Competition order?

[Mariainlv]

So I was wondering, how is the order the kids compete chosen? Not the order of events but the order of the gymnasts specifically?

Im asking because my DD was last at her competitions this year so I was curious how this is decided. It just seems odd, not really a big deal, just odd.

 

[starmaker]

I think they save the best for last but not really sure....

 

[floorlover14]

My coach puts a really strong gymnast to go first on each event because it seems like that influences the others and then she puts a really strong gymnast last to leave a good impression.

 

[MeetDirector]

The answer is - it depends. At a local meet, below the state, regional, etc level the order of gymnasts competing on an event is determined by the coach. At the higher level meets, the competition order is determined by a formal random draw process (assuming we are talking USAG here).

For the local meets, the coach can use whatever criteria they want; some save the "best" for last, others mix it up. Sometimes the coaches are concerned about putting their "best" girl up first and the judges not giving her a big score so they can save room for girls still to follow. Hence the notion of putting the "best" girl up last.

In the randow draw process, it is just as the name implies, the girls names or numbers are put in a hat for their starting event and the names are drawn. For the second and subsequent events the competition order drops a specific number of girls so that the same girl does not go first more than once.

Hope this helps.

 

[Optionals United]

Gym Dad is right. Some meets the coaches chooses the order and others the order is random.

But i know if you are in a group with other teams all of your girls have to go in the same group and then the other team competes. Soo like a girl form gym "a" coulnt compete and then a girl from gym "b" compete.All of the girls from gym "a" have to compete before all the girls from gym "b" compete.

Sometimes when the coache gets to choose the order they will choose the same order for every event.So that might be why your dd always competes last.

Another thing that sometime happens is the coach knows who gets nevous while waiting and sho does not. So your dd's coach might put the nervous people first and then the not so nevous people towards the end

I hope this answers your question.

 

[nevertooold]

Shortest to tallest. Everyone remembers who they are after and we have less mix ups with the cards being in the wrong order. Fast and simple. Any small differences that could be gained by "stacking the deck" are not worth the inevitable hassles of the athlete getting someone elses score that happens (at least to us) when the order is constantly changing. I personally feel the judges do their best to evaluate the individual routine and are not holding out on the first competitor b/c a better one may come later in the rotation. Do your best and take what you get.

 

[Mariainlv]

J is not the tallest, shortest or most talented. It does make sense though that it probably was that order for the first meet and the coach decided to keep it the same so the kids knew who they were before/after.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Generally. First gymnast up is someone consistent who tends to hit their routines with no falls, also someone confident. This sets the tone for the rest of the group. Then Gymnasts are often ordered by ability with the best gymnast last.

 

[CoachGoofy]

I have a couple who really hate going last & love going first, so they go first. I have a couple who forget what to do if they go first, but get anxious, so conveniently, there's the middle for them. And I have a couple who have it in their heads that the best gymnasts go last, so they perform their best if last, so last they go.

Except on vault. Vault it's setting order, to make MY life easier!

 

[fuzi]

I coach USAG in Florida. Never once have the coaches picked the competition order. It is always randomly assigned after we enter the gymnasts in a meet. It's not shortest to tallest, youngest to oldest, or anything like that. Purely random.

 

[slkbeambabe07]

we put our gymnasts from weakest to strongest per event, other than bars which goes by height. for beam, we put first someone who can set the pace well. sometimes we just go randomly and pick out of a hat! it all changes up it frustrates me because parents thought it was how well the child listens in practice, the worse they are at that, the higher up in the order they are. NOT TRUE!

 

[Mariainlv]

Thank you for all the answers! The kids were in the same order for all 4 events. at all meets this year. Im sure that it was set by the coach as there is no way that could have happened by random chance. Interesting how different areas handle order.

 

[Aussie_coach]

We don't get to choose the order for each apparatus or anything here in Australia. We do out the kids in an order which is usually the order they use but this will be for whatever apparatus happens to be the first one they compete on in that event. We don't know what apparatus that will be so we can't plan for it.

Then what happens in comps is whoever goes first on the first apparatus goes last on the next. So say you have 6 girls its.

1st apparatus
1
2
3
4
5
6

2nd apparatus
2
3
4
5
6
1

3rd apparatus
3
4
5
6
1
2
and so on.

Don't they do this in the USA?

 

[fuzi]

We don't get to choose the order for each apparatus or anything here in Australia. We do out the kids in an order which is usually the order they use but this will be for whatever apparatus happens to be the first one they compete on in that event. We don't know what apparatus that will be so we can't plan for it.

Then what happens in comps is whoever goes first on the first apparatus goes last on the next. So say you have 6 girls its.

1st apparatus
1
2
3
4
5
6

2nd apparatus
2
3
4
5
6
1

3rd apparatus
3
4
5
6
1
2
and so on.

Don't they do this in the USA?

Apparently, this is done differently in different areas. But, in Florida at least, the first competitor on each event is assigned, and it works down the list.

The kids are put in random order, so say I have kids on Vault in the following order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Kid 3 will start on bars, 5 on beam, and 7 on floor. Then again, we might be starting on bars or floor. I never know until I get to a meet. I teach the kids to be prepared for anything.

 

[MissBear]

Here in the UK we go the same as Aussie_coach.

You don't know where you start till you get there?
We have the starting piece published with start times
e.g Session 3, 1 pm

Starting on bars,
Gymnast 1, Gym x
Gymnast 2, Gym x
Gymnast 3, Gym y

etc

For higher level comps. (about level 8 and above) the control comps and judged routines are then done in that order.
However, I believe we have far less meets than in the US, so we are able to prepare more for each individually, rather than the season as a whole.

 

[MdGymMom01]

For my dd's team, the order really depends. It is usually set by weakest to strongest gymnast on some events. But it also depends on if kids need spots on certain skills (MDL allows this) and if the equipment (bars and vault) needs to be raised or lowered. They will also put a "nervous gymnast" last on an event so that if they have a meltdown on a particular event (cough cough vault cough cough), it won't "stress out" the other teammates. Sometimes meltdowns can be very contageous and really shake up the rest of the team.

 

[gymnut1]

At our gym the best goes weakest to strongest on each piece. At my school comps I put a 'steady' on first then my 'nervy's , then the kid that never remembers the routine so she can watch it a few times. Always try to have the best last though. The only time I haven't put the best last is when the competition is drawing to a close and they end up being the only one up on a piece. Then I put the best first, and the steady last.

 

[GetaGrip]

Usually they start of with a strong gymnast on the event.

Then they have the weakest gymnast next, with each gymnast getting better and better, saving best for last.

The reason for this, is that usually the scores build as the group goes on. So if the first person gets an 8.75, the next might get an 8.8, the next might get an 8.975, and the last might get a 9.425. It's not always the case, but that's usually how it goes.

For states, the order is pure random, but a new person starts on each event. So if, say, Rachel is in front of me and Joan is behind me, they always will be unless I'm first or last.

 

[CoachTodd]

It is supposed to be random.
I've been to meets where the go by age.
I've been at meets where I decide. It this case, I let the best one go last. I don't want my barely making it front hand spring vaulter to go after my front-front vaulter who is 12 feet in the air.