Parents How do you feel about 100% medals placements?

[MILgymFAM]

What do you think is going to happen to all these medals, tee shirts, and Leo’s..... when they head off to college and beyond

I’m not keeping them. And I just don’t envision my kid having a display case for them in her living room or her and her spouses bedroom.

Or whipping them out and reliving the January Whatever Classic Of 2018 with her kid or her Mommy friends..........

Did I ever tell about my L5 1st place vault...... or that time I placed 6th on bars at the Spring Flower Invitational, here’s my favorite leo....

I just don’t see it.....

Different personalities will have different take aways. I have nearly nothing from my youth- not even my yearbooks. I also didn’t save my wedding dress or my kids baby things. My husband? He’s got his little league uniform, high school hoodies, and shirts from his high school band. To some people those things mean something for a lifetime. Not me, but some people.

 

[sce]

What do you think is going to happen to all these medals, tee shirts, and Leo’s..... when they head off to college and beyond

I’m not keeping them. And I just don’t envision my kid having a display case for them in her living room or her and her spouses bedroom.

Or whipping them out and reliving the January Whatever Classic Of 2018 with her kid or her Mommy friends..........

Did I ever tell about my L5 1st place vault...... or that time I placed 6th on bars at the Spring Flower Invitational, here’s my favorite leo....

I just don’t see it.....

I took out all my awards recently I had written place and score and stuff on the back. It was fun to go through them with my kids. Especially considering how low scores used to be and still place. it was fun to look at the ribbons, trophies etc. They are nice memories. I have a box of highschool stuff toot hat my dd likes going through.

 

[raenndrops]

I still have my high school physics t-shirt (1990). It is with YG's first gymnastics t-shirt. I have OG's first 3 sets of warm ups and a couple of her old team leotards. I also have my dad's "coach" jersey from my last year of baseball... and my baseball trophies (except the ones that my older broke when he got mad at me).
OG still wears her meet tees that fit (or almost still fit, depending, lol). The ones that dont fit, she passes down to YG. Then they come back to me. Some of them will be saved forever (and if they ever have daughters, passed on to them) and others will be turned into a blanket.
Between the girls and I, we have ALL of their ribbons, medals, and trophies from the very first gymnastics camp to this most recent meet.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I have a tee shirt pile of a few 2-4 a year. I’ll be having those made into blanket for her for HS graduation

I was actually thinking of making a few of th more special medals into Christmas ornaments but keeping all of them I can’t imagine. Well beyond via photo.

 

[LindyHopper]

I was actually thinking of making a few of th more special medals into Christmas ornaments

I really like this idea, and may need to steal it.

 

[wandrewsjr]

What do you think is going to happen to all these medals, tee shirts, and Leo’s..... when they head off to college and beyond

I’m not keeping them. And I just don’t envision my kid having a display case for them in her living room or her and her spouses bedroom.

Or whipping them out and reliving the January Whatever Classic Of 2018 with her kid or her Mommy friends..........

Did I ever tell about my L5 1st place vault...... or that time I placed 6th on bars at the Spring Flower Invitational, here’s my favorite leo....

I just don’t see it.....

They go in the same place as the 12 different sets of soccer jersey/shorts/socks/shin guards/year end participation trophy(and a tournament winning trophy or 2)...the lacrosse stick/mouth guard/skirt...the dance recital costumes...the Daisy's smock/Brownies vest/Girl Scout vest...the track shoes/4 different singlets...the 4 diving team suits/5 different chamois because they kept getting "misplaced"...the science fair projects..the high school letter jackets and corresponding "most improved" and senior awards.

Where do they go? Seriously, I'm asking. My kids are gone. What the hell do I do with all this stuff?

 

[sce]

They go in the same place as the 12 different sets of soccer jersey/shorts/socks/shin guards/year end participation trophy(and a tournament winning trophy or 2)...the lacrosse stick/mouth guard/skirt...the dance recital costumes...the Daisy's smock/Brownies vest/Girl Scout vest...the track shoes/4 different singlets...the 4 diving team suits/5 different chamois because they kept getting "misplaced"...the science fair projects..the high school letter jackets and corresponding "most improved" and senior awards.

Where do they go? Seriously, I'm asking. My kids are gone. What the hell do I do with all this stuff?

