For Parents Devastating state meet

[gym law mom]

I put a long post in the Q & A forum about the coaching issues at the meet, so I won't rehash too much here. Gymmie had her L8 state meet last weekend---just a disaster from start to finish. First, it was supposed to be held a neutral site---host gym changed location at the last minute(ok 2.5 wks before) to their gym. Supposedly, rental of the building they had told everyone in the state about fell through. So, gymmie had to look at going back to her old gym.
The meet itself was disorganized and many parents from other gyms were complaining this didn't feel like a state meet at all---nothing special. They ran out of the PRE-ordered t-shirts/sweatshirts and told girls that didn't get theirs, that they would be ordering more, but didn't know when they would get them. The program had so many mistakes---misspelled names, incorrect map etc., it sure wasn't worth the price. Awards for L8 sessions 1 and 2 were held in a tent in their parking lot!!! They were very worried about running past 10pm(girls can't compete after that), so the whole goal was to move things as fast as possible.

So, she has session 1 with an 8am show up time. Got her there and she had this look on her face like she was going to throw up. Told her I would walk her to the door and in to her coach, but she said no she had to do that herself----had "to make myself walk into THAT place again." Open stretch---rolled her right ankle. Thought she'd be ok, but as they stood around for march in etc, it started hurting and I think she panicked. Didn't feel she could tell her coaches since she was up early on vault. Coaches checked out on her---paid little or no attention and she looked miserable. If I ever see her look that way again, I'll pull her. She was the good sport--sat through awards(on a panel mat in the tent)---got nothing. Came back and cheered on her teammates in the later sessions after I made her ice the ankle and wrap it.

So, no regionals, season over. She has started working some new skills, but she and another girl who also didn't qualify for regionals have been somewhat shoved aside---she ended up practicing with the L6 team one night!! Maybe that made her mad because that night she did toe shoot to kip/straddle cast(1st time ever). Lots of issues to resolve with her coaches including having her practice with the L8 team and not continue to put the "outcast" tag on her.

 

[bogwoppit]

Good for her for showing what a strong character she has. To walk back into the old gym took a whole lot of emotional maturity. What a trooper. It is always a shame when a club takes on the honour of running a State meet, and forgets to do a good job It is so important to get it right and make all involved feel special for making it that far. Hopefully lessons are learned from this poor job.

I really hope that things pick up for your DD, good sign that she is prepared to step it up in training even if her coaches are being neglectful of her.

It is amazing that gymmies can get to such high levels despite their coaches. Let us know how the next few weeks work out.

 

[hunde2]

So sorry to hear she did not qualify.Like you said just to many thing went wrong.i don't think they should have been allowed to have state at their gym.
She will be stronger the next time.
Love uptraining.Congrates on making that toeshoot.
She shouldn't be outcasted and definatly not be training with Level 6.

 

[Linsul]

Ugh that sounds awful >< Being at states is nerve wracking enough, to have it at the 'old gym' is just yikes! Good for her pulling it together and making the best of it, that had to have been daunting! At least their poorly run shoddy attention to the event reinforces the good decision to leave that place. States should be exciting and memorable, I doubt they'll host it again but who knows. If the host site really did fall through I could understand the last minute scramble for structure. The t-shirts and whatnot though, yeesh.


Tell your DD to stop someones world if she hurts herself at a meet! She should be able to compete in as much comfort and with as much dignity as possible. If everything was haywire and nuts, her coaches may have been caught up in the lack of structure and trying to maintain. There's lots in the way of paperwork and organization that we're responsible for fixing if it isn't correct as well getting the girls ready to go. Throughout all that if a gymnast gets hurt they should know it's okay to speak up, always. They should have fun and have the opportunity to show their best, we also don't want them to possibly injure themselves further. Gotta be safe, and if the coaches don't see it for some reason speaking up is all you can do!


