WAG Missing Workout before meet?

[thegymfreak]

What happens if a gymnast misses the practice before a meet? Are they allowed to compete? At our gym the rules are strict- get 2 practices in, whether they are make up or with your group- or don't come to the meet. The exception to the rule is sickness/ pre-scheduled commitment/ severe weather. HC is very strict about enforcing this. He has "Benched" (For lack of a better word) girls at a meet because they skipped practice and didn't make it up. What happens at your gym? Is this normal? Thoughts?

 

[cbifoja]

I don't know what actually happens. I know a mom of one of our optionals approached the coach about her daughter going to a dance the Friday night before a Sunday competition and coach flat out said no. Mom pleaded with the coach because it was the first dance she would have ever tried to go to. Don't know how it actually turned out but given how adamant coach was, I'm banking that child was at Friday's practice.

 

[krisnkids]

Our girls have to make all practices the week before a meet unless previously arranged.

Bella, while I see the coach's point, did the mom ask the Thursday before the dance with no time to make up the Friday practice or was it with plenty of time to make up the Friday practice? I have a really hard time with coaches that do not allow or encourage the girls to have lives outside of gymnastics. To me the ones who are denied their chances to be a 'normal' kid are probably going to be the ones who drop out before they would have if they were given more balance.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

okay, ^^^ you're right to a point, but the poster says the "friday night before a Sunday competition". c'mon folks...were in the competitive season. you just don't do that. out of season, yes. like in the fall in pre-season.

and if everyone doesn't understand that now, it will be those kids that go to prom instead of going to nationals. remember, some of us coaches never went to turnaround, homecoming, prom, etc; cause we were competing by choice. and we turned out perfectly normal. so let's not go to far with the "normal" thing.

 

[skschlag]

If gymnasts come to him (Not parents) our coach will try to help them out. (at least on the boy's side). They can come to early workout, or add on to a couple of days to make it up. OUr coach requires the gymnast to talk to him though, not the parent. he says it is the gymnasts' responsibility.

We had a gymnast that missed about 3 practices. He did not get to compete that weekend.

Our coach equates it to a team. If the quarteback misses several practices, it affects the whole team. Same for gymnasts. Even though most see it as an individual sport, it is a team sport.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

that is correct ^^^ the kids feed off each other during practice and more so at competitions. this has to do with team chemistry and dynamics.

 

[Jabba]

I 100% agree with the two posts above - it doesn't just affect the gymnast missing, it affects the entire team. I have a small team right now and when one misses, the dynamic definitely changes. It's a balance - I want my team girls to experience some "normal" things and not get burnt out, BUT this intense competitive side of this sport isn't for everyone. My rule is you MUST be at practice the week of the meet or you won't compete. There'd have to be some very extenuating circumstance for me to feel otherwise. I am the only team coach right now, and I work another full-time job, so making up practice some other way is not an option for my girls. I still don't think I'd be ok with that anyway-I'm not sure how productive it would be for a Level 7 to work out Level 4s. Yes, there's life outside of gym, but gym is also a committment.

 

[cbifoja]

Our girls have to make all practices the week before a meet unless previously arranged.

Bella, while I see the coach's point, did the mom ask the Thursday before the dance with no time to make up the Friday practice or was it with plenty of time to make up the Friday practice? I have a really hard time with coaches that do not allow or encourage the girls to have lives outside of gymnastics. To me the ones who are denied their chances to be a 'normal' kid are probably going to be the ones who drop out before they would have if they were given more balance.

The mom approached the coach AFTER their Wednesday practice and apparently the gymmie was supposed to tell the coach and didn't so that Wednesday practice would be her last practice before the Sunday meet because she would be missing the regular Friday practice for the dance.

ETA: And I missed my prom because my boyfriend and I broke up the week of. Didn't turn into a serial killer, don't boil kittens in my spare time. I even pay my taxes, own a house, and hold down a full-time job!

 

[bogwoppit]

I have noticed in the US that there seem to be so many "formals', "proms" and dances. Up here my kids have one school dance a year, though not formal, and so they go and the coaches never minded as it was once a year. But I can totally see how irritating it would be to have kids dropping off left, right and centre for "formals" that seem to occur every couple of months.

 

[krisnkids]

The mom approached the coach AFTER their Wednesday practice and apparently the gymmie was supposed to tell the coach and didn't so that Wednesday practice would be her last practice before the Sunday meet because she would be missing the regular Friday practice for the dance.

ETA: And I missed my prom because my boyfriend and I broke up the week of. Didn't turn into a serial killer, don't boil kittens in my spare time. I even pay my taxes, own a house, and hold down a full-time job!

Then I would have to agree with the coach. Gymmies have to have the responsibility to speak to the coach about things. But it does make me wonder if gymmie had already asked and coach said no.... Oh well, just the mom in me speaking. lol

 

[cbifoja]

Then I would have to agree with the coach. Gymmies have to have the responsibility to speak to the coach about things. But it does make me wonder if gymmie had already asked and coach said no.... Oh well, just the mom in me speaking. lol

The gymmie hadn't mentioned it and that was one of her points of contention. She purposely had gymmie only do a certain number of bar sets and said that had she known, she would have done something different.

Like I said, I don't know what ever happened as I was only privy to the conversation between mom and coach. I don't know if the gymmie practiced Friday or if she competed Sunday. I only saw the coach's answer and reaction.

 

[cbifoja]

I have noticed in the US that there seem to be so many "formals', "proms" and dances. Up here my kids have one school dance a year, though not formal, and so they go and the coaches never minded as it was once a year. But I can totally see how irritating it would be to have kids dropping off left, right and centre for "formals" that seem to occur every couple of months.

Yes, yes YES!!!! And cotillion. Lord help ME with this cotillion stuff. I might accidentally pull Bella's tongue out if she asks if she can participate in cotillion when she's old enough.

 

[sglemon]

No our gym doesn't do that. I also don't see many girls wanting to miss the week before a a meet, unless they are really sick. My dd has missed a practice right before a meet because of a stomach bug, and she scored some of the highest scores ever in that meet

 

[Quadqueen]

Yes, yes YES!!!! And cotillion. Lord help ME with this cotillion stuff. I might accidentally pull Bella's tongue out if she asks if she can participate in cotillion when she's old enough.

Nope, here the big dances are just once a year too. Our coaches generally encourage kids to go to the big events, but not sure about a Friday before a meet.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

At our gym, the final practice before a meet is sort of "mock meet" style. They review warm up procedures and do each event warm up and maybe a couple of routines per event and that's it. It's an important pre-meet time for last minute pep talks and nerve calming, etc.

I don't know what the consequences of missing the practice would be but I don't know that many families would miss other than exceptional circumstances.

 

[bogwoppit]

Yes, yes YES!!!! And cotillion. Lord help ME with this cotillion stuff. I might accidentally pull Bella's tongue out if she asks if she can participate in cotillion when she's old enough.

Had to google that, I know the French origins of the cotillions, but never knew that it existed in the US. I am having one child graduate high school this year and for the first time I will buy a formal dress for her. Even that is plenty of money. I couldn't imagine doing that monthly!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

cotillion is a popular word in Kentucky.

 

[skschlag]

sigh. I am from Kentucky and remember cotillion..not sure if it is fondly or not!

 

[sglemon]

cotillion is a popular word in Kentucky.

And in the south, in general. Our Cotillion events, seem to be only on the weekends, Sunday afternoons. I can't imagine doing it during the week and competing with sports and school.

 

[krisnkids]

I'm in Kentucky and have no idea what a Coillion is.