Tell us about the best meet you have attended

[bogwoppit]

There have been many questions about meet planning lately, and even a thread about bad things that happen at meets. I would really like to know about the best meets you have attended, what made them great and what set them apart from other meets you go to.

In Canada we don't have the great invitationals that you have in the USA, and I know the UK is similar, so share all your great info with us. We can drool and other members can use your input to make hosting meets a well informed exercise.

 

[Trixiebelle]

My favorite meets have been the big ones. Held in rented facilities, with plenty of seating, not too hot, good lighting, lots of free parking, an assortment of vendors, priced 10$US or under, and the awards ceremony didn't drag out for hours. Not a single meet has all of those things though - but a there have been 2 that came close - East Coast Classic and Red Rose Invitiational. Both had insanely long awards due to the age categories...but I loved that they were bright and plentiful seating!

 

[flipper's fan]

My favorite meet has been Christmas on the Chesapeake. Great venue, great planning, plenty of good seating, decent sized squads and age groups, plenty of awards, the ceremony goes fairly quickly, lots of vendors, photography. The only drawback is parking in downtown Baltimore.

I also really enjoyed the Hilton Head Meet because it was held in a hotel where all the girls stayed, lots of vendors, reasonably priced weekend pass, floor was shown on big screen monitors( a little distracting for the younger gymnasts). Decent number of awards, reasonably paced awards ceremonies. The only drawback was that a few sessions used the traditional format which made level 4 six hours long. Most of the parents left for the warm up and returned when competition started. The girls were disappointed in the gymnast gift. But that wouldn't stop us from going back.

We also like the Sand Dollar at Disney World but who can afford to go there every year and what kid will go and just stay for the meet without visiting the attraction$?

 

[flippin out]

I'm going with what my favorite meet venue is...not what meet my kid performed best at .

My favorite has to be the meet that decided to one year charge......NO SPECTATOR FEE!!!! The meet was well run, in a very large Convention Center, Lots of vendors, great parking (although we were parked at the hotel...as we had to stay overnight), the medals ceremony was well organized and on time.

They acknowledged the ties They even gave 3 kids a 1st place on 1 event..as they all scored the same.- I don't expect to see that, but it was nice to see. So they called 3 girls up for 1st place, then the next place called was 4th place. Most of the time it's a 1st place....1st place/taking 2nd....1st place/taking 3rd -type of scenario. Which I get - but it was refreshing to see them all acknowledged as earning the same score. Not saying that it should be done all the time (don't send me hate mail, lol). Just that the kids liked it.

Because there was NO spectator fee. I let the kids buy from the vendors, which I normally run through b/c I just spent $10-15 ea to get into the meet.

Everyone left happy, and felt that it was a good meet.

 

[MaryA]

We went to one meet that was in a gym that was in an old Lowes building. It was actually an expensive meet to get into, if I recall ($10, which I think is the most I've spent), but the people who took our money were so kind and helpful that we almost didn't mind giving it to them. Mostly I liked it because it was a big space for a not-so-huge meet. Even though the space wasn't necessarily intended for spectators (no bleachers, etc.), there was plenty of seating along the side, and room to move around, so you could move from seat to seat to see you child better, or stand, or walk around when your DD wasn't competing. There was also a balcony area so you could watch from up there. The meet started on time, got out early, and my daughter did well. The combination of not being crammed into a tight space and the meet being really well run, and also getting a really good vibe from the parents who were working there, really made it one of my favorite meets that I've been to.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

My favorite meet has been Christmas on the Chesapeake. Great venue, great planning, plenty of good seating, decent sized squads and age groups, plenty of awards, the ceremony goes fairly quickly, lots of vendors, photography. The only drawback is parking in downtown Baltimore.

I also really enjoyed the Hilton Head Meet because it was held in a hotel where all the girls stayed, lots of vendors, reasonably priced weekend pass, floor was shown on big screen monitors( a little distracting for the younger gymnasts). Decent number of awards, reasonably paced awards ceremonies. The only drawback was that a few sessions used the traditional format which made level 4 six hours long. Most of the parents left for the warm up and returned when competition started. The girls were disappointed in the gymnast gift. But that wouldn't stop us from going back.

We also like the Sand Dollar at Disney World but who can afford to go there every year and what kid will go and just stay for the meet without visiting the attraction$?

Going to both of these this year!! I guess I should be excited LOL!

My favorite meet has been The Greater NY Invitational (up until last year) - large facility, free parking, variety of vendors, good food concession, separate area for awards, lots of seating.... What made last year's meet change my mind? They included scores for a girl who competed on a different day, separate from the rest of her age group, and her score knocked my DD of a trophy spot! The reason she competed separately was for convenience (travel) not for a religious observance or some kind of emergency! Sorry for rambling and got off topic!

