WAG Bizzare "Newbie" Question - types of meets

[AgingHippie]

The next meet we are attending is an invitational. DD has mentioned she was told by a coach that Invitationals tend to score easier than other meets. I really didn't pay it much attention but this past weekend I heard one of her teammates saying the same thing. She is also referred to it as being something the coach said.

This is our third year in the sport and I guess I have never paid much attention to what "type" of meet it was, we just show up when we are told. To be honest other than big meets like States, Regionals etc. I didn't know there were different kinds of meets.

Can anyone give me a tutorial? What type of meets are there? What is the difference?

Thanks!

 

[duyetanh]

Following...
Eta: the only different types of meets I know about are some give kids tshirts and some give leos, bahaha...

 

[AgingHippie]

I know we have been to some that say Classic but I never gave any thought as to if they were any different than an invitational. I just thought that was the name the hosting gym choose.

 

[Texasmomof3]

In the T&T world, you have eligibility meets, mobility and meets and qualifying meets, and as they suggest, the scores can make you eligible for state/nationals, qualify you for elite or allow you to use your score to mobilize levels. The judges for mobility meets require the least training and those scores can vary pretty widely.

 

[MeetDirector]

The USAG Rules & Policies does make a distinction between these types of meets but really only in the sense that they are not necessarily under the auspices of the State Admin Cmte unless they are a meet that can be a qualifier for the given state's championship meet. Fundamentally, there is no difference between an "invitational" meet and any other named kind of meet. Judges still judge against the code so I don't see how someone can say the judging will be easier. A meet is a meet is a meet.

By the R&P, an "Invitational" can limit the number of athletes and can do things like event finals or modified team competitions. See page 107 of the R&P.

 

[AgingHippie]

The USAG Rules & Policies does make a distinction between these types of meets but really only in the sense that they are not necessarily under the auspices of the State Admin Cmte unless they are a meet that can be a qualifier for the given state's championship meet. Fundamentally, there is no difference between an "invitational" meet and any other named kind of meet. Judges still judge against the code so I don't see how someone can say the judging will be easier. A meet is a meet is a meet.

Thank you, I didn't really believe the scoring would be any different but it did get me wondering what the different names meant, if anything.

 

[marie83]

It may be different in Britain so take what you want from this...

In my experience, invitational competitions are usually not sanctioned by the governing body - in our case British gymnastics. They are usually based on whatever grades or levels BG set but BG does not recognise the competition officially.

We have just been to such a competition and the judging was definitely generous.
I'm not complaining at all - but certain elements which have to be held for 2 seconds in order to get the value of the move given were given regardless. It was almost as if the judges had been told to count the skill as long as it was attempted.

A couple of examples: one of my gymnasts is supposed to cast to horizontal before her bhc. She definitely didn't hit horizontal but still got her full start value.
I think in order to make up for that the E panel judges may have deducted more!

I think invitationals are supposed to be all about fun. At the one we attended all gymnasts were given t-shirts, £5.00 voucher for the Leo company sponsoring the event and awards were given on each apparatus according to how few deductions were taken. Overall awards were given out to 8th place and 123 were given sashes rather than medals. Amongst other prizes.

At BG sanctioned competitions there is very little of that! Mostly 1,2,3 are awarded overall medals and that is all!