WAG Loud cheering at meets (screaming, really) - thoughts?

[stxrdusty]

My team was among the very loud cheerers, we gymnasts were the ones cheering really loudly though. And we went to each other's sessions and used to cheer each other on then. Normally we were on the floor with our team's rotation group unless it was a state or regional meet though so the cheering was only loud enough that our group could hear us, not so much the parents in the crowd and other rotation groups. We used to cheer on the girls from the other teams in our rotation group too. So, I feel like cheering is a good thing, but keep it to a middle tone, nothing ear-piercing or anything. Loud is great, but worthy of blowing out people's ears is a no-no. Also, keeping the cheering to more difficult skills, ones you know a gymnast has trouble with or is nervous about, and competition routines is probably advisable as well. I've heard teams like you described at meets and it kinda bothered me, but they were good so I wasn't going to tell them they were being a bit loud.

 

[Momof2]

We have had some obnoxious yellers at meets. I do wonder if they are sometimes trying to mess up other children on other teams. Luckily my daughter is pretty good at tuning people out lol. I think their is a line that is normal cheering and what is going overboard. We do clap for our entire team but nothing crazy just a normal clap.

 

[raenndrops]

#1 - Run, Run, Down the strip, Hit the board and do a Flip, Stick your landing at the end, Salute the judge and score a 10.
#2 We want another one, Better than the other one.
#3 Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Fudge, Come on girl, Impress that Judge.
#4 S-T-A-R, "Lucy" is a shining star, Go "Lucy."
#5 "Lucy" is her name, Gymnastics is her game, She's got a 9 on her mind, And Woo! She's looking fine. Check her out, OW, OW!

#1 and #2 are vault specific... the other 3 work for anything!

Our girls support their teammates. On floor, our Optionals are known to do some of the moves where they are waiting

My BROTHER is a very loud cheerer (accidentally)... he tends to get excited about Back tucks and Layouts... and if someone doesn't do one that HE thinks should have, I hear "That's ok. You'll get it next time!" ... then I have to tell him "Lucy" doesnt do a back tuck - just a big straddle jump rebound out of her BHS... "Ohhhhhhh. Oops, my bad." "Way to go 'Lucy'!!!!!"

 

[emilykatherine]

#1 - Run, Run, Down the strip, Hit the board and do a Flip, Stick your landing at the end, Salute the judge and score a 10.
#2 We want another one, Better than the other one.
#3 Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Fudge, Come on girl, Impress that Judge.
#4 S-T-A-R, "Lucy" is a shining star, Go "Lucy."
#5 "Lucy" is her name, Gymnastics is her game, She's got a 9 on her mind, And Woo! She's looking fine. Check her out, OW, OW!

#1 and #2 are vault specific... the other 3 work for anything!

Our girls support their teammates. On floor, our Optionals are known to do some of the moves where they are waiting

My BROTHER is a very loud cheerer (accidentally)... he tends to get excited about Back tucks and Layouts... and if someone doesn't do one that HE thinks should have, I hear "That's ok. You'll get it next time!" ... then I have to tell him "Lucy" doesnt do a back tuck - just a big straddle jump rebound out of her BHS... "Ohhhhhhh. Oops, my bad." "Way to go 'Lucy'!!!!!"

My team does the same moves, we actually pick them out a one practice each year and we go over it that while floor rotation

 

[PalmTree]

At a recent meet, the parents from one of the gyms were screaming, hollering, jumping up, and carrying on as if we were at an outdoor football game. So loud our ears were literally hurting from the noise.

Every. Single. Time one of their gymnasts did ANYTHING, parents screamed and shouted loud WAAAAAA!!!!!! WOO WOO!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!, literally every time. Even after EVERY VAULT run - loud screams.

Of course, our girls are on BEAM, while their darlings are on VAULT, so that high-pitched, jarring WAAAAAA!!!!! every 15 seconds after each vault was ridiculous. I realize gymnasts are supposed to block out distractions, but this was nuts, imo. Later, my gymmie told me that was "Very Annoying!".

