Parents weird question....

[e'smum]

so my parents are in their 80s and they live in the atlanta area. last thanksgiving we went there for the holiday and i scheduled a private with a local gym for my gymmie but she had a sprained ankle so she didn't do all her events. i really want my parents to see my dd compete. it's hard for them to come here (boston area) now so i'm trying to figure out how to get her down there to a meet. the gym she did the private at actually hosts 3 meets at their gym. 2 are for levels 5 and under but there is 1 that is for upper levels. would it be odd if i asked them if dd could come and compete next year at their meet but under their coaching? this would be something i would do just for my parents. i wouldn't even care if she was in awards. i just want them to see her compete live. i don't think it's a huge meet.

one of the local gyms here, a new one that a friend of mine uses with her daughter, is going to the atlanta crown this year but it's at the same time as little boston which is a huge meet. otherwise i'd see if we could piggyback with the gym going down.

is this even something i could explore for next year? dd is kind of weird so she may not even go for it. but she did really like the coach she did the private with.

i did suggest to one of our HC looking at the atlanta crown for an away meet next year.

i know, a bit strange, but my parents are in their mid-80s and won't be around forever and they live so far away from us. i just want them to be able to see this part of their grand daughter's life.

 

[Gymmommy71]

I don't think you are allowed to compete at a USAG meet w/o a coach from the gym that your USAG membership is through (i.e. your home gym) being present at the session.

If this were not the case, things could get crazy w/ certain gymnasts flying all over the country going to meets of their choice where the only coaches who would be there are ones who are unfamiliar w/ their strengths/weaknesses and wouldn't really know what skills they can safely compete - it would be a safety concern IMO.

 

[e'smum]

I don't think you are allowed to compete at a USAG meet w/o a coach from the gym that your USAG membership is through (i.e. your home gym) being present at the session.

If this were not the case, things could get crazy w/ certain gymnasts flying all over the country going to meets of their choice where the only coaches who would be there are ones who are unfamiliar w/ their strengths/weaknesses and wouldn't really know what skills they can safely compete - it would be a safety concern IMO.

yeah, i dunno how it works. that's why i thought i would ask here first and not look like a crazy mom at the gym! i do know one of our gymnasts went and did something with another local gym under their coach with their team. i'm not sure if it was a meet or a special developmental camp our HC couldn't attend.

i also get the safety thing but she wouldn't be doing anything she hadn't already competed safely many times. she went to a gymnastics camp at UNH this summer with coaches who had no idea what her abilities were and was learning new skills. i know this is a really long shot and probably won't happen but i'm just curious if it could happen

 

[GymDad9.9]

I'm not sure what you propose is doable but I just wanted to add that I understand where you are coming from as far as trying to get your parents to see your child compete. My daughter hadn't started gymnastics by the time my father passed away but thinking about it he would have loved the idea despite the fact he was legally blind in his older years. My mother, also in her 80s, also lives far away and I've been trying to get her to come and see her granddaughter compete, but it's not an easy matter. I wish you luck on whatever you can work out.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Video, much more comfortable for viewing.

 

[e'smum]

ps - the whole membership going through your gym thing is what i was really after. what the rules were, ect... it makes sense.

 

[e'smum]

Video, much more comfortable for viewing.

oh, they see those but it's just not the same as actually experiencing it. and i know they would love to see her in person. which is why i'm advocating for the atlanta crown next year. that probably won't happen either but i can suggest!! i am trying to figure out what to do about getting them here for a meet. our house is so small and we have many cats and no spare rooms. they don't really like coming here anymore. so if we can go there, it's better for them. it's just a thought. we can always go and do another private (totally fine with our HC) at that gym and just have dd run all her events. not the same but better than nothing.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I don't actually believe that your floor coach at a meet has to be from your gym at all. We've had more than one experience where DDs coach had to be in two separate sessions at once, and one group of girls was just handled by a coach from another gym.

While I don't think it's a usag rule, per se, I do think it would be very uncommon for either gym to allow it- in fact, I'd be worried that it could get your dd kicked off of her team if you went ahead without their express permission. If you have the kind of relationship that allows (we've had it once or twice), ask the hc/owner of your current gym. There may be no harm in asking.

