Parents Gymnast of the Year award

[10.0]

It all sounds kind of middle school to me. I guess my advice would be to just let it go, you don't know all the circumstances and I might be wrong but I also get the feeling you dislike the level 4 more than you feel bad for the level 10.

Our gym used to do personal awards like "most improved" "hardest worker" etc. but they always ended with hurt feelings so now we only do the simple fact type awards like "made state" "made regionals" and everyone on team gets a year____team award so no one gets left out.

 

[NGL780309]

It all sounds kind of middle school to me. I guess my advice would be to just let it go, you don't know all the circumstances and I might be wrong but I also get the feeling you dislike the level 4 more than you feel bad for the level 10.

Our gym used to do personal awards like "most improved" "hardest worker" etc. but they always ended with hurt feelings so now we only do the simple fact type awards like "made state" "made regionals" and everyone on team gets a year____team award so no one gets left out.

You are totally off base in thinking I don't like her. I don't even know her as I stated. My daughter doesn't even know her. They don't work out together, we have never had any interaction whatsoever.

I was only curious how people thought about comparing levels when awarding an award like that. A Level 4 is always going to have an easier time winning a state meet than a Level 10. So few girls make it to optionals, much less Level 10 and NIT. It's kind of the way you absolutely can't compare AA scores through different levels. I went to a meet many years ago now and they had event finals where Levels 8, 9 and 10 competed in the finals together. To me that is completely stupid. You can't have a Level 8 competing against a Level 10. Just doesn't make good sense.

And once again I have no problem with the awards themselves. They gave out awards to everyone. Even a gymnast who just moved to the gym a week ago was given an award for "Best Newcomer" or something like that. I didn't see anyone's feelings get hurt at all. If they were they kept them to themselves.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

A Level 4 is always going to have an easier time winning a state meet than a Level 10.

Not really that easy considering there are soooooo many girls competing L4.

 

[NGL780309]

Not really that easy considering there are soooooo many girls competing L4.

Winning a State meet at Level 10 takes so much more dedication, hardwork, persistance, not to mention talent. Anyone who knows anything about gymnastics would agree with that. Just being a Level 10 takes so much more of all of the above. Just about any child can be taught to do Level 4 gymnastics. The same can not be said for Level 10. All the Level 4 state champions have the right to be proud, but up until recently Level 4 was not even a level that was competed. It's barely even considered gymnastics and my daughter will be competing Level 4 and I think it's wonderful. It's just not even in the same universe as Level 10.

 

[gymjourneymom]

So if everyone got an award(sounds a little Oprah like to me), may I ask what award your DD got?

 

[NGL780309]

She got an award for the hardest worker for her level and she also received an award for being an event champion. Any girl who won an event at a meet was recognized. Like I said they did a great job of recognizing everyone for something. Nobody left empty handed.

 

[cathiann]

Why does it bother you so much? You posted saying you were bored and wondering what people thought, but then those that thought maybe the level 4 deserved the award, you vehemently disagreed with them. I don't know that I would clump the whole team together like that either--but not because I think a level 10 will always deserve the higher award--no matter how far she got in competition. Just because I think "best of team" awards like that lead to hard feelings.

A level 4 can work just as hard at her level ("barely gymnastics" or not) as a level 10 does at hers. And, I do believe that winning State at level 4 is an awesome achievement--only ONE girl can say that from your area!

 

[maddiemei]

I'm glad that our gym doesn't give out awards at the end of the season. It would be so hard to decide who got what award because all of the girls had a wonderful year in their own way. Some girls got more medals than others, but everyone on every team at least got one medal during one meet of the season. That's what they work for.
I know this discussion has been on the board before, but I think everyone getting something is just to much. My daughter's had their first grade awards ceremony yesterday. They gave out awards for reading, math, citizenship, most improved, fitness and the final award was the certificate of participation in 1st grade. I can understand the other awards because not everyone received one and you had to work really hard to get them, but the certificate of participation kind of pushed me over the edge .
Regarding this particular situation, I would feel bad if I was the level 10 mom and my daughter didn't receive the award because of what she did during the season. I would also be upset if I was the level 4 mom overhearing how some people didn't think my dd deserved the award. That to me is the biggest issue about giving out awards like that.
Just my $.02 worth....

