WAG Loud cheering at meets (screaming, really) - thoughts?

[Sasha]

At a recent meet, the parents from one of the gyms were screaming, hollering, jumping up, and carrying on as if we were at an outdoor football game. So loud our ears were literally hurting from the noise.

Every. Single. Time one of their gymnasts did ANYTHING, parents screamed and shouted loud WAAAAAA!!!!!! WOO WOO!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!, literally every time. Even after EVERY VAULT run - loud screams.

Of course, our girls are on BEAM, while their darlings are on VAULT, so that high-pitched, jarring WAAAAAA!!!!! every 15 seconds after each vault was ridiculous. I realize gymnasts are supposed to block out distractions, but this was nuts, imo. Later, my gymmie told me that was "Very Annoying!".

While I appreciate parental enthusiasm, I really think this kind of behavior at a meet doesn't suit the sport. Certainly some clapping is appreciated, and I think a quick, happy "Woo!" at the end of your own kid's routine is fine. Though our group tends to bring more of a restrained "golf clap" style, which suits me fine.

How is cheering in your area? Is this kind of loud hollering common? Encouraged? Or if not, is there any avenue to "complain"?

Other parents from our gym commented they wished they could say something, but we realize we aren't suppose to talk to any organizers, and our coaches weren't nearby at this meet. Even if coaches were around, we didn't want to put any pressure on our coaches to say anything and take focus away from the girls. So we just endured. Curious if this is inappropriate, or if we are being old sticks in the mud and should just bring earplugs and suck it up

 

[profmom]

I think it's pretty subjective, but I say this as a loud person myself. Certainly no vuvuzelas or cowbells! Personally, I think the line is crossed if you can't hear the floor music.

College meets are very raucous.

 

[mandkmom]

I don't know if it is a real rule- but our HC told us this kind of loud cheering was expressly prohibited and could result in penalties. But don't know if that would really happen.
In our area there is cheering but rarely obnoxious. There is one team we've seen where the girls chant before every single girl goes. So on beam you hear the same chant 10 times in a row. they are not really loud, but can be a little creepy....Because they do it in this monotone voice.

There is one other team that we see once or twice a season. They cheer for everything, everything is a big deal. Even at the judges critique they were just all excited and jumping up-and-down. It's all a little much for me, but their girls are really good and maybe that's part of it. The confidence or excitement? I understand what you mean, I too would've found it annoying. And it's just not my style. My daughter doesn't even like for me to cheer loud.

 

[cbifoja]

We had a gym do this at state last year so I think I fully understand and empathize. Personally, I think parents who are doing this are just sad and part of me thinks that yes, they are trying to knock others off their game. Disgusting that they don't think their girls have the skills to win without their interference.

I don't know what the answer is. Maybe next time, go find any person working the meet and ask them to take a message to the meet director. Maybe the meet director can make an announcement about appropriate meet behavior.

 

[skschlag]

I guess boy meets are different. They are loud. Kids are having fun. My son had to do a scale in front of a speaker at regionals, and the announcer started talking. He didn't even notice. I cheer, our whole team cheers at the end of a routine. We yell for the kids getting ready to go. We will even cheer their name if they are doing a new skill, or a hard tumbling passs, etc. Our boys are cheering for each other, or sometimes kids on other teams. We have fun. We are not trying to knock anyone else off their game, or mess anyone up. It is just for fun, and support. Everyone is doing it, and the boys love it.

 

[Sasha]

Oh, and I should add that many of these parents were in the front row - and still STOOD UP to scream throughout the event.

 

[profmom]

Haha, my son swears it was the bass from the rap song coming out of the speaker next to the mushroom at one of his meets two years ago that caused him to fall. But when our girls are on floor, they always cheer loudly for each other every time one of them goes for a tumbling passes, and all of them have three passes, so maybe they are being obnoxious? I never saw it that way, but that's the norm around here. And when our parents cheer, there's no intent to knock anyone off their game. I'd rather hear a group of parents cheering for every gymnast on a team than, as I saw at regionals, the dude who was screaming his fool head off every time his son touched an apparatus but was dead silent any time any of his teammates were going.

I'm fine with people standing up to video their own children, but I will and have asked them to sit down if they are just standing. But the IPad waving in the air is almost as bad, IMO.

Edited to add -- and yes, with the boys, they and we are getting to know other teams well enough that we can't even shut up when kids NOT ON OUR OWN TEAM are competing!

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

The standing up would bother me far more than the whooping.
I think our team (parents) fall somewhere in the middle. We cheer and support our gymnasts, but I don't recall a single meet last year where our team supporters stood out among the others in a negative way.

 

[Muddlethru]

Our coach encourages cheering and anthusiasm. However, I think there is a difference between cheering and yelling/screaming. I too think there is a difference between supportive cheering and "it's all about me" cheering where the cheerer has total disregard for the other people around them and don't care that they may be shuttering someone's eardrums.

