Maybe I'm just over reacting

[Deanna]

But it just rubs me the wrong way.
All season long the local newspaper has shown no interest in the girls. They were contacted after regionals about doing something on the girls. The gym had to supply the photos, the info..and PAY them to put this in the paper. Which by the way it was done two weeks ago..and NOTHING yet!
I just dont get it. I mean the local football teams lose a game and it's front page, top fold.
These girls were Event State Champs, AA State Champs, and a couple even went to Regionals.
What do they have to do to be "important" enough to be newsworthy?
I know I'm probably walking on the edge of CGM...but come on!!!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

just lie to them and tell them it's high school gymnastics. they'll be there in a hotflash!

 

[GymBee97]

If it isn't HS football, basketball or baseball then you're lucky if it will ever hit the paper. Just how it is. Even our HS gymnastics team that had an undefeated season, won state chams and 2nd at the regionals only got 2 stories all season in the paper and they weren't much more than a blip and the info in the story wasn't accurate.

 

[Gymdad2]

Well, I'm afraid you are getting close to the CGM on this one. Face it, gymnastics (outside the olympics every 4 yaers) is not news and nobody really cares except those of us for whom it an obsession. I'd say that most sports outside the 'biggies' are this way, but since we don't care about any of them, we don't notice that they aren't getting into the paper either. And to make it worse, this is a girls' sport and you know how much attention girls' sports get compared to the guys. When was the last time you read a story about your local HS girls' lacrosse team or field hockey team or volleyball team ? (and I'm sure there are others that I don't even know about lol). And this is a club sport which gets less attention than HS sports, let along college or pro, so just enjoy your dd's love of the sport, be proud that she can excel at a difficult and demanding sport and don't worry about the rest of the world. I think we would all like to see more attention and publicity for our sport, but it isn't likely to happen. Good luck!

 

[maryRS]

I will ditto this. It's just the way it is, even moreso if you live in a town with a big successful football/basketball program (highschool).

Well, I'm afraid you are getting close to the CGM on this one. Face it, gymnastics (outside the olympics every 4 yaers) is not news and nobody really cares except those of us for whom it an obsession. I'd say that most sports outside the 'biggies' are this way, but since we don't care about any of them, we don't notice that they aren't getting into the paper either. And to make it worse, this is a girls' sport and you know how much attention girls' sports get compared to the guys. When was the last time you read a story about your local HS girls' lacrosse team or field hockey team or volleyball team ? (and I'm sure there are others that I don't even know about lol). And this is a club sport which gets less attention than HS sports, let along college or pro, so just enjoy your dd's love of the sport, be proud that she can excel at a difficult and demanding sport and don't worry about the rest of the world. I think we would all like to see more attention and publicity for our sport, but it isn't likely to happen. Good luck!

 

[CreateMagic]

I don't think you're a CGM for being upset over this. Kids deserve recognition for major accomplishments--just as adults do too! We need more good news reported these days.

 

[skschlag]

I had a "discussion" with our local sports editor after 3 of our boys made nationals. He actually told me that "no one cares about gymnastics except the parents...you must be one of the parents of the boys, huh?" Realyl infuriated us. We finally got a picture with a caption. But that was it.

 

[bookworm]

just lie to them and tell them it's high school gymnastics. they'll be there in a hotflash!

Totally agree on this one!! High School gymnastics does get coverage around here but not so much at the club level. I will say that when my daughter won at nationals , the paper did a big story and when she signed her NLI they did another big story, complete with pictures ...and on the top half of the sports page! So maybe we've been fortunate in that regard. When they did the story of her signing, it was such a novelty around here (especially to be signing at a big school) , I think that is what made it news...and the fact that her school doesn't even have a gymnastics team intrigued people as well ("where does she DO gymnastics if the school doesn't have a team?") ...funny

 

[gymnastmom38]

If you think that's bad, our College team won the Big 10 this year and just got a tiny little "notice" in the news flash section. I was FURIOUS!!!!! I thought for sure they'd get a big picture and article. I mean, come on, recogonize all of these girls that work so hard.

