What do you Do with Team Trophy

[flippersmom]

What does your team do with team trophies?

It has turned into be a big to-do at DD's gym. Last meet, the girls with lowest AA took it home. The mom of the girl with the highest AA was mad and said her daughter should have been the one to take it home. Her daughter said that is wasn't fair, because she always does the best and wouldn't ever get to take it home - yes, she is really like that.

Last year it was a handstand contest that decided. DD had highest AA at majority of meets, never took the trophy home and didn't care. I didn't care.

I think the coach should just take it back to the gym at this point.

Just wondering what everyone else does???

 

[Flippers Mom]

At both gyms we've been at, team trophies are displayed at the gym.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

Team trophy goes back to the gym with GC. Generally displayed at the front desk for the season ( we have a bunch there this season !!!) then moved into the gym and placed on shelves.

HC does put up a sign with all team placings and any 1st AA as well.

Team trophy never goes with any of the kids.

 

[flippersmom]

Whoever bring it home usually brings it back to the next practice. They've talked about each gymnast having a turn to bring it home and then bring it back next practice. I think it should just go with the coach and be displayed at the gym, but didn't know what others do.

 

[gymnut1]

I think it would be nice for one girl to be picked to take it home for a week. Then they could take it to school to show etc. After it really should be displayed at the gym.

My suggestion would be that the girls on the team vote for the 'best team player' each meet and they get to take it. Good way to encourage the right attitude.

 

[gymfan4ever95]

We just pick one girl to take it home from the meet and they have to bring it to the next practice. We let the girl with the highest AA take it home, and at the next meet, it has to be a different girl. We make sure that everyone gets to take it home once (if we have enough meets!)

When the trophy gets to the gym, we display it on the front desk thing for a while, and then it is moved to a long shelf on the wall of the gym.

 

[Juju's Mom]

At our gym, the coaches decide at the end of the meet which girl gets to take the trophy home and of course the girl then brings it back to be displayed in the gym their first day back to practice. The coaches use various factors to decide who takes the trophy but it is never based solely on AA scores. It could be a high AA, getting one or more 9's, showing improvement, etc. Typically, a gymmie only takes the trophy home once (we have apx. 10 meets & 17 girls in level 4) so obviously someone is not going to get a turn. It is deemed an honor to get to take the trophy home so the girls are expected to 'work' to be rewarded with that honor.

As a parent, I have to admit I would be upset if that 'honor' was awarded to a girl based on her having the lowest AA score. Now if that girl had made some improvements and just happened to be the one with the lowest AA score that IMO would be fine.

We have a girl that Lilly wants so badly to get to take the trophy home because of how much she is improving. Her AA first meet was in the 25's and in the most recent (3rd) meet her AA was in the 30's - I love that my DD's heart is in the 'right' place and that she does not see herself and/or her teammates as winners or losers. She is genuinely proud when others do well and makes it a point to tell them how good they are doing.

 

[gracefulone]

We always let someone who showed great team spirit throughout the meet, whether that person won every event or struggled for every point. We also made sure it circulated pretty well. First practice back, it's in the gym for all to see.

 

[gymjourneymom]

The team just agrees upon someone to take it home from the meet. That person brings it to the next practice & it gets put on display at the gym. Who takes it home from the meet is usually a quickly made decision based upon who is present at the time(the girls usually discuss it during the awards if it's looking like the meet went well for the team).

It frequently goes home with an injured teammate if they are present. Other than that the girls usually just rotate it without much discussion or difficulty. Can't say it's ever been an issue.

They are pretty fair with each other. When my DD has been 1st AA (& or highest AA of her team) she has refused being the one to bring home the team trophy, because she doesn't want to be greedy. They seem to always be able to agree to a worthy recipient for one reason or another; team spirit, overcoming a fear, having a 'knock your socks off' event...that didn't score well for whatever reason. The girls know who is 'most deserving' or needs that boost by the end of the meet. They watch out for each other. More of those life lessons they learn from this sport: team work, good sportsmanship, looking out for your teammates, cooperation, coming to a group decision, leadership.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

how do you spell d-u-m-p-s-t-e-r.

we give them to the pre-school class kids after they perform like only 4 year olds can do.

it makes their day way more at that age than you can imagine. and it keeps them looking forward to the next "big" kids meet.

 

[nevertooold]

how do you spell d-u-m-p-s-t-e-r.

Sorry? What??

-----

Head coach brings them home from meet and back to the gym. Usually puts them in window between gym and lobby so they can be "shown off" for a few days and then they go up on ledge in gym w/ other trophies.

Have never sent a trophy home w/ an individual. Ever. Never even thought about it. Besides the fact that they are earned by team... most are cheaply made and could be easily broken at home esp. if there are younger siblings.

