Travel Time-Hotel stay or not

[drivingmom]

We have a few meets coming up that are 2-3 hours away. The times for these meets would allow us to drive in and out the same day. Saving the hotel stay. Yes it would be early (7:00 a.m. or getting home at midnight), but a can do. My questions is do you think it hurts a gymnasts meet if she rides in a car for 2-3 hours before a meet?

Mine complains a lot, says she may get sick but does not. Not sure what to do...tired of the costs.

 

[Ingwe]

I always base my decision on whether or not to stay in a hotel on the start time of the meet. If she has an early report time then we stay. If it is a later start time then we will just drive in that day. If the meet is further then 3 hours away then we always stay regardless of the start time. This past season theoly meet we had that was within a 2 hour drive we ended up staying because she had an 8:00 am report time.

 

[Gymdad2]

If you can afford the time and money for the hotel then I would be in favor of staying. We always try to include an overnight when the drive is more than 2 hours or the session is early or late. If it is an early session it is easier and better for dd to get a full nights sleep and a good breakfast (and me too), and if its a late session it lets her have dinner and a night at the hotel (hopefully with a pool) with her team.

 

[bookworm]

Any meet that requires me to leave my house by 6 am (and therefore be out of bed by 5 am) warrants a hotel stay for me....and for my daughter , I want to give her the best chance to do her best by having her well rested and close to the meet site. I haven't spent all this time and money to disadvantage her by having her ride in a car for 2-3 hours and be in no shape to compete....other kids might react differently to the long car ride but this is what works for us.

 

[UnoMas]

I agree with other posters...anything with a morning start time or over a 2.5 hr drive=hotel stay. I am NOT a morning person and DD gets car sick.

So, we stay in hotels a lot. It works out pretty well and I am less stressed about having to get somewhere on time if we are already there!

 

[kristilyn73]

Our meets are all at least 2 hours away. I havent noticed Beetle not doing well because of the drive (ie getting stiff or tight) On the other hand, if it is an early morning meet we have had a better time with leaving that morning. She has more of a chance to wake up. She can sleep in her own bed the night before, and honestly, dont we all sleep better when we sleep in our own bed?

If it is a late night meet I would rather spend the night. But that is because i am NOT a night person.

 

[gymcoach34]

It depends on the kid. Some do better sleeping @ home and then driving, but those kids who do this and leave at 5 or 6 am never seems to do well-they start ok but fade by the end of the meet.

Think of it this way- the $ you already spent is significant- is it worth it to have a rough meet after you have invested so much $ already and your gymmie so much time. You should always stay at a the same chain (Marriott is great), and get on one of their "frequent stay" programs- that way maybe you'll end up w/ a free night after a season of hotel stays!

 

[NotAMom]

Here is my suggestion, but the bottom line is you may have to try out a couple of things before you know your preference.

For the night before, it's probably best judged by what works for the gymnast. Some kids likes the ultra morning drive and some kids don't like to ride for 2-3 hours no matter the time of day. Some kids do not sleep well out of their own beds but it matters little to others. I would think sitting in the same body position would be bad for a kid just about to compete. But, that doesn't seem to hold true for all kids either.

For the night after, do it for the driver. If you think it helps you by resting overnight before getting on the road again, by all means. Otherwise if you have enough energy to spare after the long drive in followed by a 4-hour meet, driving back on the same day can certainly save you some $$$.

 

[cathiann]

does she not want the care ride because she wants the fun of staying in a hotel?
For me, if it was an early morning start time and we would have to leave before 7, then we'd stay in a hotel, if at all financially feasible. And if we would be getting home close to midnight--same thing--hotel stay simply because I don't like driving that late!

