Parents nonparticipation medals

[gymyogimom]

I guess They purchased the participation medals and if someone scratched the medal would go in the trash
.. But sheesh.

 

[Dr Maleficent]

They so should have given them out to the parents.

 

[mommyof1]

Well they definitely did this on purpose. It's an ongoing thing. I'm trying to remember back, I know they always called the kids as honorable mentions, but I think they gave ribbons or something, but a few years back started just giving a smaller medals. Honestly I thought MOST level 3s liked it and didn't really know the difference, the older levels it's a bit overkill but I think it's a nice enough gesture. It's the first meet of the year for most so you can see it as a recognition of the work done to get there. They like to go all out for awards and give each parent a photo op.

I suppose I can see why they would want to give participation medals, even though I wouldn't do it that way. My daughter was thrilled to get called up and either didn't realize or didn't care that they were calling names in placement order. For her it probably helped cushion the blow of not winning any medals, but the older girls just looked miserable up there. But a medal for scratching? That's a registration medal, not a participation medal.

 

[duyetanh]

Yeah the medals for scratching are just bizarre.

 

[vagymmomma]

I have been home meet coordinator in the past, so I certainly appreciate the intent. However, I think this can serve as a cautionary tale for meet coordinators to evaluate in future meet planning.

Don't get me wrong -- it is nice for every child to walk away with something -- especially younger compulsory girls and even L6/7. A nice, custom AA meet medal for all participants is a great souvenir. However, I think the medals for everyone in every event regardless of whether you competed is just too much. The awards took twice as long - the 'honorable mention' names were read so fast the girls didn't even know where to go. The medal for 4th place was no different than the medal for 18th place where the person didn't even compete. I felt that diminished the accomplishments of those who did compete. Some of the girls in our session were alternately embarrassed and flabbergasted. Medal costs can add up so I would seriously consider whether this is the best approach for all levels and girls. We're talking L8-10s in our sessions - they generally have drawers full of medals at this stage. These individual event medals were generic (i.e., no indication of meet or date) and the medals are not an insignificant cost that the teams are bearing. Why bear the cost if it's not value add?

 

[gymdog]

I have been home meet coordinator in the past, so I certainly appreciate the intent. However, I think this can serve as a cautionary tale for meet coordinators to evaluate in future meet planning.

Don't get me wrong -- it is nice for every child to walk away with something -- especially younger compulsory girls and even L6/7. A nice, custom AA meet medal for all participants is a great souvenir. However, I think the medals for everyone in every event regardless of whether you competed is just too much. The awards took twice as long - the 'honorable mention' names were read so fast the girls didn't even know where to go. The medal for 4th place was no different than the medal for 18th place where the person didn't even compete. I felt that diminished the accomplishments of those who did compete. Some of the girls in our session were alternately embarrassed and flabbergasted. Medal costs can add up so I would seriously consider whether this is the best approach for all levels and girls. We're talking L8-10s in our sessions - they generally have drawers full of medals at this stage. These individual event medals were generic (i.e., no indication of meet or date) and the medals are not an insignificant cost that the teams are bearing. Why bear the cost if it's not value add?

Well I don't really disagree with you for the optionals. Honestly I really wasn't sure if they had done it one way or another there. But I would think by that stage at least based off my own experiences everyone should know each other enough at that point to bear something like this with good humor. We kinda laughed it off when the kids realized it was an event they scratched. But I don't know if they'll change it because they've been doing it this way for a long way back...I can remember it before the last year we even switched the levels (so when level 4 was the lowest) and the 4s getting called up and getting ribbons even when they scratched. So, it's been awhile.

 

[tooootsie]

I think participation medals (for aa only)in l3 and l4 are nice.. many of the kids are younger and they all work hard in this sport and deserve some recognition for it. I think a participation medal in every event is ridiculous. Most meets we have been to only medal top 6 or 8 which is less than 50% for each age category AA and event. Last meet did awards for top 11 with 30 kids per.

What I know is last year when my daughter was 6, she never podiumed once but was so pleased with her participation medal. This year (repeating l3) she has taken 1st AA at 5 meets, two of which she actually received trophies for top AA... those were exciting moments for her! But had she never received even a medal last year for participating, I don't know that she would have continued the sport. Just a thought...

 

[needcoffee]

We have AA participation medals for levels 3 and below. Gold for 36 and above, silver for 34-35.99 and bronze for 33.99 and below from memory. I think it's nice. It might be the only bling some gymnasts ever get considering at most comps (level 4+) only 1st to 3rd AA medal. At states 1-3 apparatus and AA medal, there's definitely no medals for 6th, 7th, 8th etc place.

Medals for scratching are weird!!!

 

[JessSyd]

Even six and seven year olds can see when they are being patronised, and medals for no reason devalue the whole idea of medals. Participation is a reason. Non participation isn't.

As has been said upthread, the system in my state is that in individual events in levels 3, 4 and IL4, each gymnast competes against herself and no place prizes are awarded. She is awarded a ribbon for each event she competes and the colour of that ribbon is based on her score so it is a meaningful reflection of how she performed. The AA (a ribbon or medal) is awarded the same way. If an event is scratched no ribbon is awarded for that event and the AA ribbon will be the lowest band.