Working out with L6 seems ridiculous to me. Not just for the L8's, but the 6's as well. I don't know how that would be beneficial to the girls of either level. Going to regionals or not shouldn't impact a workout like that. At this point the qualifiers aren't learning new skills, it's all repetition and cleaning up the details. Nothing that would mean the coaches can't pay attention to everyone of the same level in my opinion. I'd ask about that, maybe there's a coaching scheduling conflict that made them workout with the L6's? I honestly can't think of anything other than that to warrant such a change regionals or no regionals.

 

[gym law mom]

So sorry to hear she did not qualify.Like you said just to many thing went wrong.i don't think they should have been allowed to have state at their gym.
She will be stronger the next time.
Love uptraining.Congrates on making that toeshoot.
She shouldn't be outcasted and definatly not be training with Level 6.

Problem is in our state(probably like many others) the decision on all state meets is done in the summer. This gym has hosted alot of state meets in the past---I know having worked a few when gymmie trained there. They even have a full time gym manager/meet director, so its not like its just the parents that threw this together. Apparently, many gyms have contacted the state association to complain. I really feel they should be banned from hosting any state meet for a couple of years.

Many other little things went wrong which I think just contributed to the whole mess. One coach was new coaching L8 this year and I think she was as nervous(if not more) than my kid. She made weird mistakes like forgetting to move the springboard closer to the vault and putting the landing mat too far under the high bar so gymmie hit her toes on her giants. The other coach spent the meet socializing---she got up long enough to stand by the beam while gymmie did her 2 minute warm up and after that plopped herself back down on a mat to chat.

 

[msl529]

I'm really sorry to hear about the bad State meet! Sounds like the host gym is having some sort of troubles, if they have a dedicated meet director and can't even pull off pre-oredered T-shirts, sheesh.

And like Linsul, I shuddered to think that your dd was afraid to approach her coahes about her injured ankle. Not right, and potentially dangerous, llike linsul said.

But sounds like your dd kept her cool and did her best in the face of much adversity that day, kudos to her!

Sorry she was stuck w/ the L6's at practices. Even if it was just staffing issues or whatever, and not to make a 'statement' to your dd about missing the regional score, I'm sure it still felt to her like she'd been slighted. Did she not ever get an 'atta girl, way to go at your meet, you looked great, we are glad your'e one of us' type comments? Whys is it that some coaches just cannot remember to be decent and give every girl a pat on the back? SIGH!

I think your dd is amazing, has worked very hard all season, and has much to be proud of. Hope she begins to feel this way about herself soon, too.

 

[gymjourneymom]

Oh man! That sounds like a day you'd both like to forget! You're poor DD having to compete "states" at her old gym. That was a cruel mental game for her to have to deal with. Then a sore ankle & lack luster coaching. Now just b/c she didn't make regionals, all of her hard work is being forgotten & she's feeling 'pushed aside'. Yes, sometimes I really hate this sport! Here's a (((hug))) for both of you! Glad she got toe shoot to kip/straddle cast!!! Don't let the turkeys keep you down honey! Just go out there & just keep doing what you always do, work hard & have fun!

 

[mariposa]

GLM,

Sorry to hear about your daughter's state meet. That really sucks, the whole situation. Hope that you can get the issues at her gym settled. The way they treated her at the meet was just mean and wrong.

Hugs to both of you.

 

[Granny Smith]

I have to tell you that my dd is in the same boat as yours. She did not qualify to Regionals, but 6 of her team mates did.

The treatment you described about being put with the level 6s is very similiar to what would normally happen with dd due to this situation. At some point the will start to split the group based on who is going to Regionals and who isn't - another reminder that dd didn't make it. Luckily, during the week she is still with the other level 8s because she comes in at the same time as them and the 6/7s come an hour later - but Saturday is a different story. I did tell dd on the way to practice this past weekend that she might get put with the 6/7s, just to give her a head's up.

I remind her that she is not the priority now and until Regionals is over (weekend of 5/2-5/3) she can expect to be overlooked (she is still being coached, but she doesn't have a meet coming up.)

