WAG Team birthday ideas.

[Aero]

Anyone out there have any really cool ideas to acknowledge the birthdays of their team girls? A bunch of mine have had theirs already, and at the end of practice I've had everyone sing obnoxiously loud (like screaming, because they absolutely love it ) and then I scoop them up and run towards the pit, launching them as high as possible into the air. Then everyone usually has some snacks, like cupcakes or munchkins brought by the parent. They seem to like this, but I feel like I could be doing something way cooler. Anyone coaches out there do anything awesome for their athletes on their birthdays? Any awesome gyms out there with super cool, super fun ideas?

 

[tegan_tegan]

Interested to hear what people do at my gym all we do is stand on the highest high beam and scream happy birthday with cake

 

[LucyTRA]

At Uni we do birthday bumps on the trampoline, but what you're doing already sounds fun!

 

[coachmolly]

Sounds like I've dropped the ball. We might sit in a circle and sing at the end and then eat treats if the girl brought something, but that's about it. I meant to do something more, but just didn't get around to it and would feel bad changing now as the kids who already had their birthday would be upset.

 

[Mom2Chickadee]

I think what you're doing sounds awesome for the girls! I'm sure their really appreciate it. And thanks for the reminder, my DD's birthday is in a couple of weeks and normally parents bring in cupcakes for the team when it's a child's birthday. My DD would not have been happy with me if she didn't have something to bring in for her team to celebrate her birthday

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Aero; Excellent - celebrate gymnasts birthdays with the gym family!

Birthdays are special for the gymnasts. I have a birthday list that prompts up on my electronic calendar for gymnasts (and staff). I do not miss not having public acknowledgement of my birthday, but I DO NOT miss a gymnast (or staff) birthday!

I do not mention anything about bringing treats. Good treats, bad treats, expensive treats, more special treats than teammates are avoided by not me not encouraging treats. If they decide to bring something it must meet food rules we use for our practice snack break. Enough should be available for ALL Team groups that are in the gym (JO/Xcel/Pre-team).

We carry the birthday gymnast to the edge of the pit and place her on a block. The girls jump into the "pool" (pit). I suggest to them if they sing a song to the birthday girl they can throw foam at her. I ask "what song should we sing?" "Happy Birthday - OK!" You can throw foam as long as you sing. The girls sing loud and proud. I protect the birthday girl from the powerful throws and block errant foam from hitting the face. When the singing starts to cease I call the girls out of the pit to pick up and throw our "toys" back into the pit. The birthday girl jumps in the pit and the girls usually bury her with our foam. They lift her out and we head back to practice.

I like the focus to be on the girls celebrating together with focus on each other.

Best, SBG -