Parents One meet left

[emandelsmom]

One meet left for the season!!! Next week they begin working skills!!! I can't wait. It is time. Em and El are excited and both are moving up levels. So here comes level 3 and level 4. Both would have qualified for state, but we have all opted out of state this year-too far of a drive to a meet that isn't that special in the girls eyes at this level. They are all ready to move on. This meet we are doing Saturday is a local meet with homemade painted ceramic medals. The girls aren't excited about that. They don't even get to paint them. Someone else did. The awards aren't even pretty shapes. They are sqaures or triangles on ribbon. Yes, this is a sanctioned meet. The gym is tiny and crowded, but it is local. the weird thing is the this is the most expensive meet of the season. The others were more fun and cheaper. The only positive is they get to show off for grandma! Like I said I am thrilled this is the last one for the season!!!

 

[gymjourneymom]

Just have to comment that if you've ever done ceramics(especially glazed & fired ceramics) it is a very expensive art form. I think this gym is trying to make the awards unique & memorable. These "hand painted" awards are taking someone a lot of time & $ to make. Much more work than just going on line & ordering up a bunch of "regular" medals. Try to have an open mind and keep a postive attitude, your DD's are watching & listening & will take their ques from you. Good luck to your DD's & I hope they bring home some "hand painted" awards to cherish.

 

[emandelsmom]

Just have to comment that if you've ever done ceramics(especially glazed & fired ceramics) it is a very expensive art form. I think this gym is trying to make the awards unique & memorable. These "hand painted" awards are taking someone a lot of time & $ to make. Much more work than just going on line & ordering up a bunch of "regular" medals. Try to have an open mind and keep a postive attitude, your DD's are watching & listening & will take their ques from you. Good luck to your DD's & I hope they bring home some "hand painted" awards to cherish.

I do, but they don't. They keep saying they are ready to move on. This meet is one we have done several times. The exciting part is our family comes to watch. I think the girls would love the awards if they new the story behind them. Was it a bonding project for the gym? Etc. Currently they see them as weird according to the discussion of the girls last night. The gym is tiny and crowded and hot with bad parking. This is my adult view . The kiddos view is it isn't like the venues they have competed in this year. But like I said one left and we move on. So ready.

 

[NotAMom]

Yeah, bad locations, etc. is all a part of it. Locally, I think there is a trend to do meets at remote locations such as auditoriums or arenas or something. Other than state meets, most aren't even held at gyms (many sweaty, smelly, chalky, poor ventilated, etc.) anymore. So, people tend to get spoiled and I hear that from the new parents all the time.

As for awards, in time you're probably find out that there are many more medals and trophies than you know what to do with. For most meets, the high wears off as soon as the salute is over with. The gymnast's accomplishment and progress tend to linger on a bit longer. A "corny" handmade token also can be memoriable.

To be frank, I'd rather pay less than to see BIG awards given out at a regular meet. Then again... Hypercritically speaking, since the meet fee is already paid, we are going for the humungous trophy that the next meet is dishing out.

 

[emandelsmom]

This meet just isn't great. I can't explain really why, but it is a blah meet. I would have rather have paid less for it then I am. It cost close to 75 dollars per child. It is the most expensive meet of the year. The ones in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Mobile were around 50 per child. The medals will be fun for taking the school to do a Show and Tell but they aren't pretty. LOL Wish I knew the story behind them. They aren't ceramics in the traditional sense. They are painted bathroom tiles. With a hole poked in them and gift wrap ribbon strong around them. My youngest got a neat non-tradtional award last weekend that she loved. She got a small chocolate shaped fiddle. Yummy. These just don't have the same thrill to them. I like it when the meets are held at a gym. That is not the problem. This is just a weird place. You are herded in 5 minutes before the start time. You sit in cramped areas-per normal at meets. No heat or no air. The kiddos compete. Shower curtains come down-yes shower curtains. Then the awards. You are herded out the door as soon as awards are finshed through a garage door. I guess this meet just doesn't feel welcoming to either the gymnast or the parents and it is expensive. Ten dollars per person door fee.
The most exciting part for the girls is grandma is coming!!!! And we are eating lunch out between sessions. The are really excited to show Nana what they have learned this year. That makes this meet worth it!

 

[NotAMom]

Hmm... Then what's the point in going?

 

[emandelsmom]

It is the only local meet. . There are only 3 gyms in the central part of the state. We only compete at one.. We haven't hosted a meet in a couple of years. Therefore, if we want family to come and watch without worrying about hotels etc then we do this meet. But it is blah. THe other gyms are either on the coast or up near Memphis which are 3 hours away.

 

[JessMom]

I am SO jealous! Wish we could opt out of early states . . but we're heading back to Utica . . . then running back home for a home meet the next day. . . .the things we do for our kids

So a BIG Congrats!

It's cool when the awards are "different" At our flip into spring 1st place AA gets a bunny, we've seen snow globes, crowns, etc . . . but never a painted tile! LOL I'd love to see it !

The important thing is Grandma is coming and it's the last meet AND they get to move up!!!!!

 

[bogwoppit]

You lot should try our meets. No themes of any kind. The medals are always the same and only 1-3 places get them, ribbons for 4-8 and they are not special. But let me tell you, if a girl gets one she is over the moon, as they know that they are the best that day on that apparatus.

We would love to have fun meets as well. But at some point do the kids get used to all the bling and hype and it isn't special any more. I have seen meets on youtube where they are placing out to 12th place with medals and the girls are putting on the medals themselves. Here there is always somone special to hand out the medals. The medals and the ribbons are always brought out on a cushion or a nice tray, each girl also shakes hands with the medal giver.