 

[gymnut1]

how do you spell d-u-m-p-s-t-e-r.

we give them to the pre-school class kids after they perform like only 4 year olds can do.

it makes their day way more at that age than you can imagine. and it keeps them looking forward to the next "big" kids meet.

I'm sorry I dont follow your comment. Do you put them in the bin? Do you give them to some children who were watching? Don't the girls who competed want to have the honour of taking it. I don't understand what you mean about performing like a 4 year old - Do you mean you have 4 year olds competing at your meets. sorry you lost me!

 

[staceyb]

We used to put names into a hat and draw out the order for who got the trophy. We used to equally divide the time between everyone on the team.

 

[T.Gymnastics]

Well someone will take it home, then bring it to practice the next time we have it then it is displayed in front untill another meet comes along. to decide who takes it we usally just give it to whoever placed the least if the want it, or someone who had a kinda bad fall or something, and nobody really has a problem with that because my team is pretty close knit. the last meet though nobody wanted it so we made our coach take it, even though she didnt want to because she still had another session so im not too much help here but i do think they should be displayed in the gym somewhere.

 

[gym law mom]

I think the whole taking home the team trophy(until the next practice) is more of a big deal at the compulsory level than optional. I have no idea what criteria(if any) the coaches used when my gymmie competed L5/L6. Sometimes, it seemed it was given to one girl that had a high AA or won an event and at other meets, one of the girls would just take it and walk out with it.

Last year at an out of state meet, I ended up with the 3rd place team trophy! The girls weren't very happy with the way they had competed and didn't feel they deserved anything----so gave it to the closest parent to take back to the gym.

To the OP, if who gets to take the trophy home is causing alot of problems, then I would just recommend the HC take it.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

sorry for the confusion.

these things collect dust. we have in gym competitions and challenges for the little ones. they ALL go home with a trophy. can get rid of many of them in 1 fell swoop. the little ones look forward to when the "big" kids compete because they know another in gym challenge for them will take place. and the "big" kids become the judges and hand the trophies out to the little ones. we call this mentoring and nurtures the big brother/big sister concept which we believe is important for gymnasts. and we have been doing it this way for over 3 decades.

the ones that are left when season is over? they go in the dumpster.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I'm sorry I dont follow your comment. Do you put them in the bin? Do you give them to some children who were watching? Don't the girls who competed want to have the honour of taking it. I don't understand what you mean about performing like a 4 year old - Do you mean you have 4 year olds competing at your meets. sorry you lost me!

sorry gymnut. if you have never seen 4 year olds trying their very best in a handstand holding contest...well, you're missing quite a sight for happy eyes and what joy gymnastics should bring to children.

and of course, when the older 9's & 10's hand these out to them? and the trophies are taller than they? and they received them for their effort from one of their big sisters/brothers who they want to be like? again, this is the joy that gymnastics should bring to children.

as an aside...i competed for years and received numerous medals and trophies. those were my achievements.

as a coach, the team trophies have nothing to do with me, but only the achievement of the athletes. just my opinion. and we have NEVER had a problem/issue about team trophies in our program. and we have been told over the years that, not only do the older gymnasts look forward to this, but also that it was one of their fondest memories. i'm certain everyone can see why if you just think about it for a few seconds.

"Don't the girls who competed want to have the honour of taking it." can you see where this would be problematic? who would take it? and team trophy means more than one gymnast's score was taken into account to reach the winning team score. how can you say 1 contributed more over another? the honor is in giving back. the boys and girls learn that it is an achievement to be passed down to younger children so that they can learn about sport and what they have already learned.

and if you have 9's, 10's & elites that have been at it for so long...just ask them. you would be surprised. we're not, as this is something that we have always done. and the truth be told by the older gymnast's? they are just happy to survive competitions without injury and to accomplish their personal goals of hitting new skills or just hitting at all.

 

[sobegymchic]

We normally have a list to go down of the girls names and who ever's turn it is takes the trophy home :rotfl: :half: :rotfl: or we decide by who was the one who contributed their score for the all around on the most events!

 

[gymcoach26]

If the team earned it, it should not go home with one person. Why not bring it back to the gym where the whole team can see it. That is why they have individual medals or trophies for the kids to earn.

 

[gymnut29]

We (coaches) choose the gymnast who has the best team spirit and has had a positive attitude during the meet. They take it home and bring it to practice Monday. After that the trophies are left in the lobby till the next meet and them they are moved to the shelves/walls in the gym. The team girls love trying to remeber which ones they helped win. We have trophys dating back to the 90s when the gym opened.

I think knowing they can bring the trophy home actually makes them work better together during the meet and puts away sone of the inter team competitiveness for individual medals.

As a coach I like to see a team win more than an individual win it means they can work together too.