Event 2025 US Nationals Junior Women Day 2 (Sunday, August 10, 2025)

[Ginger]

Re Sophia Buechler, I just don't understand what Graba is doing.
Unlike NETE coaches (who messed up Roberson and Parker), he's not novice elite coach.

 

[mle]

I wonder why they didn't just go ahead and add Kylie and Addalye to the National team since they will do it before Pan Am's (especially since they did add Livi).

ETA: And then they post this:


I guess maybe they went home, but they didn't announce them in the arena unless I missed it on the broadcast.

 

[Passion]

They are on the team, they just didn't announce them in the arena because they weren't there. I guess they went home already? Livi didn't go home because Vivi is still there.

 

[MaryClare]

Re Sophia Buechler, I just don't understand what Graba is doing.
Unlike NETE coaches (who messed up Roberson and Parker), he's not novice elite coach.

Yes, but he’s a gymnastics coach in the Midwest, not a genie in a lamp. It’s one thing to develop a gymnast to a high level, entirely different trying to salvage something from someone else’s poor coaching

 

[Ginger]

Yes, but he’s a gymnastics coach in the Midwest, not a genie in a lamp. It’s one thing to develop a gymnast to a high level, entirely different trying to salvage something from someone else’s poor coaching

She was 11 years old when she switched to Graba's gym, so I suspect Graba is the one who pushed all the elite difficulty on her, without fixing (or attempting to fix) all her form issues first.
He also made the decision to have her compete junior elite in 2023 when she still could do Hopes (and be somehow successful doing so) for two more seasons.

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Maybe she has really pushy parents

 

[makam]

Maybe she has really pushy parents

Hopefully her team looks at the scores from this event and starts a course correction. Once you've been established at having bad form, even minor repairs to it are going to be overlooked because you are known to be messy. Maybe they should pick an event or two and have her only compete those while they go back to basics on the others. Though I guess as a junior, you have to do AA to qualify for anything. It is too bad because she obviously has the fight to overachieve but she is going to be held back and I think even colleges are not going to be interested with her current form.

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Yes there is no way NCAA coaches are impressed with the form.

 

[Laura722]

Gorgeous leo and beam work from Anzola:

 

[RedBirdie]

She was 11 years old when she switched to Graba's gym, so I suspect Graba is the one who pushed all the elite difficulty on her, without fixing (or attempting to fix) all her form issues first.
He also made the decision to have her compete junior elite in 2023 when she still could do Hopes (and be somehow successful doing so) for two more seasons.

He certainly could have pumped the brakes. But she got to him already doing Hopes, from a gym that had her do levels 8 and 9 at the same "meet." I'm guessing her parents aren't exactly rational.

 

[RedBirdie]

All routines in this playlist

 

[Ginger]

Hopefully her team looks at the scores from this event and starts a course correction. Once you've been established at having bad form, even minor repairs to it are going to be overlooked because you are known to be messy. Maybe they should pick an event or two and have her only compete those while they go back to basics on the others. Though I guess as a junior, you have to do AA to qualify for anything. It is too bad because she obviously has the fight to overachieve but she is going to be held back and I think even colleges are not going to be interested with her current form.

That's exactly what I am talking about. I would have expected Graba to do exactly THAT three/four years ago. Instead, he kept pushing difficulty and 'elite' on her.

 

[ruby]

Suni had questionable technique as well when she was younger. There used to be lots of videos of her on Youtube (maybe they still are) and nothing screamed Olympic Champion. I think Graba got lucky with Suni - she managed to improve her form as she got older (rare!) and figure out technique. Not necessary due to coach, maybe in spite of...

 

[Kara]

I mean maybe these routines didn't scream Olympic Champion, but Suni at 12 was a million times more watchable than Buechler is now.

 

[cftmoonlight79]

There is a certain look, line and carriage that comes with world class gymnasts. Much of it is just natural, but of course you can work on it. But some just simply don't have the natural body line or posture. Suni had it, Buechler does not. Even if you clean up her form and such, there will still be something lacking.

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

He certainly could have pumped the brakes. But she got to him already doing Hopes, from a gym that had her do levels 8 and 9 at the same "meet." I'm guessing her parents aren't exactly rational.

So what is the rationale behind capitulating to parents regarding elite? Isn’t it not profitable for a gym to coach elites? By saying no and having the parents go elsewhere, they’re not really losing money, or am I totally off base?

 

[RedBirdie]

So what is the rationale behind capitulating to parents regarding elite? Isn’t it not profitable for a gym to coach elites? By saying no and having the parents go elsewhere, they’re not really losing money, or am I totally off base?

Coaches who get someone to the Olympics sometimes go a little crazy trying to get back there. They end up taking any and all elites ("elites") and putting up with crazy parents they wouldn't have tolerated beforehand.

Graba never saw the post-Olympic elite bump one usually sees after having an Olympic AA gold medalist. Heck, he never saw the post-Olympic elite bump most every gym that puts someone on the team sees. It's kind of curious, actually. Which may be driving additional desperation on his part to get this particular kid to elite. I don't think he has any others going elite, and it doesn't appear than anyone is willing to transfer to Midwest.