While I appreciate parental enthusiasm, I really think this kind of behavior at a meet doesn't suit the sport. Certainly some clapping is appreciated, and I think a quick, happy "Woo!" at the end of your own kid's routine is fine. Though our group tends to bring more of a restrained "golf clap" style, which suits me fine.

How is cheering in your area? Is this kind of loud hollering common? Encouraged? Or if not, is there any avenue to "complain"?

Other parents from our gym commented they wished they could say something, but we realize we aren't suppose to talk to any organizers, and our coaches weren't nearby at this meet. Even if coaches were around, we didn't want to put any pressure on our coaches to say anything and take focus away from the girls. So we just endured. Curious if this is inappropriate, or if we are being old sticks in the mud and should just bring earplugs and suck it up

Hate it!!

There is a team in our area with loud parents, too, but it is the COACHES that annoy me. After every single routine, no matter how terrible it was, the coaches clap their hands together and loudly go WOWWW!!!! AMAZING!!! like that Level 3 bar routine with four falls should score a ten.

 

[munchkin3]

We just went to a meet and I was embarrassed by my own team!!!!!!! I vowed to not say much anymore during meets and my DD was very happy!

Although I am not a very loud person, there were a couple of parents who went a bit overboard....I told them, ummmm, we are getting dirty looks.......from the judges!!!!!!

Clapping and cheering for your team or child yes. Quick and considerate.........screaming and carrying on and yelling corrections....YIKES!!!!!!

 

[flippinam]

Most of the cheering during the meets I've been to is clapping & brief cheering at the end of the routine or after skills. & of course the "Let's go so & so!" before skills. Most save the wild cheering for awards I think if others are flashing dirty looks then it's time to tone things down. The standing up is ridiculous! There's other people trying to see/record!

 

[flippin out]

Yes, and when the screaming starts during warm ups for every skill, every time, every child (upwards of 7-15 on the team during a session depending on the level, and the L8-10 parents are by far the worst offenders) .....lets just say they never shut up. I mean think about how many warm up passes each kid gets for floor, and then how many turns, leaps & jumps they warm up.....you get the idea. Screaming and foam finger waving through it all

There can't be a single piece of video taken at those meets that does not have this crowd of parents screaming full force during it.

 

[poodlemomma]

I know I was really shocked by the first college meet I went to, I felt like I was at a basketball game. It was very loud, with cheering, music, announcers, games, throwing of t-shirts, banners... crazy and fun! I have yet to be at any gymnastics meet where people do more then clap and give a little "whoop" here or there for a good score. We are at a new gym and I was told that "parents are expected to get excited." I am not sure what that means, but I guess I will find out this weekend at our first meet of the year.

 

[flippin out]

I know I was really shocked by the first college meet I went to, I felt like I was at a basketball game. It was very loud, with cheering, music, announcers, games, throwing of t-shirts, banners... crazy and fun! I have yet to be at any gymnastics meet where people do more then clap and give a little "whoop" here or there for a good score. We are at a new gym and I was told that "parents are expected to get excited." I am not sure what that means, but I guess I will find out this weekend at our first meet of the year.

Not sure about the OP, but I've been to a lot of college meets and have never been bothered by the noise and cheering there. The group of parents that I'm talking about are way beyond college meet level of noise...they are just plain on a level of their own rudeness

 

[NoDramaMama]

I've been to a level 2 meet where one of our local gym's parents were soooooo loud hooting and hollering. It was insane. I thought it was very insensitive to the 6 and 7 year old level 2's who are just beginning to compete. Rude, rude, rude! It's hard enough for a young one to get up in front of judges and remember their routines (especially beam), let alone doing it with a bunch of adult who randomly start to scream in the middle of their routine.

 

[Jenny]

I've been to a level 2 meet where one of our local gym's parents were soooooo loud hooting and hollering. It was insane. I thought it was very insensitive to the 6 and 7 year old level 2's who are just beginning to compete. Rude, rude, rude! It's hard enough for a young one to get up in front of judges and remember their routines (especially beam), let alone doing it with a bunch of adult who randomly start to scream in the middle of their routine.