The good thing is though, while she is working upgrades and is somewhat relaxed the other girls are being pushed and are a little stressed about the biggest meet they will have this season.

She seems to be ok with everything right now, but as we get closer to Regionals, I am sure she will feel the pushed aside feeling too. BUT, what can ya do, I can't change the fact that she is not going to Regionals - I just try to make the best of it! Regardless of what groups dd is put in, she can still go in and work the hardest she can. As long as she is doing the skills that she needs to be doing, than I am willing to let this one pass.

 

[cathiann]

Oh your poor DD!! What an awful weekend. I'm glad to hear gyms complained about the meet--hopefully the board will pay attention and not give them a meet again. And I'd definitely talk to the coaches--she may not have made regionals, but she should still get to practice with her teammates! My dd is a level 7 this year, but all our 8s & 10s (we don't have any 9s) this year made it to Regionals--except one girl--poor kid, but she's been having an awful year and barely made it to State, so I don't think she's too surprised--she left right after the meet though :-(.

 

[gym law mom]

Seems like they can't figure out what to do with her and her teammate who didn't make it to regionals. I asked her about the practice with the L6s and she said after conditioning they were just told to go practice with them---no reason given, no shortage of coaches. Then next practice which was shortened so coaches could leave for the L7 state meet, she was back with the other L8s. Since the practice was cut short, they just did conditioning, ballet and worked on uptraining on bars. So, she got to work on hitting the baile in a hs, front giants and toe shoots. Since only 1 coach was going to be there for Sat. pratice, gymmie and the other girl were strongly encouraged NOT to come. They were told all the L8/9s would be doing routines and the coach wouldn't have time to set up stations for them. This is the very good coach and if the girls had come in, she would have not had a problem finding some skills for them to work on. This coach never said don't bother coming, it was the L7/8 fx/beam coach.

So, the 2 had a sleepover and skipped practice on Sat. It just may be what they needed, but I'm not going to let my child get shoved aside or told she doesn't have to come to practices since she's not doing routines. I did pay tuition for this month and she deserves attention just like anyone else.

Granny--At least my gymmie won't be "pushed aside" as long as your poor dd. Regionals here are 4/25-26. Can't imagine having to take a back seat to everyone until May! Tell dd she is just a lovely gymnast---I always love watching her videos.

 

[ValleyGymMom]

So sorry it was such a rough meet. It just breaks your heart to see them suffer like that but she showed real character supporting her teammates like that.
Too bad about regionals. My daughter missed it too.
Sounds like the whole meet was disorganized. Awards in a tent?!?! What were they thinking? C'mon people, why couldn't you make this day more memorable for these girls? Sounds like it was thrown together at the last minute.

 

[NOG]

I'm so sorry that she had such a tough time. What a stinky situation to have to go back in to an old gym and compete an important meet like that. Not sure what's going on with the coaching issues at her gym right now, but hopefully that works itself out.

Kudos to her for being a trouper and cheering her team members on though! Very proud of her for that!

 

[gym mom]

Sorry your dd's states did not go well from the minute she walked in the gym and still having a rough time at her on gym.Big (((hugs))) she had a great season!

 

[TeamDad]

Hey GLM,

I'm a little late, but I just haven't been able to type a coherent response...I'm still just so P.O.'d about what happened. I hope everything works out.

 

[Megley]

I'm late too. I read this thread and the one in the Q&A. I am so sorry that your poor dd had to suffer through such a horrible state meet and at her old gym to boot. More importantly, I hope you get the coaching situation straightened out. Maybe the best thing for her would be to move to Level 9 where she can get better coaching.

In the meantime, I hope that she can hang in there. All those girls who did not make regionals are in a tough spot, having to watch their team mates train for regionals and being reminded that they did not make it. It sounds like your dd has been doing some uptraining, which is good and hopefully will take her mind off the regionals thing and the rough state meet.

Meg