WAG Injury Petition to Regionals

[Muddlethru]

To petition to go directly to regionals and by pass state because of an injury, does a gymnast need to get the minimum score of 35.00 at her own state or can she use an out of state meet? Below is a direct quote from our regional website.

"Photo copy of one pre-state; current sanctioned competition at the level the athlete is
petitioning – with a MINIMUM score of 35.00 AA."

The quote does not specifically indicate it as to be a state meet.

My daughter came home with a troubling story from one of the gymnast from her old team. This gymnast is one of my daughter's best friends. She told my daughter that if she and another teammate does not do well at the state meet, their head coach will ask the mother of another teammate, who happens to be a doctor, to write a verification of injury. Now, we were in this team for several years and the mothers are very helpful and they often give prescription whenever the coach asks. These parents are very close to the head coaches. The head coaches have even told me if I needed anything, these two mothers will gladly give a prescription. Of course writing a prescription and feigning an injury to gain unfair advantage are to different stories. in addition, this is a story that came from an 11 year old and told to another 11 year old. Something may have gotten lost in the translation both coming from the coach, the mother's gymnast perhaps or just misunderstood by the gymnast and maybe exaggerated by my daughter. Nonetheless, does this type scenario happen? Can gyms and gymnasts get away with stuff like this?

My daughter felt it was not fair. But then she said, "you know mom, if they did that, they really did not make it. Who would want to get to regionals that way?

 

[lhmom]

The level 10 gymnast from DD's gym had to petition last season (2012) because of an ankle injury she sustained a few weeks before state. According to the region's website: Had to provide a doctor's written verification of injury, written request from the coach and also provide the scores from one sanctioned meet that the AA score is 35.00 or greater (a photocopy of results of a minimum of 1 sanctioned meet- last season they allowed scores from 2011 Regional’s, Eastern’s, NIT’s or National’s to also satisfy this criteria.). The gymnast from DD's gym fit the criteria and was able to go on to Regionals. I wouldn't feel comfortable with my child going to Regionals in the way you described though.

 

[Muddlethru]

I know several gymnasts who have gone straight to regionals because of a legitimate (injury, illness, family tragedy) reason. With high rate of injury, and the amount of work gymnasts put into their training, i am glad there is this alternative procedure. And like you, I not only would not feel uncomfortable, this is something I would not do. I just wondered if it does exist and if gyms can get away with it. And also does the minimum score have to be obtained at the gymnast's own state or can it be an out of state but still within the region?

 

[iwannacoach]

Their plan is missing one point of interest that I'm not going to state. Message me if you'd like to know the specific lapse in their plan.

 

[2gymmies]

I thought if you actually compete at state then you lose your right to petition...

 

[Muddlethru]

I thought if you actually compete at state then you lose your right to petition...

I thought so too. But I also believe if you don't compete all the events, you may still petition. Also the gymnast did not get the minimum score at any in state meet. She got it at an out of state meet but within the same region. The little girl must have left an important part to the plan out. It could all a misunderstanding or wishful thinking of the gymnast. Again this is hearsay and the gym may or may not have even said anything to this effect. i would not be surprised if the mother said this trying to make her daughter feel more secure or the daughter misunderstanding her mother. It could be just a conversation blown way out of proportion. The story seems implausible to me. But stranger things have happened.

 

[gymgal]

What level is it? Could we be talking about a specialist situation, where she will only be competing 1 or 2 events due to an injury?

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

The parent doctor writing prescriptions for others is the most frightening (and illegal here in Canada) part of this entire situation. A head coach condoning and participating in this would give me cause to run FAST from this gym and report the behaviour.

 

[Muddlethru]

The parent doctor writing prescriptions for others is the most frightening (and illegal here in Canada) part of this entire situation. A head coach condoning and participating in this would give me cause to run FAST from this gym and report the behaviour.

i have to say, I do know the parent doctors and they are truly wonderful people. Prescriptions I am aware they've written are those prescribed by a general practitioner after a brief examination. I probably should not have started this thread as I do not want to malign anyone. I was just taken aback by the story my daughter told me and merely wondered if it does actually happen.

 

[Muddlethru]

What level is it? Could we be talking about a specialist situation, where she will only be competing 1 or 2 events due to an injury?

