WAG Competing in a meet without a team

[RangerDad]

I was wondering if a gymnast could compete in a meet without a team? Any rules, regulations, or ethics against or in favor of this action?

Examples:

- Gymnast travels to another state or country and decides to compete in a meet taking place at the current location.

- Gymnast decides to gain more competitive experience and decides to attend more meets that what the team is schedule for.

- Gymnast trains full-time in private classes and does not want to be part of a team. (I know extreme)

Any opinions and experiences welcome. At which level you have seen this type of action taking place? Was the outcome positive, negative, or no change?

Thank your for for all the input!

 

[profmom]

Who would coach? For USAG, you have to have a coach on the floor, no?

 

[htimcj]

You can't compete without a coach for your DD on the floor at all times. There are lots of cases where a girl will be the only one from a team at that particular session but they are still associated with a team/club with a coach.

 

[bogwoppit]

Even if you are an "independent" you must have a coach and they, and the gymnast, must be affiliated with the gym federation/organization,

This is the case everywhere.

 

[gymdog]

Not in USAG you won't, unless you've retained a registered personal coach, in which case I doubt you'll be welcome on any other team program.

Just join a gym with coaches you trust and they will know how to teach gymnastics to your daughter in a progressive format. Or, start training now to coach. If you're trying a DIY approach with no skills or experience, it's going to be a disaster. Gymnastics is a highly technical sport and everything has to be very organized and progressive in all participation (training and competition).

 

[MeetDirector]

The USAG Rules and Policies (pg 32, para II E) allow for something called an "unattached gymnast". For said athletes to compete in a meet they MUST have a coach that is certified to be on the floor. Personnally, I have never seen this.

As others have said, she can compete as a single athlete from a club; the costs to you might be high though since coach travel and time would be your responsibility alone as opposed to spreading it out across a team.

 

[bookworm]

I've only ever seen this once years ago...it was a solo gymnast coached by her mom and stepdad in a gym they erected on their property and it was called Buffalo One...she always seemed so lonely and they were so intense...and needless to say she didn't last in the sport...

To the OP, why would you even be thinking of something like this? It would totally brand you (and your kid) as a renegade and then you wouldn't be able to find a team that would take her....from your prior posts, isn't your daughter at the lower compulsory levels? Don't make for a miserable journey for all involved....

 

[RangerDad]

I do not have the experience or skills to train my DD . Currently we are a military family, with family members in the East Coast, West Coast and Puerto Rico. We travel a lot for vacation, training, and employment situations, so I was just wondering if for some reason she has to stay with family members for a while she could continue to compete or train while she was away.

FYI
We are planning on moving to California and finally settle so she will be in a gym and a team for years to come. Thank you all for the info.!

 

[Muddlethru]

I do not have the experience or skills to train my DD . Currently we are a military family, with family members in the East Coast, West Coast and Puerto Rico. We travel a lot for vacation, training, and employment situations, so I was just wondering if for some reason she has to stay with family members for a while she could continue to compete or train while she was away.

FYI
We are planning on moving to California and finally settle so she will be in a gym and a team for years to come. Thank you all for the info.!

Ok. I see why you posted the questions. I think instead of looking for meets at various cities and/or countries during your travels for which your daughter can compete, it might be more beneficial and productive (not to mention safe) for you to find gyms that will allow your daughter to train. She'll progress faster and get more out of training than just competing. And if you are going to be at a city for a longer amount of time, and have established a good relationship with the coach, you may ask them if they'd let your daughter compete with their team. Gyms always have some extra team leos or older/past team leos. This might be tough on larger more established gyms. But smaller, less strict gyms might be open to the possibility. Just keep your daughter's USAG membership current.

 

[RangerDad]

Thank you!


"Strive for perfection, achieve excellence".

 

[Aussie_coach]

And there are probably the same rules in the countries you are visiting. Here in Australia you have to have a coach on the floor to compete as well.

 

[profmom]

What you will find is that many gyms are willing to accommodate a visiting gymnast for training. We've seen kids come into our gym and train while on vacation, and one of my kids' favorite parts of summer vacation is training at their "gym away from gym" across the country. And as our wise program director once said to us when my son was a wee level four: "Meets are for your parents. Gymnastics is what you do in the gym at practice."

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I've only ever seen this once years ago...it was a solo gymnast coached by her mom and stepdad in a gym they erected on their property and it was called Buffalo One...she always seemed so lonely and they were so intense...and needless to say she didn't last in the sport...

I remember that, she tried elite right? had a really long surname?. I found the whole situation a little creepy, but who's looking out for the kid when you are the only one at the gym and your mom and step dad run it.

 

[bookworm]

I remember that, she tried elite right? had a really long surname?. I found the whole situation a little creepy, but who's looking out for the kid when you are the only one at the gym and your mom and step dad run it.

Yes her name was Schoellkopf....her parents/coaches were always screaming at her ... and I remember that she always had leos ordered from overseas ("no GK for Vanessa" i heard the mom say) and I remember this from back in 2005-6 era....

 

[bogwoppit]

Yes her name was Schoellkopf....her parents/coaches were always screaming at her ... and I remember that she always had leos ordered from overseas ("no GK for Vanessa" i heard the mom say) and I remember this from back in 2005-6 era....

What a living hell that must have been.

We have had a few "independents" at meets here, but it has always been because of a mid season gym change. They were at their new gym, but the paperwork had not been completed, but they had a coach and were affiliated.

 

[Gymkateer]

I've only ever seen this once years ago...it was a solo gymnast coached by her mom and stepdad in a gym they erected on their property and it was called Buffalo One...she always seemed so lonely and they were so intense...and needless to say she didn't last in the sport...

I had no idea that "Buffalo One" was actually on her parents' property. I think her parents actually allowed her to last longer and go farther in the sport than she would have otherwise. It's just too bad, they weren't better coaches ... and that they apparently were crazy screamers.

 

[Aero]

Try to imagine, theoretically of course, a gymnast who always trained privately, and under fantastic coaches too (not crazy, screaming, overbearing parent-coaches). Since it would always be a solo affair, they would get way more accomplished, and the gymnast would probably have a lot more free time outside of the gym as well because I imagine the practices would be shorter since there's only one kid. This would provide a kid with a more normal life than most when they get to the upper levels. Then take into account the fact that the practices would be completely tailored and customized to the gymnast in every way. Theoretically, this situation could produce the greatest gymnast ever, barring any bad career-ending injuries and other negative circumstances, couldn't it? Just me thinking out loud, really...

 

[gymdog]

Nope, I think training with peers is always better and encouraging. Kids learn from watching and pushing each other. And most elites get a lot of one on one time anyway.

 

[profmom]

Don't know about other kids, but my two seem to get a lot out of watching others in their group, and when my son works out with the optionals, he really enjoys watching them and listening to the coaches' corrections. Sometimes the older boys will also give him some advice on things that they've struggled with more recently than their coaches.

 

[Committed]

Nope, I think training with peers is always better and encouraging. Kids learn from watching and pushing each other. And most elites get a lot of one on one time anyway.

Yes, I've noticed that DD doesn't even think of attempting something unless she knows it is actually possible. For instance, she saw a teammate get her giant, and "boom" DD was motivated to get one herself!