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20 Thoughts That go Through Your Head Before a Gymnastics Meet: Parent, Gymnast, Coach, Judge and Meet Director Perspectives

Posted by on September 8, 2014 in athlete, coaching, competitive gymnastics, gymnastics judging, humor, parenting | 56 Comments

young gymnast pre meet

In honor of the 2014-2015 competitive meet season beginning, twenty thoughts that go through your head before a gymnastics meet from the perspectives of a parent, a gymnast, a coach, a judge and a meet director:

Parent…

  1. Are we late? My daughter will kill me if we are.
  2. Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
  3. Where are my friends?
  4. Where is Missy’s mom…I don’t know how to do her hair?
  5. I hope she doesn’t want to go to lunch after this.
  6. I wonder if she remembered her grips?
  7. Oh that judge has such pretty red hair…
  8. I hope she went pee.
  9. How is it that all the front row seats are taken?
  10. I hope I packed enough snacks for her.
  11. My god, I’ve been on movie sets with less camera equipment than that dad has on him.
  12. I don’t even like hot dogs, yet strangely I am craving one.
  13. Did I transfer the wash to the dryer?
  14. Oh god, that gym is here that always wins everything…
  15. At least they put the beams where the parents can see!
  16. Why do judges wear blue?
  17. Surely I deserve a donut for getting up at the crack of dawn to drive 2 hours to a gym in the middle of nowhere.
  18. $24 admission, $3 for score sheet, $18 concessions, $52 for new leo…and I’ll be working overtime next week.
  19. Did she pack her good luck bear?
  20. I hope she remembers her routine.

Gymnast…

  1. Are we late? My coach will kill me if we are.
  2. I hope my number has a 4 in it—that’s my lucky number.
  3. Where is my team?
  4. I need Missy’s mom to do my hair!
  5. I wonder if we can go to lunch after this?
  6. I hope I remembered my grips.
  7. Ugh, I hate the red headed judge. Why is she always at my meet? And on beam?
  8. I should have gone pee.
  9. Please don’t let my parents sit in the front row.
  10. Why do my parents pack me so much food? Does she think the meet is a 3 day event? Ohh, gummy worms!
  11. The National Anthem makes me feel nervous. I wonder if that will be true forever?
  12. I hope they have good equipment.
  13. Did I do my math homework?
  14. Oh no, Perfect Gym is here. Well, guess I won’t be placing.
  15. Why do they put the beams right in front of the parents?
  16. Why do judges wear blue?
  17. Wonder what the goodie bag is?
  18. I cannot wait to pick out a new leo!
  19. Thank goodness! My good luck teddy bear.
  20. I hope I remember my routine.

Coach…

  1. Am I late? The parents will kill me if I am.
  2. Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
  3. Where are my gymnasts?
  4. Thank god for Missy’s mom or their hair would be a mess.
  5. Will I have a chance to talk to parents, eat lunch and use the bathroom in the 5 minutes between sessions?
  6. I wonder if they remembered their grips?
  7. Seriously? The red headed judge again?
  8. I bet the girls didn’t go pee.
  9. Please don’t let my parents sit in the front row.
  10. Do the parents even read the team handbook rule about no candy in the snack bags?
  11. Please let the ipod work…
  12. Seriously? Am I the only one who adjusts the bars?   A little help please.
  13. Did I ask my roommate to feed the dog?
  14. Great…Mike’s super homeschooled future Olympians are in our session…
  15. Why do they put the beams right in front of the parents?
  16. Why do judges wear blue?
  17. Anyone know what the Seahawks score is?
  18. 52 bucks for a leo? Maybe I should reconsider my career choice…
  19. Why must they all bring so many teddy bears?
  20. I hope they remember their routines.

Judge…

  1. Am I late? The meet director will kill me if I am.
  2. Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
  3. Where are my friends?  Please let me judge with a friend…
  4. Look how darling these girls’ hair-dos are!
  5. I hope we don’t have Subway for lunch.
  6. Why do level 3s wear grips?
  7. I really need to get my hair color retouched.
  8. I hope there’s time to pee between sessions.
  9. Wow the front row is close to the floor.
  10. Oh good, peanut M and Ms on the table!
  11. Wow, I still feel nervous when I hear the National Anthem.
  12. Who eats hot dogs at 8am?
  13. Did I transfer the wash to the dryer?
  14. Oh Mike’s kids are here; they always look so good.
  15. Seriously?  The beams are practically in the audience.  The dad with all the camera equipment can probably see my notebook.
  16. Why do we have to wear blue?
  17. Surely I deserve a donut for getting up at the crack of dawn to drive 2 hours to a gym in the middle of nowhere.
  18. $24 a session times three sessions…and I’ll still be working overtime next week.
  19. Look how cute all of these kids’ bears are.
  20. I hope she remembers her routine.

Meet director…

  1. Are we running late? Everyone will kill me if we are.
  2. Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
  3. Where are the gymnasts for this session?
  4. We should remember to sell hair glitter next meet.  I have never seen so much hair glitter .
  5. Will I have a chance to talk to upload the data to MSO, eat lunch and use the bathroom in the 5 minutes between sessions?
  6. We should also sell grips.  Why do so many of them forget their grips?
  7. Thank goodness the booster club remembered the peanut M and Ms for diva judge.
  8. Please don’t let the toilet over flow.
  9. Please don’t let parents reserve the entire front row.
  10. What part only water on the floor can coaches not understand?
  11. Please let the ipod work…and the scoring system…oh god, the scoring system.
  12. Seriously? Can someone help him adjust the bars…we are going to run behind schedule!
  13. Are we on schedule?
  14. How many scratches?
  15. Why do parents want to sit so close to the beams?
  16. Why do judges wear blue?
  17. Does anyone know how many kids are left in this rotation?
  18. 52 bucks for a leo? Maybe my kid can go to college after all…
  19. We should also sell teddy bears.
  20. I hope they remember their routines.

Good luck to all of the gymnasts, parents, coaches, judges and meet directors for a safe and successful season filled with lots of coffee, trouble free iPod connections, good viewing, awesome goody bags and timely meets.

And I hope they remember their routines.