WAG When do you eat during a meet?

[Jard.the.gymnast]

I'm asking this both out of a gymnast point of view and a coach point of view.

1. As a gymnast, I'm not allowed to take my bag into the competition room. Last year I just went with it, but by the last event I was mostly so thirsty I couldn't focus. How would you eat/drink during a meet?

2. I'm coaching my first meet Saturday. It's about 8-6. I don't have a break in between sessions and I don't have any empty sessions. Is it acceptable to eat as a coach during competition? At this age, the girls are allowed to take their bags onto the competition floor (well, their parents give it to them after March in)

 

[kayjaybe]

I’ve never heard of not being able to have a water bottle with you as a gymnast. Our gymnasts all take a bag onto the competition floor that has their warmup, water, grips, and whatever else they want in there. My gymnast often has a small, non- messy snack (pretzels, raisins, etc) and may nibble between events.

For coaches, in the US, there is always a coaches hospitality area. It is usually in a separate area from the competition floor at big meets and may be right near the competition area (in the same room) for small meets. Coaches usually eat during awards, while they are doing final tallies before awards, or open stretch (before march in). Even with back to back sessions, the coaches always seem to find time to eat. Make sure you don’t short-change yourself on this. You will be no good to your gymnasts if you are distracted or weak from hunger.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Here there is a meal time during the sessions. So at some point during the day there is a longer break between sessions. Judges need to eat

Gymmies bags are with them. Grips, water, wraps, emergency hair kit and snacks. Or us parents buy food.

 

[M2Abi]

There is always somewhere close at the meet for the gymnasts to have their bag with snacks and water bottle. Sometimes there is a lot of time between events and dd will eat whenever she gets a chance. Other times the meet goes quickly and she doesn't get a chance to eat until she's competed all events. Then she will eat everything in her bag before awards.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

The gymnasts eat before and after, lol! If there is a time where they are waiting a while for an event, coaches will tell them to go grab a quick bite of whatever snack they may have in their bag.

As a coach, usually quickly between sessions. This weekend we had 3 coaches on the floor and back to back sessions. One coach stayed on the floor while the others went and grabbed food (and a plate for the coach on the floor). Returned with plate and took over supervising the gymnasts so the remaining coach could eat.

 

[rosiekat]

My son takes those squeezable applesauce pouches with him during competition - quick energy without being messy or junky. Then he usually chows down afterwards! He keeps those and a water bottle in his bag, which have always been fine to take on the floor at his meets.

 

[iluvgym]

Our gymnasts have everything they need for the day in their backpack - water bottle, snack, extra hair stuff, etc. They bring this into the gym on arrival and put it somewhere. We encourage them to grab a bit of their snack whenever they need to in between events or during the down time.

At our meets we have a coaches hospitality room. We eat there during awards, between sessions, etc. We are very thankful for hospitality because then we don't need to waste time in line or spend money at the snack bar. So thank you to all of you parent volunteers who do that for us!