Parents Odd question!

[xrachx]

Very random question for you all!

Somehow, I've ended up being the person who does the announcing at our in house competition this weekend.

Has anyone got any pointers or tips to make it sound like I know what I'm doing? Only experience I've got is listening to the announcing at comps DD has been in, but they have all been very different. Is there anything you hate them doing that I should avoid?

Thanks in advance

 

[cbifoja]

No one will judge you as harshly as you judge yourself. Honestly, I cannot remember having a strong opinion one way or another over the announcer at any meet I've ever gone to. Now the performance of the star spangled banner is any subject all together................ LOL

 

[gymdoc]

My only pet peeve is when they announce first place first. It takes all the suspense out of it!
I do like when they announce the actual score for the 1st place winner, so I know how "far off" DD was

 

[BachFlyer]

Last initials are better than butchering last names! If you're announcing for older girls, you can clip along a little faster; they know what to do and the parents will thank you!

Edited to say, I also like it when they read scores for top three places only… That gives the top three a little more glory and you know how far your kid was from the podium

 

[Shooosh]

Have an ally in the back of the crowd that can signal you if you are too quiet or too scratchy, etc...
Nothing worse than having everyone looking around wondering what the heck you just said!! If you get a chance, talking to coaches or someone to get pronunciations correct is helpful too.

 

[xrachx]

Thanks everyone
Given me some good ideas, fingers crossed it all goes OK!

 

[cbifoja]

My only pet peeve is when they announce first place first. It takes all the suspense out of it!
I do like when they announce the actual score for the 1st place winner, so I know how "far off" DD was

Lordy not me. My favorite award ceremonies are the ones where they line the girls up backstage, 1st through whatever, hand them medals, march them out, salute snap snap, go away. I am so sick of sitting through award ceremonies and love the ones that let us get out of the building quickly.

 

[ShesAMonkey]

Lordy not me. My favorite award ceremonies are the ones where they line the girls up backstage, 1st through whatever, hand them medals, march them out, salute snap snap, go away. I am so sick of sitting through award ceremonies and love the ones that let us get out of the building quickly.

We experienced this awards format for the first time last season and I LOVE IT! Line 'em up, parade 'em out, salute, done!

And honestly, the gyms who announce the 1st place gymnast first? I actually like this too. It gives the girl who won more time on the podium (she deserves this, she won!).

 

[cbifoja]

That's a good point. By the time the first place name has been called, it seems like she barely gets the medal on her neck to be able to salute. Then her moment is over! But girls in 12th place stand up there for the entire time.

 

[gymbeam]

I REALLY like when they do awards for all groups at the same time, like this:

Vault- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Bars- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Beam-JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Floor-JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
AA- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB

It makes everyone pay attention to all groups and when your child is in JrA you don't get all antsy while siting through the other 3 groups- or when yours is SrB you don't have to wait forever for your child's group to be included.

 

[raenndrops]

I REALLY like when they do awards for all groups at the same time, like this:

Vault- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Bars- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Beam-JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Floor-JrA, JrB, Sr A, SrB
AA- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB

It makes everyone pay attention to all groups and when your child is in JrA you don't get all antsy while siting through the other 3 groups- or when yours is SrB you don't have to wait forever for your child's group to be included.

But at relatively smaller meets, when they place top 12 and there are a max of 12 in each age group, it is easier to do the age group - vault, step down and back a little (instead of sitting back down)... bars, step back... beam, step back... floor, step back... AA, sit down.
It is the whole going back to their seats that takes forever. When we host a bigger meet with too many to place, we have the girls in the current age group just sit in front instead of going back to their seats after each event award. Then we only have to wait on girls who may not have been called yet.
Also, if you are not placing 100%, it is helpful (if working UP to 1st) to tell the score of the lowest place awarded. It helps parents and gymnasts know why you didn't call Little Susie who got a personal best score. (At our big meets, we announce 12th place and 3rd-1st... unless all girls placed, then only announce top 3).

 

[gymbeam]

when ive seen this done, they actually dont go sit down, they line them up to the side in order to be called back up again- actually goes much faster that way!

 

[AmandaLynn]

I REALLY like when they do awards for all groups at the same time, like this:

Vault- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Bars- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Beam-JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Floor-JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
AA- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB

It makes everyone pay attention to all groups and when your child is in JrA you don't get all antsy while siting through the other 3 groups- or when yours is SrB you don't have to wait forever for your child's group to be included.

This method also prevents the incredibly rude people from leaving before all age groups have received their awards. This is a bigger problem than you would think. Especially when there is more than one session of that level and therefore no team award to hang around for afterward.

Also, I much prefer the "parade" method for meets that go 100% in each event. Just make sure you have enough awards helpers getting everyone where they need to be. And if you have even placements on one side of first and odds on the other, a few people at the podium to help the little tinies find their spot is a big help, too.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

I REALLY like when they do awards for all groups at the same time, like this:

Vault- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Bars- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Beam-JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
Floor-JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB
AA- JrA, JrB, SrA, SrB

It makes everyone pay attention to all groups and when your child is in JrA you don't get all antsy while siting through the other 3 groups- or when yours is SrB you don't have to wait forever for your child's group to be included.

I've only seen this done at one meet this season, and I really liked it too! My dd is always in the first or second group and so she is done quickly. We have always stayed until the end (and I do agree that it is very rude to leave once your age group is called), but it does seem very long. I liked it a lot when they did all age groups for each event as it is added some suspense and kept it interesting for everyone.

 

[NH~GymMom]

At our meets its impossible to leave before all age groups' awards are done, because the gymnasts stay with their coaches until awards are over (whether there are team awards or not). I agree it would be incredibly rude for people to get up and leave even if that were not the case!

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

At meets here the girls all go sit with their gym on the floor in front of the podium and wait together through the awards ceremony. If parents want to leave early they would have to go without their child.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Just be sure to talk nice and loud lol, my only complaint with an announcer was one that spoke so low that no one could hear them (even with the microphone lol!)

 

[AmandaLynn]

At our meets its impossible to leave before all age groups' awards are done, because the gymnasts stay with their coaches until awards are over (whether there are team awards or not). I agree it would be incredibly rude for people to get up and leave even if that were not the case!

Around here, most meets have sessions back to back, so the coaches are either already with another session on the floor or trying to wolf down some food during awards. It seems more uncommon for coaches to sit with them these days Around here.

Also, I have seen parents wall up the aisle and grab their child before awards was completed, even though they are sitting with teammates. Unbelievably rude.

 

[tooootsie]

I love when daughters names are pronounced correctly. Last meet after it changed 3 times I corrected the announcer. Maybe a little CGM of me, but AA was last to be announced and DD took 1st. I didn't want her name butchered again. I also like when they say top three AA scores and event scores.

 

[raenndrops]

I love when daughters names are pronounced correctly. Last meet after it changed 3 times I corrected the announcer. Maybe a little CGM of me, but AA was last to be announced and DD took 1st. I didn't want her name butchered again. I also like when they say top three AA scores and event scores.

When we had a new award announcer last year, I gave him a pronunciation guide for some of the more difficult names that I knew. I had him go thru the program to see if there were any others he might need help with and I asked the coaches... before the meet started.

And, if there are girls in the same age group with the same first name and last initial from the same team, it helps to know how to pronounce the last names.