Are your meets mandatory?

[hawaii_gymnast]

I have been wondering this for awhile, and no it will change based on gym, but I want to know generally.
Does your gym require you to go to every meet? When they hand out the schedule are you expected to be at each one or can you choose what you want to go to?

At my gym we get a list and have to go to at least 3 meets. You can go to more, but at least 3. And they encourage you to go to the bigger qualifying meets to gain the experience of them (Trials, Zones).

 

[gymnastbeth]

If you're on team at my gym, you are required to do at least one meet a year. There are some of meets on the schedule that require traveling far away, and it would be ridiculous to make everyone go to those meets. Every year my parents usually allow me to go to one travel meet, and it's a christmas present.

On the other hand, all of my highschool gymnastics meets are mandatory.

 

[GymSurvivor]

In my gym the USAG team is pretty much required to go to all meets, the only reason they wouldn't go is if they have a reasonable excuse, i.e. if they missed to many practice the month/week before. They have something else going on (Depending on what that is of course)

The Rec./AAU team is required to attend 2 meets throughout the season...and we host two meets. But we have the option of attending all of them which is up to 10 meets, which are levels 3-7 throughout the fall, winter and spring.

 

[stargazer]

I don't know about the higher levels, but Level 3-5 has four meets that we can go to. 3 are mandatory, and 1 is optional. Almost everyone does all the meets though, because they usually aren't very far away.

 

[gymgal]

We get to pick and choose which ones we go to but they really expect the team to go to at least the ones in state (3 this year, including states). The others are 3-7 hours away and are much bigger meets so while they encourage it, they don't force participation in those.

 

[Bajanswife]

Well, being on team assumes that you are willing and able to compete at some of the meets. But because we are the only gym on the island, we have to fly out of country for every single meet except the fun in-house meet that usually happens in December. So it's just not practical (or affordable!) for every gymnast to make it to every meet that the coaches decide to travel to. Most of the kids tend to make it to the regional meets that are only an hour's flight away and not that expensive to get to, but the U.S. meets are more difficult, and it is generally understood that some gymnasts will not be able to go to those. We had to skip Crown of the Carolinas last month due to finances (and actually only a small contingent from our gym ended up going) and it just being a tough time to travel, but we are going to the Presidential Classic in February. It looks like over 30 members of our team will make it to the Presidential, which is great!

Even with meets nearby, I can understand situations where there are clashes with other events, or some other reason why competing in a particular event is difficult. I would be OK with a minimum number required, but not with every single one being mandatory.

 

[aerialriver]

Yeah you are pretty much expected to compete every meet if you want to be on team. Our compulsory levels do not do out of state meets. We host at least 2 ourselves so they may have 1 or 2 away meets and states where ever that is held. We are kind of rural compared to some of you so they may have to travel 2-3 hours for the away meets.

Our optional level girls do regionals and nationals if they make it and those are usually out of state, but they are optional to some extent. If you are higher level and looking into the college route you are encouraged to do these meets.

Our T&T team does 5 in state meets including the state meet but they are spread out over the entire state some 4 hours away or more. They also do regionals and nationals but those are optional. Actually most of the meets are optional for T&T. You do have to attend 2 qualifiers to compete at states.

 

[gymmomtoo]

If you are on team, you are expected to attend ALL the meets. If you can't you need to talk to the coaches ahead of time (and have a darn good reason). There's no picking or choosing.

 

[paige1027]

At my DD gym she is required to go to all meets. And every year there is about 12-14 meets. There are about 2-4 travel meets! This year we have 5 travel meets. It's crazy. And she has to go to all of them! Plus they are pretty much back to back.

 

[sportsmom22]

Our gym ask that you attend all meets. We have a very small team and all of the meets are within 3-4 hours drive time. Most are about an hour away. I think there are 9 on the schedule for this season. However, they do understand that each family may have another committment. When they send the email out that payments are due, if you can't go, you just let them know why. DD has never been in trouble for missing a meet. She will miss 2 this season because of a school competition. Our state meet alway falls around spring break. Some of our girls miss that one because they are traveling with their families. If we miss a meet, we don't pay the meet fees. Because we pay coaches fees on a different schedule, there is no break in this. I think that is very fair.

 

[2gymbratz]

At our gym, the gymnast's are expected to compete at all scheduled meets. There of coarse are expections but not many.

 

[thefellowsmom]

At our gym, all meets are required. There are exceptions. We will miss one this year for a huge vacation that has been booked for over a year, but they aren't happy about it and we are contemplating taking a flight a few hours later than we had planned so that she could go to the meet since the meet is on the first day of the trip.

The only one that is optional is the out of state meet for compulsories. As an optional the travel meets are also required.

Meet fees, coaches fees, leos and warmups etc. are lumped into one sum so there is no discount if you miss a meet. You pay in entirety no matter what.

 

[Pickle's Mom]

At Pickle's gym they are all required except for one "airplane" meet which is optional. They usually try to make it someplace fun and warm so people will want to go.

Kids miss meets of course, due to illness and unavoidable conflicts, but you are expected to go.

 

[cher062]

Well it's not written down any where but it is assumed that everyone will go to every meet or at least most meets. Usually if someone can't go its because of injury, financialy can't afford it (espcially for meets that require hotels and or airfare), or for an unavoidable conflict in schedules. If someone does have this conflict they do need to speak to the owner and coach.

 

[SheCanFly]

At my daughter's gym, we can opt out of a meet if we fill out a form before a certain deadline. The deadline is usually the payment installment where we would be expected to pay the meet fee. If we don't opt out, then we are billed for the meet fee regardless of whether we show up or not. And of course, a missed meet does not permit you to be refunded the meet fee.

 

[IGM Gymnastics]

At our gym you are not required to go to all meets, but are definitely encouraged to go to all meets. The only time gymnasts choose not to compete is if they have never competed before and would rather watch the first of the season. Also, we allow families to opt out of travel meets.