Parents Competing in a level where the pre-requisite score was never met?

[SignHere]

I thought if they were old enough, the coach could petition USAG to move a gymnast up a level without a qualifying score? dunno would def know?

I just heard a rumour about something like this in relation to one of our gymnasts that moved up 3 (yes three!) levels in the beginning of our competition season this year. However, the coaches just had her compete in three invitational meets ... 1 for each level.

 

[Gymmommy71]

In my state at least all a kid needs to do is one meet at the old level early in the season, get the qualifying score and then they are able to go to another meet a week or two later and be the next higher level. I agree that it would be hard to get a 32 at L6 w/o a robhsbt (floor would probably be really low), but it's not impossible if the other 3 were good (or at least 2 were in the 9's...two 9's a 7 and a 6 could easily hit the 32 mark).

Is the girl good at bars? If so, I'd suspect that is why they'd move her up as talent on that event seems to trump weakness on the other events more than anything else, and if her front tumbling and overall form is really good I can see that helping too. One of the other posters also said you *can* do L7 w/o back tumbling, and assuming this is true (I woundn't know myself), that would probably be even more reason to get her out of L6 (where you *have* to back tumble) and to L7 (where you don't).

I understand what you mean about how your daughter was pushed to get her score, etc., but I would never say something about this girl to them. It will just come across as your questioning their judgement and expertise, and no coach likes that...especially when it involves a child that isnt even yours. I'd advise just keeping your frustration to yourself. I'm sure we all see level move ups that don't make sense sometimes, but we need to just keep quiet and realize that they don't really affect our kids (if they are undeserved, the scores will show it).

 

[GymBee97]

You know too some of this might be to get the girl in place for the fall and the New program, new levels and new requirements too. There is going to be an interesting year I think when the new stuff comes in place especially for what will be the new L6, L7, L8 group (where the most change will be).

 

[jasminekayla]

She has competed as a level 7 this season. I know for our state meet each score needs to be verified but not for our local meets. I just sign the girls up according to their level. @ Kayjaybe I do have the whole story- i am in charge of scores ( after a meet I track who qualifies and who doesnt) I have to track everything for our gym as the president. I was also present at the meeting where the coach stated that the score needed to be met or your child couldnt move up ( it was also emailed out and I was asked to put it on the team website)

Bottom line is I know I dont want to be in gym drama ( I stay away esp. being president) but I have to worry about the drama that will happen if what Dunno says is true. I will be completely humiliated if this comes out at a meet not only will it make the gym look bad, but I could lose the parents trust and our gym would lose its integrity. I guess at this point I will just cross my fingers that this doesnt come out and haunt and ruin the gym.

 

[jasminekayla]

How they are getting around that is not having her do any of the skills that she couldnt do in 6. No back tumbling, no BWO on the beam, no flyaway.

 

[jasminekayla]

The parent group runs every aspect of the gym under the guidance of the coach. " As far as qualifying goes any sanctioned event will qualify her not just the state meet. So if she went to one with just the coach unknown to the rest of the parents or girls on the team, she very well could have qualified even if you don't think she has the skills to do so. IF she is truly going to compete as a L7 this season, how she qualified to do that again is between the gymnast, her family and the gym." The meets that were offered were attended by 2 or more girls. And since I am in charge of the registration of meets and also a signer of the fees, I am aware of every girl that attends a meet.

As I stated in another post, if there is a chance that this will affect the team/parents, I would like to know so I can be prepared for quality control. Yes they are one of my daughter's friends and when I did ask what was going on since she didnt qualify I was told " they didnt know". And as far as rules go, I am the one along with the coaches that write the yearly rules for our gym.

 

[jasminekayla]

I do have all the scores from every meet. They are sent directly to me for record keeping. According to the USAG 2012-2013 rule book the move from 6 to 7 is a 31.

 

[Faith]

In your situation then where you're charged with tracking, recording meets and scores then I'd meet with the coach and say something casual "oh I'm just reconciling the meet scores and making sure everything's up to date for this season. I don't seem to have the qualifying meet level 6 scores for x, could you let me have them when you get a minute so I can have them ready for state. I'd hate to get everyone in trouble by overlooking it!"

Then the ball's in their court.

 

[GymBee97]

Faith I agree in that situation but boy is that gym really using the parents as office staff. I don't think I would like that at all if they weren't paid staff of the gym knowing this much info on the gymnasts. It really does create issues for parent drama that doesn't need to be there at all. I still think it isn't anyones business, would be very upset if my daughters details were discussed with anyone other than the owner, coach, myself and my daughter. The gym needs to take back the jobs from the parents that shouldn't be in their hands to begin with and hire an office manager to do the jobs of running a gym.

 

[bookworm]

Faith I agree in that situation but boy is that gym really using the parents as office staff. I don't think I would like that at all if they weren't paid staff of the gym knowing this much info on the gymnasts. It really does create issues for parent drama that doesn't need to be there at all. I still think it isn't anyones business, would be very upset if my daughters details were discussed with anyone other than the owner, coach, myself and my daughter. The gym needs to take back the jobs from the parents that shouldn't be in their hands to begin with and hire an office manager to do the jobs of running a gym.

Yes the gym SHOULD do this but if they're like our old gym, our HC/owner took every ounce of free help from parents that they were willing to give...and he didn't have to beg...we had "volunteers" staffing the front desk, running a large invitational; signing kids up for meets and tracking scores like the OP , tracking the private lessons and collecting payments...they did pay the parents who became "coaches" (I kid you not) but this was minimum wage, but if they coached someone like a special needs kid, that was considered "volunteer work". Bottom line , the coach was tighter than wallpaper on a wall and would't pay a nickle that he didn't feel he had to. He would even charge us for a rental car for a meet 5 miles away!!!

