Coaches and masks

[skschlag]

I am just surprised that one of the most prolific gyms in the country for producing recruitable athletes doesn't seem to care about basic health and safety. Cases in the gym likely could have been prevented with better masking. If I were a college coach, I'm not sure I'd want to to business with a sloppy gym.

Oh, i agree

 

[TumbleTimes4]

I find it interesting how there are so many people concerned about what is going on in other gyms, other schools, other households. I was raised to have the serenity accept the things I cannot change (and that don't affect me); to have the courage to change the things I can (and that do affect me); and the wisdom to know the difference -- thank you God.

I very much agree with this.

I think overall, that is good advice. However, if you are attending meets, what is happening in other gyms could affect you and your child. It is good to know what you are walking into so you can make those positive choices. Plus, some decisions can affect the community as a whole.

In this case, without a mask mandate, however, there really isn't much that can be done.

But at the meet, if all teams are required to wear masks and maintain six feet of distance and using hand sanitizer and their own chalk, then it shouldn’t matter if there are teams that train without masks.

And yes while your gym may require masks at practice, do you ask all teammates or coaches if they hang out with friends or visit family without masks? If they don’t always wear masks when with other people, what’s the difference in training with them while you are all wearing a mask and competing with another gym that may not wear a mask in trainin

I am just surprised that one of the most prolific gyms in the country for producing recruitable athletes doesn't seem to care about basic health and safety. Cases in the gym likely could have been prevented with better masking. If I were a college coach, I'm not sure I'd want to to business with a sloppy gym.

I would be willing to bet that college coaches care very little about a gym’s mask policy. They clearly have no issues recruiting from gyms with a culture of abuse so I doubt they are going to bat an eye over training without masks. It will always come down to winning and they will take the gymnasts that give them the best chance of that regardless of their gym’s mask policy.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

I very much agree with this.



But at the meet, if all teams are required to wear masks and maintain six feet of distance and using hand sanitizer and their own chalk, then it shouldn’t matter if there are teams that train without masks.

And yes while your gym may require masks at practice, do you ask all teammates or coaches if they hang out with friends or visit family without masks? If they don’t always wear masks when with other people, what’s the difference in training with them while you are all wearing a mask and competing with another gym that may not wear a mask in trainin




I would be willing to bet that college coaches care very little about a gym’s mask policy. They clearly have no issues recruiting from gyms with a culture of abuse so I doubt they are going to bat an eye over training without masks. It will always come down to winning and they will take the gymnasts that give them the best chance of that regardless of their gym’s mask policy.

I agree with all of this. At a meet, it really makes no difference if the girls you are competing against wear masks when they are in their gym. If they have covid, regardless of where they contracted it from, they would be equally contagious. All the meets we have been to have done a good job or really not having the teams near each other and of following all the expected safety protocols. I feel like they are as safe as they really can be.

Anyway, our gym didn't require masks at first. They did have a long list of things they were doing to keep everyone safe, but felt masks were too restrictive. However, when regulations got stricter, they started requiring masks for the coaches/parents/workers at all time and for the gymnasts at all times except when actively training in order to comply. I think it's fine and the girls have all adapted. At meets they've been to, they have had to wear masks during warms ups and in between events, but not on events. It's all been fine. We have a few parents that weren't comfortable attending meets, so they chose to sit this season out rather than be in that environment, which I totally respect. I haven't heard of any outbreaks because of these meets, but I understand why they were concerned.

But there are some really, really judgy people out on the internet (I'm mainly talking about on reddit and twitter) that seem to post only about how awful everyone is for competing at meets. Every college meet is dissected and analyzed for mask compliance and physical contact (how dare they bump knuckles!). Every instagram post by an elite gymnast is being scrutinized and, rather than commenting on their talent and skills, people are complaining because that one girl in the background has her mask around her chin. Many people say that there should be no meets (jo, college or elite) going on and that they have lost all respect for xx team or individual because, for example, they waited 5 seconds to put their mask on after vault. It's all just too much for me. I mean, let's be real. These girls train together for 20+ hours a week. In college, they probably room together, eat together, etc. They are tested constantly and follow all the required rules for quarantining when needed. I haven't read of any huge outbreaks among gymnasts. I believe in being cautious and careful, but I think every gym has to do what they think is right and what is in compliance with their area and rules. If someone has a problem with how their own gym is handling masks, then they should definitely complain to their gym. But I don't see how the constant need to judge how other gyms and families are doing things is helpful. Just my opinion, and again, I'm not necessarily talking about anyone here, but just all the comments I am constantly reading all over the internet.

