Secret Classic

[Mom2twingymnasts]

I'm taking my daughter and her friend to Chicago for the Secret Classic. We are atteding both the junior and senior sessions. Will we be allowed to watch early to see the competitors warm-up? Will there be opportunities to get autographs? If so, where/how? Can we bring in a camera? Anything else I need to know?

 

[B&M's mom]

We've gone the last two years and are going again this year. The doors open at a set time for each session. I honestly can't remember how far in advance but yes, we could watch at least part of warm ups. There was no opportunity for autographs that I'm aware of. According to the info on line, you can bring a still camera but not a videocamera.

Be prepared, we've had trouble in the past finding an open restaurant for food between the sessions. For our group I'm recommending either walk north to Greektown as there are restaurants that will be open (you need to walk across the expressway and north for at least 1/4 to a 1/2 mile but there are a bunch of restaurants, There's an overpass with a sidewalk.) or hop on the blue line (the el) and take it downtown. The blue line stop is in the middle of the expressway. You can buy tickets from machines located in the station. They run every 10 minutes or so.

It's a great meet and we're really looking forward to this year!

 

[iwannacoach]

Pack a lunch and hang out between sessions! Keep a low profile as if you belong to some random Classic participant and are bored out of your mind. My wife and I have done this a few times, and went un-noticed until just moments before the doors opened for the next session. There are, or were back in "the day", a handful of gymnast who travel with their coaches to maintain their training. The likelies are top gymnasts who've already qualified to the Championships, or up and coming athletes with HUGE wallets. In any case you'll enjoy seeing some super gymnasts as they train, or you'll save money and probably eat a better meal by "brown bagging it".

 

[B&M's mom]

You might get away with it but I know that last year they cleared the building and locked the doors so we couldn't enter until a specific time.