hear from liz, an adult gymnast and gymnastics club owner about competing in usag as an adult

Only once I received a phone call from the Meet Director, checking to see what my real birthday was because they weren’t expecting such an old lady. We had a good laugh over the phone and now we are friends.

I did speak with our state Director in Pennsylvania two years ago when that Xcel national invitational was being advertised for the first time. They advertised it as a USAG meet and then offered a separate adult meet sanctioned through AAU. The way they were advertising their meet, it appeared like adults were not welcome in the USAG sessions. This led me to ask our state Director about it.

She told me that USAG does not discriminate against age. Adults can always register for competitions. They just have to go through the same membership process with USA Gymnastics as everyone else. But then they do need to be affiliated with a USAG club and have a USAG certified coach out on the floor with them.

Membership with USA Gymnastics is very pricey, particularly for the coach. This makes it in my opinion prohibitive for many adults who do not have a specific coach.

Please note that I am not implying that AAU discriminates against age. With (AAU) when you apply for an event license, you have to specify that you are including adults.. USAG does not have this requirement when you sanction an event so adults are always allowed. I am just telling you what our state Director told me about the situation. I love AAU!"

Disclaimer: Adult gymnasts and coaches give advice and suggestions on this page. By reading and implementing the information, you assume all liability for injury. The advice given is for educational purposes only. Please check with your in-person coach and ensure that you have the proper pit, mats and/or spot available before trying any suggestions. If you don't agree to these terms, do not attempt anything that you see on this page.