Southern Gymnastics Team

Meet etiquette and rules for Gymnasts and Parents

AT HOME BEFORE THE MEET

• Get your grips, wrist bands, and any brace you need from the gym during your last practice before the meet.
• Pack your gym bag the day/night before your meet.
• Drink plenty of water the day before your meet and get a good night sleep. A sleepover is not a good idea.
• Remove all finger and toe nail polish, tattoos, jewelry (except small stud earrings). These are deductions, also No excessive make Up.

• Get together your leotard, scrunchie, hair ties, warm up suit and gym bag the day before the meet.
• Make sure to eat a healthy meal before arriving at the meet site. You will not get a break during your session!!
• Make sure you have some of your teammates phone #’s in case you get lost and need directions.

What to pack in your gym bag

o Extra hair ties/ bobby pins

o Hairspray ( glitter spray if you want)

o Nail polish remover pads (not a bottle as it may spill)

o Feminine products (if needed), Band-Aids, Sports tape and pre-wrap (especially if you have grips or use tape regularly in practice)

o A small, non messy nutritional snack such as a granola bar, sports bar, crackers ect.

o Drink, a Gatorade, Powerade, water ect.( put in a zip lock bag.)

o Copy of your Floor music (optional and excel gymnast only)

ARRIVING AT THE MEET

• Arrive at the meet 30 minutes before open stretch. Any gymnast that arrives at a meet 20 minutes late will not be allowed to compete. Call a teammate or coach in case of emergency or if you will not be attending a meet due to illness.
• Be ready to compete when you arrive at the meet site.
• Leotard and warm up suit on, zipped up.
• Tennis shoes or black sandals.
• Hair competition ready – be sure to use plenty of hairspray, gel, bobby pins ect to secure the hair do. If there hair does not stay up they will be sent their parents during the meet to redo their hair and will miss warm up or competition time.
• Bronze/Silver/Gold/3/4/5- Ponytail in ringlets ( top of ponytail should be neatly pulled back or you may style with small braids, web, twists, ect in order to keep hair out of face)
• 7/8/9/10- Hair must be up neatly, not a plain practice pony tail. If you do not arrive at a meet with acceptable hair do you will be assigned a level hairstyle for all future meets.
• Gymnast will stay with their parents until they are called out by their coaches 5 minutes before stretch.
• Do not allow your gymnast to run around, be loud, or get on the competition equipment.
• Be sure your gymnast uses the restroom before stretch begins.
• Gymnast cell phones must be turned off or left with their parents. There will be NO cell phone usage on the competition floor.

DURING THE MEET

• Gymnast must be on their best behavior. Cheer on all gymnast, from all teams and be respectful to all coaches and adults. Gymnast need to focus on the meet and their coaches instructions, please do not distract them.
• Parents are not allowed on the competition floor for any reason.
• Parents due not attempt to coach your child or get their attention from the stands.
• NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY – For the safety of the gymnast, no flash allowed, this includes any “flash light” on video cameras.
• Parents, you are representing Southern Gymnastics, please do not talk badly about other teams, gymnasts or the judging, people are always listening!
• The judges are always right! There are thousands of deductions in the sport of gymnastics, without taking the judges courses and training you will not be able to fully understand the scoring. Judges work hard and spend a lot of time outside meets training and staying up to date.

AFTER THE MEET

• Congratulate your child, they worked hard!
• Do not tell any gymnast what they placed, or did not place on, that’s what awards are for.
• Don’t ask the coach about your child’s scores, places, or performances.
• Under most circumstances, your childs performance at a meet reflects how she practices in the gym. If your child is not pleased with her performance during the meet, suggest that she works harder during practice.
• As coaches, we already have a good idea of how each gymnast will perform at a meet from how they practice If there is something that needs to be brought to your attention we will do so.
• While it is not required we try and go out to eat as a team to celebrate each meet.

AWARDS

• All gymnast must go to the awards ceremony with their coaches and teammates.
• Gymnast must wear team warm up over leotard, zipped up with no shoes.
• Gymnast must sit with their teammates.
• Gymnast must cheer and clap for all teams and gymnast.
• Gymnast must stand tall with a smile regardless of place on the podium.
• Gymnast may go to their parents after all awards are handed out, this includes team awards.

All gymnast and parents are representing Southern Gymnastics. Your actions and words reflect on all Southern Gymnastics owners, coaches, team members and parents. (This includes in a hotel or restaurant during a travel meet)

Your children learn sportsmanship from you!

If you or your gymnast have never attended a meet, you may want to attend a local meet or one of our home meets to get an idea of what to expect.

If you have any questions ask your coach!!!!

Example of ringlets

Ideas for top of hair do