I am however one of those quiet observers; so I am at the other end of the spectrum. I do some supportive cheering when I think it is appropriate. Sometimes when a gymnast in our team has been having trouble, is nervous, unsure of themselves, I join in the cheering for a short period. I have to say at one meet, my daughter and her teammate were cheering, screaming really in my opinion, and I had to have a talk with my daughter. Sometimes, the motivation may be good and people get too carried away, but I still think we all have to be cognizant of the people around us.

 

[kandkfunk]

Our former gym had some loud yellers and it really bugged me. Before vault, parents would yell a sort of "chant" together to cheer on the gymnast. I rarely participated. I will cheer for my DD and I will clap or give a "great job" for girls on our team, but I am not a fan of obnoxious behavior. Of course, the measurement of obnoxious versus enthusiastic is in the eye of the beholder.

I will say that Optional meets in our area tend to be more loud and cheerful than the compulsory meets. The Optional meets have a more college-like atmosphere where teams are cheering for the really tough (level 9-10) tumbling passes, releases or series. For Compulsories, I think it's hard to get really excited when you see the same routine over and over again.

 

[profmom]

Yeah, with a team full of brand new L8s, I have a feeling we will be cheering for vault this year, but more along the lines of, "OMG, she did her vault and DIDN'T DIE!!!!!! YAY!!!!"

 

[gasrgoose]

There is one team we've seen where the girls chant before every single girl goes. So on beam you hear the same chant 10 times in a row. they are not really loud, but can be a little creepy....Because they do it in this monotone voice.

HaHa........ I think these type of teams are everywhere. I'm so happy we've never been apart of one. There is a huge gym in our area that has a chant for their compulsory teams. Even my non gymnasts kids know the chant and laugh about it.

 

[skschlag]

I guess I don't get it. When I was a swimmer, we had chants, our basketball teams had chants. Sheesh, even my son's robotics team had a chant. High school gymnastics teams do it and it is fun! What is wrong with a gymnastics team acting like a team, and cheering/chanting for each other? I love it! It means that the coaches have done a good job letting them know that they are a TEAM, not just individuals.

 

[aerials]

We have a couple of teams in our area that does this. We only see them a couple times a year. It is annoying to have someone screaming and you can't hear your daughters floor music. However as annoying as this is...it's worse during awards.

 

[cbifoja]

I guess I don't get it. When I was a swimmer, we had chants, our basketball teams had chants. Sheesh, even my son's robotics team had a chant. High school gymnastics teams do it and it is fun! What is wrong with a gymnastics team acting like a team, and cheering/chanting for each other? I love it! It means that the coaches have done a good job letting them know that they are a TEAM, not just individuals.

if the op is describing the situation i've had, we aren't taking about cheers....we are talking about high pitched, ear busting shrieks that burst out of no where. It's really horrible and distracting.

 

[lovemygymnast]

We always give a little "come on, Francis!" To each girl right before they start but nothing obnoxious. After, it's always clapping and if it's awesome, a woohoo. But I do know what you mean. We have definitely been at meets with these really inconsiderate yellers, standing in front of you, screaming in your ear, and the most inappropriate to me was the one meet we went to when they were cheering crazily only for their gymnasts who were called to the podium. And they were truly OBNOXIOUS about it!!!! There were girls on other teams in tears that didn't make it to the podium and yet, they were still screaming and yelling. Our director has told us as a gym to clap for everyone. We don't want anyone to feel bad and for our team, they aren't mean competitors. Whether they win or lose, I think the parents clapping for everyone is teaching the gymnasts a valuable lesson. I love our gym for this reason!

 

[z2akids]

Our team parents for compulsory levels tend to fall somewhere in the middle. More cheering if a gymnast is struggling on an event. If little Amy fell off the beam I her handstand, you are likely to hear several "you got this" or "finish strong" comments from the team parents. I appreciate that the parents are rooting for all if the kids to do well, not just their own.

 

[flippin out]

Been at a few where there is one particular team who screams obnoxiously. I don't mind cheering....but they scream at full throttle, waving posters and foam fingers! I find the foam fingers very annoying too. I mean, there are parents from other teams sitting behind/beside who would like a video of their kid that doesn't have a foam finger waving in front of the lens and where they can actually hear their kids floor routine!

I learned after the first time....if you see that team, sit Far, Far Away

 

[sce]

I don't know if it is a real rule- but our HC told us this kind of loud cheering was expressly prohibited and could result in penalties. But don't know if that would really happen.

There is a rule for girls' JO and it could result in a team penalty. I too don't know when or how often this penalty has been assessed.

 

[Sasha]

if the op is describing the situation i've had, we aren't taking about cheers....we are talking about high pitched, ear busting shrieks that burst out of no where. It's really horrible and distracting.

Yes! Exactly! Not just clapping and cheering "Great Job! Yay Susie!", but more like that horrible Sprint/iPhone commercial where the ladies scream about every little thing. (P.S. I mute that commercial).



Edit: it was Dads too, with more boisterous yelling, but the pack of moms in the front row were the worst offenders.