From ScAm Cup to AmCup

[alattejavatoo]

What changes would you make to this competition?

I would change the timing of the meet for one. Also, I would pick a city and keep it there-it looks like USAG doesn't have it together (I know what you're thinking but that's another thread) changing sites every year. I would also go back to the old format of a two day meet. It also used to be followed up by another meet-the "The Mixed Pairs Internal" or something like that.

[Senor Nico]

Didn't they used to offer prize money to the AA and event winners? I know the AA winners got the biggest check while 2nd and 3rd place got smaller amounts. I wonder if they still do that. Well, I know they don't recognize individual event champions anymore. I can't help but think that prize money was an incentive in the past.

[Sasha]

Yes, I think it was in the range of $10000-15000.

I'd suggest not changing the format so much (although that seems to be the way things are in gymnastics as a whole!) and doing more to make it attractive to high-calibre international competitors. Maybe by holding it later in the spring, or, if they no longer offer prize money, by reinstating that practice.

[Mally]

I think they may have taken out the prize money because the winners as of late have so often been non-professionals.
Where does the money go when the athlete isn't a pro?

I think the biggest change would be changing when it is held, it is at such an awkward time.

[gemuetlichkeit]

Originally Posted by Mally

I think they may have taken out the prize money because the winners as of late have so often been non-professionals.
Where does the money go when the athlete isn't a pro?

I think the biggest change would be changing when it is held, it is at such an awkward time.

General question--as an amateur, you can't accept prize money, correct?

[fuzi]

I think it would seem more fair if both the US and international participants could field the same number of athletes.

[LilyPod]

I completely agree about both scheduling the competition for a different time of year and equalizing the number of male/female gymnasts that each delegation is allowed to send. SCAM is held at such an awkward time of year-- the transition between the "offseason" and gymnastics year just starting, and right before other competitions like the European's and such that I would guess other countries have more interest in. I think a better time to hold it would be late spring, perhaps, or into the summer. Also, it seems like SCAM has developed a reputation for being an American showcase, that it's main purpose is to introduce American's top gymnasts to the world, and I wouldn't blame other countries if they are more interested in keeping their top gymnasts home or putting their energy towards other competitions.

I don't feel I have enough knowledge of the COP to make legitimate statements about SCAM's scoring, but I've heard enough from people who do....

[greenlove]

Make it later, allow more competitors and make it an actual AA, and then bring back EFs; make it something that people want to go to. The competition format just makes it seem so cheap and hollow on the WAG side. But mainly, there is no incentive to go to the United States right now in an off-season for a WAG AA competition at which United States is going to take the top two prizes.

[flipper_gal]

I personally like it when it is, in March. . .but that's just b/c I was SO excited to see it. It was the first meet I got to on TV after becoming obsessed w/ the sport after 1992 Olympics. It was neat to see how the gymnasts had changed from Olympic form to .. .off season form I guess. . .and of course, Shannon still looked great, many of the gymnasts did actually.

I liked that format back then, with the interntaionl mixed pairs as well.

[NastiaFan101]

Just a few things I would do

-Reinstate prelims
-Make it an AA and EF comp (EF on Universal Sports)
-Allow more international competitors (2 athletes per country, 4 from US in prelims, 2 of which are scored exhibition athletes)
-Bring in international judges
-ADVERTISE WAY IN ADVANCE
-Give out prize money again