Parents Repeat Level 4 or Struggle through Level 6

[Deleted member 18037]

We pay by the meet. The coach doesn't take a pay cut. Fees are split by the amount of gymnasts attending. As we have different families not attending at various times and no single family is really is paying all that much less. And no one complains because they too appreciate the flexibility of being able to say, I can't do one. It's not like any one is missing an excessive number of meets. But sometimes there is a conflict. We had one week in Feb where we had a school activity so we had to decline a meet. The next week someone else was on vacation (Planned before the meet was scheduled) they declined a meet. Once you commit to a meet though you financially on the hook for the meet. Scratch or not.

We have even had some meet changes when an excessive amount of families have an issue with a particular meet, the coaches will try to find a meet that better suits everyone's schedule.

It's just not an issue. Maybe if one gymnast was missing more meets then they were competing it would be a problem but 1 or 2 not a big deal.

 

[profmom]

Boy, meet directors must LOVE your gym! I hope your coaches have a deadline for committing or bailing well in advance.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Boy, meet directors must LOVE your gym! I hope your coaches have a deadline for committing or bailing well in advance.

Not sure what you mean???

 

[z2akids]

Well, I agree that missing one is not a big deal. While less than 1/2 our girls miss any in a season, sometimes it happens. I just assumed that girls on your team were missing multiple, since you said you limit it to 3+ States. In our area most gyms do between 6-8 plus States (fewer at high optional levels). So, to me it looked like your DD was missing quite a few. Perhaps your area doesn't do that many.

Our HC chooses meets for a variety of reasons - good experiences there, quality of competition, relationships with other gyms, etc. They don't ask us on advance how many scratches we will have. And, at a gym with about 35 compulsory gymnasts, it would be rare to have more than 1 non-injury scratch. I would be upset if we were attending lower quality meets to accommodate schedules. And, I appreciate knowing Howe much I will be paying, so I can budget, etc.

It is good that there are different gyms for different needs. I just can't imagine being the family that attends all the meets and pays a higher percentage of the fees as a result of meeting the expectation that my DD competes for the gym. And, in my area, that is an expectation for team members. Xcel had fewer meets and is better for some families that want/need less weekends at competitions

 

[my4buffaloes]

Not sure what you mean???

It is a huge task to run a meet. Last minute changes don't usually go over well.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

It is a huge task to run a meet. Last minute changes don't usually go over well.

Again, not sure what you mean. Whatever meets we attend as a gym, we commit to and sign up by the due date of the meet.
I am not sure what last minute changes you are talking about? Sickness and weather would be it for last minute. Same concerns of any gym.

Personally I have had more issues with the Host facility making last minute changes to the schedule.

We had a meet last year, that after we committed and paid, they changed the weekend. It was IGC and three meets were required to qualify for states. We simply couldn't be available the day my girls group was scheduled on the new weekend.
I was like oh well no states. Coach was insistent she go qualify for states. We ended up moving her up a Level because we could get her there that day. While her attempt was valiant, she placed horribly, but qualified for states.

We do our best to make the meets scheduled, and it is not always possible when you don't even know what day. So we do the best we can. Again this year a school program interfered with a regular season meet the program won. Next the timing of the school program will fall on States weekend. States will win.

And you all are right I am very glad I have a gym that gets its not all gym all the time.

PS its a huge task to schedule our lives

 

[2G1B]

We used to be at a gym that allowed the parents to pick which meets their kids would do. It wasn't a big deal, the gym itself was a not for profit and was very aware that some of the parents just couldn't afford to do all of the meets. The list of meets would be published before season started along with a list of "commit dates". You had to let the HC know by the commit date if your kid would be in the meet and you paid the meet fee then. This gym didn't have parents pay the coaches fees for meets, rather that was paid by the gym. So that didn't change the amount that the parents paid, they just paid the actual meet fee. If things changed after the commit date and you decided that your kid could not compete then generally you lost the fee unless the host gym would refund it.

There was one family who wouldn't enter their kid if they thought it was a meet that their kid wouldn't do well at (like it was big or had teams that the kid hadn't done well against in the past) and I found that pretty annoying; but for the most part parents had legitimate reasons for meets that they missed.

 

[skschlag]

We had several parents last year that did that 2G1B. Or they just decided to pick 1-2 meets and that's it. It is really hard when you are relying on that last person to have a team at a given level. There were 4 level 8s at D's gym last year, but they only got to be a "team" in 2 meets and states. That makes things tough.