 

[MeetDirector]

Excellent Thread.

From both a parent and a meet director's point of view, the answer will be different depending on which hat I am wearing.

As both, I like a meet that runs well with no huge breaks or gaps in the competition. The venue also makes a meet special, although a meet in a club gym can be done well. The Kurt Thomas Invite in Dallas is good as is the Pikes peak meet in Colorado Springs. We did the National Judges Cup last year in Phoenix and it had its problems; hopefully this year's meet in Indianapolis will go smoother.

Our own meet, the Gold Cup Classic, typically has about 325 girls over two days and we try and keep it moving by having near continuous gymnastics over a 4-hour period and then about 30 minutes of awards.

Seating and quick awards probably make a meet go much better from all sides.

 

[CoachGoofy]

The Saint Jude meet in central Illinois (as an athlete many moons ago).

People came from all over, & it was HUGE--artistic and USAG T&T and USTA T&T and I think both MAG and WAG. It was just gigantic, Dominique Dawes spoke, giant rented facility...ohmigosh. The press was there, and it was all for a good cause. Oh, and separate awards rooms. That was really nice because everyone wants their picture of their kid with their award, but no flash photography in competition arenas.

(I did horrendously. But it was gorgeous as a meet).

 

[Blackie6]

Last year our team went to The Buckeye Classic! Most of our team went, via a very LONG busride from NJ, and had a BLAST! My daughter didn't have her best meet score wise, but came home w/a medal, and the team stayed at the hotel together, went to
the Mall together, did a door decorating contest , and won as the best gym representing the theme of the meet, World traveler! The meet itslef was in a great venue, plenty of seating, lots of vendors, well run, photographer, food, it had EVERYTHING! Plus, I got to meet up with a fellow CBer! It was a win win situation. Coming home was a little scary, it had started to snow as we were leaving and feeling the bus sliding 12 hrs home gave me white knuckles, but my daughter said it was by far the most fun she has ever had in gymnastics with her team.

 

[cher062]

there have been several meets that were great. Ususally the bigger ones held at locations other than the gym.

Lets see the best ones have lots of parking - its great when smaller gyms host them because they usually do them at local schools and there are lots of parking and plenty of bleacher seating and bathrooms

Other meet that made it great was again ones usually at a school or other facility other than the gym because most have an auditorium where they move everyone to do the awards. this way they don't run too late or if they are the next session wont go later than necessary waiting for awards.

I like ones where the entrance isn't also the exit. Nothing worse than feeling like salmon swimming against the tide LOL.

Ones that give great goodies to the girls. My DD like the ones where they gave a Leo for the goodie with matching scrunchi to all the girls, also the one where they got a beach towel, one where they got a fleece blanket - the ones with the hood on the corner.

Ones with lots of vendors for the girls to shop at. Ones with plenty of snack bar items that aren't dried out pizza slices.
DD like the ones where she get to stay at a hotel with a pool - nothing like swimming in January when there is a foot of snow on the ground .

 

[All Chalked Up]

My favourite was a tiny one (no more then 5 girls in my group) but it was so well run! The area was nice and bright and the snacks were HEALTHY! No spectator fee, lots of vendors and the medaling ceremony had no mistakes and did not drag on and on and on. Great meet.

 

[clrmom]

When my son was competing, I liked when meets had room to walk around from event to event so that it was easy to see. So far with my dd, we haven't had very many meets like this and usually have to sit in the bleachers. One of our favorites to watch was the Gasparilla Classic in St. Petersburg. It is at Tropicana Field and, although you could go up into the seats if you wanted, most people walk around from event to event. There are also multiple activities going on if you want to watch something different. (For example, t & t might be going on at the same time as men's gymnastics) The only problem with this meet is the cost is too high.

I agree with everyone else that meets are better if they are at an outside venue as this usually allows for more room for spectators.

 

[gymgurl]

They acknowledged the ties They even gave 3 kids a 1st place on 1 event..as they all scored the same.- I don't expect to see that, but it was nice to see. So they called 3 girls up for 1st place, then the next place called was 4th place. Most of the time it's a 1st place....1st place/taking 2nd....1st place/taking 3rd -type of scenario. Which I get - but it was refreshing to see them all acknowledged as earning the same score. Not saying that it should be done all the time (don't send me hate mail, lol). Just that the kids liked it.

