| Based on the review of the literature, interviews, questionnaire, and statistical analysis, the results are concluded as follows:1.The fundamental processes associated with elite American gymnasts are an initial initiation into this domain via a high degree of interest in the field, and the decision to pursue gymnastics as a career. This decision serves as a catalyst for both intensive training and practice, which results in elite gymnast status. General characteristics of the athletes include:talent necessary to legitimately compete at a high level in the sport, entering the domain at a young age, and involvement in the training phase for more at least 10 years. During this more than 10-year tenure, multiple training phases are undertaken. On average, it took the participants around 12.5 years and 18.05 years respectively to achieve world level gymnastics status. Thus, skill acquisition is a continuous and essential task in the transition that occurs from beginner to expert. Constraining factors to a successful gymnastics transition include both personal and institutional mechanisms such as resources, individual effort on the part of the gymnast and motivational factors.2. Specifically, the long-term training process associated with gymnastic development consists of routine practice and play, and organized competition such as the Junior Olympic Program, Top Talent or Future Star Program, Pre-elite Program and Elite Program.3. There was no significant individual difference between the development processes of both male and female athletes. To that end, there seems to be less individuality in planning, organizing and adjusting the training process. Accordingly, the athletes experienced extended training, which follows earlier deliberate practices and regular intensive training regimens. This training regimen is accompanied by a high frequency of competition attendance. However, certain factors hampered the performance development of the athletes and included injuries, physiological changes due to natural growth, and regularly updated technical regulations.4. Skills acquisition is a long-term developmental process. In observing motor learning and development strategies, there exists, among elite gymnasts, a relative balance in personal strength levels and other skills required in gymnastics. The participants are involved in learning and mastering a variety of gymnastics-associated skills. In brief, the skill acquisition process begins with play, and then progresses to fundamental skills germane to the sport. Subsequently, the participants transition to specific skill areas of expertise that require mastering the highest difficulties and initiative movements. Category learning was applied in learning new skills.5. On average, the gymnasts took around 10 years (9.7 years for females and 10.45 years for males, respectively) to garner a championship of national jounior level. Moreover, they took more than 12 years to receive recognition (third place) as a world champion. The age of achievement attaining shows it doesn’t completely accord with the traditional view of it that is consistent with the competition level from low to high.6. The developmental processes associated with American elite gymnasts have a direct bearing on the system of elite gymnast culture. The primary developmental processes of this elite American athlete domain include: a heavy emphasis on gymnastics education, state of the art public sports facilities, intense recruiting and marketing programs designed to locate the finest athletes, an emphasis on building a special development system for located talent, and offering comprehensive guidelines for gymnastics training and competition.7. The typical developmental process of American elite gymnasts is a kind of process with high standardization and specialization. Chinese gymnastics facilitator needs to be concerned about some issues on elite gymnast education and the general characteristics of gymnastic training in a new light. |
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