In addition, the 2 kids that kept missing never really clicked with the team. They are still trying to find their way with the group.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Higher levels, less kids different thing. The commitment level goes up as well. Yep less wiggle room when you are L8, 9 and 10

This is Level 2,3 and 4. 40 plus kids, plenty of strong finishers. It's not a biggie for any one to miss the odd meet.m

 

[skschlag]

Higher levels, less kids different thing. The commitment level goes up as well. Yep less wiggle room when you are L8, 9 and 10

This is Level 2,3 and 4. 40 plus kids, plenty of strong finishers. It's not a biggie for any one to miss the odd meet.m

Our level 5s had the same issue ;(

 

[cbifoja]

I'm colored by my DD's experience and personality but for her, it's always been to forge ahead. She's never done two years at a level but did do one and a half seasons at L7 so that's kind of like repeating. Her personality is such that she is happier when she is being challenged with "big tricks".

As for missing meets, given the team facet of gymnastics, it is expected and highly encouraged for all gymnasts to attend all meets. If there is an unavoidable conflict, we can opt out but the opt out date is usually 2 to 3 months before the meet registration is due. To miss even two meets has the coaching staff questioning commitment to the club or ability to handle the financial aspect of being on team. I understand that and support the coaches in this area. We are a small club and we need all of our kids contributing their best effort to team score.

 

[raenndrops]

We know our meet schedule in September... meets begin in Late October / Early November. When HC signs up for meets, she gives numbers that include the entire team. IF parents know when we get the schedule that they will not be able to make it to a meet (or however many ), they let HC know immediately and she contacts the other gyms and scratches the gymnast. The cut off date for any scratches is the Thursday before the weekend before the meet if you don't want to be charged (so approximately 9 days before).
We don't pay coaches fees so that isn't a problem.
Reasons to scratch: School conflict; Church conflict; Illness / Injury; Family obligations. Reason HC does NOT want to hear: They don't have a spring floor (applies to ONE gym... 3 hours away... this past year, those who WANTED to scratch for that reason got an even better one - the weather. The meet session times were pushed back 4 hours, but the weather actually got WORSE as the day progressed).

 

[z2akids]

Gymnastics is a small community. Our HC knows well before the meet deadline which gyms to anticipate coming. If multiple gyms ultimately did not commit due to parents deciding not to go, it would be a hardship and could result in changes to meet schedules.

We know our meet schedule in September... meets begin in Late October / Early November. When HC signs up for meets, she gives numbers that include the entire team. IF parents know when we get the schedule that they will not be able to make it to a meet (or however many ), they let HC know immediately and she contacts the other gyms and scratches the gymnast. The cut off date for any scratches is the Thursday before the weekend before the meet if you don't want to be charged (so approximately 9 days before).
We don't pay coaches fees so that isn't a problem.
Reasons to scratch: School conflict; Church conflict; Illness / Injury; Family obligations. Reason HC does NOT want to hear: They don't have a spring floor (applies to ONE gym... 3 hours away... this past year, those who WANTED to scratch for that reason got an even better one - the weather. The meet session times were pushed back 4 hours, but the weather actually got WORSE as the day progressed).

I would hate to be a meet director in your area. Our deadline to sign up is generally 3+ months prior to the meet with the deadline to scratch with a refund 6ish weeks brute the meet. Sure there are last minute scratches. But, we usually get our schedules about 4 weeks prior to the meet. That wouldn't be possible if the gyms aren't committed to the number of gymnasts until 9 days before the meet. It would be difficult to order medals, etc. If your might have a lot of change at the last minute.

 

[Clover]

I can't even imagine the craziness of trying to run a meet where the refund deadline is only 9 days before a meet!

 

[sce]

I guess I'm concerned to hear that such a young child would quit due to this. There will be seasons of slow progression, this sport is a lesson in perseverance. Repeating to get strong in skills is not always bad. Where is her perception coming from? She needs to hear that she is young and doing great, but some things take time. Repeating isn't a punishment, the goal would be to give her more time and not need to be chasing those level 6 skills.

 

[gracyomalley]

I think we may be talking apples and oranges a bit here. We have attended 3 different gyms (between the kids/over the years). All have sent out meet lists by mid/late summer, with sign up/commits expected by early fall (for spring season). All have allowed kids/families to miss 1-2 meets a season, planned this far in advance. Once signed up, unless there were extenuating circumstances (ie, DD missed a meet because she was hospitalized for IV abx once), meet fees were paid long before the meet. Coaches fees in general are split by the kids in attendance, after the meets.

This method has NO impact on the team hosting the meet - as our athletes commit long before official registration is due, (so no non-emergency scratches). There are occ. mishaps, including one meet where it was planned that all three upper level boys would attend, but only my older one was able...it was a small meet, and they had already calculated on combining L7-10 for team awards - turns out DS "took" the 2nd place award all by his lonesome - the picture of him giggling like a little girl with the banner is my favorite from this season. We are a small team overall, even our girls team only has about 50 kids total...so yes, it can impact team scores significantly when certain kids aren't at every meet. But, on the other hand, being a small team means that the coaches are interested in each kids longevity in the sport - so keeping balance and flexibility for families is a priority. There are teens in the program with other high level commitments, like my kid with music, and as long as parents are clear BY THE DEADLINE those commitments are valued by the coaches as well - as its successful young adults they are trying to build, not just successful gymnasts.

