Parents why do some parents record all kids' scores?

[NutterButter]

There's a parent in DD's group that does this and for the first L4 season I avoided her because of it (I can be pretty competitive which I don't always like). Well, this mom is super-cool! Very supportive and not hyper-competitive. She just does it to keep her nervous energy in check.

 

[Ausi_poppet]

We always seem to have one parent who writes down all the scores for our team or club. Personally, I'm usually keen to get my daughter's score and a couple of close rivals to see if she's on track for her goals that day. When we go to team comps it gets a little crazy as we're all trying to collect scores to see how the kids are going, particularly when we expect the points to be close across all the different levels.

But I have to admit, this year at states I went a little crazy as a means of coping... My daughter had had two falls on the first day and was sitting in 10th place all around; the top 8 after two days of competition would make the state team, and it had been her goal of making the team for over 12 months. She competed in the first of 3 sessions with her training partner. The had a good 2nd day and hit all 4 of their routines. The other mum and I were so nervous how the day would pan out, we decided to stay and watch the next 2 sessions. Then I whipped out my list of the top 20 from the first day and we played "spot the score" for the next 5 hours. It passed the time really well for us and helped calm the nerves. By the end of the second session, we knew her daughter had made the state team, but it took until the last apparatus for us to be pretty sure mine had. The girls had no idea, and when they announced the team, they had both made it - in 2nd and 5th. It was the most stressful day of my gymnastics life!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I keep track of my kid. Coaches expect us too, for press releases, their plaques and yearbook. Crochet and camera keep me occupied. Meet Scores Online for everyone's scores.

For my data curiosity, Meet Scores Online, copy and paste into a spreadsheet, done.

 

[gymdoc]

I do it to keep my nervousness in check, plus my girls like to see how everyone else on their team does. They have been split into different squads before or the coach tells them not to watch the scores, so they don't know how all their teammates are doing. Several of our smaller meets aren't on meetscoresonline, or it takes a day or two, and they want to see right everyone's results right away.

 

[profmom]

My app figures out team score. I'm always curious about that on the boys' side because DS loves winning those banners/trophies. Over the last few years, they've developed quite the little rivalry with another gym in the state with a group of really good guys at the same level, and, as long as there's no trash talking (which I nip in the bud) it's good fun to see both teams of boys fretting anxiously through awards to see who's going to get to take home the bigger trophy.

 

[OzZee]

Mostly I just sit and chat with a friend, read a newspaper or phone.
I guess we don't have scores shown at many comps. The ones we do I write down my dd's scores - lots aren't posted online here and she likes to know.
But it's too long and boring to watch everyone and the scores.

 

[IreneKa]

I do it because I like to see where my DD stands compared to other girls on her team, to see if she improves or doesn't improve from meet to meet. It's hard to tell by just HER scores, because at one meet the judges might be tougher, so the score would be lower, and another meet the judges might be nicer. And you can't tell by just the placements, because the competition might be tougher or easier. So, it's a better indication for me to see how she did compared to other girls on her team. If last meet she had the lowest scores of all, and this meet she is in the middle, then she must be improving.
I know, doesn't really matter in the long run, but it keeps me busy, during the meet and between the meets, to look at the statistics and to know what to expect at the next meet.

And yes, on top of that, I like to see the team scores, to see how the entire team improves from meet to meet.
And to be helpful to other parents who doesn't keep track of the scores. For example, last year one mom was upset because her daughter didn't place at a meet. It was one of the last meets of the season, and I showed her her daughter's scores from the entire season, and that was her best meet of the season score-wise! Yes, the competition was tough, and she didn't place, but that doesn't mean she had a bad meet.

 

[Gymmommy71]

I do it because it is part of my job. I track all the scores for our team for all levels in all sessions at all meets. I also track their placements (noting the number of girls in each age group and noting ties) and team placements.
Then, I go home and enter them into a spreadsheet and create a journal entry for the team website about the meet. I discuss the positives about each JO level and Xcel division.
For each group, I list: # of Personal Best Event Scores, # of Personal Best AA Scores, # of 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place Event Finishes, # of 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place AA Finishes. Any 9.0+ Clubbers (gymnast, event, and score)
Any Y Nationals Qualifiers.
# of Team Best Event Scores, any Team Best AA Scores and Team Placement.
I attach the spreadsheet (important info highlighted or a different color) and post the journal entry on the team website.
I have been doing this for the last 6 years (this will be year #7).

I frequently have parents ask me about scores they may have missed or if that was Suzy's best ever Floor score ... and even the HC will ask me if Rosy has qualified for Nationals yet... or what she needs in the last event to qualify.

