Parents Age Grouping?

[MeetDirector]

I am sure the ages you are seeing are just to divide them into the sessions. I too, don't understand the worry about what age group a gymnast is in; the grouping for awards will be done within reason given the number of athletes in an award group and the number of awards they are planning on distributing. And remember, the award groups can change even up to right before the session starts; I have done that especially when there are a fair number of scratches in a session. With the computer scoring software in use today, it is not difficult to level the award groups out almost on the fly.

 

[skschlag]

I am sure the ages you are seeing are just to divide them into the sessions. I too, don't understand the worry about what age group a gymnast is in; the grouping for awards will be done within reason given the number of athletes in an award group and the number of awards they are planning on distributing. And remember, the award groups can change even up to right before the session starts; I have done that especially when there are a fair number of scratches in a session. With the computer scoring software in use today, it is not difficult to level the award groups out almost on the fly.

Unless you are a boy...those can be pretty much anything. We have had sessions with 100+ kids, and 60 in the age group. No breakdown.

 

[Bajanswife]

I hate large award groups. I know it should be about individual performance and improving that, and to some extent your score compared to last meet etc. But when you only get to compete twice or 3 times a year, and it costs a ton and 2 plane rides to get there, a little bling is nice! It's hard to come home empty handed.

I realize that our situation is somewhat unique though, and most kids have more of a chance to work their way up to the podium at some point during the season, even with large groupings.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

I don't need my daughter to win every time, nor did I "keep" asking the coaches about it. I asked once, in a friendly way, at the end of an e-mail about something else entirely. I wasn't bothering the coach, nor complaining. As far as my post here goes, I was just stating my opinion, that no age break downs and that many girls would be a really tough competition. And while I couldn't care less if my daughter gets 4th or 50th as long as she does HER best, she DOES care. So if there's a meet where the odds of her placing even if she has really amazing scores is very low, I would want her to be prepared for that so she isn't shocked and upset when it happens. Especially since it's the first meet of the season and she has been working towards it for months. She has had plenty of meets with tough competition. Even at state, she placed low on some events with high 9's because competition was that tough in her age group. So she's not a gymnast who is getting first every single time. But for a big, regular, non-state meet (I don't even think it's a qualifying meet), I don't really get why it wouldn't be broken down more... that's all. BUT it may very well be, we'll see in a few weeks!

 

[Aussie_coach]

This is the norm where I live. Level 4 may have two divisions if you are lucky which would be under 10 and open age. Each could easily have 120 or more gymnasts and awards go to the top 6 only.

Also the divisions can be very uneven, there could be 10 girls in one age division and 120 in the other.

I really don't mind it this way, I feel it is easier to cope with than thenUS system of giving out medals to 50% and having lots of age divisions. You must have long award ceremonies but also kids would always expect to be getting something and if they didn't they would think they did badly.

In our comps most kids get nothing, but can still go away pleased with their results.

 

[gymgal]

.I really don't mind it this way, I feel it is easier to cope with than then US system of giving out medals to 50% and having lots of age divisions. You must have long award ceremonies but also kids would always expect to be getting something and if they didn't they would think they did badly.

definitely tired of the super long award ceremonies. I wish they just went out the top 3 in individual events and then I wouldn't mind so much going out 50% on the AA. This would significantly cut down on the time it takes.

 

[sjm2b3]

Unless you are a boy...those can be pretty much anything. We have had sessions with 100+ kids, and 60 in the age group. No breakdown.

Yes to this!!! At regionals, there were 64 kids in my son's age group!!! I felt sort of sad for some kids because they didn't even get a participation medal--I felt like they deserved something for all their work. On the other hand, the age groups on the girls side seem to be 9a and 9b and so forth, it's very very different.

 

[skschlag]

It is sjm! Very different. And they aren't even. DS at level 6....8-9 yo had about 10 at state, 12 and up had about 15, and 10-11 had 60+.

 

[curlygirls]

I have never been to a meet like this. All of the meets we attend, including large invitationals, split the gymnasts into equally sized age groups by level and birthdays, and have age divisions like Junior A,B,C and Senior A,B,C. The actual ages in those groupings vary by meet depending on the ages of the entering gymnasts. I like it this way.

 

[Natasha]

Most states have criteria for how many awards they give out (i.e. 50%, or a specified number for under 10 athletes, another specified number for up to 20, etc). This has more of an impact on your daughter's chances of placing than the size of the age group. Depending on which age group your daughter is in, she may have a better chance of placing with a large age group than with a small one. My dd has been at meets with small age groups where last place AA in her group was higher than the first place AA in another group or where 1st place beam in one group would not have placed at all in another age group. So, the best way you can prepare your dd is to start helping her understand the importance of just doing her best, competing against herself and not worrying about the things that aren't in her control.
And as far as knowing ahead of time the age groups, I agree with MeetDirector, we also sometimes adjust the age groups during warm-ups of a session to account for the scratches. So, even when the age groups are printed in the schedule, it may not be accurate. You never know for sure until awards.