The upper two levels. And it is not a specialist situation. Though my daughter did say the gymnast hurt her heel about a month ago and the heel was sore. So I guess training might have been spightly modified and it might have halted some progress. But the family never went to see a doctor to see if it was injured at all. Can a gymnast then go to a state meet, do the warm ups and if it does not go as well as they want, choose not to compete and use the injury excuse?

 

[2G1B]

I hope that it is a mis understanding and that a doctor isn't going to lie.

But... I see no reason why a parent/doctor shouldn't write a prescription. If they see the person, understand what is wrong and then write a prescription how is that different from them seeing a patient in their office (except that they weren't paid)? I have a friend who is a doctor. She wrote my daughter a prescription for pink eye medicine when we needed it. She was at my house, agreed that was the problem and I was able to start treatment on a Saturday instead of having to have it go through our family due to being untreated for the entire weekend. I just don't see how something like that is a concern. And I imagine that the parents at the gym are the same type of thing - the kid is on say... a prescription allergy medicine and needs a refill. What is the harm in the parent who can see that the kid is having allergy problems writing the prescription instead of the kid having to go to the doctor, thus taking time and money?

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

I hope that it is a mis understanding and that a doctor isn't going to lie.

But... I see no reason why a parent/doctor shouldn't write a prescription. If they see the person, understand what is wrong and then write a prescription how is that different from them seeing a patient in their office (except that they weren't paid)? I have a friend who is a doctor. She wrote my daughter a prescription for pink eye medicine when we needed it. She was at my house, agreed that was the problem and I was able to start treatment on a Saturday instead of having to have it go through our family due to being untreated for the entire weekend. I just don't see how something like that is a concern. And I imagine that the parents at the gym are the same type of thing - the kid is on say... a prescription allergy medicine and needs a refill. What is the harm in the parent who can see that the kid is having allergy problems writing the prescription instead of the kid having to go to the doctor, thus taking time and money?

Well it is something that personally would concern me. Especially since it seems to be coach initiated from how the post sounds. I have 2 personal friends who are physicians and I would never consider asking one of them to write a prescription for me. They don't know the full background of the situation, other medications/potential interactions, past medical history, etc.

 

[Muddlethru]

I find nothing wrong with family friends doctors giving prescriptions. I hate going to the doctor and waiting for 2 hours just to be seen for 2 minutes. So, I would love the convenience. But like Canadian gym. Mom, I too am uncomfortable asking even a close family friend for a prescription unless I have exhausted all my options.

 

[Granny Smith]

I am dealing with the whole petition process right now for my dd. She does have a legitimate injury and can not compete at States, but we are hoping and praying that she will be ready for Regionals (navilcular & 1st metatarsal stress fractures in her left foot, diagnosed back in the end of January). Everything you are saying is what is needed. The doctor is not writing a prescription for anything rather they are stating what is wrong with the gymnast and giving a release date to return to gymnastics. This must be on either letterhead or the doctor's Rx pad. I think that in the current situation that you are explaining that there is nothing legally wrong with it, but ethically I think there is a LOT wrong with what they are doing.

As long as the gymnast doesn't finish the State meet, I believe that they can petition into Regionals as long as all of the other requirements are met.

 

[Muddlethru]

I am dealing with the whole petition process right now for my dd. She does have a legitimate injury and can not compete at States, but we are hoping and praying that she will be ready for Regionals (navilcular & 1st metatarsal stress fractures in her left foot, diagnosed back in the end of January). Everything you are saying is what is needed. The doctor is not writing a prescription for anything rather they are stating what is wrong with the gymnast and giving a release date to return to gymnastics. This must be on either letterhead or the doctor's Rx pad. I think that in the current situation that you are explaining that there is nothing legally wrong with it, but ethically I think there is a LOT wrong with what they are doing.

As long as the gymnast doesn't finish the State meet, I believe that they can petition into Regionals as long as all of the other requirements are met.

Agree 100% with highlighted part. And best wishes to your daughter. Hope she has a full recovery and is ready to compete at regionals.

 

[wandrewsjr]

The upper two levels. And it is not a specialist situation. Though my daughter did say the gymnast hurt her heel about a month ago and the heel was sore. So I guess training might have been spightly modified and it might have halted some progress. But the family never went to see a doctor to see if it was injured at all. Can a gymnast then go to a state meet, do the warm ups and if it does not go as well as they want, choose not to compete and use the injury excuse?