I do play with the numbers at home because I am a numbers geek, but that is just for fun

In my honest opinion (and I know this probably won't be too popular) that level of detail about meet scores in a team newsletter could put some unnecessary added pressure on athletes and create internal competitiveness. I think gyms should celebrate top placements at states/regionals and recognize 9's, but getting into that much detail about every meet is a little much. We always hear it's a journey not a sprint, well reporting on every score they receive like its the event finals at the Olympics could come across like each and every time they salute a judge to go is a very important sprint to some kids. Plus gymnastics gets harder to place as the levels go up, so someone who grew up used to having their name all over that newsletter for years as a compularsary who suddenly starts to not place as high in level 7 may feel like quitting.

I also think parents obsessing about scores is something that can contribute to "it not being fun anymore syndrome" for their gymnast. Yeah getting a 6 is bad and getting a 9 is good, but when people get down to comparing and analyzing the difference between an 8.875 and a 8.925 and 7th and 5th place like its this huge deal, that's kind of crazy - especially in the lower levels.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I keep track of our team girls because the highest scorer gets the team trophy, so that's always nice to know who it is, going into awards (if my DD isn't in the running, if she's already gotten a trophy, it really is just for fun).
But I also do my best to keep track of her award age group. I don't always get all of the scores, but when DD has had a less than stellar week, it's nice to know if she'll be getting a medal as we walk into awards.
Of course, it didn't help the time I thought she was the youngest of the oldest age group. Nope, she was the oldest of the middle age group - the group I didn't even look at.

And yes, it gives me something to do, makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something, rather than just trying not to throw up while my daughter waits to mount the beam...

 

[munchkin3]

its just something you do.......i actually have kept a few over the years and i get very sentimental now that my older one is almost driving.....
sniff....

 

[BachFlyer]

Because when your sweet, hardworking, wonderful, strong, kind child is out there giving it her absolute all towards a goal she busts her tush for day in-day out, it makes one feel like you have some control over the outcome. Of course I don't. I wouldn't want to. But when my girl is out there on her butt after an under rotated 2 1/2 at regionals, my aching heart tries to find a statistical route to redemption.

 

[gymbeam]

In my honest opinion (and I know this probably won't be too popular) that level of detail about meet scores in a team newsletter could put some unnecessary added pressure on athletes and create internal competitiveness. I think gyms should celebrate top placements at states/regionals and recognize 9's, but getting into that much detail about every meet is a little much. We always hear it's a journey not a sprint, well reporting on every score they receive like its the event finals at the Olympics could come across like each and every time they salute a judge to go is a very important sprint to some kids. Plus gymnastics gets harder to place as the levels go up, so someone who grew up used to having their name all over that newsletter for years as a compularsary who suddenly starts to not place as high in level 7 may feel like quitting.

I also think parents obsessing about scores is something that can contribute to "it not being fun anymore syndrome" for their gymnast. Yeah getting a 6 is bad and getting a 9 is good, but when people get down to comparing and analyzing the difference between an 8.875 and a 8.925 and 7th and 5th place like its this huge deal, that's kind of crazy - especially in the lower levels.

i thought the same exact thing. at our gym, meets happen, high fives are given after awards, and then its back to the gym the next day and business as usual- like the meet never even happened. i cant imagine having all that comparison in black and white happening after every meet. sorry, raenndrops, i know thats a lot of work (and i know my opinion wasn't solicited so forgive me if i've offended you).

 

[lovemygymnast]

I do it because I'm a nervous nelly at meets & it keeps me from going a bit nutty. I keep track of her direct competitors & sometimes teammates. I'm not consistently getting every score though for any of them, it's just really something to do.

 

[Anna's_Mom]

Bit of a combination of things for me, I think. Some it gives me something to concentrate on, some because I do like to know how DD is looking compared to other girls on her team, and some because I want to be able to compliment her teammates on a particularly good score or day. And because HC has an absolute "must achieve a 36" to move up, we all want to know who might make their score that meet. Yes, I could wait for the awards, but I have a hard time hearing scores frequently so this is easier.

 

[ZJsMom]

I do it because it is a team competition so I keep the team's score. Also, it's just something to do at the meet, like filling in the scorecard at a baseball game. Both have a lot of down time.

 

[l.c.o]

Mostly, when I do, I'm trying to stay busy. And it keeps me feeling invested in what other kids are doing while I'm waiting for my kid to go again.

If DD is "on" I'll sometimes track the girls who I know will likely score around her so I'm not completely surprised at awards.