Just curious how do they decide which 1st place takes second, third etc? here they always acknowledge equal 1st etc

Anyway my favourite meet was state, it was me and my closest friends and was a really good day for all of us! It was in the arena where the Australian nationals are held and we competed on what our coach is sure was the beam that she medaled on at nationals. We also all had loads of fun and everyone went home with a place on something it was a great day

 

[cher062]

I've always seen ties acknowladged equally. So if 2, 3, 4 girls have the same 1st place score they they all get 1st place. I don't know about elite levels but every level my DD has done and every level up to 10 that we have seen compete have done this.

 

[2gymmies]

Just curious how do they decide which 1st place takes second, third etc? here they always acknowledge equal 1st etc

I've seen event ties broken by highest all around score receiving the highest place. All Around ties are broken by highest event score.

We're from the midwest and my favorite meet is Circle of Stars in Indianapolis. It is so big and so much is going on but awards run sooo smoothly and John and John from flip fest were there last year and made it really fun for the girls. Also a bonus... no admission fees! I didn't love the food at the meet but I loved all of the food choices in downtown Indianapolis and the hotels are all connected to the convention center and there is a shopping mall connected too. And the girls get a nice sweatshirt!

Someone mentioned Buckeye Classic and I like that too, but just not as well as Circle of Stars.

Its fun to hear about all the great meets in other parts of the country...

 

[flippin out]

Originally Posted by gymgurl Just curious how do they decide which 1st place takes second, third etc? here they always acknowledge equal 1st etc

I've seen event ties broken by highest all around score receiving the highest place. All Around ties are broken by highest event score.

Yes, that's the way most meets that we go to are done. -----So if Highest floor score is 2 girls getting a 9.75, The girl with the highest AA gets the 1st place, the other girl is called up as '1st place taking 2nd' and gets a Silver medal. If there is a tie in the AA category, then the tie is broken by the highest Event score.

While I do understand that the event coordinator only orders X amount of Gold,Silver,Bronze medals......I like to see girls who get the same exact score both recognized as having earned that Gold. But, we've been in this sport so long that we just accept that the placement will be broken...and are pleasantly surprised when they don't break it .

 

[Azgymmiemom]

The most enjoyable meet-for both my dd to compete in and us as parents to watch-was the PGA Halloween meet that she just completed. I mean, first you start with a great theme-and what's better than Halloween? I'm sure it was a LOT of work! But, they really did an awesome job! Lots of vendors and food, pleasant workers, everyone in costumes, not too expensive of an entry fee. They had a "bye" event rotation thrown in with the regular four, and on that rotation the girls were invited to play games (they had to wrap their coaches like mummies in toilet paper-stuff like that). The girls all got a really great bag with reflective coating on it as their gymnast gift and they "trick or treated" the judges when their session was over. All the teams wore costumes and they even took a group picture and put it in a really nice keepsake frame for the team to take home. There was a professional photographer (first time we've ever been to a meet with that). Everything ran smoothly and at awards they did AA medals out 100% and 50% for each event. The girls were all given a halloween beanie baby, too. Awards was inside the school cafeterial (air conditioned-still need that out here this time of year!) and the venue had plenty of good seating and parking, too. Everything was decorated to the hilt with halloween themed stuff, and they even played halloween music.

I can only imagine the man hours that went into that meet, but it was awesome and I hope we get to go back to it next year. My dd is still talking about it!! Now, we've only been to a handful of meets, so I'm no great experienced meet attender, but I still think this one was way above and beyond what else I've seen.

 

[pt coach]

I also love Circle of Stars. The meet is always well run, has great coaches food, and I really like downtown Indy. This year it looks like they are hosting it in a hotel instead of the convention center so I am wondering how that will work. Buckeye is another favorite, as well as Chicago Style.

 

[flippin out]

I also love Circle of Stars. The meet is always well run, has great coaches food, and I really like downtown Indy. This year it looks like they are hosting it in a hotel instead of the convention center so I am wondering how that will work. Buckeye is another favorite, as well as Chicago Style.

Wonder why they are changing the venue site? The Convention Center was a great place! I'm sure they will still do a great job of it (they are always well run and well organized), but I wonder if they are not expecting attendance to be as large that they don't need the space of the Convention Center?

 

[pt coach]

Wonder why they are changing the venue site? The Convention Center was a great place! I'm sure they will still do a great job of it (they are always well run and well organized), but I wonder if they are not expecting attendance to be as large that they don't need the space of the Convention Center?

I haven't heard why the venue was changed but the website says that xcel and levels 5-10 will compete at the JW Marriott and levels 3-4 will compete at the Downtown Marriott. I really liked the convention center as well, but I am sure they will do a great job with the new venue.