Let me play devil's advocate here. Gymnast bruises her heel mid season. Not enough of an injury to warrant seeing a doctor, but enough to limit reps during training and limit skill development. Gymnast is close to being back to full strength for states, but not quite(likely to be back to full strength by regionals). Coach decides to go ahead with states on the events that weren't affected, better to scratch the events that aren't up to full speed than risk not qualifying, or more importantly, getting injured. The gymnast still would have to have scored at least a 35 during the season at a meet to be petitioned.

 

[krisnkids]

To petition to go directly to regionals and by pass state because of an injury, does a gymnast need to get the minimum score of 35.00 at her own state or can she use an out of state meet? Below is a direct quote from our regional website.

"Photo copy of one pre-state; current sanctioned competition at the level the athlete is
petitioning – with a MINIMUM score of 35.00 AA."

The quote does not specifically indicate it as to be a state meet.

My daughter came home with a troubling story from one of the gymnast from her old team. This gymnast is one of my daughter's best friends. She told my daughter that if she and another teammate does not do well at the state meet, their head coach will ask the mother of another teammate, who happens to be a doctor, to write a verification of injury. Now, we were in this team for several years and the mothers are very helpful and they often give prescription whenever the coach asks. These parents are very close to the head coaches. The head coaches have even told me if I needed anything, these two mothers will gladly give a prescription. Of course writing a prescription and feigning an injury to gain unfair advantage are to different stories. in addition, this is a story that came from an 11 year old and told to another 11 year old. Something may have gotten lost in the translation both coming from the coach, the mother's gymnast perhaps or just misunderstood by the gymnast and maybe exaggerated by my daughter. Nonetheless, does this type scenario happen? Can gyms and gymnasts get away with stuff like this?

My daughter felt it was not fair. But then she said, "you know mom, if they did that, they really did not make it. Who would want to get to regionals that way?

I have to somewhat disagree with the underlined/bolded being two different stories. They are both wrong, one is illegal and the other is unethical.

 

[wallflower]

I'm not sure I'm quite understanding. I don't understand what is wrong with a gymnast who has been injured petitioning to Regionals. Even if their injury is better, if it limited their training time and they are not back to full speed, that's the purpose of petitions correct?

From my understanding of athletes doing this in the past, it is not difficult to get a dr's note anyway. I could take my child to the dr right now and say her heels are killing her and could you write a note saying no tumbling for 2 weeks. If I needed that and I had a friend who was a doctor and they were willing to spare me the trip, what's the big deal?

I know of several 9/10 athletes on our team this year that did a few events and petitioned to regionals. None of them had major injuries. Some were coming back from minor sprains, another had a sore knee, one tweaked something at the meet. The coaches didn't feel like it was worth the risk to compete and possibly be too injured to finish the season. Could they have competed if necessary? Yes. I don't think that is unethical.

I also know of a girl who had a very bad ankle sprain that took a very long time to heal (close to a year). It limited her a lot. At state that year the plan was to take it event by event. Because she didn't have the numbers due to the injury, her consistency was questionable. This is a kid who made JO Nationals the 2 previous years. I thought the petitioning rules were for the best interest of the kids who might not be 100% in March, but ready in April and May.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Over here you have to he registered with a doctors practice and the precription pads of old are now longer. Its all computerised and printed so a friend cannot write one out of hours .

Sent from my CnM Touchpad 9.7 using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[Ingwe]

My Dd is also in the process of being petitioned into Regionals(level 9) she had a nice season and scored the 35 AA needed to petition in. She has been out of practice ;and school) for a week. She has Strep throat and on top of that was diagnosed with the flu. She has been running a fever of 102 since Saturday night. She has been on antibiotics since Tuesday. Had to take her back to Dr today due to no improvement.
Everything that Granny Smith said is what my Dd's coaches told me as well.

She is in no condition to compete this weekend. Heck, I am hoping the fever finally goes away and stays away.
I think it's fair that she is being petitioned in. She has shown over the course of the season that she is competent at L9. Would she rather compete? Absolutely, but it's just not an option.

To the original poster: I was told if my Dd competed all 4 events at states, she could not be petitioned into regionals.