 

[Blackie6]

Sounds like everyone got an award? I see no problem then, sounds like they did a good job of recognizing everyone, multiple times in some cases....probably a lot that goes on behind the scenes with owners/coaches figuring out awards that you will just never know & never figure out. Not worth agonizing over.

 

[gymjourneymom]

She got an award for the hardest worker for her level and she also received an award for being an event champion. Any girl who won an event at a meet was recognized. Like I said they did a great job of recognizing everyone for something. Nobody left empty handed.

Congratulations to your DD! Now knowing that everyone got something, puts a bit of a different spin on the whole topic for me. I'd just be proud of my DD & let the rest of it go. Believe me learning that from the start of this sport just might save you your sanity, LOL! Pick your battles wisely...most aren't worth the time or the effort. JMHO.

 

[NGL780309]

Why does it bother you so much? You posted saying you were bored and wondering what people thought, but then those that thought maybe the level 4 deserved the award, you vehemently disagreed with them. I don't know that I would clump the whole team together like that either--but not because I think a level 10 will always deserve the higher award--no matter how far she got in competition. Just because I think "best of team" awards like that lead to hard feelings.

A level 4 can work just as hard at her level ("barely gymnastics" or not) as a level 10 does at hers. And, I do believe that winning State at level 4 is an awesome achievement--only ONE girl can say that from your area!

Just because I disagree doesn't mean it bothers me. I can feel strongly in one direction without it meaning I have a strong emotion attached to it. I think I'm looking at it from a purely gymnastics standpoint and a lot of people are adding an emotional and subjective component to it. There were many awards giving for hardwork and many great accomplishments. When a gym presents an award as the single best accomplishment of any gymnast from that year on the team, I can't agree that a Level 4 winning half her state is the same as a Level 10 making NIT and winning an event at state and regionals. Especially knowing that this gym has never been known for having good optionals. In the 13 years they have been in business they have had 1 level 10 who was not that great. We live very close to an elite gym and most of the girls leave for that gym because this gym has no proven high level record. So retaining a level 10 and having her be able to go head to head with the best is a step forward for this gym.

I'm not at all saying what the Level 4 child accomplished was something wonderful to be proud of. I just feel like it comparing apples with oranges.

 

[NGL780309]

Congratulations to your DD! Now knowing that everyone got something, puts a bit of a different spin on the whole topic for me. I'd just be proud of my DD & let the rest of it go. Believe me learning that from the start of this sport just might save you your sanity, LOL! Pick your battles wisely...most aren't worth the time or the effort. JMHO.

I don't consider it a battle, merely just something I was puzzled about. I think people here are thinking I'm much more emotionally invested in it than I am. I found it curious, so I asked others opinions. It was not a big deal.

It's kind of the same way I've always thought my state had a stupid way of recognizing gymnasts at the compulsory level. Years ago at the qualifier for state you would qualify to 3 different tiers. Gold, Silver and Bronze. So if they took 30 qualifers to state the top 10 in that age group would be gold, the next 10 silver and the next 10 bronze. So for each age group you would have 3 tiers of girls. I understand the purpose of dividing them up so more girls are awarded. But it really didn't make sense to me because the bronze group AA winner for the 7 year old age group would be recognized as the L5 state champion even though she might have scored 3 points lower than the 2nd 7 year old in the gold age group. Both the same age, same level, didn't make sense to me. The coaches used to joke that it would be better for their girls to perform worse at the qualifier so they'd be in the bronze division and could win and therefor be named State Champion. Then there would be a banquet at the end of the year recognizing all the state champions. So being second in the gold division got you nothing, but being 1st in the bronze got you an invitation and some free stuff. That's a little off topic, but while I had a strong opinion about it being stupid, I wasn't losing sleep over it.

