Alexandra Raisman is not a part of UF – Could Professional status be next?
This week, the University of Florida issued a list, announcing the Gators-to-be for the 2013 season. Contrary to expectations, Alexandra Raisman’s name was missing from the list, making the sports community and stakeholders wonder whether she has decided
to turn professional.
Born on May 25, 1994, American artistic gymnast, Alexandra Raisman is a member of the U.S. National Gymnastics team. She joined the team three years ago.
Currently, Raisman trains at Brestyan’s Gymnastics with her teammate, Alicia Sacramone, and is said to have similar physique and skills as Sacramone.
With a former high school gymnast for a mother, it was not surprising that her gymnastics training began when she was only a toddler, in a ‘Mommy &Me’ class.
In 2009, Raisman won her first gold on vault and floor in the U.S. Junior Pan American Championships. In the same competition she also had a share in the U.S. team gold medal and stood third all-round.
The year 2010 saw her as part of the gold-winning U.S. team at City of Jesolo Championships (placed first all-round, first on floor and vault, third on beam), as well as the Pacific Rim Championships (placed second all-round and made finals in bars, beam
and floor).
In 2011, she initially had the honour of being the only American female nominated by the USA Gymnastics for the AT&T American Cup, later she was joined by Jordyn Wieber.
2011 was an active year for Raisman with a number of bronze wins and a team gold. She participated in: 2011 City of Jesolo Championships, 2011 CoverGirl Classic, AT&T American Cup 2011, and World Gymnastics Championships, Tokyo.
Raisman made public her intentions to compete for Florida this summer at the U.S. Championships.
However, she has not signed a letter of intent yet. The letter is a requirement established by the NCAA this year, in addition to the eligibility criteria: graduation from high school, completed minimum requirement of academic courses (16 courses), and qualifying
grade-point average and SAT score.
Raisman not only has examples of fellow gymnasts opting for NCAA, but also the other way around.
Friend and teammate, Jordyn Wieber and Sacramone, have already chosen turning pro, which may influence Raisman’s decision to continue elite gymnastics after Olympics. Becoming a pro holds the promise of big money for Raisman.
In 2005, gymnast Vanessa Atler confessed on a TV show that she earned $60,000 through her short professional gymnastics career. Her career was short and commercially spanned over one Reese’s peanut Butter Cups Commercial and one team USA commercial.
Apart from brand endorsements and the like, the competitions themselves are a good enough source of money.
The Olympic team will be given the option of accepting post-Olympic tour money, which is enough to cover four years’ state school tuition.
In addition to that, various competitions also promise large prize money to winners. Her current ranking in competitions serves to guarantee invitations to upcoming tournaments such as the 2012 American Cup (prize money: 15,000 Swiss Francs to the winner,
12,000 for second place and 10,000 for third).
Winning, in turn, increases an athlete’s public profile and marketability, hence forming an upward spiral of fame and fortune alike.
As always, there is a catch tugging down these golden dreams, the probability of an injury, which can invert the picture entirely for a professional.
On the other hand, college gymnastics brings with it personal tutors, housing, and VIP status on campus. The education earned as part of NCAA is worth a staggering $100,000 for the four years.
Also, the education comes with the college experience and the sisterhood formed by being part of the NCAA.
It also makes one eligible for the various awards and honours bestowed by the NCAA and gives athletes a chance to compete for the NCAA title.
Alexandra Raisman has her work cut out for her as she steps up to the task of making a final choice between NCAA and professional status. Fans and enthusiasts wait for her official announcement, hoping whichever way she goes turns out for the best.
Tags: