WAG Dear Awards Announcer,

[GymDad9.9]

We were at a meet once and a girl with an unusual name won several awards. The poor announcer tried each time but just couldn't get it right. I felt so bad for her because the girl's teammate and parents kept yelling the correct pronunciation at the poor announcer.

I might have been at that meet too.

I'm reminded of many years ago I had the honor and privilege to interview the late Bob Sheppard, the longtime Public Address Announcer for the New York Yankees. It was his life's mission to properly pronounce names and reveled in getting the most difficult names pronounced correctly.

 

[SeaActually]

I think my kid would rather have nothing.

My dog would love the frisbee

 

[e'smum]

We were at a meet once and a girl with an unusual name won several awards. The poor announcer tried each time but just couldn't get it right. I felt so bad for her because the girl's teammate and parents kept yelling the correct pronunciation at the poor announcer.

my dd was goofing off at one awards and the guy couldn't get her name right at all. she almost missed going up on stage the first time because she didn't hear her name. haha. it was so loud in there that i couldn't get her attention and i probably looked like a CGM yelling her name and trying to tell her to go up.
it happens a lot though. if your kid has an unusual name or spelling, be prepared for it to be butchered. i finally started apologizing at the beginning of the awards for any names said incorrectly.

 

[Flyaway]

it happens a lot though. if your kid has an unusual name or spelling, be prepared for it to be butchered. i finally started apologizing at the beginning of the awards for any names said incorrectly.

I feel like that's a good approach. Some names are just going to be butchered.

 

[flippingtogether]

We were at a meet once and a girl with an unusual name won several awards. The poor announcer tried each time but just couldn't get it right. I felt so bad for her because the girl's teammate and parents kept yelling the correct pronunciation at the poor announcer.

As one of the parent volunteer announcers who does her absolute best but still makes lots of mistakes - I can explain what is described here.
1. I am getting old. My short term memory is going. I review all the names in the session prior to awards, I ask coaches for correct pronunciations, but.... I am getting old.
2. I try to write down some of the names phonetically to help me on a separate piece of paper - and then I cross my fingers and pray I can find the tricky names, not look like an idiot to the crowd, and think on my feet super quick as I am announcing awards.
3. The stress of announcing is truly real during awards. You have to try to please the meet director - don't go slow, get through the names at a good clip, but still let the winners soak in the spotlight for a moment when it is time to salute. If the meet is running a bit behind schedule, the announcer is on point to try to make up a bit of time.
And, you have to make sure the gym owner is happy, as you are fully representing the gym and its brand - and this is the last memory of the meet for visiting gyms so it better be great!! We want people to come to the meet again next year!!
4. My short term memory is going.....whoops, I already said that!

I have done a ton of different jobs at meets ..... very few are super stressful. Meet director would be one, announcing would be another (I'm sure there are more). It's the one job that I finish up and wonder, 'did I do ok?' Because I really don't know!

 

[Flyaway]

I have done a ton of different jobs at meets ..... very few are super stressful. Meet director would be one, announcing would be another (I'm sure there are more). It's the one job that I finish up and wonder, 'did I do ok?' Because I really don't know!

I think timing beam is scary. I'm always afraid I'm going to screw up the warning and overtime bell!

 

[flipandfly]

I think timing beam is scary. I'm always afraid I'm going to screw up the warning and overtime bell!

LOL I timed beam once and probably for the last time ever. The judge thought I had laryngitis because they couldn't hear me shout warning or time... BTW I've won contests involving public speeches, etc. before so volume shouldn't be an issue... sigh

 

[duyetanh]

Dear Awards Announcer,
My child actually won something last weekend (no she didn't stick her landing, she has never stuck a landing in her life on anything; when and if she ever does, I will announce it here on this forum!). Unfortunately, you chose to go from last place to first, and when you got to her, the 1st place platform, whilst super cool, was also super duper HIGH. As she is super duper short, she literally had to climb it....as you weren't paying attention, she did not even have the medal in her grasps solidly before you said the famous "Gymnasts salute" phrase. I realize being the awards announcer honestly s*cks, but please at least do a quick scan to see that those getting first place get the medal around their necks before that phrase, so their parents can get a picture for them.
Thank you.
P.S....we made sure to politely stay behind to get a picture of her up there alone afterwards, even though you and your crew tried to chase us out, and we thanked your staff (but weren't leaving without that picture for her!).

 

[coachmolly]

I think timing beam is scary. I'm always afraid I'm going to screw up the warning and overtime bell!

I've had 2 incidents with beam timer errors, so your anxiety is totally justified! We were at a meet last season and the judges had given the timer the incorrect time for beam routines- they were giving 30 seconds for the competition routine- ringing the warning well at 20 sec! I was so confused why ALL of my girls were getting warnings and rushing through the end of their routines- had to confront the timer who just said she was doing what the judge told her. Then the judge jumped in and I had to argue a bit, get her to open the rule book and admit her error. Gave the overtime deduction back to the girls who got it. But that poor timer had to be so confused from that point on. It was the first session too!
I was judging a high school meet a few weeks ago and was given a middle schooler as a timer. She was not paying attention to what she was doing and did not realize the gymnast was doing her competition routine and not a warm-up and yelled time after 30 seconds. The girl competing was confused, the coach was confused, I shot a death glare at the timer and told her she was done and we would do without a timer from that point on.

