Compulsory and optional teams each have a mock meet a few weeks before their season starts. Girls are in meet leos with hair done like it will be for meets. No scores are given and last year for optionals it was coaches only. We did have a judge come in to watch the girls after a few meets last year. The mock meet is no parents allowed to watch. The HC does use this meet with the optionals to tell them if they will compete AA or be scratched from an event at the 1st meet. That can have implications down the line as to whether a girl will be allowed to go to an out of state meet. So, there is alot of pressure on the girls and I think they just don't want the moms/dads hanging around. Yes, we do hear all about it after they're done.