What's your best guess at what next season will look like?

[JBS]

Yeah a lot of states have cancelled their fall stuff. Sadly. We are praying for the stuff from January onward over here....

Fall season is pretty much a no brainer to cancel. Many people don't agree with the fall season anymore anyways as it has become unnecessary with all the spring meets. Hopefully we can still have a spring season in some way.

 

[skschlag]

Fall season is pretty much a no brainer to cancel. Many people don't agree with the fall season anymore anyways as it has become unnecessary with all the spring meets. Hopefully we can still have a spring season in some way.

DId they cancel or postpone?

 

[wandrewsjr]

Fall season is pretty much a no brainer to cancel. Many people don't agree with the fall season anymore anyways as it has become unnecessary with all the spring meets. Hopefully we can still have a spring season in some way.

Many states have compulsory season in the fall with those state championships in Nov/Dec. then Xcel and Optionals and their state cchampioships in the spring. It is not such a no brained for us as it means figuring out if compulsories will have to miss their state championships. In normal years our numbers are too big to fit everyone in the spring. Lots of stuff to figure out.

 

[lostinfog]

Our state has fall compulsories as well with state in Nov/Dev with Xcel and Optionals in Spring. Girls who are compulsory could compete in spring but they are all of course invitationals. I too wonder if Fall compulsory is just postponed or entirely cancelled.

 

[JBS]

It is not such a no brained for us as it means figuring out if compulsories will have to miss their state championships. In normal years our numbers are too big to fit everyone in the spring. Lots of stuff to figure out.

The virus is the only thing that would be an issue. Moving the fall season to the spring is not very hard... just hold a compulsory state meet in the spring.

 

[JBS]

DId they cancel or postpone?

It will just be moved to the spring season.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

The virus is the only thing that would be an issue. Moving the fall season to the spring is not very hard... just hold a compulsory state meet in the spring.

I am sure that if they really wanted to, they could figure out how to do this, but in states with large numbers, fitting in all the state meets and finding enough appropriate gyms available to host would be very difficult. I looked at a state (I want to say LA?) That had a state meet for lower levels and a state meet for upper levels and that was all. They even had state for levels 1 and 2 but still only had two total state meets. Texas has 3 south, 3 north, 4 south, 4 north, 4 state, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9/10, Bronze/Silver south, Bronze/silver north, Gold, Platinum/Diamond. A lot of these meets run the full 3 days, and occasionally 4. Fitting them all in with appropriate timing for a post season (if there is a post season) and not having more than two levels in a weekend would be really difficult. I am sure they could manage it, and compulsory would just have to have an extremely short or extremely long season, but I don't think it would be easy.

 

[bogwoppit]

Perhaps less meets will make things work. 6 - 10 meets a season seems pretty common in the US. Perhaps 3 meets and then states will make the whole thing more manageable at the compulsory levels. Travel meets will likely be a thing of the past for a while.

 

[raenndrops]

I am sure that if they really wanted to, they could figure out how to do this, but in states with large numbers, fitting in all the state meets and finding enough appropriate gyms available to host would be very difficult. I looked at a state (I want to say LA?) That had a state meet for lower levels and a state meet for upper levels and that was all. They even had state for levels 1 and 2 but still only had two total state meets. Texas has 3 south, 3 north, 4 south, 4 north, 4 state, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9/10, Bronze/Silver south, Bronze/silver north, Gold, Platinum/Diamond. A lot of these meets run the full 3 days, and occasionally 4. Fitting them all in with appropriate timing for a post season (if there is a post season) and not having more than two levels in a weekend would be really difficult. I am sure they could manage it, and compulsory would just have to have an extremely short or extremely long season, but I don't think it would be easy.

In planning for a post-season, it only matters when state meets are for those optional levels that have post-season meets.
So, even in a big state, the compulsory state meets could be held after the optional state meets. Have the "normal" spring state meets at their usual times and start the compulsory state meets after them.

 

[JBS]

I am sure that if they really wanted to, they could figure out how to do this, but in states with large numbers, fitting in all the state meets and finding enough appropriate gyms available to host would be very difficult.

It would be work... sure. I coached in California for 10 years... the most difficult thing in that state is their own rules and regs... which they could easily change and make things much easier. While running a meet of 2,500+ athletes takes planning... it is not hard for people / gyms / companies that know how to do this. Doing this during Coronavirus... well... that's a whole different story... but most all states (not just large ones) will have a problem as long as the virus persists.

