Parents so...how does this meet stuff work?

[tennismom4]

I apologize for being 100% clueless with reguards to gymnastics. This is all new to me - every aspect!

My kid was placed on a level 3 team a few weeks ago. This is her first time being on a team...when I watch the few minutes I'm there - the 3 team is huge (to me) 15-20 girls and they range in age from 7 (my kid) to 12/13. Most of the older girls have competed for a few yrs and then there's my daughter and the other "deer in the headlights" girls who have just been moved up from "rec" classes.....

So, for the upcoming meets, would my kid be competing against 10- 12 yr olds with years under her belt? These older girls seem to be training at a higher skill level and I can't imagine my daughter even holding a candle to some of these girls who are flipping over and over on the tumble trak.

 

[Seeker]

Don't worry....at meets, scoring and medals are given out by age group, so your DD will be competing against kids her own age. There may be some that competed last year, but since your daughter is young, probably not too many repeaters.

 

[munchkin3]

As seeker said, the girls will all compete together, the whole bunch, older and younger. But during awards, they split them up so say they have a groups of 7 yo, then 8 yo etc, etc. but it depends on the amount of L3 competing at the meet. They usually try to divide the age groups somewhat evenly so you don't have groups of 1or 2 gymnasts competing against each other. So your DD could be competing against girls within 1 or 2 years apart.
But yes, she may compete against girls who ore on their second year of L3. But don't worry, you would be surprised how they end the season.
when my DD went to her first meet, I was just happy she went out there and performed her routines in front of everyone. I was expecting her to run off and say she never wanted to compete again!!!!
Now she is a fierce competitior.

 

[lhmom]

Mine was 6 in her first year of competing. She was in Child A all season and usually with the kids who were 6-young 7 yr. olds. It really just depends on that particular meet and the age ranges of each team competing there. Good luck to her this season! Hope that she enjoys it.

 

[beamer]

Welcome to the world of thrills (9s!), chills (peeking through your fingers while your daughter is on balance beam at competitions) and (hopefully not too many) spills of competitive gymnastics.

You will learn as you go, but visiting the Chalkbucket regularly will help you get educated about what is happening and what is to come with your daughter's gymnastics.

I will just say, having had three children competing in various youth sports over the last 20 years, that gymnastics competitions are -- by far -- the most fun and interesting to prepare for and watch. But, brace yourself: you will, after only a few meets, hear that L3 floor music in your sleep!

 

[tennismom4]

thanks for the replies everyone! your answers have put me (and my daughter) at ease knowing that she won't be blown out of the water the first day she competes. My goal for her is kinda like you Muchkin3 - she is such a "get lost in the crowd" type that success for me is her just going out there and completing the meet without hiding behind my legs !

 

[Iwannabemargo]

take 2 cameras ( for when the first one is out of film/batteries/sd card) a cushion, patience, plenty of water/snacks. Competitions can be interminably long and you dd's moment in the sun is that, a moment. I show my hubbie the edited highlights, about 3 minutes of film, from 8 hours of trip.

Saying that its amazing when my little baby goes out there and performs.

 

[skschlag]

oh, and I always have a good book with me

 

[htimcj]

As others have said your dd will compete by level all at the same time and then at awards will be split by age groups. Be prepared to hear the same music over and over and over .... I really enjoy the competitions though and cheer on the whole team. We will even stay to see other sessions if we don't have anything else to do.

 

[curlygirls]

In L3, it is also possible that your dd will compete as "achievement" which means that she does not really compete against anyone. She would earn achievement ribbons based on her scores for each event. Blue ribbons for scores 9.0 and higher, red for scores in the 8s, white for scores in the 7s and yellow for below 7.

 

[munchkin3]

BTW, tennismom4 bring a paper and pencil and write down DD scores. You may want to write down each girls' in the team as well.....I don't know why, it is just the way it is (heee hee). Now you don't have to look totally lost!

I have made it a point for my DD never to look at her scores in relation to the other girls on her team, but as a way to mark her progress.......in other words, compete against your last score, and try to get a higher score at the next meet. This keeps them all friendly....Although she does this, she secretly wants to get the highest score out of her whole team.....they all do!

 

[gymmutti]

One thing that I was completely unaware of was the fact that you usually have to pay to watch your child's meet. So bring cash to the meet! There are also snacks you can buy and sometimes meets have Leo's and t-shirts for sale along with professional photos. Meets can be long and I hate hearing the same music over and over but do enjoy it overall. My youngest will be competing for the first time this year and she is excited to be the one out there (and having her older sister be the one in the stands cheering). You and your dd will have a great time!

 

[2G1B]

I always have a stadium chair (cushion and back) in my car in case it is a meet where we sit on bleachers.

And I do keep up with the entire team's scores. I like to keep up with them to have an idea of how the team will place. It also helps me to know where my DD placed with her team, so if team mates who are her age scored lower than her and get called up for placing then I can know to be ready to take a picture of her. I often tend to socialize during awards and need something to bring my attention back or I'll miss the picture and my kids will give me a hard time for missing the picture.