 

[CoachTodd]

Hotel with pool. This is supposed to be fun. Go early the day before and enjoy the stay. If money is the issue, make it a day trip

 

[kristilyn73]

Hotel with pool. This is supposed to be fun. Go early the day before and enjoy the stay. If money is the issue, make it a day trip

Brings up a good point and question... Our coach has a rule. No pools or hot tubs the day before a meet. Does anyone else have this rule? It has something to do with way swimming works the muscles. (According to our coach at least..)

 

[Gymdad2]

No, we don't have any rule like that - our girls spend hours in the pool when we get to the hotel the day before the meet. There usually are a lot of gymnasts in the pool so it doesn't appear to be a common rule, at least not for any the gyms we compete against. Also, somebody mentioned staying at the same chain to earn 'points' and I was just wondering how many of you all stay at the 'host' hotel when you go to a meet? We have a group of optional parents who have been together for a number of years and we usually try to stay at the host hotel and travel (car, plane, van, whatever) together for the companionship for us parents and the girls. We get a 'gym' price which is less than the normal rate so it makes up for not getting the 'points' towards a free stay.

 

[NotAMom]

Brings up a good point and question... Our coach has a rule. No pools or hot tubs the day before a meet. Does anyone else have this rule? It has something to do with way swimming works the muscles. (According to our coach at least..)

There was a whole thread on this not that long ago. I can't seem to find it. There were mixed responses found there (fact vs. myth), but, there seemed to be an agreement on no hot tub if I can recall. And, yes, no swimming before a meet appears to be a common rule/practice amongst competitive gymnasts.

I was just wondering how many of you all stay at the 'host' hotel when you go to a meet? We have a group of optional parents who have been together for a number of years and we usually try to stay at the host hotel and travel (car, plane, van, whatever) together for the companionship for us parents and the girls. We get a 'gym' price which is less than the normal rate so it makes up for not getting the 'points' towards a free stay.

We pick a hotel based on the cheapest rate for the accommodation and where everyone else stays at the same night. Unfortunately, often you cannot have both. Also, we like spending the extra time finding a suite for a night before an early meet for a comparable charge. That way, the girl can have a better night of sleep with much less interruption (especially I snore and like to stay up late).

 

[momof5]

I agree with everybody else with the early driving. Definately stay in a hotel if possible. It will make the morning of the meet go much smoother. Several of our meet are 2-2 1/2 hours away. If the meet is later in the day we always drive due to costs and child care issues. We try to get there about a hour early so that we have time to relax before the meet.

 

[kristilyn73]

There was a whole thread on this not that long ago. I can't seem to find it. There were mixed responses found there (fact vs. myth), but, there seemed to be an agreement on no hot tub if I can recall. And, yes, no swimming before a meet appears to be a common rule/practice amongst competitive gymnasts.

I wonder how I missed that thread (or was I involved?) It has been one of those day! I cant remember if i had lunch today LOL

 

[kristilyn73]

Also, somebody mentioned staying at the same chain to earn 'points' and I was just wondering how many of you all stay at the 'host' hotel when you go to a meet? We have a group of optional parents who have been together for a number of years and we usually try to stay at the host hotel and travel (car, plane, van, whatever) together for the companionship for us parents and the girls. We get a 'gym' price which is less than the normal rate so it makes up for not getting the 'points' towards a free stay.

We typically either stay at a Hilton chain (since we are Hilton Honors Members and get free rooms) or I Priceline a room. THis works well if it is just DD and I. Not the whole family, since you cannot guarentee that you get 2 beds.

We stayed at was the host hotel for Chicago Style. And to be honest, I am not sure if I would do that again! It was pure chaos. a 2 hour wait to get in the pool! (after the meet of course LOL). On the other hand, it is fun to be with other teammates.

 

[NotAMom]

We stayed at was the host hotel for Chicago Style. And to be honest, I am not sure if I would do that again! It was pure chaos. a 2 hour wait to get in the pool! (after the meet of course LOL). On the other hand, it is fun to be with other teammates.

I agree that host hotels aren't necessary the best bet. If we find somewhere else early enough, I post it on our club's discussion group to share.