This applies to martial arts tournaments as well.
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…
- Are we late? My daughter will kill me if we are.
- Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
- Where are my friends?
- Where is Missy’s mom…I don’t know how to do her hair?
- I hope she doesn’t want to go to lunch after this.
- I wonder if she remembered her grips?
- Oh that judge has such pretty red hair…
- I hope she went pee.
- How is it that all the front row seats are taken?
- I hope I packed enough snacks for her.
- My god, I’ve been on movie sets with less camera equipment than that dad has on him.
- I don’t even like hot dogs, yet strangely I am craving one.
- Did I transfer the wash to the dryer?
- Oh god, that gym is here that always wins everything…
- At least they put the beams where the parents can see!
- Why do judges wear blue?
- 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.
- $24 admission, $3 for score sheet, $18 concessions, $52 for new leo…and I’ll be working overtime next week.
- Did she pack her good luck bear?
- I hope she remembers her routine.
Gymnast…
- Are we late? My coach will kill me if we are.
- I hope my number has a 4 in it—that’s my lucky number.
- Where is my team?
- I need Missy’s mom to do my hair!
- I wonder if we can go to lunch after this?
- I hope I remembered my grips.
- Ugh, I hate the red headed judge. Why is she always at my meet? And on beam?
- I should have gone pee.
- Please don’t let my parents sit in the front row.
- Why do my parents pack me so much food? Does she think the meet is a 3 day event? Ohh, gummy worms!
- The National Anthem makes me feel nervous. I wonder if that will be true forever?
- I hope they have good equipment.
- Did I do my math homework?
- Oh no, Perfect Gym is here. Well, guess I won’t be placing.
- Why do they put the beams right in front of the parents?
- Why do judges wear blue?
- Wonder what the goodie bag is?
- I cannot wait to pick out a new leo!
- Thank goodness! My good luck teddy bear.
- I hope I remember my routine.
Coach…
- Am I late? The parents will kill me if I am.
- Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
- Where are my gymnasts?
- Thank god for Missy’s mom or their hair would be a mess.
- Will I have a chance to talk to parents, eat lunch and use the bathroom in the 5 minutes between sessions?
- I wonder if they remembered their grips?
- Seriously? The red headed judge again?
- I bet the girls didn’t go pee.
- Please don’t let my parents sit in the front row.
- Do the parents even read the team handbook rule about no candy in the snack bags?
- Please let the ipod work…
- Seriously? Am I the only one who adjusts the bars? A little help please.
- Did I ask my roommate to feed the dog?
- Great…Mike’s super homeschooled future Olympians are in our session…
- Why do they put the beams right in front of the parents?
- Why do judges wear blue?
- Anyone know what the Seahawks score is?
- 52 bucks for a leo? Maybe I should reconsider my career choice…
- Why must they all bring so many teddy bears?
- I hope they remember their routines.
Judge…
- Am I late? The meet director will kill me if I am.
- Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
- Where are my friends? Please let me judge with a friend…
- Look how darling these girls’ hair-dos are!
- I hope we don’t have Subway for lunch.
- Why do level 3s wear grips?
- I really need to get my hair color retouched.
- I hope there’s time to pee between sessions.
- Wow the front row is close to the floor.
- Oh good, peanut M and Ms on the table!
- Wow, I still feel nervous when I hear the National Anthem.
- Who eats hot dogs at 8am?
- Did I transfer the wash to the dryer?
- Oh Mike’s kids are here; they always look so good.
- Seriously? The beams are practically in the audience. The dad with all the camera equipment can probably see my notebook.
- Why do we have to wear blue?
- 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.
- $24 a session times three sessions…and I’ll still be working overtime next week.
- Look how cute all of these kids’ bears are.
- I hope she remembers her routine.
Meet director…
- Are we running late? Everyone will kill me if we are.
- Coffee? Please let there be coffee…
- Where are the gymnasts for this session?
- We should remember to sell hair glitter next meet. I have never seen so much hair glitter .
- 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?
- We should also sell grips. Why do so many of them forget their grips?
- Thank goodness the booster club remembered the peanut M and Ms for diva judge.
- Please don’t let the toilet over flow.
- Please don’t let parents reserve the entire front row.
- What part only water on the floor can coaches not understand?
- Please let the ipod work…and the scoring system…oh god, the scoring system.
- Seriously? Can someone help him adjust the bars…we are going to run behind schedule!
- Are we on schedule?
- How many scratches?
- Why do parents want to sit so close to the beams?
- Why do judges wear blue?
- Does anyone know how many kids are left in this rotation?
- 52 bucks for a leo? Maybe my kid can go to college after all…
- We should also sell teddy bears.
- 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.
Advertisements