Pack a box for each kid and send it to them. It’s their stuff.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I gotta ask- are your meets as expensive as in the US? I think I would be perfectly happy if no one got anything but a photo op on the podium for winning- if I weren’t paying about $115 per meet for her to be entered, plus an additional $30-$60 for us to watch. Getting a meet gift of some sort makes it at least feel like you know where the money goes. Maybe that’s just me and I’m just cheap, but for $15k a year or so for a team gymnast, I’m happy that she gets practice leos out of the deal.

Our competitors are generally far cheaper than yours. Most competitions are about $45, for bigger comps like regionals and state you pay more, but even those would not be as expensive as your meets.

 

[John]

They go in the same place as the 12 different sets of soccer jersey/shorts/socks/shin guards/year end participation trophy(and a tournament winning trophy or 2)...the lacrosse stick/mouth guard/skirt...the dance recital costumes...the Daisy's smock/Brownies vest/Girl Scout vest...the track shoes/4 different singlets...the 4 diving team suits/5 different chamois because they kept getting "misplaced"...the science fair projects..the high school letter jackets and corresponding "most improved" and senior awards.

Where do they go? Seriously, I'm asking. My kids are gone. What the hell do I do with all this stuff?

@wandrewsjr you kept the stuff it must mean something to you. Pick out your favorite memories and display them someplace you will see them regularly. When you see them smile and remember. Send the remaining stuff to your children.

 

[kimute]

My DD doesn't even save participation medals. This year she is competing only bars due to a recent broken foot and could skip the last place AA medals. My YDD does running races and doesn't take the participation medals they hand out at the end. She says she'll get a medal if she deserves one.

 

[gymmom41]

When my DD knows she didn't have a good meet, even she doesn't want the participation medal.

 

[StayTru2U]

Why do we feel the need to provide awards after every competition in the first place? I am looking through the posts and am wondering if anyone else questioned this practice. Was I the only parent surprised after my DD’s first competition that there even was an awards ceremony? Perhaps, my perspective is a little different than many parents on this blog because I may be a little older than many of you (I had my girls a little later in life). When I was a child/teenager/young adult, I played several individual (tennis, competitive summer swimming) and team (softball, basketball, soccer) sports. We did NOT receive medals or trophies for winning after a match, competition or game. Winning, in and of itself, was the award and reward.

Why is the simple act of winning no longer enough for this generation of kids?

Please don’t respond it is because gymnasts work harder. My generation spent easily 20 to 24 hours per week perfecting our skills, as well, in whichever sport was in season. I see athletes today in other sports who work just as hard but do not receive a medal or trophy after every win.

I do agree with comments that “self-esteem should come from within”, but, if you agree with this concept, it should pertain to both those who win and those who lose. I think it is hypocritical to say that for those who lose, they need to learn to lose graciously and not expect anything, but for those who win, they should expect something. If a strong sense of self-esteem and self-worth is learned through hard work, determination, and perseverance, then win or lose, it is the process that is important…period…and not a medal around their little necks.

When I was younger, it was that “feeling” of being proud, being accomplished, being successful that I strived for when attempting a win…we were taught that it was that feeling alone that was the reward and award. Quite frankly, it is that same feeling I still strive for today when I try to complete a project at work or an activity at home. I admit I fear what we are teaching our children when we are giving them medals or trophies after every win. Are these the same young adults now reporting to me at work that expect a monetary reward or promotion just because they successfully completed one project?

My recommendation is that the children receive their scorecards with their scores and placements at the end of the competition, the 1st place winner (AA, each apparatus) be quickly announced or whose name is posted on the digital screen, the girls shake hands (which is a gracious lost practice in sports), and we get to go home after what has probably already been a very long meet.

 

[GymDadWA]

We did NOT receive medals or trophies for winning after a match, competition or game. Winning, in and of itself, was the award and reward.

If gymnastics had some kind of regular season matches against other gyms (like college gymnastics) then I wouldn't expect an award after those, but gymnastics at the youth level only has tournaments so awards make sense to me.

At the younger ages the medals are fun, the kids like getting them and showing them off. As the kids get older and the novelty wears off then yeah don't give as many out or save them for the big cumulative events, but let the little ones have their fun.

Also remember for a lot of gyms the meets are a way they make money, so the more gyms they can entice to sign up the more money they make. Having a cool medal or some other swag is one of the ways they make the meet memorable.

 

[StayTru2U]

but let the little ones have their fun.

