Coaches Attendance Quesiton

[Jabba]

What are your rules on missing practice? Especially the week of a meet. Are your gymnasts still allowed to compete? Do they have to make it up (private lesson)? Does this policy vary by level (or optional v compulsory)?

I grew up in gyms that were very firm on attendance (especially meet week), and I believe this is in the best interest of the gymnast and team as a whole. I just wanted to take a quick survey and see what other gyms do.
Thanks for all replies!

 

[GymSurvivor]

On the Rec Team we don't have any rules, but since they only practice twice a week, most girls prefer to be there every day or simply choose not to compete that meet, which is an option for the rec team.

The 'Artistic Team' which is our USAG team requires the girls to be at all practice before a meet. If they have to miss a practice whether they are sick or have something going on they must do a make-up on another night. Say a level 5 (who practice monday, wednesday, friday) misses they can do a make-up in one of the level 3/4 practice on tuesday or thursday.

I don't coach the upper levels so I'm not sure on what the level 9s do, who practice 5 days a week.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I would still allow a gymnast to compete who missed a few practices in the lead up to the comp. sometimes it's better to miss training. I don't want sick kids coming and getting the whole group sick for the meet. Just so they can compete.

but poor attendance has other consequences ie. parents still have to pay for training anyway, won't progress as fast as team mates, may not be able to move up at the end of the year, may be last selected for a team event, may lose their spot on the team.

 

[kayjaybe]

I don't think our gym has a policy on this. My dd missed the 2 practices (W & F) leading up to a meet last year (L5) due to being sick. I wasn't even sure if she was going to be strong enough to compete on Sat. I asked the gym what she could do and they said she could come and be with the team and see how she felt about competing. She felt OK and went on to get her first medals of the season and medaled on 3 events & AA! So, they don't seem to have an official policy.

 

[gymgurl]

At our gym if we miss a training session we can normally make it up on another day with another squad. If we miss training before comp, no big deal, you can still compete. If missing training is regular our coach just starts not to care - we had a girl who showed up about 1 maybe 2 training sessions a fortnight and our coach just began not to care

 

[Jabba]

I'm thinking more toward missing for reasons other than being sick. Like choosing to go to a party or something instead. Thanks for the responses, everyone. I appreciate it!

 

[marie83]

We don't have a written policy. Our parents are pretty good though and usually wouldn't want their daughter to miss any sessions in the week leading up to a competition. Same goes for the gymnasts really. Usually 1 day missing practice isn't going to make a huge difference to the outcome of a comp at the lower levels. However we have had a girl miss the week before a competition due to going on holiday - not ideal but the holiday had been booked a year in advance, way before we knew the date of the competition! I think if she was a high level gymnast, doing difficult tumbles on floor and beam, bar releases and a flipping vault we might have considered not entering her for the competition, but it was fairly basic and she was a well prepared gymnast and it turned out ok in the end!

As Aussie Coach says missing practices regularly definitely has other consequences!

 

[Natasha]

Our policy states that if a gymnast misses a practice within 10 days of competition, she may not be able to compete in the meet at the coach's discretion. I like this policy as it leaves room for case-by-case decisions, so if a gymnast is out sick (which is desirable that she not be there) it can be excused, but it discourages choosing a party or FB game. It also leaves it open to make decisions based on level and skill readiness. My dd's first year competing she had a 3 day school field trip the week before a competition that she was convinced she could not attend. I had to have to coach tell her herself that it was excused before my dd would agree to go on the field trip...lol.

 

[dmytv]

our gym also has the policy that if they miss practice within 2 weeks of a meet they may be scratched from that meet at the coaches discression. I have never seen it enforced, but I have seen a coach give a stern talk to a gymnast or parent because of lack of commitment or priorities (party, sleepover, football game, or another sport, etc.). If they are sick/injured or if it is sometheing for school there is the effort to help the gymnast make up the time or just get ready.