Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Oh Shayla...



"Shayla Worley was recruited to get 9.9s on every event.  She needs to start getting 9.9s."- Suzanne Yoculan


NCAA hasn't gone as planned for Shayla.  While many of us could've predicted the injuries and myriad of problems she has gone through (Only Shayla would get kidney stones...), we at least expected her to reel off some 9.9s on beam and eventually floor when they put her in.

Shayla was also expected to perform well on bars.  The conventional wisdom was that once Jay taught her a new bar dismount, she'd be set.  Unfortunately, Shayla cannot dismount this year (bars or beam.)  Every week, she struggles to keep that double layout stretched and then steps forward.  Yes, it stems from her tap.  We also have more opportunities to study and dissect Shayla's technique on bars.  Message boards constantly break down scores of routines from competitions and then they go back to constructing imaginary routines.  Unfortunately, Shayla missed so many meets as an elite that her routines were always of the imaginary nature...and then she rarely upgraded.  In elite, Shayla was competitive on bars by performing seventeen different variations of the reverse hecht.  She doesn't need that in college and isn't even rewarded for it.  But don't cry for Shayla's failed Olympic bid just yet, because she manages to miss her Ray (toe on+tkatchev) quite often.  Girl has certainly had a lot of practice with that move.  Years of shoddy training with Jeff Woods make us all wish that Shayla left town and dealt with the cold harsh reality provided by humorless Kelli Hill.  Somehow, they would've gotten her to be able to hit handstands and not provide us with so many train wreck moments as a team star at UGA.


In the past, Shayla was a decent competitor when she actually performed.  It is true that we rarely saw her have routines where she just knocked one to another level as an elite.  Last year was mostly a wash, as Shayla started off the year in horrific shape and then got her shit together four or five weeks in and was losing weight, hitting her stride and then managed to injure her ankle on a double full off beam.  Very Shayla.  Very very Shayla.  It is amazing how many times Shayla has made the same error on beam by twisting off the beam before she punches.  Sometimes she misses her foot entirely.  There is no excuse.  Unlike Sam Pezek's broken toe that prevents her from performing any content in her routines that still manage to get 9.9s based off of her time, Shayla mistakes on the skills that she waters down don't have buyable excuses.  She has bad ankles, yes, but the girl should be able to get a punch, twist two times and stick.  It is beam.  She is a World Champion.  And if not per the two per country rule, Shayla would've been a World Balance Beam Finalist.

Here is one athlete that Suzanne would've found ways to figure out and manipulate errr motivate! Ugh.

32 comments:

  1. Can we please start a campaign to get Kevin Copp to commentate all the NCAA gymnastics meets possible? He is fabulous.

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    Shayla is proof of Jay's weakness as Head Coach: Suzanne would have got that shit together and made her decent on two events.

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  2. Same commenter

    I would disagree though that she was recruited to get 9.9s on all events. I think she was recruited to take the place of McCool/Taylor as a three eventer. She was never a great vaulter and floor would probably be enough pounding for those ankles.

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  3. She was recruited to replace a Tolnay/Kupets and was expected to be a star. Period.

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  4. I'm surprised. I think it was obvious she was going to break before she got to NCAA, and she wasn't on the same level as Kupets as an elite. She could pull a Vise, but I think it's more likely she'll pull a medical.

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  5. She was absolutely recruited to replace Tolnay/Kupets. But, as AJ said back in the Fall of 2009, Tolnay/Kupets > Tanella/Worley. I think that is the magic formula at the root of UGA's issues.

    Shayla has flashes of brilliance that are overshadowed by mistakes on skills that should be easy for her. You gotta love Kat Ding's performance after Shayla's fall. It was as if she was like "Okay, check this out Miss Star Gymnast" and then showed her how it's done. Kat is another gymnast who has struggled with injuries but manages to maintain her mental toughness. Same with Gina Nuccio...she may very well be "Calamity Gina" but at least when she is in the line-up she hits. I hope Shayla is taking notes from the UGA upperclassmen.

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  6. Shayla lacks that competitive fire and ability to hit under pressure. In other words she's a headcase. I think it's harder to tell which elite gymnasts are headcases these days because they perform so many difficult skills. It's become acceptable to miss or have a few small mistakes and still be considered a hit routine as an elite, where as in college a HIT routine means perfect everything.

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  7. at this point shayla is more of a liability then allison taylor. At least with allison you can argue that the only reason that she was they recruited her was to get the other broken wogaettes. For shayla, it is hard pressed to even make her sit the bench, she sucks, but so does the rest of the team, by virtue of recruiting the red headed fat ass and her lesbian friend, Georgia when healthy inherently has a total lack of depth. Shayla knows it and one thing shayla likes more then hitting her routines is drama. It is all about manipulation and lies by the family. Nowhere was that more obvious when Eastern Michgan gave her fat ass sister a scholarship when no one else possibly could. Shayla apparently tried to use that as an official visit to see her sister and have someone else visit the place. Funny that it probably would have been a much better place for her, at least she would contribute.

    I can not blame her, look who her influences were. Her mother who signed a contract to discuss some vitamin suplementation she was getting and Jeff , her coach who liked her so much, that he purposely dropped her to cause injury. Personally I think that no one has provided more entertainment in NCAA the last two years then Shayla. It is like watching a cat get stuck in tar, a slow death. Loving it!