You are assuming all of the little ones find the awards ceremony "fun". After a 5 hour+ meet, all my young DDs want to do is go home. They are tired, hungry, and its way past their bedtimes. The last thing they want to do is sit through an hour sometimes hour and a half awards ceremony. There have been many occasions they have asked me if their coach could just grab their medals for them so they can go home. On each occasion, I have explained to them that while they do not feel the need to be acknowledged for their accomplishments that day, their teammates may feel differently so they need to stay to cheer them on. It is not fun for them; they stay out of respect for their teammates. Fortunately, even at such a young age, my DDs already understand the act of competing itself is what is important. They really just like doing gymnastics. I don't even know where they have put their medals...probably under their beds (admittedly have not cleaned there in awhile).

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Wow, if we had 5+ hour meets and 1.5 hour award ceremonies, I wouldn't want to stay either. We tend to have 2.5-3 hour meets and 30 minute awards, and I'm typically done even by then.

I thought USAG said meets could only take a certain amount of time. Yikes.

 

[raenndrops]

Wow, if we had 5+ hour meets and 1.5 hour award ceremonies, I wouldn't want to stay either. We tend to have 2.5-3 hour meets and 30 minute awards, and I'm typically done even by then.

I thought USAG said meets could only take a certain amount of time. Yikes.

There is a time limit. And judges are only allowed so many judgements per session.

 

[Taxidriver]

Wow, if we had 5+ hour meets and 1.5 hour award ceremonies, I wouldn't want to stay either. We tend to have 2.5-3 hour meets and 30 minute awards, and I'm typically done even by then.

I thought USAG said meets could only take a certain amount of time. Yikes.

Snap our competitions are normally 2-3hrs and then less than 30mins for medals. Only one competition we went to our round went on for about 4 hours, our coaches were not impressed and complained that there should of been 3 rounds instead of 2 so there was less hanging around for gymnasts, I couldn’t imagine going to competitions regularly being that long!

 

[StayTru2U]

During the girls' last meet, they had to rotate out twice which means they sit out and do not compete (nor warm up) on an apparatus for an entire rotation. Again, they did this twice. There were a lot of girls. This is fairly typical for their meets. Thus, with so many girls, awards take forever. Imagine, too, how agonizing it must be for the girls who do not medal...and for their parents. I dare not say these little girls or their parents call it "fun".

But, none of this addresses my original question about why winning in and of itself is not sufficient? I can understand awarding at States, Regional comps (one could compare this to a Championship game in some sports) but why after each and every competition? My DD also just participated in a winter soccer league. There were only 6 weeks, thus, 6 games. The team was new and actually practiced really hard over 6 weeks. They were 6-0, so they played in a Championship game. They won. There were no medals, no trophies...not after each game nor in the Championship game. Their reward was winning...period...along with a big hug and high fives from their coach. And, my young DD was just thrilled to tell her Dad and sister she won.

 

[StayTru2U]

Per your post raenndrops, do you know what are the time limits because I don't believe any of our meets have been less than 4 hours this year? Who actually enforces this rule? The coaches complain and just respond to parents' complaints that they need to rethink signing up again for that same meet next year. It really has been ridiculous this year.

 

[skschlag]

During the girls' last meet, they had to rotate out twice which means they sit out and do not compete (nor warm up) on an apparatus for an entire rotation. Again, they did this twice. There were a lot of girls. This is fairly typical for their meets. Thus, with so many girls, awards take forever. Imagine, too, how agonizing it must be for the girls who do not medal...and for their parents. I dare not say these little girls or their parents call it "fun".

But, none of this addresses my original question about why winning in and of itself is not sufficient? I can understand awarding at States, Regional comps (one could compare this to a Championship game in some sports) but why after each and every competition? My DD also just participated in a winter soccer league. There were only 6 weeks, thus, 6 games. The team was new and actually practiced really hard over 6 weeks. They were 6-0, so they played in a Championship game. They won. There were no medals, no trophies...not after each game nor in the Championship game. Their reward was winning...period...along with a big hug and high fives from their coach. And, my young DD was just thrilled to tell her Dad and sister she won.

Here is my thought, as the mom of a L10 who has been competing for 10 years.

Other sports are 6-8 weeks. most do give otu something at the end.

Gym is year round. 20 hours a week. And then you do 5-7 competitions. There is nothing wrong with rewarding that.

now, 100%...no way. That is ridiculous. Give ribbons at events for the littles. ranges. Do aa awards. But there is nothing wrong with awarding for the few competitions they do for year round practice.