In the past I have never really kept up with their scores from one meet to the next. I write them down, then the sheet normally gets thrown away. My older DD does tend to keep up with what her AA scores are and she seems to always know what her highest score to date is for each event; but I'm not as aware.

Oh, and ditto the bringing money. I had NO clue it would cost so much to get in. At DS's first meet it was $10 per adult and $5 per kid - so for my mom, dad, 2 kids and myself to get in we had to have $40 in cash.

 

[gymboymom]

I just want to add: get to know the other parents. Before the meet if possible. Meets are long and it is so much more fun when you are cheering for all the girls. Our first meet year was am amazing experience with the kids and patents. Have fun!

 

[IreneKa]

Unless all the girls on the team are about the same age, I don't see a point of writing down everyone's scores. DD was the youngest on her team last year, and never competed against the girls in her team. It sucks, because you never know who she competes against until the awards ceremony, and you have no idea how she ranks until they announce it. I went to my niece's rhythmic gymnastics meet once, and they put the age category next to the girl's name on the program sheet. It was nice, I don't know why they don't do it at artistic gymnastics meets.
Oh, and if you are just curious how everyone else on your team did, most of the gyms post the scores on their websites a few days after the meet, so you can catch up later.

 

[lhmom]

Unless all the girls on the team are about the same age, I don't see a point of writing down everyone's scores. DD was the youngest on her team last year, and never competed against the girls in her team. It sucks, because you never know who she competes against until the awards ceremony, and you have no idea how she ranks until they announce it. I went to my niece's rhythmic gymnastics meet once, and they put the age category next to the girl's name on the program sheet. It was nice, I don't know why they don't do it at artistic gymnastics meets.
Oh, and if you are just curious how everyone else on your team did, most of the gyms post the scores on their websites a few days after the meet, so you can catch up later.

Oh, they don't put that in the meet program? That's how I knew if DD was in the same age group as some of her team. Also, depending on whose compiling the scores at the meet, sometimes they will have live scoring. At most in-state meets, we have TV monitors behind the seating where they post scores and rankings because they use a company called Meet Authority. The past few years at her state meet, I was so superstitious that I wouldn't go look at the monitors but my husband would.
Also, if you have your other kids going along to meets, I would make sure that they have something to do. My son usually takes his Nintendo or iPod and finds a group of other boys to play with during the meet.

 

[IreneKa]

We've been to 4 meets so far, and I've never seen the age group in the program. Some of them had monitors, but it only displayed the scores, not ranking, and not the age group.

 

[MeetDirector]

Whether or not age groups are printed on the score sheets and even the inclusion of the blank score sheets at all is up to the meet director. USAG has some very strict rules about releasing the bithdays of the athletes due to the concern about child predators. Some meet directors choose to not even get close to this rule. Depending on the scoring software being used, there are ways to show age groupings without showing ages; its all up to the meet director.

As for things to know about a meet, from a parent's perspective, one big thing I want to point out - don't try and figure out what the deductions for your dd are on an event. In fact, don't even try to compare one gymnast to another. The only people that know what was actually deducted for are the judges. It will be frustrating, I know, but it makes it better for you all around. Also remember that the bigger the meet, the more it will likely cost you at the gate. The host club has to pay for the space as well as the equipment and I can tell you it is not cheap. Lastly, if you take other children with you to the meet please, please keep them under control. I can't tell you the number of times siblings have come close to causing an injury because they ventured into the competition area. Bear in mind that spectators (and parents are just spectators) are not allowed into the competition area nor are they allowed to intact with the athletes; let the coaches coach.

Good Luck and have FUN!

 

[2G1B]

Interesting about the age groups. For my 2 DDs they competed AAU last year and it always had their age group listed except at one meet. For my son, who has always competed USAG, they have always had the age group listed in the programs. It isn't an actual age; but rather stuff like "Jr A" or "Sr B". So, based on your own kid's age and the ages of the team mates you usually had a pretty good idea of what the ages actually were (like - Jr A might be the kids who are still 7, Jr B the kids who started the season as 7 year olds; but are now 8).

 

[lhmom]

As for things to know about a meet, from a parent's perspective, one big thing I want to point out - don't try and figure out what the deductions for your dd are on an event. In fact, don't even try to compare one gymnast to another. The only people that know what was actually deducted for are the judges. It will be frustrating, I know, but it makes it better for you all around. Good Luck and have FUN!

ITA on this point!! Scoring can also vary from meet to meet (different judges), so even if it seems like your DD did a better bar routine at one meet than a previous one, she may actually score lower. I always try to remind DD (especially if we are traveling out of state meet) to not dwell on scores. One of her lowest scoring meets in her 2nd yr of level 4 was out of state and she still came in 1st AA. Highest AA score that season was at her state meet, she came in 2nd. She's learned how it works over the past few years so she seems to take it all in stride now.