Hi, When you are on the gymnastics team, is it mandatory always to compete and are you required to get certain results? Do you get kicked off the team for not doing the competitions or not doing all of the competitions, or not getting certain scores/results? What's it like at your gym? Thanks!

Depends on the club - but probably most do require that if you're on the team that you compete. The reason that they say is that because you are paying less per hour of instruction (even though really you do spend time warm-up and conditioning that isn't so heavily coached at all the gyms) and they want something back in return - competing for their gym, make their gym look good, etc. Sounds kinda bad in a way...I know. For results, gyms may set a certain score you have to get during the season, and maybe you have to get it like 3 times or something, to pass to the next level and compete for the next level. The state does set a score as well, but your club's might be higher. Some gyms like to keep their gymnasts in a level maybe 2 or 3 years for unreasonable reasons...sometimes gymnasts are better at optionals (levels 7,8,9,10,elite) than in compulsories (levels 4/5/6) where everyone has to do the same skills/routines that are set, but they keep the gymnasts in the compulsories perhaps because they didn't reach that score they set, or they did reach it but haven't learned the next levels routines totally (they don't want they to not compete for their gym while they are learning the new skills), or they think they will get a better score for the gym at level 9 rather than level 10 for example, etc.... Smaller gyms or gyms run by a certain kind of management (educated) will be more reasonable and flexible.

At my gym, we have to go to five out of the ten/eleven or so meets. Not too many, but good for level threes, new team girls, younger girls. As far as results, they wont't keep us from competing if we're doing poorly. The only requirement for moving up is getting the state score, plus skills testing.

They won't tell you that because you are getting bad results you can't be on the team - they won't say it like that - but depending on the gym you go to, and the type of management, they might discuss with you the option of going down a level, repeating a level, or even go as far as telling you to go rec. instead, and like go on your high school team or in the gym's teens/adult class, saying that you would enjoy that more, and you're not really have fun are you...blah blah blah. It happened to a few people I know.