For Parents Another hair gripe

[MILgymFAM]

Apparently this season, my girls' hair is going to be the bane of my existence. Younger DD, with the long thin hair, is required to have a bun (no bangs, but only sometimes??). I asked advice here before about keeping her silky thin hair up in that dang bun- T&T is hard for keeping hair up! I used a lot of the advice and the biggest help was to get spin pins to hold the bun in place. Bought them, they worked, love them. This weekend her bun started to get just a bit bouncy and her HC wanted to fix it. She discovered the spin pins and had a fit. They are not allowed and officially banned from DDs head. I was so annoyed I actually allowed myself to get into an argument with the HC over hair- not very mature of me at all, I know, but here I am. Have to keep the hair in a sleek bun, no spin pins allowed. I told my DD she would have to cut her hair to make it more manageable, but that brought a round of tears and another dirty look from HC. I think having to pay a hairdresser to do her hair might be a bridge too far for me, but I am stymied.

Then my older DD had her meet this weekend. She has done the same hairstyle, for the most part, since she started competing last year. Three to five small braids at the forehead, pulled back into a ponytail, with the middle section pulled into a ponytail, and the bottom section braided up into the ponytail. I then braid all the pieces together and secure, cover it with the scrunchie, and call it a day. It's very, very, very secure, and her hair is SUPER thick and doesn't move. This weekend, after 6 meets of this hair, at two different gyms and in two different "states", the judges decided to enforce a rule I have never seen enforced in xcel. No hair was allowed to touch below the shoulders. Her ponytail bottom sits between her shoulder blades- always has. So I had to partially take out her shellacked into place hair at the meet and try and make it shorter. That was a fail, so I had to bun it. My DD is a bit ocd and her hair has to be the same for competition. What a pain. I seriously would ha e snipped off the bottom of the pony rather than redo it- DD actually asked me to do that, but I couldn't find any scissors. She is now begging for a hair cut. Ha!

I never would have thought hair would have been the hardest part of being the gymnastics parent who is solely responsible for all the running around and craziness, but it is!

 

[ldw4mlo]

Is there some gymnastic official rule????

If not I would comply with the bun, in the way that works for me.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I am honestly not sure. I tried to look it up on T&T sites but couldn't find anything other than the hair must be "close to the head" and "no ponytails". HC actually said the spin pins would "poke her in the brain". Now that I am not angry and in the heat of the moment, I am assuming she was kidding to get her point across.

 

[ldw4mlo]

Well maybe she thinks they could be a safety issue. If that is the case I could see it.

We use the bun donut, tons of pins and lots of product.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

what a load of tosh - those spin pins are much more secure than normally pins.

For youngest dd try the braided bun as that doesn't even need pins

 

[mariposa]

How about sewing her bun to her head with embroidery floss (the stuff you make friendship bracelets with, you can find it matching the haircolor) and a large blunt tapestry needle? Worked for my daughter who has long thick hair. Learned about it from a mom here years ago.
Make a ponytail. Split into 2 parts and braid each of them, securing the ends with a small elastic. Start winding a braid around base of ponytail and "sew" the bun to the hair underneath. Keep going till your are out of hair, then wrap the other braid the opposite direction and do the same. I use lots of spray gel on damp hair. We do her hair before bed and in the morning, I just spray down wisps, put a hair net on and then the scrunchy. Secure scrunchy with 4 U shaped hairpins.

 

[gymcat]

I'm pretty sure the no bobby pins is a real tramp & tumbling rule. I've never heard of no hair longer than the shoulders for gymnastics though (and I see it longer all the time at meets).

 

[gymcat]

And my daughter with thin hair was able to do hers in a bun by using 3 ponytail holders - the first one takes just the front/top part of the hair, the second one pulls the bottom half of the hair and the original ponytail together and then you trip and wrap and use the third one around the outside of the hair. Her baby-fine hair always managed to stay up.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I was under the impression that no bobby pins was a rule- but that is what she told me to use. I had already used them. Three spin pins, four bobby pins, bun net, three ponytail holders, the scrunchie, braids, and a ton of product. Still came loose by the end of the meet. She has the most impossible hair. I have used the ballet bun with the donut (when they were dancing) and it held with a ton of pins, but those are discouraged too. I am going to use the sewing trick next, I think. Someone here was kind enough to pm me how to do it the last time, but then I found the pins and it seemed so much simpler.

No U pins allowed either, but I will try the sewing finished up with regular bobby pins.

 

[MILgymFAM]

what a load of tosh - those spin pins are much more secure than normally pins.

For youngest dd try the braided bun as that doesn't even need pins

That is very adorable and fairly manageable, but there is no way it would stay in place on the trampoline. I may try it for dance class though! Thanks!

 

[MILgymFAM]

I'm pretty sure the no bobby pins is a real tramp & tumbling rule. I've never heard of no hair longer than the shoulders for gymnastics though (and I see it longer all the time at meets).

We see longer all the time too. This was the first time HC said she saw anyone ever get a warning about hair, and it happened three times in the session prior to ours. Better safe than sorry, she said.

 

[scanlri]

One of our gymnasts got a warning about hair this weekend at a meet. That was a first, and it was on beam (I would have expected bars).

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

what a load of tosh - those spin pins are much more secure than normally pins.

For youngest dd try the braided bun as that doesn't even need pins

I want to try this on my Dd! I think she will like it

 

[sce]

Is there some gymnastic official rule????

If not I would comply with the bun, in the way that works for me.

This has been discussed before. It is not a rule.

As for the T&T dd, can you sew the bun? Have not done this, but have heard of doing so, you use ribbon to sew the bun.

 

[Learning Parent GB]

I like that CGH bun and have done it successfully on DD before. I'm not 200% it was tough enough to withstand a full gym practice though. I want to try tomorrow now.

I thought the long ponytails were a safety issue. I'd heard it described as not long enough that it touches the floor when you do a handstand - but not in any official way.

Good luck with the sewing. That is also on my list to try.

 

[momnipotent]

Wow, whatever you do, don't google "how to sew hair to scalp" to figure out how to do the embroidery floss thing Can she do a sock bun?

 

[gymdog]

The hair has been enforced more over the last two seasons. If the ponytail is long enough to go over their head and touch their face, it's too long and must secured in a loop or bun. It is easier to explain this to the parents by telling them their hair can't reach past their neck. I'm assuming that's why they pointed out it was down to her shoulder blades. If it was down to her shoulder blade when it flips over her head it reaches her face. If her ponytail is thin it might not obstruct her vision, but they just want to make sure it doesn't distract or obstruct the gymnast.

For bun issue, I hate bobby pins and they constantly come out or the kids complain about them. I WISH USAG would ban them because they are constantly being found on the floor and the kids step on them. When I was a gymnast for practice and even meets we just did a tight ponytail with one elastic then twisted tightly and covered tightly with another elastic. You need a stretchy, thick elastic, no thin ones. If you twist it tightly while the hair is wet, and then put an extra elastic plus a scrunchy, it should be able to last through a couple routines and is easy to fix. Make sure the hair is all the way wet them put gel or product. It will work best and be easiest to fix if it's all the way wet.

 

[momofcrazygymmie]

We use a sock bun. I roll DD's hair down into it to avoid a lot of wrap around. I then use the thread and "C" needle to sew in place with embroidery thread. I have never used a bobby pin in her hair. The bun doesn't move at all.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Can you ask the coach to do the hair?

 

[GymnastMomX2]

I'm stressed out just reading you post. No advice but good luck!