Parents Flash during Private Lesson

[LucysMom]

Another parent is on the floor taking pics with flash of their kid while DD is having a private lesson on beam. I have sat for 15 minutes biting my tongue. Is this OK???

LucysMom, the BeamHater

 

[smidgie]

If you're worried about it just ask the parent nicely to stop. No one wants anyone to have an accident on beam. Maybe the parent doesnt realize how dangerous that can be.

 

[2G1B]

I see rec parents especially who often will use their cameras with flash. I nicely point out to them that it is dangerous.

 

[LucysMom]

This was the parent of a competitive team member (for several years).

 

[Amusibus]

Then they should know! I would see if a gym person of authority could tell them to stop, rather than you yourself. You don't want it to turn into a personal battle.

 

[Sasha]

Yes, definitely bring it up with an authority person in the gym if you have reason to believe The Flasher wouldn't take you seriously or would feel attacked. Maybe they truly just didn't think about it since it isn't a competition and would feel terrible when they are informed. Seriously, people just don't think about these things ALL THE TIME even though it seems obvious.

The Flasher Police (mostly coaches, sometimes front desk) do exist in our gym for rec parents - haven't seen a team parent violate yet, but I could see it happening...

 

[bookworm]

I think the whole flash issue and its inherent danger is more of an urban legend...both of my girls and many of their teammates say they don't notice anything , including a flash , when they're out there......we've been at college meets where some of the opposing student body sits by the beam and yells (more like screams) "fall! fall!fall!" the whole time the girls are on the beam....I would think something like that is more dangerous....

 

[sce]

I think the whole flash issue and its inherent danger is more of an urban legend...both of my girls and many of their teammates say they don't notice anything , including a flash , when they're out there......we've been at college meets where some of the opposing student body sits by the beam and yells (more like screams) "fall! fall!fall!" the whole time the girls are on the beam....I would think something like that is more dangerous....

It's not a myth. In many sports a poorly timed flash can be very dangerous. It would be even more dangerous if there were a lot of them, thus it's best to try to stop all flash photography. I'm glad your girls and their teammates have never had an issue. In some settings it can also be rude. We were at the circus, where the lights were off. The lady next to me kept filming the show and her kids with the light on, on her phone. It lit up our whole area!
The screaming like that can be disturbing as well. I know some colleges hold practices where they let students on to act like that, so the athletes get used to the behavior.

 

[bookworm]

This was the parent of a competitive team member (for several years).

Maybe she was taking pics for a website or something similar....if she is a higher level , high school age gymnast, that might be the case

 

[sce]

Maybe she was taking pics for a website or something similar....if she is a higher level , high school age gymnast, that might be the case

But a good (even decent) sports photographer has the equipment and knowledge to do this without a flash.

 

[bookworm]

But a good (even decent) sports photographer has the equipment and knowledge to do this without a flash.

The OP said it was a parent....

 

[sce]

The OP said it was a parent....

We have multiple parents form our gym that can take decent photos of the gymnasts performing, without flash.

 

[gymdog]

I'm a little confused about why a parent would be on the floor taking pictures so I have to assume it was a scheduled thing. I would hope the staff at your gym could evaluate he position of the flash and the danger, but I don't know for sure. If someone was taking flash photography on the actual floor area of our gym, it wouldn't remotely affect the beam area, for example.

As far as it being a myth, the policy is in place because you don't know how every child will react to a flash or how powerful a flash might be. Are most people going to be affected by an iPhone flash in bright lighting? No. But it is possible you could have a child who is more reactive and that someone could bring a camera that has a powerful enough flash. In order to eliminate the risk we have to ban flash photography.

 

[saddlupasb]

Like a flash is even going to have any benefit at that distance.

 

[happychaos]

I just can't see how a parent taking pictures on the floor, in a large, brightly lit space, is going to bother someone who is, presumably, more than 10 feet away. Perhaps they had planned the private so they could catch some photos of their gymnast?

Do you have any reason to suspect the flash was bothering your DD? Since your DD was having a private, I assume there was a coach very near to her that would have spoken up if the flash was bothersome.

 

[cbifoja]

we've been at college meets where some of the opposing student body sits by the beam and yells (more like screams) "fall! fall!fall!" the whole time the girls are on the beam.....

How embarrassing for that student body......

 

[2G1B]

Are we talking a dinky flash on a pont and shoot or a speedlight (large flash added to the top of a DSLR)? Because a speed light absolutely could cause a problem IMO. plus, if it is the gym's rule for no flash the that should be followed. Since it is a team parent and they are on the floor, I would have said something to a coach about my concerns.

 

[gymbeam]

i'm so glad this was about a camera flash. not what i first thought when i read the title. phew!

 

[Gymsanity]

I think the whole flash issue and its inherent danger is more of an urban legend...both of my girls and many of their teammates say they don't notice anything , including a flash , when they're out there......we've been at college meets where some of the opposing student body sits by the beam and yells (more like screams) "fall! fall!fall!" the whole time the girls are on the beam....I would think something like that is more dangerous....

I always thought I was the only one (as usual) that thought that was a myth. In all my years, with hundreds of flashes, I've never had one girl say that it bothered her, or caused her to fall. If she even saw it, let alone let it distract her, she wasn't very focused anyway. I think it's one of those things that we have heard for so long, we tend to buy into it. And like most myths, they are loosely based on 'fact' from some long ago event that lead to that belief. So yes, if I am at a meet, and some parent is acting like the paparazzi on steroids, I'll ask if they could please turn off the flash.

 

[gymdog]

Actually the judges are the ones most likely to complain about the flash. The audience is sometimes situated near them depending n the event and they need full visual focus. Almost every meet I go to, a judge complains about flashes and yells at parents. It is distracting to them as well when they are trying to write AND watch closely.