WAG US Awards

[2G1B]

I'm also in Region 8; but we don't do the medals for the ranges. Instead, for my son *USAG level 4) it has been usually out 40% for events with medals, 50% for AA. Top 3 at some meets get a trophy for AA; but sometimes they just get a medal. (my poor son - every time he has placed top 3 it has just been a medal; but then he has place 4th or 5th a few times when the top 3 got a trophy. He really wants a trophy!)

For my girls - AAU 2 and 3, they go out I think 50% for events and 100% for AA.

I'd rather they not go all of the way out for everything; but it did also bug me at one meet that they went almost all of the way out - only the kid in last place didn't get anything.

For all of them it has been based on score for who places where.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

It does depend on level, our county here gives a participation certificate for Rec competitions ( floor and vault), plus 1st, 2nd and 3rd medals for individuals and teams, for anything above that its only top three get medals. At our last novice 2 piece there were upwards of 60 girls in each age group, but only top 3 got anything.

In a 4 piece you get medals per apparatus plus AA, again top 3 only.

It sems culturally really odd for everyone to get a medal, takes away the "specialness" (and where do you store them !)

'Margo

 

[gymisforeveryone]

In Finland at compulsory levels they don't even get medals from apparatuses, only AA. At optionals top three at every event is given a medal thought.

At coumpulsories there is always two age groups ("younger" and "older"). Top 3 AA gets medals and places 4-10 are read out loud so the gymnasts can salute to the audience. Usually all the kids get something like a candy or a old club T-shirt or a water bottle for participating but not at bigger meets, only at local ones.

Usually there is 15-90 kids in one age group so the kids don't expect to get medals. So they are not unhappy when they are not awarded. The gymnasts are more interested if they got the mobility score or not. At some smaller meets they read the names of gymnasts who have received that score at the meet. Usually the parents and coaches cheer to those names like the kids were winners, even though they weren't

I don't think I liked the US awards because it seems to take so much time... It also seems like the medals are just thrown to the gymnasts hands and they have to wear them by themselves.. No hand shaking, no hugs. It's much more special to get a medal if you don't always get five per meet.

 

[profmom]

Around here, it's usually about 40%. I think the worst awards ceremony I ever saw was the one where they plodded through every single medal on every single event and AA for every single age group, going out some ridiculous number of places -- and then said, "OK, any boy who has not yet received a medal can come up and get his participation medal!" Ugh.

The meet we were at yesterday was sort of funny -- the awards were done at warp speed, and for the very small groups, they only announced top AA. They probably spent more time on the pre-awards handstand contests and standing back tuck stick contest. Some of the parents were less than thrilled, but it worked for me!

I do like that the competitors at states all get a participation medal. That actually means something.

 

[Bajanswife]

At our meet we do gold, silver and bronze on each event, and then everyone else gets ribbons (the kind that has a space on the back where you can write your event and placing for posterity). For AA the top 3 get trophies and then everyone (even the trophy winners) gets a commemorative participation medal with our meet logo. It's a travel meet for most, so we want everyone to take something home. We also try to keep our age groups a reasonable size, say no more than 15 or so. Our team went to a meet the other day with 26 kids in my DD's age group, which I find a little big. If they had cut it down to 2 groups of 13, twice as many kids would have had a chance to medal. I know for kids doing lots of local meets during the season it isn't all that important, but for teams like us that have to travel to every meet, it's tough to go all that way and come back with not much to show for it.