This system is designed for the younger gymnasts in the levels where there are more competitors. By the time they get to the middle levels there are fewer girls and those girls are old enough to really get that there can only be a few winners and that everyone else can still set their own goals and achieve something to be proud of.

 

[OzZee]

As others from Australia have said we generally only get medals for 1-3 AA (at larger comps) but this year participation ribbons/AA medals were introduced for levels 1-3/4 which was really nice. (1-2 were all participation , 3-4 some were, some weren't)

We did go to one invitational that did AA participation - well dd's team mate who had had a disaster of a day hated it even more that she had to be reminded of that by being called up in 30/32nd place, and stand there looking happy for a long time!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

First don't put a year on medals that way you can use again.

Next if you award a participation medal make it different and less elaborate then actually placing.

I have seen where some special recognitions have been done for things like best smile, best handstand, best effort, most enthusiasm, over and above placement but those token gifts were not medals. And they are fun.

Finally (JMO)if you are "not" participating you don't get a medal. Reality is you mostly don't get rewarded for just being there in life. It sets kids up for thinking just existing should be rewarded. Causes havoc with their self esteem. which by definition should come from "self " not external rewards. An injury is a tough break, but awards are for achieving at the meet not all the other work put in. If as a gym you want to recognize that kid, end of year party is the place for that. Give them the "game" ball so to speak.

Awards should go to the best performers at the meet, period. If a kid is old enough to compete they need to get what that entails and part of that is not everyone gets a medal. If a kid is old enough to compete they need to get not everyone gets a medal.

 

[profmom]

At this point, I really don't care about how any optional kid reads tea leaves about what getting a medal does or doesn't mean. I do care a lot about the length of the awards ceremony. Anything more than an hour is too damn long by any rights, and an hour is getting close to my personal standard for too damn long.

 

[Natasha]

Just FYI, often meet directors/ coordinators do not have a choice in how many medals they award. Our state dictates the medals (way overboard in my personal opinion, but whatever) and if you want your meet to be sanctioned, you are required to follow the state policies. So, in our state, we are required to give 100% AA medals, 50+ 1 ind events for upper levels and I think 100% for lower levels- so at the beginning levels, every kid is getting 5 medals at the beginning level. By the time the girls get to optionals (if they make it) they already have 100s of medals. Oh, and as far as giving away the medals even when they scratch, I can tell you after coordinating the medals for a weekend long meet, I didn't want to ever see a medal again much less pack any up for next year when we were done .

 

[Mish]

The "different policies in different states" is curious to me. Part of the credibility in any field is consistent methods applied across different environments.

 

[NH~GymMom]

Most of the meets we see no more than 50% on events. AA is either 50 +1 or 100% but usually different than placing (so 1-5 might have trophies and everyone else medals) there are a few meets where 100% get medals for AA but you don't get a medal if you didn't compete. My DD scratched a meet last year and she did get the meet gift which I thought was a nice gesture, but no medal or ribbons. She wouldn't want them if she didn't compete anyway!

 

[gymdog]

Just FYI, often meet directors/ coordinators do not have a choice in how many medals they award. Our state dictates the medals (way overboard in my personal opinion, but whatever) and if you want your meet to be sanctioned, you are required to follow the state policies. So, in our state, we are required to give 100% AA medals, 50+ 1 ind events for upper levels and I think 100% for lower levels- so at the beginning levels, every kid is getting 5 medals at the beginning level. By the time the girls get to optionals (if they make it) they already have 100s of medals. Oh, and as far as giving away the medals even when they scratch, I can tell you after coordinating the medals for a weekend long meet, I didn't want to ever see a medal again much less pack any up for next year when we were done .

We aren't required to do 100%, they choose to as a nice gesture because this is the first meet ever for many kids. I think we're required to do top third, or at least that's what we do at states so I'm going to assume that's what they put in the state R&P about it. So usually at states they put about 30 kids in an age group so they can do top ten, if there are some scratches it'll be top 8 or 9.

And I think by the time it gets to 100%, you're not gonna leave out the 1 or 2 kids who scratched. It's also easier to just call them up in order and not have the parent volunteers possibly make a mistake.

Anyway, I don't think it's really too bad, there are plenty of meets here where some kids won't get anything. I'm not too concerned that getting the medals this time will ruin them.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Rewarding a person for doing nothing.... How embarrassing for them, and what a poor life lesson.

 

[duyetanh]

At this point, I really don't care about how any optional kid reads tea leaves about what getting a medal does or doesn't mean. I do care a lot about the length of the awards ceremony. Anything more than an hour is too damn long by any rights, and an hour is getting close to my personal standard for too damn long.

Omg, YES, this!

 

[skschlag]

Rewarding a person for doing nothing.... How embarrassing for them, and what a poor life lesson.

Unless you turn the life lesson around and teach them that sometimes people make mistakes. Explain what happened, have a good laugh, and move on