Ten Things

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU
COACH/JUDGE PERSPECTIVE
USAG CONGRESS 2004
JAN GREENHAWK presenter

Undercurrents that go on between the two sides that are so in love with gymnastics. No one wants to talk about it. There is an elephant in the living room. We need to talk about the elephant.

(If using this topic in a clinic environment, establish some ground rules: no cursing, or name-calling. Be tactfully honest.
Goals: what these people want in a meet: In a class setting, just have the people call out ideas. Put three lists on the board.)

Coach goals	Judge goals	Athlete goals
Best performance per kid	Get it right, fair score, consistent rank	Have fun
Best experience for athlete	Be fair to all gymnasts	Compete well, win enjoyment
Please the clientele- audience	Please the clientele-audience, coaches	Please coach/parents, M.R. and self
Respect among peers	Respect among peers	Respect among peers
Team experience	Gymnasts to have fun	Be competitive and feel that they belong there
Kids learn to be a graceful	Get paid	Connect with judge competitors and be a good sport
Win	Smile at the gymnast	Want to leave with "stuff"

These girls are a work in progress * Judges: Be kind, look up and let the gymnast see you saying: "I love to see your face and I want you to do well in this meet!"

Now, coaches and judges have similar goals but we are adversaries in a meet. Why?

THINGS THAT BOTHER JUDGES ABOUT COACHES
Coaches who emotionally abuse the girls
Coaches who badmouth judges in front of their gymnasts
When coaches say that the gymnast's score was higher last week
Competing kids that aren't ready for that level
When coaches and gymnasts confront the judge together to intimidate
Coaches who are bad role models - unsportsman-like behavior
Being accused of being unfair or unprepared -insults our job and questions our integrity
Coaches who do not know the rules
Demanding score inflation
Behavior of young male coaches in relation to female judges - being snotty/arrogant
Marathon meets - working us to death
Knit pick on fees
Mumbling under breath (hey! Inquire!!!)

THINGS THAT BOTHER COACHES ABOUT JUDGES
Higher scores by end of meet.
Slow score.
Too hard on the kids
Inconsistency
Not judging on the same things the same way, throughout a meet, the year, or even the state
They have own made-up things that they want to see
When rush or reprimand the coaches
Rude behavior
Negative attitude toward job - be happy
Bad mouthing about clubs to new kids
Bad mouthing kids poor performance
Judges not following chain of command - going to parents
Jamming the kid's scores together
Favoritism

(Favoritism - This strikes at the heart of judges. We don't want to be accused of this. Coaches need to go the judges after and ask how score was arrived at. Sometimes the coaches have rose-colored glasses on when looking at other clubs. Judge may judge kids they see all the time - lighter. Some clubs just are better! A judge in the gym may have actually helped that club. Consistency from judges. State to state there are differences in scores. Human nature. Talk to SJD to talk to the judge. Disagreeing is OK.)

Tom Koll " I would rather have a judge make a mistake and change the score rather than hide it." "Judges Culture" making a mistake is bad, no - it is only bad if they don't admit it. It makes a difference to that kid."

Don't say bad stuff about a team to a coach at a meet. Don't say bad stuff to anyone at a meet - your helpers do hear you, and they do pass on what they hear!