I do agree that parents are responsible for the way their girls feel about meets, it's all in the spin! Sell it or junk it, life is like that in so many ways.

They cannot charge entry fees here, I think that once the gymnast has paid to enter it is clear that her parents are coming. To charge more on top is a bit cheesy, but it does seem to be the norm in the US. I assume that you could drop your kid and leave if you cannot afford the entrance fee, wouldn't you like to try that one on the coaches?

 

[emandelsmom]

Bogwopit, I love the way you all do it. The coach and some of us mom's were talking about that this weekend. The meets around here usually place everyone for all around-yes that means 27 medals are given out. The same goes for the individual events usually. Top 3 or 5 stand on a podium. The awards ceremonies are getting longer. The one this weekend took over 2 hours. I had one child competeting and one in the awards ceremonies. It becomes endurance practice esp since the girls are hungry by this point. We were saying it would be nicer to give the top finishers the medals and send the rest home with ribbons etc. There is no nice ceremony. LOL The medals are handed out by older gymnasts who are working the meet or the boys team working the meet. They hang on clothes hangers. And a teenager takes it off and hands it to the kid. They do a gymnast salute and walk off. Then the next round begins.

We have made this meet special by talking about Nana coming. And how it is the last time you get to compete these routines. The girls are very excited. They were all chatting last night about the meet and wanting to be supportive of each other. It was so sweet. Tonight is the last practice before the meet. They are having a mock meet. It should be fun.

Yes, I agree my attitude reflects to them. I am very positive with them about it, but I am ready for the next chapter.

Yes, the fees are stiff. We paid 75 per child to compete. 10 bucks per person entrance fee. Then the booklets will be another 10, roses for 5, good luck grams for a dollar each. And of course they know we will pay it with a smile as is for our children and worth every penny. Too funny about dropping the kids off with the coach. Her coach was saying last night that she was ready for the season to be over with as well. We are planning a skate party for the girls in April to end the season. Should be so much fun! They are a sweet group of girls that work so hard and support each other so well.

 

[JessMom]

You lot should try our meets. No themes of any kind. The medals are always the same and only 1-3 places get them, ribbons for 4-8 and they are not special. But let me tell you, if a girl gets one she is over the moon, as they know that they are the best that day on that apparatus.

We would love to have fun meets as well. But at some point do the kids get used to all the bling and hype and it isn't special any more. I have seen meets on youtube where they are placing out to 12th place with medals and the girls are putting on the medals themselves. Here there is always somone special to hand out the medals. The medals and the ribbons are always brought out on a cushion or a nice tray, each girl also shakes hands with the medal giver.

I do agree that parents are responsible for the way their girls feel about meets, it's all in the spin! Sell it or junk it, life is like that in so many ways.

They cannot charge entry fees here, I think that once the gymnast has paid to enter it is clear that her parents are coming. To charge more on top is a bit cheesy, but it does seem to be the norm in the US. I assume that you could drop your kid and leave if you cannot afford the entrance fee, wouldn't you like to try that one on the coaches?

Thats it! I'm moving!

You do NOT want to know how much we pay! The awards usually go out 50% so if there are 24 girls in a group 12 get awarded . . other 12 go home empty handed.

We wait outside in the cold / rain etc for the session before us, which is always running late, to leave. Then we pay up to 15 to get in, you read it correctly $15 per person. Grandparents come and you feel obligated to pay for them, especially after they stood outside 30 minutes in the rain waiting to get in.

Then you have drinks, food, t-shirts, programs (which I NEVER buy)etc. You sit squished only to have someone rude and oblivious stand in front of you just as your child goes.

BTW I have the watching down to a science. I NEVER sit. I find the best place to stand (usually in the back standing on top of a chair or on the floor) to video tape. LOL

The things we do for our children. And yes, we do it with a huge smile on our face and wish everyone else could just fake a smile and shut up. LOL!!! We go in knowing what to expect and make the mos tof it - but nothing sucks the fun out of it more then someone yelling or complaining behind you the entire time . . . the entire 3-5 HOURS!

 

[NotAMom]

It is the only local meet. .

That's good enough reason for me. To bad it cannot be a good one.

It's cool when the awards are "different" At our flip into spring 1st place AA gets a bunny, we've seen snow globes, crowns, etc . . . but never a painted tile! LOL I'd love to see it !

Go to Hawaiian Cup in Syracuse. I don't think we have gotten anything that is non-unique over the years.

 

[NotAMom]

To charge more on top is a bit cheesy, but it does seem to be the norm in the US.

I honestly don't mind paying like $5 to enter -- be it going towards the club or whatever. But, fees in this region are now in upwards of $10/person (and close to it for a non-competing child). I think it has to be in the last season that we paid less than $10 for an adult. That is just nuts, especially after paying $75 to $100 to enter.

 

[bogwoppit]

Just to add, our meet fees are $45 cad per gymnast! We always can wait inside, meets never take more than 3 hours and there are no things to buy, expect leos.

I guess these things be ome the norm and people just accept the way things are. Maybe someone needs to hold a back to basics meet. Perhaps the entry fee could be food for a food drive. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to pay so much and for it to take so long.

 

[NotAMom]

Yeah. We pay so much for entry that: we pay premium fee at the door; we pay more for the rotation schedule (usually included in the program) when we get there; we can't plan life around the weekend until the week before; no money back even due to emergency/illness; can't talk to the organizers. It the norm so we deal with it.

OK, enuf rambling divergence. Back to the original thread.