I agree that what's going on in the OP's gym should be none of her business but the powers that be there have made it her business. I would do what Faith suggests or even print up a spread sheet of everyone's qualifying score (with dates) and point out to the HC/gym "hmm, I seem to be missing Susie's score, do you have it?"

 

[Moxiegrl83]

If you work that closely with the HC, and record all the meet scores, do office work, etc. why not just ask? It sounds like you're in a position to do so without seeming like you're just trying to just get in other people's business, your job is to see who qualifies and who doesn't. (Luckily this is something our HC does herself), but I'd make sure you ask pertaining to your job, not pertaining to "It's not fair". Make sense?

 

[Gymmommy71]

Faith I agree in that situation but boy is that gym really using the parents as office staff. I don't think I would like that at all if they weren't paid staff of the gym knowing this much info on the gymnasts. It really does create issues for parent drama that doesn't need to be there at all. I still think it isn't anyones business, would be very upset if my daughters details were discussed with anyone other than the owner, coach, myself and my daughter. The gym needs to take back the jobs from the parents that shouldn't be in their hands to begin with and hire an office manager to do the jobs of running a gym.

I agree that anytime a gym parent has a lot of control over gym business it has the risk of creating drama - like say a case where another gymnasts parent knows what girls are moving up (or not) before the girls' actual parents know. Plus there's always the perception of favoritism that can result from such arrangements.

 

[Muddlethru]

I agree with gymbee97 as well. Inasmuch as I support having some kind of "family" mentality among the girls in the gym, I prefer one that is run more like a business. The relationship/role of the OP within her gym is a little too close for comfort.

 

[profmom]

But if the OP's gym does not take competitors to the USAG state meet, the penny would never drop, right?

Agreed that having a team parent in charge of keeping these kinds of records is just courting trouble. Discussions of gymnasts' progress and the coaches' plans for them should be among the gymnasts, their parents, and the coaches, with a professional office manager at most keeping records and providing them when asked or required.

 

[DisMom]

My guess is that the coach took the girl in question to a meet for her to qualify. And didn't tell anyone else in the gym. This happened at our gym. No one knew about this "super secret" meet for this one girl until it was over. And let me tell you, there were and are still very bad feelings about it. Not about the girl...she was ready and needed to qualify. But then why was it so hush hush? Just left a bad taste due to how they handled it.

 

[gymgal]

My guess is that the coach took the girl in question to a meet for her to qualify. And didn't tell anyone else in the gym. This happened at our gym. No one knew about this "super secret" meet for this one girl until it was over. And let me tell you, there were and are still very bad feelings about it. Not about the girl...she was ready and needed to qualify. But then why was it so hush hush? Just left a bad taste due to how they handled it.

or that the coach brought in a judge to qualify her, which is why there is no meet fee record...

 

[GymBee97]

or that the coach brought in a judge to qualify her, which is why there is no meet fee record...

I know a gym that does this if girls don't qualify. Don't really like it because its only done for the girls or families that are more "favorite".

 

[Gymmommy71]

I personally would not be upset about the gym doing this for someone. The way I'd look it at is that some day that may be my DD in that situation, and knowing they would do what it takes (taking just her to a meet, having a judge come in) to help her test out would make me more comfortable there. What would be worse is a gym that would force a girl to repeat a level for an entire year when she missed qualifying for move up by .1 points the prior year...even when she was ready to go for the next level up.

 

[wallflower]

I personally would not be upset about the gym doing this for someone. The way I'd look it at is that some day that may be my DD in that situation, and knowing they would do what it takes (taking just her to a meet, having a judge come in) to help her test out would make me more comfortable there. What would be worse is a gym that would force a girl to repeat a level for an entire year when she missed qualifying for move up by .1 points the prior year...even when she was ready to go for the next level up.

No offense but it certainly wouldn't hurt a girl to repeat a level that they could not manage to score a 31 AA in. Gymnastics just gets harder. If you can't score a 31 AA in level 6 you likely will not be very successful in level 7. I know there are exceptions to this like BWO fears etc, but GENERALLY this is the truth.

 

[wallflower]

In my state at least all a kid needs to do is one meet at the old level early in the season, get the qualifying score and then they are able to go to another meet a week or two later and be the next higher level. I agree that it would be hard to get a 32 at L6 w/o a robhsbt (floor would probably be really low), but it's not impossible if the other 3 were good (or at least 2 were in the 9's...two 9's a 7 and a 6 could easily hit the 32 mark).

Is the girl good at bars? If so, I'd suspect that is why they'd move her up as talent on that event seems to trump weakness on the other events more than anything else, and if her front tumbling and overall form is really good I can see that helping too. One of the other posters also said you *can* do L7 w/o back tumbling, and assuming this is true (I woundn't know myself), that would probably be even more reason to get her out of L6 (where you *have* to back tumble) and to L7 (where you don't).

I understand what you mean about how your daughter was pushed to get her score, etc., but I would never say something about this girl to them. It will just come across as your questioning their judgement and expertise, and no coach likes that...especially when it involves a child that isnt even yours. I'd advise just keeping your frustration to yourself. I'm sure we all see level move ups that don't make sense sometimes, but we need to just keep quiet and realize that they don't really affect our kids (if they are undeserved, the scores will show it).

I thought a back layout was one of the requirements for level 7 floor? If so, how can you avoid back tumbling in level 7? I know in the higher levels you can avoid it, but haven't seen a way around it in level 7.