 

[Bajanswife]

It's hard for us to compete with cricket, soccer, swimming or equestrian sports here but we are starting to make inroads. Even netball gets more press than we do! Our club team is also the National team, though, and we do represent our country overseas in competition, so it IS news. I doubt we would get any notice if we competed in-house against other local teams.

 

[wallinbl]

The local paper here doesn't cover "club" sports of any kind, so that would put gymnastics on par with the other sports. We don't have high school gymnastics, so nothing to cover there.

 

[Deanna]

Well, I haven't written any dirty letters to the paper, or made any crank calls.....yet. So I'm still on this side of crazy. (manic laugh)
They did do a big article on our one and only L10 from last year who got a full ride to a D1 school. But now I do wonder if that wasn't the gyms doing also. I sure hope not. It did take them over a month after she signed for them to put it in the paper. But it was front page, top fold. And I might say..she rocked her year this year. She ended up with 3rd AA in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, as a freshmen. (sorry, we are all so insainly proud of her).
I do fully understand that if it's not high school football, it isn't anything. Especialy in the south. We have really good football teams. And they deserve the attention they get. But on the other hand, so do the other sports.
The girls, parents, coaches and gym don't expect an article after every meet. But an article..even a small one with out pictures or even names, just mention the gym and say that several were Event State Champs, a few were AA State Champs, and two even made it to Regionals.
I can even see having the gym take the pictures, and write up the info. But for me anyway, the real slap in the face is having to pay to have it in there. One article a year and they can't just put it in there? And it's been over 2 wks since it was submitted to them. Guess they will do it when they get good and ready. That's the part I think that makes me the most angry.

 

[GymBee97]

one of the ways to get things in from clubs is when you mention the kids you have to make it relevent for the town.

So it would be something like

Jane doe, resident of (name of town - has to be the towns paper), a freshman at (name of highschool), competed with the Level 8 team from USA gymnastics and won the national title.

We found out that if you list it this way you have a 50 / 50 chance of getting something in the local newspaper. but don't hold your breath on it.

 

[Quadqueen]

it stinks that our kids don't get the recognition they deserve. and I think it's crazy for the paper to charge to have a story in. Our local weekly/monthly papers LOVE getting submissions. Of course, you have to write the story yourself (I'm a journalist, so no problem there), but if the kids get in the paper, that's wonderful!!!

 

[gralch1]

I agree 100% with KateR. Our daily newspaper will rarely print anything. However they have a "local section" each week that covers different areas in our area and are more receptive to printing articles in those sections. We just make sure and list the city and or school that the child attends. Of course, we are in a larger metropolitan area. However, each suburb has their own weekly or biweekly paper and they always print our submitted articles and pictures.

 

[SignHere]

I agree - these girls work hard, and it stinks that they don't get any recognition. Our parents are starting to get more proactive this year in trying to get the girls the recognition they deserve. You are probably NOT going to get the paper to write the articles - so write them yourself. Submit the article, the pictures. Take advantage of ALL the contacts that you possibly can - if you have a "friend of a friend" who works on the local paper - try to pull some strings. Try to local online paper. Our local athletic club has an electronic billboard where they acknowledge HS athletes for outstanding plays every week. Next season, we are going to try to get some of our girls on that billboard when they do well at meets. It may not be in print, but they should be excited to see their name up on the board.

Try to think outside the box.

I know how it is with HS football and those who worship at THAT altar!

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

just lie to them and tell them it's high school gymnastics. they'll be there in a hotflash!

High School Gymnastics are VERY RARELY mentioned in our newspapers!!! If it's not football, basketball, soccer or baseball... well, don't look for your name in the paper!

 

[gymmomtoo]

Our local paper is small so they don't really cover much (nobody to do it!). If you send in an article they will publish it though (with pictures). And our HS gymnastics does get attention, so that's nice (my oldest was on the team)

 

[gym monkeys mom]

Our local paper will publuish stuff about club gymnastics if you send them the particulars it is really nice. Our gym is in a differnt town and that local paper will not it is so funny.

It is rather nice at least one of the local papers will.