 

[mariposa]

And as far as knowing ahead of time the age groups, I agree with MeetDirector, we also sometimes adjust the age groups during warm-ups of a session to account for the scratches. So, even when the age groups are printed in the schedule, it may not be accurate. You never know for sure until awards.

That must drive those parents that track every kid in their kid's age group and have placement figured out before awards NUTS. LOL.


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[Natasha]

That must drive those parents that track every kid in their kid's age group and have placement figured out before awards NUTS. LOL.


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Yep!
I don't track scores, but one meet my dd was bumped up to the next age group and so when the age group we thought she was in was called up and she was never called for a medal we were confused as she had a great meet. But then when they moved on to the next group they started calling her name. I have to say that it is all so much less stressful now that neither she or I worry about placements- she is far enough along and has had enough experiences to "get" that the placements really aren't what is important.

 

[skschlag]

That must drive those parents that track every kid in their kid's age group and have placement figured out before awards NUTS. LOL.


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gotta find the crazies somehow I can't imagine trying to keep track of everyone in d's age group! 6 events going at once...60 kids....I would go crazy!

 

[kandkfunk]

gotta find the crazies somehow I can't imagine trying to keep track of everyone in d's age group! 6 events going at once...60 kids....I would go crazy!

We once had a mom that tracked scores for every kid in the meet. I'm not sure why she did it, but she burned out real quick!

 

[cbifoja]

We have a couple of moms who are famous for knowing what place each of our team members will be in before awards. I've never been team moms with them before so I can't confirm this but it is such an accepted statement in the gym that I think it must be so.

I keep track of our team scores because I use an app that allows me to keep all of the data throughout the season. I like it because it helps me see whose scores are used for team score. The other parents like it because they can reference their child's scores at any point in the season because I can email them the results. Even our coach has hit me up for scores before!

However, just doing that is exhausting and takes a lot of fun out of the meet because I know so many parents are relying on me to get the scores. I just don't know how it is possible to get the scores of every kid!!!! I'm imagining an espresso-drinking chihuahua on crack!

 

[Deleted member 14190]

definitely tired of the super long award ceremonies. I wish they just went out the top 3 in individual events and then I wouldn't mind so much going out 50% on the AA. This would significantly cut down on the time it takes.

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I gotta say that at one time I thought gymnastics award ceremonies were long, UNTIL I went to my daughters DANCE competition!!!! WOW, even the coaches get a bunch of awards!! It was seriously well over an hour long.... And coaches getting awards?

 

[gymdog]

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I gotta say that at one time I thought gymnastics award ceremonies were long, UNTIL I went to my daughters DANCE competition!!!! WOW, even the coaches get a bunch of awards!! It was seriously well over an hour long.... And coaches getting awards?

And if you thought gymnastics was expensive...

 

[beachgirl]

We had a large number in the 8 year old session today. I wasn't sure if they would be divided. When we got there the girls were divided into 8A and 8B. I'm still not sure if this was done by age as one of DD's teammates was in the same group and they are several months apart (March to July). It didn't work out so well, my daughter's 37.05 in 8B earned a 10th tie in the AA and only placement in one event, where had she been in the 8A she would hae been 2nd AA and placed in everything.

 

[mariposa]

We had a large number in the 8 year old session today. I wasn't sure if they would be divided. When we got there the girls were divided into 8A and 8B. I'm still not sure if this was done by age as one of DD's teammates was in the same group and they are several months apart (March to July). It didn't work out so well, my daughter's 37.05 in 8B earned a 10th tie in the AA and only placement in one event, where had she been in the 8A she would hae been 2nd AA and placed in everything.

Usually a group is evenly divided, so even kids a month apart can end up in different ages groups.

At state one year, my DD and a teammate that were 5 days apart were in different ages groups. It was just how the numbers fell the day they determined age groups and divided all girls entered into equal age groups of 20.

And yes, many times age group placement will vary. When my DD was a 6 year old level 4, she would often place on all 4 events and AA (with 8s across the board) and her 11 year old teammate could get all 9s and not place in that age division. It's tough sometimes, but a part of the reason gymnastics will never be "fair". Best to just teach our kids to focus on what IS in their control and not to worry so much about scores and placements. Make little goals that aren't score or placement related and celebrate those!


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[mariposa]

And also, as they got older and moved up in the levels, that same teammate could score lower and place higher than my DD, so it changes.

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