 

[kendo348]

But at the meet, if all teams are required to wear masks and maintain six feet of distance and using hand sanitizer and their own chalk, then it shouldn’t matter if there are teams that train without masks.

And yes while your gym may require masks at practice, do you ask all teammates or coaches if they hang out with friends or visit family without masks?

Because many girls, especially ones from gyms where they aren’t used to training in masks, take their mask off to compete. I’m not into having my kid on the beam right after someone breathed covid into the same air. Also, local culture highly affects people’s mask compliance. If kids have been taught by example that wearing a mask is not important, they’re more likely to wear it incorrectly and/or remove it often even while at the meet. We’ve been to one large meet that I was okay with because I trusted based on past experience that it would be impeccably run including covid protocols. I’ve seen plenty of large meets on Instagram that I’m sure “required” masks but nobody wore them... I wouldn’t go to those meets.

Our gym asked that if any athlete attends an unmasked gathering, they stay out of the gym for seven days. Maybe some ignore that request, but from the vibe I get I think most are following it because we want to do our part to keep the gym open.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

I agree with all that @TumbleTimes4 posted (for some reason the quote feature failed me). At a meet, it really makes no difference if the girls you are competing against wear masks when they are in their gym. If they have covid, regardless of where they contracted it from, they would be equally contagious. All the meets we have been to have done a good job or really not having the teams near each other and of following all the expected safety protocols. I feel like they are as safe as they really can be.

Anyway, our gym didn't require masks at first. They did have a long list of things they were doing to keep everyone safe, but felt masks were too restrictive. However, when regulations got stricter, they started requiring masks for the coaches/parents/workers at all time and for the gymnasts at all times except when actively training in order to comply. I think it's fine and the girls have all adapted. At meets they've been to, they have had to wear masks during warms ups and in between events, but not on events. It's all been fine. We have a few parents that weren't comfortable attending meets, so they chose to sit this season out rather than be in that environment, which I totally respect. I haven't heard of any outbreaks because of these meets, but I understand why they were concerned.

But there are some really, really judgy people out on the internet (I'm mainly talking about on reddit and twitter) that seem to post only about how awful everyone is for competing at meets. Every college meet is dissected and analyzed for mask compliance and physical contact (how dare they bump knuckles!). Every instagram post by an elite gymnast is being scrutinized and, rather than commenting on their talent and skills, people are complaining because that one girl in the background has her mask around her chin. Many people say that there should be no meets (jo, college or elite) going on and that they have lost all respect for xx team or individual because, for example, they waited 5 seconds to put their mask on after vault. It's all just too much for me. I mean, let's be real. These girls train together for 20+ hours a week. In college, they probably room together, eat together, etc. They are tested constantly and follow all the required rules for quarantining when needed. I haven't read of any huge outbreaks among gymnasts. I believe in being cautious and careful, but I think every gym has to do what they think is right and what is in compliance with their area and rules. If someone has a problem with how their own gym is handling masks, then they should definitely complain to their gym. But I don't see how the constant need to judge how other gyms and families are doing things is helpful. Just my opinion, and again, I'm not necessarily talking about anyone here, but just all the comments I am constantly reading all over the internet.

 

[kendo348]

I agree with all of this. At a meet, it really makes no difference if the girls you are competing against wear masks when they are in their gym. If they have covid, regardless of where they contracted it from, they would be equally contagious. All the meets we have been to have done a good job or really not having the teams near each other and of following all the expected safety protocols. I feel like they are as safe as they really can be.

Anyway, our gym didn't require masks at first. They did have a long list of things they were doing to keep everyone safe, but felt masks were too restrictive. However, when regulations got stricter, they started requiring masks for the coaches/parents/workers at all time and for the gymnasts at all times except when actively training in order to comply. I think it's fine and the girls have all adapted. At meets they've been to, they have had to wear masks during warms ups and in between events, but not on events. It's all been fine. We have a few parents that weren't comfortable attending meets, so they chose to sit this season out rather than be in that environment, which I totally respect. I haven't heard of any outbreaks because of these meets, but I understand why they were concerned.

