OMG, post of the year. Timing was perfect. I thought I was looking into a mirror, except I was holding a cup of coffee instead of popcorn.
Hi Rumjello, I feel that I need to respond and show you a different perspective on this issue. I am a coach and have heard similar worries from parents at my gym (although not this specific one). The common thread is that they all have to do with distrust in the coach caused by rumors, gossiping, having too much idle time, and presumption. However, parents with concerns have approached me (either in person, by phone, or email) and I was able to explain to them what is really going on. Every time the parent ended up apologizing because much of what they THOUGHT was going on was not at all. It sounds like this may be the case in your situation. I would strongly urge you and other parents to contact your coach at a convenient time for both of you and ask them about the line-up.
Basically, you need to let your coach do his job. It is his job to decide who to put in what order at meets, not yours. Actually, at many of the meets I've been to, I have not been able to choose order at all. As coachp mentioned, it usually comes down to height order (for vault), bar settings, who is too nervous to wait until last, who wants to go first, etc, rather than a true "worst to best" line-up.
I don't believe order makes a difference at all. If your child is great on beam, they will get a great score. Judges do not try to give certain kids lower scores than others. I am assuming your child is in compulsories, yes? Line-up makes absolutely no difference at that point. MAYBE later on in optionals, and that is a big maybe. What you need to understand though, is that the judges do not give a child extra points just because they go last. They take LESS DEDUCTIONS because the child does a better routine than the gymnasts before her. She would get a better score regardless of where she is placed in the line-up. If the last gymnast to go does a poor routine, she will not score higher than the gymnasts who went before her with better routines. People often like to act like judging is so unfair and so subjective, but it really is not that complicated at the lower levels. You could not imagine how many things there are to take deductions on, so just because you think a gymnast did a great routine (i.e., didn't fall) doesn't mean that all the skills were done correctly.
"DD has been made to go first on beam a few times. Though she is no Olympian, she is not horrible. She's had a solid beam routine this whole season and hasn't fallen off one time. There are a couple girls that score higher than her but she's around a 9.2 as an average. Why would her coach continue to make her go first? There are 4 other girls that go after her and fall repeatedly, or do not do a better beam routine. What is the reasoning behind this? I'm very frustrated by this and feel that it affects her AA score every time."
It has absolutely zero affect on her AA score. You should celebrate the fact that she hasn't fallen off the beam! That is a really great accomplishment! As for the girls who go after her and have a worse routine, are they getting way higher scores? If so, then you do not understand judging and these girls must be doing skills correctly despite falls. But I would assume that they are getting lower scores.
"It seems as if the judges hold out for the last girl for high scores. I have been paying attention to this. My daughter scores higher on the floor if she is 6th in line instead of 3rd. I have kept track of the line up. DD scores higher when she is towards the last of the line up."
No. Your daughter scores higher when she does a better routine.
"I really believe the coach manipulates the line up so that "the Chosen ONE" can score higher. Though, all our our girls have their strength and I feel that each deserve a fair shot at winning just as much as the favorite one does. I truly wish that there was a computer generated pick so that the coaches could not manipulate who goes first. That way, each girl is judged on her own ability and not riding on the coat tails of the other girls. Most of us parents are tired of our girls taking the "hit" on those scores."
Let me tell you something. I love all my gymnasts equally, I really do. But a few of them are annoying, or talk too much, or are not good listeners. It is human nature to enjoy the company of some people more than others, and that goes for teachers and coaches as well. Does this have absolutely anything to do with how I coach them? NO. Just because a child annoys me, I do not try to sabotage their gymnastics!! Do you have any idea how hard a coach works to get kids to be good at this sport? It is an endless, sometimes thankless job. I have a kid who farts in my face sometimes when I spot her, so do I teach her incorrect skills as a punishment?! Absolutely not! I teach her to squeeze her buttcheeks more! When we are out on the competition floor, I want every single one of my gymnasts to get a 10! But the reality is that someone has to be the best. Someone has to be the worst. Not all gymnasts are created equal. It sounds like "the chosen one" is better at gymnastics than the other girls in your group, and that is something you need to get over. Maybe next year, YOUR daughter will be the best in the group and people will make up rumors about YOU instead. Some people always have to justify why they/their child is not the best. Don't be one of those people! There is nothing wrong with not being the best right now.
"The favorite is really nothing special. Just her mom party's with the coaches so I guess that leaves the rest of us out of luck."
WOW excuse me but that just struck a huge personal nerve because the same kind of rumors were spread at my gym about me!! So you say that your coach "party's" [sic] with this mother? And you know this how…because you are there partying as well? NO, you have heard through the grapevine, and whether or not it is true, it is absolutely none of your business who the coach is friends with!! You need to take a big step back and let go of the drama you seem to crave. Otherwise you are on the train to making your child hate gymnastics or being kicked out of the gym with comments like that.
