Parents How do you feel about 100% medals placements?

[profmom]

I think it's easy to project all kinds of adult issues and concerns onto this whole medal thing. The kids pretty much will deal with whatever the norms are and adjust, and generally will only get upset if norms are violated at a point when the medals are more meaningful than the intrinsic knowledge of how routines or a meet went. At some point they also become aware enough that they don't want it pointed out if they finished below a certain threshold, be it a score or a placement. Getting a medal rather than a teeshirt at a meet is not going to cause a kid suddenly to lose her/his work ethic in the gym unless the parent has made a huge big deal out of the medals. Sometimes I think the parents care more about this issue than the kids do.

At this point, having had two on team for many years, I get excited when someone finishes on the podium if the age groups aren't broken out to be ridiculously small, I get excited if someone really nails a routine that's been causing trouble, and I get frustrated by ridiculously long award ceremonies. My two are certainly at the point at which if a meet is going out ten places, they want the announcer to move things along quickly, they really dislike it when awards are broken up into tiny age groups, and they prefer not being called up in order to receive an AA medal for a placement in the bottom half. To the extent that they care about where they ended up, they look it up on meetscores and move on. My son didn't get any medals at his last meet. I was more unhappy about this than he was. He really did not care, because he was pissed about sitting his Tippelt on pbars and having two falls on hi bar, and he was happy about hitting pommels and rings. And those things will matter far more for next year when he moves to L10 than whether he has one or two more medals to put on the overflowing display. At her last meet, my daughter got a medal on vault, which she thought was hilarious. She was much happier about attempting her 1.5 twist on floor even though she sat it and took herself out of contention for both floor and AA.

Just keep in mind that when they are young, your kids will watch the way that you react to medals and will learn from your behaviors, whether you treat them as exquisite treasures or harumph around about how giving awards for showing up is leading to the downfall of American society. If you make a bigger deal out of placements than the quality of the routines, that's sending a message. My advice is to snap some pics of your kid at the awards ceremony for the grandparents, make sure you have a fairly absorbing game on your smart phone to endure the ridiculously long ones, and not worry about what deep and overwhelmingly significant message a piece of metal on a ribbon is sending.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

I agree. There are a dozen ways awards could be better, but the kids mostly don't care except being called up last (they don't announce places here past 50%, but they do still go in order.) It's not exactly like 100% AA awards have caused gymnasts to become lazy and unmotivated; they have a reputation for generally being hard working and high achievers.

 

[sce]

While I do feel the United States, in general, over awards kids. I tend to agree that any kid who stays in gym awhile is not motivated because they receive a medal just for trying. My ds sees his medals fall into two categories, the ones that matter and the other ones. He knows when he earned something vs. themedt placed our way too far. I also wish that 100% all around meant only those who competed all around. Nothing like getting an AA medal when you scratched events. My kid is aware when he did his best too, sure he’d like his best to be enough to beat others, but that does not always happen. His motivation to continue is not from medals earned but from wanting to be better.

 

[mommyof1]

I also wish that 100% all around meant only those who competed all around. Nothing like getting an AA medal when you scratched events.

At my daughter's very first meet, they gave event medals all the way out, including to kids who had scratched. So kids literally got medals for saluting, touching the equipment, and saluting. It was ridiculous.

 

[LindyHopper]

I also wish that 100% all around meant only those who competed all around. Nothing like getting an AA medal when you scratched events.

AMEN!

 

[raenndrops]

At my daughter's very first meet, they gave event medals all the way out, including to kids who had scratched. So kids literally got medals for saluting, touching the equipment, and saluting. It was ridiculous.

We only do ribbons... and I TRY to catch scratches and not award them (They are supposed to be marked out by the first person with the printout, but he sometimes fails). I think in all my years of doing awards I only accidentally awarded a scratch 2x. The girls actually think it's funny when it happens.

