A gymnastics meet is a very exciting event, especially for young gymnasts. However, there are several things that you, as a parent, should know before your child’s first gymnastics meet. You may also have some questions that you need answered so that you can better understand what is going on.
The Schedule
Your gymnast will either be handed a schedule or sent an email long before the day of the meet. This will give you important information such as what time the meet starts, when they are scheduled to warm up, and their competition schedule. Almost all gymnastics meets are divided into multiple sessions, or groups of gymnasts that compete together one after the other. Each session is separated by level, with younger levels typically having early sessions and older, more experienced teams getting later slots.
The Schedule will also tell you what events your gymnast will be competing in and the order of their routines. They might have to warm up on the vault before they compete it, or their first event might be a different apparatus than their last. It is very important to read the entire schedule and pay attention to any changes in the order of events.
Gymnasts will also likely have to perform a short routine to help prepare them for the rest of their competition. These are usually done in front of the judges, and it is a great way for them to get used to performing their routines in front of an audience.
After everyone is finished competing, the scores are tallied up and awards are given out. The top three in each event (on each apparatus) get a medal, as well as the top three overall on the All Around. However, at many meets even gymnasts that are not in the top three can receive a medal just for making it to the podium.
It is a good idea to cheer for your gymnast and her teammates! It is always more fun for them to have a supportive audience. Just be sure not to cheer for her while she is in the middle of a difficult skill, as this can distract her and cause her to lose focus. Also, be sure to turn off your flash if you are taking pictures during the competition!
If a tie occurs between two gymnasts in the same age group and level on the All Around, they will usually break the tie by looking at their individual event scores. If they are still tied, then they will typically flip a coin in the presence of both coaches to determine their next placement. Ties can also occur on an event basis, in which case the gymnast with the higher individual score wins that particular event. This happens quite rarely, though.
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