But there are some really, really judgy people out on the internet (I'm mainly talking about on reddit and twitter) that seem to post only about how awful everyone is for competing at meets. Every college meet is dissected and analyzed for mask compliance and physical contact (how dare they bump knuckles!). Every instagram post by an elite gymnast is being scrutinized and, rather than commenting on their talent and skills, people are complaining because that one girl in the background has her mask around her chin. Many people say that there should be no meets (jo, college or elite) going on and that they have lost all respect for xx team or individual because, for example, they waited 5 seconds to put their mask on after vault. It's all just too much for me. I mean, let's be real. These girls train together for 20+ hours a week. In college, they probably room together, eat together, etc. They are tested constantly and follow all the required rules for quarantining when needed. I haven't read of any huge outbreaks among gymnasts. I believe in being cautious and careful, but I think every gym has to do what they think is right and what is in compliance with their area and rules. If someone has a problem with how their own gym is handling masks, then they should definitely complain to their gym. But I don't see how the constant need to judge how other gyms and families are doing things is helpful. Just my opinion, and again, I'm not necessarily talking about anyone here, but just all the comments I am constantly reading all over the internet.

We posted at the same time (it is giving me posting problems also... a bug that needs to be fixed maybe?) and now this makes mine sound judgy, haha. Awkward. To be clear, I have never said anything to anyone on social media about mask compliance. My comments were in reference to why it matters to me what other gyms are doing - not because I care about what they choose to risk in their gym, but because based on our comfort level that info would affect the decisions we make about whether or not to attend joint meets.

 

[TumbleTimes4]

@kendo348 then you probably should keep your child home and not attend meets. When you agree to attend a meet, you are agreeing to risks. There’s no way to know if every gym at a meet is in full compliance with training in masks. You said yourself you don’t know for sure if everyone in your gym is following the protocols about unmasked gatherings. You assume they are, but if they aren’t and are still attending practice, they probably aren’t going to disclose that information to you. And you have absolutely no way of knowing what each individual gymnast in the session is doing or exposing themselves too outside of the gym, even if they are in a gym that trains with masks on.

According to the health department, in order to be at risk of exposure, you have to be within 6 feet of another person, both unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes. If your entire team was masked the whole time and your team remained 6 feet from other teams who also had to be masked, then your child would not even be notified if the other team tested positive. And your child would not be within 6 feet of the other child while they are unmasked on an apparatus. We attended a meet with a few gyms that were out of state. All teams were masked with the exception of warm ups and competing and were kept at least 6 feet apart at all times. I didn’t see a single gymnast wear a mask when competing on the apparatus. And yet no outbreaks. Mitigation and safety measures work.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I find it interesting how there are so many people concerned about what is going on in other gyms, other schools, other households. I was raised to have the serenity accept the things I cannot change (and that don't affect me); to have the courage to change the things I can (and that do affect me); and the wisdom to know the difference -- thank you God.

My favorite prayer

 

[kendo348]

@kendo348 then you probably should keep your child home and not attend meets. When you agree to attend a meet, you are agreeing to risks. There’s no way to know if every gym at a meet is in full compliance with training in masks. You said yourself you don’t know for sure if everyone in your gym is following the protocols about unmasked gatherings. You assume they are, but if they aren’t and are still attending practice, they probably aren’t going to disclose that information to you. And you have absolutely no way of knowing what each individual gymnast in the session is doing or exposing themselves too outside of the gym, even if they are in a gym that trains with masks on.

According to the health department, in order to be at risk of exposure, you have to be within 6 feet of another person, both unmasked, for longer than 15 minutes. If your entire team was masked the whole time and your team remained 6 feet from other teams who also had to be masked, then your child would not even be notified if the other team tested positive. And your child would not be within 6 feet of the other child while they are unmasked on an apparatus. We attended a meet with a few gyms that were out of state. All teams were masked with the exception of warm ups and competing and were kept at least 6 feet apart at all times. I didn’t see a single gymnast wear a mask when competing on the apparatus. And yet no outbreaks. Mitigation and safety measures work.

Yes mitigation does work; I’ve used that phrase myself many times. We are attending all of our gym’s meets this year, thank you. Just because I might make different choices based on the same information doesn’t mean that I don’t understand the information or that you need to be condescending. I don’t actually care about distancing but I do care about masks, and that preference for my family is my prerogative. As is choosing to account for all available data when I make decisions, regardless of my ability to control something. That seems smarter to me than ignoring data just because I might have little control. If we all lived with an attitude of ignoring knowledge about things we can’t control, we would know pretty much nothing.

Lack of an outbreak without masks may or may not mean that mitigation was sufficient - maybe it just means nobody there happened to be infected or contagious.