 

[LindyHopper]

Let me preface email that I am NOT complaining, nor am I being critical....

I get such a kick out of how conversations go around here. We start out talking about awards, and end up discussing beam timing frustrations.

Each thread is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.

 

[amiandjim]

Let's get further off topic! Floor music...I will never, ever volunteer for that one again! I once accidentally played the flute version of the level 3 music instead of piano and I thought the judge was going to kill me!! Thankfully, it was a girl from our gym at the time and it didn't bother her at all.

 

[e'smum]

Let's get further off topic! Floor music...I will never, ever volunteer for that one again! I once accidentally played the flute version of the level 3 music instead of piano and I thought the judge was going to kill me!! Thankfully, it was a girl from our gym at the time and it didn't bother her at all.

oh yeah, will never volunteer for floor. however, at one of dd's meets they started playing the wrong music for her. she just stayed still until they got it right. at our last meet the parents at our level 6 meet messed up a couple of times. as long as you don't get flustered if you hit the wrong button you are good. i, however, would get very flustered and further mess things up.

 

[e'smum]

Dear Awards Announcer,
My child actually won something last weekend (no she didn't stick her landing, she has never stuck a landing in her life on anything; when and if she ever does, I will announce it here on this forum!). Unfortunately, you chose to go from last place to first, and when you got to her, the 1st place platform, whilst super cool, was also super duper HIGH. As she is super duper short, she literally had to climb it....as you weren't paying attention, she did not even have the medal in her grasps solidly before you said the famous "Gymnasts salute" phrase. I realize being the awards announcer honestly s*cks, but please at least do a quick scan to see that those getting first place get the medal around their necks before that phrase, so their parents can get a picture for them.
Thank you.
P.S....we made sure to politely stay behind to get a picture of her up there alone afterwards, even though you and your crew tried to chase us out, and we thanked your staff (but weren't leaving without that picture for her!).

yeah, this one you need to keep your eye on the girls. if i noticed a 5th placement wasn't thru the crowd of girls and i was on 3rd place, i stopped and waited. the girls handing out medals can get confused too. i also made sure everyone was on platforms and girls handing out medals were out of the way before i said salute.
if my kid wins first in anything, i stay behind to get a pic of her on the first place box. i've never been chased out. that's ridiculous!

 

[e'smum]

LOL I timed beam once and probably for the last time ever. The judge thought I had laryngitis because they couldn't hear me shout warning or time... BTW I've won contests involving public speeches, etc. before so volume shouldn't be an issue... sigh

that was me the first time i timed floor. i was so timid yelling out. now i'm like a bull in a china shop screaming "TIME". those bumping in will walk all over you if you don't yell loud enough - trying to get that last tumble in. haha.

 

[3rd_time_around]

There's no reason to get offended. It isn't about the parent volunteers, it's about the awards ceremony. If you're a volunteer, you have nothing to do with how it's organized, that's on the director. Awards ceremonies are long and take forever. That's just a fact.

 

[e'smum]

There's no reason to get offended. It isn't about the parent volunteers, it's about the awards ceremony. If you're a volunteer, you have nothing to do with how it's organized, that's on the director. Awards ceremonies are long and take forever. That's just a fact.

well we were given minimal instructions. just go in and read a paragraph they gave us and then zip - no instructions. i had to go by what i remembered from my dd's awards ceremonies. luckily i remembered to have them salute. no one told me squat bubkiss! haha

 

[notthatmom]

oh yeah, will never volunteer for floor. however, at one of dd's meets they started playing the wrong music for her. she just stayed still until they got it right. at our last meet the parents at our level 6 meet messed up a couple of times. as long as you don't get flustered if you hit the wrong button you are good. i, however, would get very flustered and further mess things up.

At our gym's meet I did music for floor, and I was so worried I wasn't going to press stop in time before the next song started ...after the first girl went, our HC/owner came up to me and said "it makes you so nervous doesn't it!?!?" I told her "Yes!! And I don't know why!!" Lol. It was incredibly relieving to know the HC (who has known nothing but gymnastics her entire life) feels my pain and has sympathy for us parents

 

[rgmom]

My husband has been a meet announcer a few times. It's not an easy job especially since there is no training, no written script to follow and very little instruction from the gym. Also, as the announcer, he works every single session for the entire meet, more than any other parent volunteer is required to do. He always does his best to get everything right, but behind the scenes errors do happen (scoring errors, roster glitches, name misspellings that lead to mispronunciations, etc. to name a few).
Some of you have very valid complaints, and good suggestions that have been passed on for the future.
However, please be patient and understanding, and if you think you can do a better job, feel free to step up to the plate and give it a go if and when your gym hosts a meet.