts never make it to the optional levels and still many others get bored with compulsories and quit despite their ability.  In the EAGLES League, many girls compete optionals right after level 5, in Optional levels A and B and some do Optional A instead of Level 5.  These levels are designed to provide an opportunity to compete optional routines at lower levels and still provide, good, systematic skill progressions.