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  8. Wow- that is pretty harsh!! For Shayla to have been recruited to replace Kupets makes sense. But we all need to remember that Kupets is probably the best NCAA gymnast EVER... those are HUGE shoes to fill! Combine that pressure with the loss of Suzanne, and the heat Jay Clark has had to take over the last 2 seasons and you are looking at disappointment waiting to happen. No program can stay on top forever, and the gymdogs will come around. Look at Cassidy- she didn't have great seasons her sophmore or junior seasons, and she has been fantastic this year. Hopefully Shayla can come around too.

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  9. Shayla isn't like someone like McComb, though. She has no fight in her. She is weak. McComb's inner strength must come from her hair.

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  10. Shayla is a disappointment on her own. I don't think anyone expected her to equal Kupets, but they did expect her to do well in NCAA and win some titles (at least on beam) at SECs, Regionals, etc along the way. Shayla buys into the team, but something isn't clicking.

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  11. That board WAS set too far away from the high bar for almost anyone to make it. Good one, McCool. Then again, McCool has missed her simple mount before too.

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  12. Yeah, but even if McCool set the board Jay was standing right there...shouldn't he have noticed that it was set too far back?

    I agree 100% with AJ's assessment of Shayla, but I think the poster at 1049am is way too harsh. Sounds like they have a personal beef with Shayla. I have nothing against Shayla as a person, and as AJ says she does seem to be a team player (or at least buys into the concept) of team. I'm just saying that beyond her obvious injuries she has mental issues that she needs to work through. I don't expect her to be Kupets, I just expect her not to screw up on easy skills. And as Suzanne said, I do expect her to get 9.9s on a consistent basis.

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  13. I don't see ANY fire or competitive spirit in Shayla. It's like she has a "whatever" attitude.

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  14. Shayla Worthless

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  15. I'd assumed Tanella was recruited as bait for a better Wogette, not as an actual star in her own right... ew.

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  16. Does Shayla HAVE to do a double layout to get a 10.0? I mean Vise managed a top start value doing a pirouette into double tuck...

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  17. It's not just Shayla though, UGA is laden with underperforming underclassman. Nuccio, DIng, Mauro and McComb have carried that team. Worley and Tanella have both not produced to the level expected. And remember, Jay had to take Brezeal to get Tanella, so it is extra offensive that Christa isn't putting up 9.9's. Jay Clark should dump some dead weight and get after some new talent of else UGA won't see another title anytime soon.

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  18. Why did Shayla not test her board distance before she went? Does McCool usually do it for her? That is such a silly error and stupid way to go down.

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  19. Shayla's either burnt out or already hit her peak. It's quite sad considering she could take it down a notch or two and still do well in NCAA.

    I agree that Shayla's always had a bit of an attitude, but anon 10:49's post was crazy harsh.

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  20. If you watch again you can see that Shayla was too far back on the board in addition to it appearing to be a bit far away.

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  21. Did Shayla not also miss this bar mount at some point last year? I mean once is more than enough at her level.

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  22. Vise was a WORLD CHAMPION on bars. I think she can get away with doing a Higgins + double back dismount.

    Not to mention that double back had beautiful toes.

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  23. I think Tanella was recruited with the assumption she just couldn't handle the difficulty of being an elite but could do well in college. Grace Taylor was in over her head as an elite (low difficulty on floor/vault/ and rather inconsistent) but was a rock star in college. Tanella just doesn't have the competitive fire that Grace had and she doesn't have the fitness levels either.

    Shayla came into UGA telling Jay she would beat kupets's record for individual medals. I was pretty sure she'd be too broken to attempt that.I didn't expect her to constantly fail on relatively easy skills for her. I wonder if the Aisha gerber lso to back full might be a better option for her.

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  24. Shayla also enjoys her social life outside the gym way more than Kupets ever did. She doesn't have the discipline and has distractions, like a boyfriend.

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  25. Medical? You can get those for being a headcase? Nice.

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  26. I meant that she's more likely to get a career ending injury than turn into a star gymnast.

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  27. I think Shayla may also have been recruited with the idea that by reducing her training from elite level to NCAA she may get injured less often, or at least would still be able to compete even if she was injured because the skills were easier. Having said that I can't believe Jay ever even let her get back to training vault - she should really stay far far away from that event!!

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  28. "Vise was a WORLD CHAMPION on bars. I think she can get away with doing a Higgins + double back dismount.
    Not to mention that double back had beautiful toes."

    Not wanting to take anything away from the awesomness of the Vise, I merely meant that if someone as good as her can get into the National bar finals doing an easier dismount, why on earth is Shayla doing a double layout??

    I don't know the NCAA code but it seems she is doing WAY more than is required for a 10.0 start value, and not performing the extra difficulty very well most of the time.

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  29. I know Jay won something er other as the best recruiter..but us lowly people in Level 10 wondered what the heck ...why did he recruit Shayla and expect so much..she hasn't produced consistantly for years but hey good for her..there is another one that is coming up that has the same issues that Jay has recruited and again..years and years of injuries and no performance..???!!? I guess you take gambles and hope to hit??! I think UGA would have better luck with some consistant Level 10's who aren't broke down and know how to scrabble in the dirt to help a team win..in other words no drama, they have heart, and no mental issues believing all the hype they are so great (not to diss any of the hard working still healthy Elites)

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  30. Agreed. The effort put in to recruiting Chelsea Davis would have been better placed trying to recruit Rachel Spicer. Who, surprise surprise, is going to be a Gator instead.

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  31. Some of these comments are unduly harsh and inexcusably rude.. Just sayin'.

    I'm surprised she missed that mount. I wonder what's really going on with her. I'm not surprised she wasn't thrilled with that routine, but people are right, she displayed zero enthusiasm/energy right there. Hope she's ok.

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