posted Jan 20th, 2022 - The NSL News update on January 17th introduced former Kaos Theory XP member Carl Kallgren as the latest addition to the new SDC Rhythm XP lineup. Doug Barron, Keith Conner, Chris Webb, Carl Kallgren and Charlie McGee on camera are ready to go and have started with indoor and outdoor training.

The slot assignment of the new lineup is an interesting topic, as none of the Rhythm members find themselves in the same slot where they were with previous teams, except for videographer Charlie McGee, who is back on camera after his time with Kaos Theory XP.

His Kaos team mate Carl Kallgren had the outside center slot for the AA/Intermediate Class gold medals at the USPA Nationals 2021. He continues in the front piece, while the point slot still brings a completely new exit position and a new perspective of the complete dive pool to him.

The AA/Intermediate Class dive pool excludes the six slot-switching blocks, which require AAA Class competitors to study and practice the other slot and exit position of their respective piece partners, at least to the minimum extend.

SDC Rhythm XP lineups between 2007 and 2022

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New member Keith Conner knows the point slot and the whole front piece well from his time with AAA Class teams Elsinore Elevate (2019) and Elsinore Bullet (2021). However, with Carl Kallgren in the point slot and Doug Barron as the new outside center, there was only space in the new Rhythm rear piece, and Keith Conner takes the driver's seat.

His new piece partner Chris Webb in the tail slot is at least familiar with the rear piece, after his two years as the inside center for SDC RhEvolution XP. At least two of the slot-switching blocks (5,17) require the rear piece partners to familiarize with the complete dive pool.

Last and not least, Doug Barron, the only returning SDC Rhythm XP member, is giving up his tail slot that he has had since joining the team in 2016. He spent the last six years in the rear piece, the first four years with JaNette Lefkowitz as his inside center, then with Christy Frikken in 2020 and 2021.

JaNette Lefkowitz was Rhythm's outside center since the team was formed in 2007 and switched to inside center when Doug Barron and Andrew Happick joined Rhythm together in 2016.

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USPA Nationals 2015		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	J,H,2,8	6,D,18	F,9,L,O	1,17,E	K,19,N,P	3,7,5	4,A,B,12	11,16,M	15,Q,22	20,14,10	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	27	24	43	23	26	25	25	23	21	19	256	25.6
2	SDC Rhythm XP	22	21	42	25	27	20	23	20	20	16	236	23.6
3	Golden Knights	23	19	37	22	24	19	23	21	19	17	224	22.4
4	Carolina Turbo XP	22	20	34	22	25	20	19	21	18	16	217	21.7
5	HG XP	15	18	30	18	22	19	18	15	14	12	181	18.1
6	Prestige Worldwide	18	16	27	15	16	16	14	16	14	13	165	16.5
7	EOS	17	14	26	16	15	15	15	17	13	13	161	16.1
8	Dallas 350	16	16	23	15	17	17	15	16	14	11	160	16.0
9	Verve XP	15	13	27	14	17	16	16	16	13	12	159	15.9
10	Spaceland Lite	16	14	23	13	17	13	13	13	14	10	146	14.6
11	Camdak.is	14	11	21	12	12	13	12	8	10	8	121	12.1

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Carolina Turbo XP at the USPA Nationals 2015 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/OmniSkore!HD

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The outside center slot and the complete front piece work is still not new to Doug Barron. In fact, he has spent more time in the front piece than he has in the tail slot. Doug Barron was the outside center for VTSD/Carolina Turbo XP between 2009 and 2015, one more year than the six years in the tail slot for SDC Rhythm XP.

There is no doubt that he has accumulated more jumps and knowledge of the rear piece in his six years with Rhythm. VTSD started in the AA/Intermediate Class, and he did not perform the point slot in the first year. After winning the USPA gold medals in 2009, his first team stepped up to AAA Class training and competition and won the USPA Advanced Class a year later.

That's when Doug Barron and his original team mate Andrew Happick in the point slot began to work the front piece together for the next six years.

They were separated for the first time when they joined SDC Rhythm XP in 2016. Andrew Happick continued in the point slot, while Doug Barron switched to tail and learned the rear piece from scratch. His complete knowledge of all 4-way slots will now be helpful for the new lineup to catch up quickly with the U.S. top level.