 

[NGL780309]

Congratulations to your DD! Now knowing that everyone got something, puts a bit of a different spin on the whole topic for me. I'd just be proud of my DD & let the rest of it go. Believe me learning that from the start of this sport just might save you your sanity, LOL! Pick your battles wisely...most aren't worth the time or the effort. JMHO.

It doesn't really have anything to do with my DD and what she was recognized for. She didn't even compete during the fall season which is what they were recognizing. As a completely objective outsider, I just found it strange. If I had been looking at our state's website where they pick the gymnast of the year and they picked a L4 over a L10, I would have said, "Huh?". And then I would have disagreed.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I am a very competitive person and as an athlete this is how I would view the situation.

If I was in the shoes of the level 10 and I made NIT but not nationals, won some events at regional's and states but not all, I would not consider that my best performance and would find an award for performance of the year to mean that my best was achieved and I am not as good as my competitors. That would upset me more than seeing an award go to a level four.

If I look at it from a non athlete point of view it seems stupid to award a level four when a level 10 had many achievements to recognise.

 

[nevertooold]

The 13 yr old level 10 is obviously very talented.
It is difficult as a coach, owner, parent, or observer of the sport to not value talent above all else. My guess is that the coaches wanted to reward something besides just talent. Were the 10 you were talking about 17 or 18 first year level 10 I might be tempted to side with you, but a 13 yr old is clearly in possession of a heapload of natural talent, and while she may also be many other things, hardworking, team spirited, etc... there is surely a major factor in which she had no choosing, natural talent. Talented kids get so much praise and success anyway that I see no problem awarding a less talented athlete as gymnast of the year.
To feel otherwise gets precariously close to elitism, an attitude which has pushed many nice kids out of this sport.

I personally do not agree at all that it is unfair to compare compulsory to optional in choosing the athlete of the year. It's the coaches choice and finding out that you may not agree with their personal philosophies can be useful knowledge to a parent. It sounds to me like the real issue is that you and the coaches/management may not had share the same values in this area.

 

[NGL780309]

The 13 yr old level 10 is obviously very talented.
It is difficult as a coach, owner, parent, or observer of the sport to not value talent above all else. My guess is that the coaches wanted to reward something besides just talent. Were the 10 you were talking about 17 or 18 first year level 10 I might be tempted to side with you, but a 13 yr old is clearly in possession of a heapload of natural talent, and while she may also be many other things, hardworking, team spirited, etc... there is surely a major factor in which she had no choosing, natural talent. Talented kids get so much praise and success anyway that I see no problem awarding a less talented athlete as gymnast of the year.
To feel otherwise gets precariously close to elitism, an attitude which has pushed many nice kids out of this sport.

I personally do not agree at all that it is unfair to compare compulsory to optional in choosing the athlete of the year. It's the coaches choice and finding out that you may not agree with their personal philosophies can be useful knowledge to a parent. It sounds to me like the real issue is that you and the coaches/management may not had share the same values in this area.

There is a lot to value in gymnastics besides just results and I think those are probably the most important parts of this sport. Because no matter your results you reap all the benefits. I love the fact that DD's gym promotes all of these things. And they did a great job of rewarding all of these things and I believe every girl felt special that night. I know mine did. I don't think my values differ from theirs at all. That doesn't mean I can't disagree with their choice. I just think it would have been more appropriate to recognize this compulsory gymnast for her great achievement and an optional gymnast for her great achievement because they are so different in magnitude. They each reached the highest level possible for their respective levels, but those levels are so different. If they had billed the award as encompassing all things like results, attitude, team spirit etc, it would make more sense to me. It wasn't presented that way. It was more this is the best result any gymnast from our gym achieved this year and that's what I disagree with.