I do not track all of her teammates or all of the girls in her age group, though. That would make me crazy trying to pay attention. Just teammates that are in her age group and score near here, and the girls from other gyms that I've gotten to "know" over the years.

Lately I don't track others at all because another mom I usually sit with does, so I sometimes annoy her with questions all meet long. "Wow, her bars look amazing this week. What was her score on bars last meet?"

I pretty much always track my DD's scores on my phone, though. I'd like to say it's for my DD, but she can remember her exact scores at most recent meets, and all of her high scores, so it's mostly just for me.

 

[raenndrops]

In my honest opinion (and I know this probably won't be too popular) that level of detail about meet scores in a team newsletter could put some unnecessary added pressure on athletes and create internal competitiveness. I think gyms should celebrate top placements at states/regionals and recognize 9's, but getting into that much detail about every meet is a little much. We always hear it's a journey not a sprint, well reporting on every score they receive like its the event finals at the Olympics could come across like each and every time they salute a judge to go is a very important sprint to some kids. Plus gymnastics gets harder to place as the levels go up, so someone who grew up used to having their name all over that newsletter for years as a compularsary who suddenly starts to not place as high in level 7 may feel like quitting.

I also think parents obsessing about scores is something that can contribute to "it not being fun anymore syndrome" for their gymnast. Yeah getting a 6 is bad and getting a 9 is good, but when people get down to comparing and analyzing the difference between an 8.875 and a 8.925 and 7th and 5th place like its this huge deal, that's kind of crazy - especially in the lower levels.

I don't mention names when i am talking about placements just something like:
"L3 (10 girls in 4 age groups totaling 42 girls)
Personal Best Events: 10
Personal Best All Around: 4
1st place Events – 5
2nd place Events – 3
3rd place Events – 2
1st place All Around - 1
2nd place All Around – 1
3rd place All Around – 2
A TEAM record score on floor helped contribute to a 3rd PLACE TEAM finish.
Way to go girls."
The only time names are mentioned is for 9.0 Club and qualifying for Nationals (2 REALLY BIG DEALS in our gym).

And actually, it is easier to place in Level 7 than it is in L3 or 4 at some of our bigger meets because top 12 place in all age groups (At our biggest meet, L3 and L4 had 20/21 per age group... L5 had 19/20 per age group... L6 had 10/11 per age group... L7 had 8/9 per age group... L8 had 7 per age group... L9 had 2... Xcel Silver had 1... Xcel Gold had 10/12 per age group... and Xcel Platinum had 9). We had 37 girls compete in that meet in 14 different age groups spanning L3-7 and XG-XP. 35 of those girls placed on at least one event (all 12 places earned medals - and ties were recognized, unbroken). The two girls that did not earn medal each had a personal best score on an event, so they were still really proud!
As you can see, I look for the good. - even when we have an unfabulous meet, I find all the positives I can.

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

Every parent I have ever had that does this is just trying to stay busy.

Busy? What is this 'busy'?

I thought competitions were about zoning off into a less crowded place and not warp the bones in my back while trying to keep juice off the sandwiches and not let anyone know I brought my purse.

I have been going about this all wrong.

 

[raenndrops]

i thought the same exact thing. at our gym, meets happen, high fives are given after awards, and then its back to the gym the next day and business as usual- like the meet never even happened. i cant imagine having all that comparison in black and white happening after every meet. sorry, raenndrops, i know thats a lot of work (and i know my opinion wasn't solicited so forgive me if i've offended you).

Not offended.
The coach has a meeting at the beginning of the next practice acknowledging those that placed top 3 AA, top 3 on an event, 9.0 Club, Nationals Qualifiers, and announcing how many PERSONAL RECORDS were achieved (and how many girls met at least one of their meet goals). Then the meet is forgotten.

As I said in another reply, this isn't printed out in a newsletter... it is on a private team website. Most people don't even bother to read the entry unless they missed the meet. And the girls names are only mentioned for the "big" things.

At the end of the year banquet, the girls are given a plaque with their season high scores and a certificate with their scores from every meet. This is something the HC does.

A lot of the extra stuff that I do is just for me - keeping track of season high scores makes it easier to know if they got a personal best ... and it makes it easier for me to "predict" who might be the next Nationals qualifiers.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

create internal competitiveness.

Their gymnasts. There is a built in internal competitiveness.

They all do it. Who got xyz first. Lining up in size orders, kids constantly trying to get a 1/8 inch lead.
Handstand contests. Who does the most pullups.

They know who is better, who does what better. The scores are the least of it.