I do see the point about commitment to the team versus just individual needs - which is why once my kid has signed up they go - baring disasters. Its never been an issue for us. With 3 kids competing, and all attending 4-5 days a week, the cost is high for our family and I very much appreciate that the coaches are aware of that. There are also generally 6-8 meets offered a season (including states/regionals maybe 9) for my kids levels, and so missing 1 (at most 2) is still traveling 3-5 hours nearly every weekend (since boys and girls are not always same meet) for 3 months for our family...I imagine that in large metropolitan areas with many meets to choose from and also large teams who need not be so personal to keep their rosters full this may be different - kids and families would have to be more dedicated to gym alone (judging from practice times and hours, etc).

Just not the case everywhere and still works quite well - those families that consistently push the limit and miss more and more meets over the years end up gone long before they hit upper levels...

 

[raenndrops]

I can't even imagine the craziness of trying to run a meet where the refund deadline is only 9 days before a meet!

The beauty of competing on a YMCA team in my area! We compete in a network of teams... small meets (often only 3-4 sessions... with Championships being a 6 session meet). They do ribbons instead of medals at the regular meets and the ribbons don't change year to year (except when the YMCA Logo changed). We order the ribbons knowing the maximum number of gymnasts. If there are extras, its no big deal. They can be used next time we host. Typically, we order 100-200 at a time for each place (1st-12th ... the places we normally award) and we have SOME leftovers for up through 18th place (which we have never had to use, but HC ordered once because they were pretty colors and it got us up to a level that kicked in another discount... we have gone to 16th place though once).

We don't finalize our schedules until the Friday a week prior to the meet. Everyone already knows the day... and has a tentative schedule. The worst that will happen is they move a session up by a little bit (but often they don't even do that because the coaches and judges like the break). And as I stated originally, if you know about the conflict in advance, you let the HC know and she passes it on. When we get the schedule, everyone is already in school. They have their school schedules, but may not have school sports schedules yet for winter. We don't compete more than 2 meets a month for the most part:
0-1 in October; 1-2 in November (depends on October); 1 in December; 2 in January; 2 in February; Championships in March... and Nationals is an "Opt-In" rather than an "Opt-Out" meet ... that meet fee is due in March and is non-refundable.

 

[twinmomma]

Our meets are similar to Raenn's. No schedule until about 10 days before, 2 weeks if we are LUCKY, because of the deadline for refunds.

As for the "missing meets" discussion, there are team awards, and this sport is a commitment. My son plays baseball, and there are more than 9 kids on his team, and they are all expected to be there, even though a few kids will rotate the bench throughout the game. No, gymnastics isn't the same, but it's still teaching kids about commitment. Extenuating circumstances sure, but planning to miss a meet? Not the lesson I want to be teaching my kid. We have two very active kiddos and we do everything possible to make sure this doesn't happen. One weekend we had a meet four hours from home the same weekend as a baseball tournament 2 hours a different direction. We split up, I took DD to her meet (we had to stay overnight) and then drove back to where the tournament was so we could watch her brother. I put 500 miles on my car that weekend.

Sports, regardless of which one, is not something you take on at the convenience of your family. If it were, we would never do them.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Our meets are similar to No, gymnastics isn't the same, but it's still teaching kids about commitment. Extenuating circumstances sure, but planning to miss a meet? Not the lesson I want to be teaching my kid.

First, regarding team. The gymnastic season is extraordinarily long as most sports have a shorter season. My nephew just finished his varsity tennis season, actual matches were 4 weeks. And to compare a true team sport to gymnastics is apples to oranges. You can not have a baseball game without a minimum number of players. Not true in gymnastics.

I too teach my daughter life lessons and especially regarding commitment. And the importance of honoring the ones you make.

To be crystal clear. The reason we are at this gym is the Owners/coaches recognize that these are children and they have lives and families. I made sure there was flexibility before I committed and committed my child to this gym. And we honor our committments.

We do not blow off meets or practice without good reason. We have missed many a function and birthday party due to gymnastics. If the coach says a meet is particularly important we're there. Same with the rest of the team. But there are times when it is just not possible to make it to a meet. Especially, when you need to leave the whole weekend open several weeks out.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Sorry, timed out. We teach our girl valuable life lessons. Gymnastics is an important part of her life and by extension ours life. But it's gymnastics is a part of life. Not life is a part of gymnastics

And our team scores have not been affected by attendance.