WAG First competition - what would you regard as a good result?

[Uglybetty]

DD recently had her first competition. She only moved from Rec to team late last summer. She was in a large tough field with a fairly low start value (lots of girls with far harder skills). She came in the second quarter of the overall results - beating a lot more girls than beat her and in the top third for her vault (sorry I've been around enough to be a bit evasive about the specific placement).

Anyway, she goes to a gym where getting placed is kind of expected and she was disappointed (she didn't cry until she'd got home thankfully). She wants to be moved up a group and hoped to shine in her coaches eyes. I had pre-warned her that a medal was a long shot but she lost very little in deductions and was confused as to what she did wrong (the answer of course being nothing - when she has the start value she'll hopefully do better).

So my questions are:

To parents: how do you deal with the disappointment?

To the coaches: would you regard this a reasonable result at a first competition?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes. and to answer your question, to get out of meets without being injured.

 

[Faith]

Be honest . She's not being doing gym long and needs the harder skills, which will come in time.

I'd consider a good result if she does her routines as well or better than she does in practice.

I'm in a similar situation with dd2- just posted a thread!

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd had her first competition this year. I considered it successful because she didn't forget her floor routine, got back on the beam without a thought, a grimace or a tear when she fell (and smiled when it was over) and rocked bars. Each person's success will be different. And at each level I consider different things successful.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

It depends on the level, the competition and how she performed.

I always say top half aint bad.

I have kept all P&F's score sheets and she can see where she does better or improves on a piece.

 

[munchkin3]

She went out and did her best. She conquered a lot of emotions. SUCCESS.
Here is a great little video on kids dealing with disapointment in athletics.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmi15QfY-8

 

[2ofakind]

Fantastic and timely video munchkin3. My dd just found out this morning that she is repeating. This is tremendously helpful for me as she goes through these emotions.

 

[gymgal]

finished in the top half in her first competition - with lower start values? Sounds like a success to me!

I like Buffalo's response. Success is relative. If my dd remains calm, finishes her routines, has no injuries, and is smiling at the end of the day, then it has been a successful meet.

 

[MILgymFAM]

My DD also is new to gym and to competitions. She regards any competition where she competes all her routines and doesn't get hurt as a success. Going forward she looks to improve at least one score each competition, and that marks ongoing success to her. My DD is an older starter, but her attitude seems a good one to share.

 

[sc-gymmom43]

There is always something that is better than the last time. I always try to focus on the positives from each meet. She might not get a better score, but she may have had a higher placement. Bigger meets are tougher to place at. Sometimes she might not even place or score higher, but if she connected her skills or stuck a landing she's had trouble with, we celebrate.
I'm truly grateful for the low scores she used to get, because now we really appreciate the successes. Every single small accomplishment is a blessing.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

If she had fun and was not injured it was a success! Thats hard to tell a little one that feels they didn't do well but she did come in top half with a lower start value than others, so that is successful IMHO!!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

at least two people on this thread have commented about getting injured in a competition. I have never known any gymnasts get injured at a comp. Is this common in the states ?

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

at least two people on this thread have commented about getting injured in a competition. I have never known any gymnasts get injured at a comp. Is this common in the states ?

I'm not sure exactly what they mean by getting hurt but I would say that a good meet was one where I didn't straddle the beam and straddling the beam definitely hurts!

 

[Flossyduck]

It sounds as though she did really well considering the amount of time she has been on team and for her first competition. I think her coaches will be looking to see that she did her routines as well as she can (taking a few nerves into account) and didn't completely lose it. Besides that, they will be experienced enough to know what the scores and placements mean in the context of her training.

As for dealing with disappointment. I do know where you are coming from. dd came last in her first ever comp and possibly her second one too. In one of them, she was with a group of four from her club and the other three got medals, so she was left sat on her own. I thought she would be crushed and of course she had a good cry about it in the car. She thought she'd done better.

BUT

As mums we feel the need to fix things and help them deal with stuff and while we are losing sleep about how to do that, they have moved on 100 paces already. I think you'll find the disappointment will deal with itself. I as amazed how quickly dd had put it to the back of her mind.

Just remind her the coaches know what she can do and try not to worry.

 

[MILgymFAM]

at least two people on this thread have commented about getting injured in a competition. I have never known any gymnasts get injured at a comp. Is this common in the states ?

My DD has been to a total of 3 sanctioned comps, and 2 in-house, and someone has hurt themselves enough to be in tears at all but one. Once an ambulance was called. I know there are always girls injuring themselves at practice too, and always someone in a cast. I just tonight injuries are common.

 

[OzZee]

at least two people on this thread have commented about getting injured in a competition. I have never known any gymnasts get injured at a comp. Is this common in the states ?

LOL yeh I'm pretty sure the only gymnast I've seen get hurt at a competition was mine. Sprained her ankle on vault.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

My DD has been to a total of 3 sanctioned comps, and 2 in-house, and someone has hurt themselves enough to be in tears at all but one. Once an ambulance was called. I know there are always girls injuring themselves at practice too, and always someone in a cast. I just tonight injuries are common.

Yikes !!

I have been to more than I care to mention over the last 7 years and have seen 2 crashes into the vault leading to a bruise, and one splat off bars, no tears ever

 

[DND]

yes. and to answer your question, to get out of meets without being injured.

Read my mind! I have started to think that not only of meets, but after each and every practice!

 

[sc-gymmom43]

at least two people on this thread have commented about getting injured in a competition. I have never known any gymnasts get injured at a comp. Is this common in the states ?

My daughter has competed for 6 years and has never been injured during a meet [knock on wood]. One of her teammates had to pull out of a meet after a sprained ankle, and I can count on one hand the number of other injuries I've seen.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

DD started "real" competitions this year. It had great highs, and great lows.

At an away meet, she was in Montreal at a big big meet, and I'd texted her before it started to say "no matter what, you'll be awesome". She fell three times on beam, her best event. She was the last person on the last event and EVERYONE was watching her. The text I got from her afterwords said "I was NOT awesome. I suck." So heartbreaking. She was nine years old, competing at a level far higher than most kids her age. She was awesome in my mind before she even stepped on the competition floor.

But, I can't take her heartbreak away. I can only try to help her work through it. I wasn't a competitive gymnast, but I was a high level musician who competed, so I completely got it. But they have to start learning how to deal with this stuff, as it's likely to happen over and over again, regardless of their age or level.