 

[mommyof1]

Medals are mostly just ridiculous anyway because they depend on the arbitrary construction of the age groups. At states last year my daughter got exactly one medal, but if she’d been in the next age group down she would have had four medals including one third place.

 

[sce]

Medals are mostly just ridiculous anyway because they depend on the arbitrary construction of the age groups. At states last year my daughter got exactly one medal, but if she’d been in the next age group down she would have had four medals including one third place.

This is where I like how the boys program does it. Age groups are consistently defined, esp. at the upper levels. There are not a bunch of small age increments.

 

[mommyof1]

Medals are mostly just ridiculous anyway because they depend on the arbitrary construction of the age groups. At states last year my daughter got exactly one medal, but if she’d been in the next age group down she would have had four medals including one third place.

I double-checked and it actually would have been three, not four. But still.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I feel like,e the everyone gets something mentality like a leotard or goodie bag is sending just as poor a message as everyone gets a medal.

At our meets, the vast majority of kids walk away from most meets with nothing. They don't give out leotards, or goody bags or anything like that. Divisions are large. 50-150 kids. They give medals for the top 3-6 on each apparatus. They give trophies formthe top 3-6 AA. Only a few people are recognised and most people get nothing.

By giving kids something for attending a meet, you are sending the message that the kids should be rewarded for everything they do. Getting to participate in the meet is the reward. Excessive rewarding can lead to problems later in life, like where the kids become adults who need to reward themselves for everything they do. Shopping addiction, spending problems, excessive eating etc.

That may seem like an exaggeration, but that is how these habits are driven.

 

[sce]

This is where I like how the boys program does it. Age groups are consistently defined, esp. at the upper levels. There are not a bunch of small age increments.

Don’t get me wrong there are still times when a kid in one age group medals way more with similar or lower scores than a kid in another age group. I think the men’s program tried to keep boys grouped with their developmental peers though. Also, a recent large meet we went to had multiple sessions of the same level. Like 9 level 10 sessions. My kid performed well but did medal. There were a few sessions where he would have medaled though. He knew going in it would be a tough meet though. So was not upset about not medalling

 

[MILgymFAM]

I feel like,e the everyone gets something mentality like a leotard or goodie bag is sending just as poor a message as everyone gets a medal.

At our meets, the vast majority of kids walk away from most meets with nothing. They don't give out leotards, or goody bags or anything like that. Divisions are large. 50-150 kids. They give medals for the top 3-6 on each apparatus. They give trophies formthe top 3-6 AA. Only a few people are recognised and most people get nothing.

By giving kids something for attending a meet, you are sending the message that the kids should be rewarded for everything they do. Getting to participate in the meet is the reward. Excessive rewarding can lead to problems later in life, like where the kids become adults who need to reward themselves for everything they do. Shopping addiction, spending problems, excessive eating etc.

That may seem like an exaggeration, but that is how these habits are driven.

I gotta ask- are your meets as expensive as in the US? I think I would be perfectly happy if no one got anything but a photo op on the podium for winning- if I weren’t paying about $115 per meet for her to be entered, plus an additional $30-$60 for us to watch. Getting a meet gift of some sort makes it at least feel like you know where the money goes. Maybe that’s just me and I’m just cheap, but for $15k a year or so for a team gymnast, I’m happy that she gets practice leos out of the deal.

 

[raenndrops]

I feel like,e the everyone gets something mentality like a leotard or goodie bag is sending just as poor a message as everyone gets a medal.

At our meets, the vast majority of kids walk away from most meets with nothing. They don't give out leotards, or goody bags or anything like that. Divisions are large. 50-150 kids. They give medals for the top 3-6 on each apparatus. They give trophies for the top 3-6 AA. Only a few people are recognised and most people get nothing.

By giving kids something for attending a meet, you are sending the message that the kids should be rewarded for everything they do. Getting to participate in the meet is the reward. Excessive rewarding can lead to problems later in life, like where the kids become adults who need to reward themselves for everything they do. Shopping addiction, spending problems, excessive eating etc.