A suggestion for a different approach would be to book an hour private at the gym near your parents and have them come watch while your DD "does" a meet. She could bring her music and go through a warm up and competition turn for each event. Much less likely to cause friction, probably cheaper, and easier all around. I've seen that done previously too, and it had the added advantage that the grandparents were allowed on the floor area for better viewing and pictures than we've even gotten at a meet.

 

[kayjaybe]

Could you set up a private lesson again and let them watch that? Not quite the same as a meet atmosphere, but would be able to see her do all events a lot more quickly rather than sitting through an entire meet.

 

[e'smum]

I don't actually believe that your floor coach at a meet has to be from your gym at all. We've had more than one experience where DDs coach had to be in two separate sessions at once, and one group of girls was just handled by a coach from another gym.

While I don't think it's a usag rule, per se, I do think it would be very uncommon for either gym to allow it- in fact, I'd be worried that it could get your dd kicked off of her team if you went ahead without their express permission. If you have the kind of relationship that allows (we've had it once or twice), ask the hc/owner of your current gym. There may be no harm in asking.

A suggestion for a different approach would be to book an hour private at the gym near your parents and have them come watch while your DD "does" a meet. She could bring her music and go through a warm up and competition turn for each event. Much less likely to cause friction, probably cheaper, and easier all around. I've seen that done previously too, and it had the added advantage that the grandparents were allowed on the floor area for better viewing and pictures than we've even gotten at a meet.

FTR - i would not do this w/out getting the ok from our HC. in fact, i would only do it if our HC was ok with it and helped make the arrangements with the other HC. the meet in question seems to be just a small local meet at the gym we've already done a private at so that is the only reason why i was exploring the possibility. when we went there last year and did the private, i cleared it with our HC first. my parents have already seen her at a private. i want them to experience an actual meet. them coming up here is not out of the running, it's just with them being in their 80s and our house not having a spare room (and already with 2 adults, 3 kids, 1 dog, 6 cats and a fish), it's not the most comfortable for them and i know they don't enjoy it a whole lot. it's much better if we go there.

 

[e'smum]

Could you set up a private lesson again and let them watch that? Not quite the same as a meet atmosphere, but would be able to see her do all events a lot more quickly rather than sitting through an entire meet.

we did that last thanksgiving and they really enjoyed watching her!

 

[raenndrops]

I would say go ahead and run it by your HC. The worst that will happen is that they will say no (or the other team will say no).

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I remember one of my kids had to take off each summer to Texas. While she was there she worked out at a gym during the summer and even competed for them at a meet. Just ask the gym if they are willing to do it, and of course let your HC know.

 

[MaryA]

I don't know how "spry" your parents are, but until a couple of years ago when it became impossible, my elderly aunt wanted to go to every one of DD's meets and it was not easy. Sometimes the seating was not easy to get to (one time it was in a balcony and we had to track down someone with an elevator key), bleacher seating was hard on her back but when I found her a chair so she could sit next to the bleachers, she couldn't see very well, and sitting through a 4-hour meet was long and grueling for her. Before you make all sorts of elaborate and expensive plans, think through the logistics and consider if it might not be more enjoyable for everyone concerned if they just come observe a private lesson.

 

[l.c.o]

I have no idea about this, but alternatively, could you broadcast a meet using Facebook Live, Skype, FaceTime, etc? I know it's not the same, but at least there could be some real-time excitement.

 

[gymjunkie]

When I was a gymnast I once traveled with another team, stayed in a hotel with their chaperones and competed (under my own team's name) with their girls. Their coaches were my coaches for the duration of the 2-day competition. My coach arranged it with the other team coaches.

 

[e'smum]

thanks for all the replies. i've tabled this for now as i am in the beginnings of working with our town school system to see if they will let her out of class early two days a week next year for gymnastics - she'd miss a couple of hours of school as some of the time she'd miss would be lunch. one battle at a time. lol. they've seen her in a private. but now that she's doing higher level skills, it might be just as good to do another private.