I so agree with this.

 

[profmom]

Hahaha, you people have not seen loud coaches until you've been to some of the club and JV soccer games around here!

 

[Paint A Melody]

My brother was doing a p-bar routine, and halfway through a teams parents randomly started yelling which surprised my brother and caused him to fall. I think that's a sign they were cheering too loudly.

 

[coach1234]

I don't know if it's a british thing but at all the meets we go to they are very loud! All the girls cheer for each other even if they are not from their club ( remember how small the UK is so all the girls know each other fairly well) we was at one this weekend where all of the girls were cheering for each other whether they knew each other or not! Personally I like it! It brings more atmosphere and brings the. Meet alive, I HATE going to meets where no one is cheering for anyone and it's almost dead silent

 

[flippin out]

I don't know if it's a british thing but at all the meets we go to they are very loud! All the girls cheer for each other even if they are not from their club ( remember how small the UK is so all the girls know each other fairly well) we was at one this weekend where all of the girls were cheering for each other whether they knew each other or not! Personally I like it! It brings more atmosphere and brings the. Meet alive, I HATE going to meets where no one is cheering for anyone and it's almost dead silent

Cheering, yes! Love cheering.....I don't believe the op is talking about normal loud cheering (girls cheering each other, parents supporting teams, etc). I know for me (and I'm assuming op), I'm referring to obnoxious screaming and standing up in front of others for long periods of time. When others around you plug their ears.....that's not cheering, that's obnoxious screaming

 

[cbifoja]

I wouldn't want to go to a dead silent meet either and again, please understand we aren't talking about some cheering here. Every single meet I've gone to, I've heard verbal cheers from audience and gymnasts. I've even heard the little rehearsed chants like raenndrops describes. I've heard the "you've got this" and love the clapping and "way to go" comments from parents.

Now imagine that all that is going on, just the usual stuff....and then 30 parents yell...YELL!!!! not words, just a wooooo....in an high pitched scream. I don't care if you are a world caliber athlete, that is distracting and the suddenness of it is startling to less experienced competitors.

So please do not think we are anti-cheer, or unspirited. This is NOT what the complaint is. This is seriously migraine inducing. Last season, my mother in law had to leave the area because this group gave her a crushing head ache. I just think that's ridiculous cheering. I mean, has your gymnast NEVER landed a handspring vault?!?!?!? Sheesh!

 

[gymdog]

Nothing could be louder than our gym on a regular basis, the kids don't even blink at meets.

 

[Sasha]

I think the college atmosphere of loud cheering is great - it's usually in a large field house, and loud cheering at a soccer/football/etc game outdoors or in a stadium/field house is great. Personally, I scream, woot, and cheer at track and field for the runners (especially the back of the packers!). And I cheer at rock concerts (or I used to when I went to such things ).

Girls cheering for their teammates before a tumbling run, fine. Girls chanting, though not my taste for gymnastics, fine. Parents applauding tastefully for the whole team, or even other teams, yes please. A few "Go Susie!"s, "Nice Job!", before or after the routine, great. All good.

But when you have a small-ish indoor room in a rec center with 100-150 parents packed in tight rows of chairs in one end (no bleachers) for a L2-L5 meet, and the floor area is exactly 3 feet in front of the front row of chairs, I don't find the shrill screaming and explosive hollering/wooting appropriate AT ALL.

I guess I should be thankful they didn't come with those foam fingers, though. I think I would lose it.

Thanks for all the discussion! Nice to get a sense of the different 'cultures' of gymnastics meets!

 

[cbifoja]

Nothing could be louder than our gym on a regular basis, the kids don't even blink at meets.

You are comparing apples to oranges. Having a steady level of noise is not even close to what we are trying to describe.

It isn't just that it is noise. It is sudden and very loud. When you go from a normal noise level (and normal varies from environment to environment) to this sudden huge increases, it is startling. And it is unnecessary.

Movies are noisy environments, but you're still going to jump if someone hits an air horn twenty feet away from you during the movie.