But that’s not for my child…. is it? – Paris Comes To Penketh FAQ’s

On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April we are hosting our April competiton, Paris Comes To Penketh, for more information on how to enter please click here. We’ve noticed a few of our newer members asking “But that’s not for my child is it?” and other questions so if you’re not sure then please read on….

But that’s not for my child is it? – YES! If you child comes to any of our recreational classes, after school or on Saturdays or is in a Squad with us then yes this competition is open to them. Even our youngest 4 year old reception class gymnasts have a short floor routine and vault to take part.

So how does it all work then? – Gymnasts are given a ‘Set’ based on their ability, this will be decided by their coach, after entries close. For each set there is a floor routine to learn and a vault. Most of our gymnasts will be competing only on floor and vault. The routines will be available on social media and our website when entries close and videos are also available in the Facebook group. You will be able to find out your gymnasts set on the programme when it is emailed out. NB: Only our squad gymnasts will be competing 4 piece on Saturday, if they have any questions please speak with your coach.

What about timings? – We will put together the programme for each of the days after entries close. This will then be emailed out and your child will be listed in one of the rounds which will give you a registration time (to arrive at the gym), a warm up time, a time for 1^st piece, 2^nd piece and presentation of medals. Please do bare in mind that all timings are approximate. Example timings for Round One on Sunday for our 2 piece gymnasts would be 8.30am arrival, 8.45am warm up, 9am, 1^st piece, 9.45am 2^nd piece, 10.30am medal presentation.

So how does it run on the day? – For those new to our in-house competitions, on the day when you arrive please wait outside until coaches welcome you into the gym. Please arrive in good time for your ‘Registration Time’ listed on the programme. Gymnasts should arrive dressed for the competition and will need to remove shoes and jackets/onesies immediately in the foyer to be left with their grown up. Gymnasts will then go upstairs to wait for their round, parents will enter the gym and can find a seat and grab refreshments from the kitchen.

What should they wear?– Gymnasts should wear the club leotard if they have one, but this is not essential. Hair should be neat and away from their face. No jewellery.

Spectator Tickets?

Entry includes ONE spectator ticket per gymnast for their round. If you would like an additional spectator ticket these may be made available to purchase on Love Admin for £3 after entries close. How many are available will depend on the number of gymnasts entered into each round.
It is limited to one additional ticket per gymnast, aka 2 maximum. We will asses closer to the date and put notice on social media if we have any additional tickets available.
If you have a child under 2 who needs to attend with you they do not need their own ticket, but must sit on your knee. Children over 2 require their own ticket, including gymnasts who may be in other rounds.
There are no physical tickets, we will have a list on the door of gymnasts and how many spectator are booked under their name.
If you have gymnasts in consecutive rounds you do not need to leave at the end of the first round you can remain seated for the next round.

I’ve heard about numbers, what’s the deal with those? – Each gymnasts will have a number next to their name on the programme when it is sent out. This will be their number for the competition. They should bring a sign of their number with them to the competition to hold up before they compete. These should be approximately A4 in size and can be decorated to match our ‘Paris Comes To Penketh’ theme. Please avoid using anything which may mark/damage the gym floor e.g. cotton wool/glitter etc. There will be awards on the day for best number in each round.

Will there be coffee? – Yes! Of course – the kitchen will be open for tea/coffee/cold drink and tuck shop sales on the day. Please bring cash as we have no card facilities.

Can I help at all? – Yes we are always grateful for volunteers to help on he day. If anyone is able to volunteer to help us on the day in the kitchen (sales of tuck shop and coffee/tea) please email Catherine at the email address below. If anyone has an interest in becoming one of our judges or even learning to coach please email Sarah, head coach at info@penkethgymnastics.co.uk

Hopefully we’ve covered everything you might need to know. If you do still have any questions, please send Catherine and email to admin@penkethgymnastics.co.uk

We can’t wait to see so many of our wonderful gymnasts competing and having fun in April! Below are a few photos from our recent Vault Into Christmas Competition in November 2023.