Parents Do you go to out-of-state meets as a compulsory level gymnast?

[raenndrops]

Our only out of state meet is Y Nationals (and this year, it was actually in state). L3+ can go to the meet IF they qualify AND if they want to go. They don't have to decide until mid-March and the meet is in mid to late June.

 

[Flyaway]

That is so odd. We have out of state meets but we live in a small region and the out of state meets are still within 2-3 hour drive. We have one fly away meet but it is optional for compulsory levels.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Our level 3s don't compete (so they don't do state) but our level 4s do compete and they go to state, they also do one out-of-state meet but it is a driveable meet (usually just one state away) and it is optional. Sounds to me like these coaches want a tropical vacay and don't feel like the compulsory levels are important enough for them to stay around to take them to state. Very sad.

 

[FlippinPrincess]

I agree with @FlippinLilysMom . I think they want a tropical vacay. Sorry you have to deal with this. I would be so frustrated.

Our compulsory gymnasts do travel out of state but all within about a 3 hour drive.

 

[Blue Moon]

Thanks again, Everyone! I appreciate you took the time to give me your thoughts and opinion on this. Definitely made up my mind and moving to another gym. I wish all the best to you and your gymnasts for the next season!

 

[3rd_time_around]

I'm a little late, but I wanted to say "WOW!" That any gym would skip the state meet for any level and then say it wasn't a big deal. If it's not a big deal, then why do they have teams at those levels?

Anyway, we used to have 1 Meet per season that was out of state for all compulsory levels, but they stopped doing that about 6 years ago, and I am glad. It was a big expense and caused missed school, etc, and was hard on the family. But the meet was always just 1 State away and within driving distance.

All our meets the gymnasts are expected to attend barring illness or injury, so there's no opting out.

I hope you can find a great place with coaches who respect the gymnasts on every level.

 

[Blue Moon]

I'm a little late, but I wanted to say "WOW!" That any gym would skip the state meet for any level and then say it wasn't a big deal. If it's not a big deal, then why do they have teams at those levels?

Anyway, we used to have 1 Meet per season that was out of state for all compulsory levels, but they stopped doing that about 6 years ago, and I am glad. It was a big expense and caused missed school, etc, and was hard on the family. But the meet was always just 1 State away and within driving distance.

All our meets the gymnasts are expected to attend barring illness or injury, so there's no opting out.

I hope you can find a great place with coaches who respect the gymnasts on every level.

Thank you for the support! It is good to know that our situation is not typical...

 

[Gymsy4]

Definitely odd. I know how the girls look forward to state, so sad to see that taken away from them. Sounds like all of the coaches wanted to get a vacation so there was no one to stay behind and deal with state. In my experience the only time I’ve seen compulsories go to travel meets is when it’s been completely up to the parent. My girls never did any as compulsory gymnasts.

 

[Texasmomof3]

Definitely odd and I’m sorry you have to deal with that. We are in the Dallas area, but for compulsories, none of our meets were even outside the metroplex. Nothing was more than an hour drive, and sometimes we complained about that, lol.

I find it highly disrespectful to skip states for the kids who qualified because the gym schedules the coach to be somewhere else. Of course, our gyms have all had different coaches for compulsories and optionals, too.

 

[NutterButter]

I think it's very selfish of the coaches to prioritize this travel meet over states!

 

[txgymfan]

I think it's very selfish of the coaches to prioritize this travel meet over states!

I wouldn’t be so quick to call “the coaches” selfish. Head Coach / Owner made the decision. I agree with the others it is highly disrespectful to the athletes.

 

[RTT2]

DD's new gym has one we have to fly to, and I think it's mandatory but not completely sure- apparently they choose an OOT meet every year for all levels. I'm excited about it, though, and it looks like a fun meet. DS's gym also has a tropical meet very early in the season, but it's not mandatory and as much as I'd love to go we'll probably skip that one since he is just starting out- in fact that would probably be his very first meet.

 

[Amanda]

We have one optional travel meet a year for compulsories. Last year it was still close enough to drive to (but needed a hotel stay) and most people participated. This year it's also tropical- and I don't think anyone in my daughter's practice group will go. I know our gym would never plan to skip state at the compulsory level- that is crazy!

 

[Cheryl]

States are pretty important for boys. For compulsory, son had to attend a certain amount of locals and their gym also attended out of state meets within their region. For optionals, we don’t do locals so everything is invitational usually within the region and a couple of flying meets. Never heard of boys missing states to go to a different invitational, but our schedule revolves around states/regionals/nationals

 

[skschlag]

States are pretty important for boys. For compulsory, son had to attend a certain amount of locals and their gym also attended out of state meets within their region. For optionals, we don’t do locals so everything is invitational usually within the region and a couple of flying meets. Never heard of boys missing states to go to a different invitational, but our schedule revolves around states/regionals/nationals

No local meets? WOW! We do at least 1-2 local (within an hour) meets. WE have our home meet, and then one in state that we do. Beyond that, they are all fly away (usually 3). Our compulsaries do all in state, and one out of state that is optional for them (This is MAG)

 

[bookworm]

1. States are pretty important for boys.
2. Never heard of boys missing states to go to a different invitational, but our schedule revolves around states/regionals/nationals

1. And to be clear, States are important for girls too, but not apparently in the OP's gym...but for everyone else, yes, especially the gymnasts.

2. And I've never heard of girls missing states to go to a different invitational either...this HC and gym is definitely an outlier.

 

[Cheryl]

Our locals only go up to Level 8, they do include JD, but our JD’s/8/9/10s don’t go to any locals.

 

[NutterButter]

I wouldn’t be so quick to call “the coaches” selfish. Head Coach / Owner made the decision. I agree with the others it is highly disrespectful to the athletes.

Good point!

 

[GrayCatMom]

Our gym has started doing a 'one and done' test-out on compulsory levels. So we don't do states anyway. The girls will compete xcel until they are ready to test out of levels 4 and 5. When we did do compulsory, we did go out of state for one meet but it wasn't very far.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Our gym has started doing a 'one and done' test-out on compulsory levels. So we don't do states anyway. The girls will compete xcel until they are ready to test out of levels 4 and 5. When we did do compulsory, we did go out of state for one meet but it wasn't very far.

They don’t compete Xcel states either? Do they do a whole season, or no full seasons until optionals?