Parents Competition season timing?

[EMonkeyD]

This may be a basic question, but can anyone help me understand the timing for competition/meet season? My 8 year old is a Lvl 3 and they will be competing in meets Sept-Nov. But I see people posting here and in other groups about meets happening now. Is there a set season? Does it depend on level?

 

[gymgal]

Traditionally, compulsory competes in the fall and optionals (level 6-10) competes in the spring but there are some states in which compulsory competes in the spring as well or they have a split season like nov-march

 

[JBS]

There are also a growing number of clubs in certain states that are deciding to only use the spring season (Jan - March/April/May depending on level). Our club does this so our entire club competes on the same schedule... same new skill time... same routine time... etc. Our compulsory kids don't even go to the State meet anymore and we find that it is much less stressful for them. They start attending the State meet when they become optionals. The competitions in the spring season are also much more fun... in big venues... large scale events... not little boring in-house meets.

 

[Dahlia]

It depends on the state. Our comp season for all levels has always been spring with a maybe one meet in November or December. States has always been end of March/beginning of April.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

There are also a growing number of clubs in certain states that are deciding to only use the spring season (Jan - March/April/May depending on level). Our club does this so our entire club competes on the same schedule... same new skill time... same routine time... etc. Our compulsory kids don't even go to the State meet anymore and we find that it is much less stressful for them. They start attending the State meet when they become optionals. The competitions in the spring season are also much more fun... in big venues... large scale events... not little boring in-house meets.

This is what our gym started doing a few years ago, I think 2019 was the last time our compulsory girls competed in the fall. Seems like more gyms around us are switching each year. I wonder if at some point they will just officially move all levels to the winter/spring.

 

[Carly]

In my state, meet season is the same for compulsory and optionals. Meets start around Nov/Dec and states in March - May.

 

[JBS]

This is what our gym started doing a few years ago, I think 2019 was the last time our compulsory girls competed in the fall. Seems like more gyms around us are switching each year. I wonder if at some point they will just officially move all levels to the winter/spring.

Getting a little off topic here... but it makes much more sense for us to do it this way.

When we take our lower levels to spring meets... the entire level competes together in the same session. When we do fall meets... our L4 team may be split across 4 session due to age grouping even though we only have 12 kids at that level. When they are all together... it's more fun for the kids... the parents... and the coaches. This also gives more opportunities for team dinners and such all together afterwards.

Fall season meets the kids also compete against the same exact kids each meet... spring season... totally new group of competitors each meet.

Fall season... 1 team champion per level... spring season... 1 team champion in each and every session.

Here is another big thing... fall season costs us (the club) more to send the coaches to the meets. If our L4's are in 4 session and we send 2 coaches to each session it's going to cost around $800 if we pay $100/session for the coaches. In the spring season we could take all 6 of our coaches for that level to the one session and it would still be cheaper. The kids have more fun... so do the coaches... it's more team like.

We are trying to really build our team culture... fall season just doesn't do this very well in our state.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Getting a little off topic here... but it makes much more sense for us to do it this way.

When we take our lower levels to spring meets... the entire level competes together in the same session. When we do fall meets... our L4 team may be split across 4 session due to age grouping even though we only have 12 kids at that level. When they are all together... it's more fun for the kids... the parents... and the coaches. This also gives more opportunities for team dinners and such all together afterwards.

Fall season meets the kids also compete against the same exact kids each meet... spring season... totally new group of competitors each meet.

Fall season... 1 team champion per level... spring season... 1 team champion in each and every session.

Here is another big thing... fall season costs us (the club) more to send the coaches to the meets. If our L4's are in 4 session and we send 2 coaches to each session it's going to cost around $800 if we pay $100/session for the coaches. In the spring season we could take all 6 of our coaches for that level to the one session and it would still be cheaper. The kids have more fun... so do the coaches... it's more team like.

We are trying to really build our team culture... fall season just doesn't do this very well in our state.

While I see your points from the gym side, I’m do grateful that our club didn’t do this when my daughter was in compulsories. We are in a state where the compulsory season is still September-December, except during covid when it moved temporarily. So yeah they competed in state (1-3 hours away), in multiple sessions and usually against many of the same competitors. They did develop friendships/friendly rivalries with some which I think added to the appeal. But mainly it’s about the cost. For levels 2-5, most of the meets were either day trips or one night in a hotel.. And definitely were all driving distance. In optionals, the meets are so much more expensive. Travel (often flying), crazy high meet fees, multiple nights at meet hotels that aren’t exactly bargain priced. I just couldn’t imagine paying that for my level 2 or 3 daughter. I think it also made it more special once they made it to level 7 and got to start going to the “cool” meets.. like a reward for their previous seasons. Idk, just my perspective as a (broke) parent of a level 10.

 

[JBS]

But mainly it’s about the cost. For levels 2-5, most of the meets were either day trips or one night in a hotel.. And definitely were all driving distance.

All of our meets for lower levels are just as you described. We don't take our lower levels to fly meets. Competitions are more expensive in the spring. We only do about 6 meets now instead of 8 or 9 like we used too for our lower levels. So overall... it's not too much more than it used to be... but yes... a bit more. Only one of the 6 meets required a hotel night. The parents are much happier with the lower amount of meets too.

Our optionals do more traveling... and yes... that is very expensive. They do 8 - 10 meets depending on how far they make it.

 

[WV Gym Mom]

It is going to depend on region/state. Here, compulsories and optionals compete on the same schedule. Sept/Oct we have one or two inhouse/or small local meets for scoring out/etc, Main season runs Nov - March. Our lower levels don't do all the meets that the older girls do.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

All of our meets for lower levels are just as you described. We don't take our lower levels to fly meets. Competitions are more expensive in the spring. We only do about 6 meets now instead of 8 or 9 like we used too for our lower levels. So overall... it's not too much more than it used to be... but yes... a bit more. Only one of the 6 meets required a hotel night. The parents are much happier with the lower amount of meets too.

Our optionals do more traveling... and yes... that is very expensive. They do 8 - 10 meets depending on how far they make it.

I see how that makes sense for your team. You must be close to a lot of big/fun meets? Our girls only do 5 regular season meets in both compulsory and optionals (plus state and any post season). And almost ALL of our optional meets are travel meets. Every couple of years we’ll go to GGI if it’s a nastia qualifier, but otherwise the closest meets are at least 5 hours away and usually more. I’m just saying if we had done that kind of traveling when she was 6 or 7, I doubt we’d still be in the sport. But of course that’s a different situation than what you describe at your gym. I’m sure the little ones love it.

 

[JBS]

You must be close to a lot of big/fun meets?

Not necessarily huge meets... but big for compulsories. We have all of our local Milwaukee & Madison area meets plus we are only 1.5 to 2 hours from all of the Chicagoland meets... tons of meets there. Lots of good meets in the Twin Cities in MN too... but that is a bit further... 4.5 hours... that takes a night in a hotel.