 

[JBS]

We run several meets per year... in fact... our meets run around 10,000 athlete entries per year. The primary issue right now is that no one is going to want to shell out money and sign contracts to secure large venues not knowing what the future holds.

 

[mommyof1]

In planning for a post-season, it only matters when state meets are for those optional levels that have post-season meets.
So, even in a big state, the compulsory state meets could be held after the optional state meets. Have the "normal" spring state meets at their usual times and start the compulsory state meets after them.

This is how our state meets are always scheduled. It makes for a very long compulsory season with a lot of meets, which I am sure clubs like because it increases their meet revenues.

 

[raenndrops]

This is how our state meets are always scheduled. It makes for a very long compulsory season with a lot of meets, which I am sure clubs like because it increases their meet revenues.

Yep ...or they could have fewer meets over the longer time (more time to perfect and uptrain during practice).

 

[mommyof1]

Yep ...or they could have fewer meets over the longer time (more time to perfect and uptrain during practice).

That's how I would prefer it, but the trend seems to be 8+ meets per season for L3 (latest state meet), fewer as they go up the levels.

 

[Aussie_coach]

There may be less kids competing, we were told on the news yesterday that a huge number of people in the US have lost their jobs. There may be less gyms to fit in to these comps.

 

[JBS]

There may be less kids competing, we were told on the news yesterday that a huge number of people in the US have lost their jobs. There may be less gyms to fit in to these comps.

Yes... there is a very good chance that next season will be a complete train wreck unless everyone works together.

States that have strict rules on which meets are "qualifiers" for compulsory state may need to reconsider this type of system. States may need to work together to allow athletes to gain qualifying scores in other states as there are many instances were meets in other states are actually closer for some people.

I make it seem easy to shift a season... and it is pretty easy in normal times... if the state boards let these changes happen. Typically... the state boards are pretty set in their ways and they stop these types of changes from happening... we'll see about now.

And yes... now there will be less money willing to be spent... less athletes... less gyms... etc.

 

[bogwoppit]

Yes... there is a very good chance that next season will be a complete train wreck unless everyone works together.

States that have strict rules on which meets are "qualifiers" for compulsory state may need to reconsider this type of system. States may need to work together to allow athletes to gain qualifying scores in other states as there are many instances were meets in other states are actually closer for some people.

I make it seem easy to shift a season... and it is pretty easy in normal times... if the state boards let these changes happen. Typically... the state boards are pretty set in their ways and they stop these types of changes from happening... we'll see about now.

And yes... now there will be less money willing to be spent... less athletes... less gyms... etc.

Agreed, flexibility and being proactive, will be key in moving ahead. Changes will have to happen, on all levels.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

FYI for Minnesota - Region IV: We got the news from the Minnesota State Board, 5/31 update, that the L3-5 season would be moved to a Championships EOM March 2021. This is a one season decision.

 

[profmom]

Hey, is anyone talking about setting up meets so that athletes are competing from home, either by streaming to judges or uploading videos? I know it wouldn't be the same, but with good tech support, it would be possible to design a meet to run as a remote event.

-- gymnasts all compete in their home gyms
-- each routine is videoed or streamed to the judges for evaluation
--- judges score the routines as usual

Such a format would require formidable technical organization, but it would have a lot of advantages:

-- no bringing together people from a variety of places, reducing the possibility of sparking outbreaks in places that don't have them
-- each gym can manage spectators; no need to have arguments at the host gym and worry about how to create a safe venue in terms of spectator seating and density
-- no higher risk to vulnerable coaches and judges through exposure beyond what they would normally experience
-- reduced risk by eliminating long-distance driving, possibly during inclement weather

 

[XGymnast27]

Hey, is anyone talking about setting up meets so that athletes are competing from home, either by streaming to judges or uploading videos? I know it wouldn't be the same, but with good tech support, it would be possible to design a meet to run as a remote event.

-- gymnasts all compete in their home gyms
-- each routine is videoed or streamed to the judges for evaluation
--- judges score the routines as usual

Such a format would require formidable technical organization, but it would have a lot of advantages:

-- no bringing together people from a variety of places, reducing the possibility of sparking outbreaks in places that don't have them
-- each gym can manage spectators; no need to have arguments at the host gym and worry about how to create a safe venue in terms of spectator seating and density
-- no higher risk to vulnerable coaches and judges through exposure beyond what they would normally experience
-- reduced risk by eliminating long-distance driving, possibly during inclement weather

I think this is a wonderful idea. We have started doing this for horse shows and they've been very successful.