This can be a very touchy topic, but I am happy to say that I do NOT believe the majority of college gymnastics coaches choose one body type. College coaches are looking for the recruit that is "fit." The definition of fitness is "the quality of being suitable to fulfill a particular role or task."

If you can do your routines with ease and have the start values needed, then it is not going to matter how tall or short you are, or even how much you weigh.

Since the sport of gymnastics is judged based upon your "lines" and "look," the college coach could be cautious recruiting a gymnast that is out of shape in the high school years. Logic might tell them that if the gymnast struggles with being fit in the younger years, it could become even more challenging to be fit throughout the college years. But even more importantly for the safety of each gymnast, it is crucial that no matter what type of body shape you have, you need to make conditioning and nutrition a priority.

One of the great additions in college gymnastics is the number of teams that have full time trainers, doctors, and nutritionists. There is a lot of education that happens on college gymnastics teams and typically the trainers are the ones who are monitoring the safety and strength of each athlete as well as their fitness level. Many colleges have trainers at every practice and competition, which allows for solid communication and awareness of potential issues before they develop.

JH Consulting is an advising business for parents and club gymnasts. Parents hire Jill to help them navigate the college recruiting process. You can call her for a FREE consultation by going to www.jhicksconsulting.com.