That may seem like an exaggeration, but that is how these habits are driven.

If getting to compete in the meet was the reward, the gymnasts wouldnt have to PAY for the "privilege."
When they have to pay $100 or more to compete at a meet, it is nice to have some memento of the meet.

I don't know how many meets you have available, but there are a lot of meets here that gyms can choose from. Meet directors want teams to come back, so they offer something for the gymnasts. It isn't really a reward. It is just a keepsake.

 

[LindyHopper]

By giving kids something for attending a meet, you are sending the message that the kids should be rewarded for everything they do. Getting to participate in the meet is the reward

I disagree. Maybe it's just my kid, but she doesn't see meet giveaways as a reward. She sees them as something fun to remember a meet by.

There have been meets where she has walked away with absolutely nothing, and was no less satisfied with her meet experience.

But then, she has a teammate who is essentially rewarded with money for every 9 she gets. My child is treated exactly the same whether she is in 20th place in her age group or 1st. She gets a hug, a "good job", and we're really excited about her attaining any of her personal non-score, non-placement related goals.

 

[tucktwisttumble]

https://usagym.org/PDFs/Men/Rules/Rules and Policies/2017/iv_joprogram.pdf

Page 14 are the "awards rules" for MAG. There must be a WAG somewhere as well

* I came across this reading it from a different thread, but thought I would share it here.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Agree that meet momentos like leotards/t-shirts/grip bags are not a partipation award, but more of a “gift with purchase” for choosing to attend a competition. Those of us in high density gymnastics areas might have 4 different competitions to choose from within a 2 hour radius on every weekend during season. Though competition details like quality of facilities and equipment, efficiency of meet director at communications of meet details and running of competition usually come first, things like good food for coaches and gymnast gifts that please gymnasts and parents definitely factor in if all the important stuff is fairly equal.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Page 119 of https://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/Rules/Rules and Policies/2017_2018_w_rulespolicies_0801.pdf

https://usagym.org/PDFs/Men/Rules/Rules and Policies/2017/iv_joprogram.pdf

Page 14 are the "awards rules" for MAG. There must be a WAG somewhere as well

* I came across this reading it from a different thread, but thought I would share it here.

 

[sce]

https://usagym.org/PDFs/Men/Rules/Rules and Policies/2017/iv_joprogram.pdf

Page 14 are the "awards rules" for MAG. There must be a WAG somewhere as well

* I came across this reading it from a different thread, but thought I would share it here.

Those are specifically rules for states and regionals. Those rules require at most placing out 10 places, and for that there must be 51 or more gymnasts in an age group.

 

[Taxidriver]

I gotta ask- are your meets as expensive as in the US? I think I would be perfectly happy if no one got anything but a photo op on the podium for winning- if I weren’t paying about $115 per meet for her to be entered, plus an additional $30-$60 for us to watch. Getting a meet gift of some sort makes it at least feel like you know where the money goes. Maybe that’s just me and I’m just cheap, but for $15k a year or so for a team gymnast, I’m happy that she gets practice leos out of the deal.

I’m from GB and the competitions my dd goes to are around $15-$30 and then maybe $10 - $20 to watch and yearly gym fees of around $1600, I forget how much more expensive gym is in the US, I was starting to feel disgruntled that everyone was saying they get Leo’s or other stuff from competitions as we don’t get anything like that just the medals but now I see you pay a lot more I’m no longer feeling disgruntled just feeling very happy with how much less I pay.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

What do you think is going to happen to all these medals, tee shirts, and Leo’s..... when they head off to college and beyond

I’m not keeping them. And I just don’t envision my kid having a display case for them in her living room or her and her spouses bedroom.

Or whipping them out and reliving the January Whatever Classic Of 2018 with her kid or her Mommy friends..........

Did I ever tell about my L5 1st place vault...... or that time I placed 6th on bars at the Spring Flower Invitational, here’s my favorite leo....

I just don’t see it.....