Getting dressed for a gymnastics meet can be stressful since there are a ton of rules and you want to avoid any deductions. Here are some guidelines for getting dressed for a gymnastics meet, although you should always check the specific rules for your organization or state.
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Leotard & Warm-Up Suit:
Wear your leotard to the meet. Either wear your warm-up leotard with your competition leotard packed in your gym bag or wear your competition leo. Your coach should have told you which. Wear your warm up suit on top.
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Hair
Your hair should be neatly pulled back in a bun or a ponytail. A ponytail will work if your hair is short enough that the ponytail won’t be flopping in the way while you compete. If it isn’t short enough, you can either curl your hair in the pony to make it shorter, or you will need to choose a different hair style. Make sure to use hair spray or gel to prevent your hair from coming undone. You will also need to spray or gel back any “wispies”. Check out my gymnastics hairstyles pinterest board for some more creative hairstyle ideas.
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No Nail Polish
You should not be wearing nail polish. Judges can deduct for polish on your fingers or toenails at meets, so avoid this. If you want to earn bonus points with your teammates–be the gymnast or gymnast’s mom with nail polish remover in your bag.
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No Jewelry Except Stud Earrings
You cannot wear any jewelry while competing in gymnastics meets. Jewelry can be a safety risk. The only jewelry you can wear is stud earrings.
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Pack Your Gym Bag
Pack your gym bag the night before a meet so you are ready and prepared. Your gym bag should contain:
- Copy of your Floor Music– You should always keep a backup copy of your floor music in your gym bag (Unless you are competing Compulsory–then the host gym will have it). Things can always go wrong and you want to be prepared. The CD your coach brings could not play or it could get lost. Or he/she could forget to bring it. You don’t want to end up having to be doing your routine to someone else’s music to avoid the no music deduction.
- Hairspray- for last minute hair fixes
- Bobby Pins and extra hair ties– in case your hair comes undone and needs to be fixed
- Water Bottle & Snack– Gymnastics meets can run 4 hours or more
I hope these tips help you get dressed and prepared for your gymnastics meet with ease.
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View Comments (16)
hi! my name is abby and i am going to a free trial to a gym with my friend and the only thing that shocked me a bout gymnastics from this web is that you cannot wear nail polish!! :/
Hi Abby! You can wear nail polish to a gymnastics class, just not to a meet! Hope you had fun :)
at my gym not usa we need a kip on bars and a backhandspring on beam for competitive. i have zero upper body strength and beam is my weakness. how do i get the team
My 6 year old is in Xcel Bronze, she doesn't like to do her hair in buns, because it throws her off balance when she rolls. She likes the ponytail. However her hair is long and even when in a ponytail it is almost at the end of her shoulder blades. She had her 1st meet last weekend and another parent mentioned to me that she could get a deduction because her hair may touch the vault etc. Is this true?
This really helped! I am in Excel Bronze and I have. A lot of meets coming up. Thank you!
Glad this helped Lilly!
Can I wear french tips at a level 8 usag meet
What set of rules are you referring to where stud earrings are allowed? Your site is causing for some confusion and challenges at high school meets in the state of Washington. Jewelry is not allowed during any interscholastic practice or competition in any sport in the state of Washington. Maybe you could add to check the rules for your state or organization on your site?
One pair of stud earrings are allowed at all USA Gymnastics meets and AAU meets. But I just added that you should check with your organization at the top of this post.
Hi my name is Zoe! Tomorrow I have my first gymnastics meet and I’m super nervous. I have really short curly hair that is too short to fit in a pony, braids, or buns. But it still flops into my face. How do I handle it?
Hi. I'm preparing for my very first gymnastics meet. I have hair that goes down to just below my shoulders. In my floor routine, I have to do a backwards roll. How should I wear my hair?
Are we allowed to wear makeup at a meet?
Yes, you can wear make-up at a meet. Just don't wear too much.
Can I wear french tips at a level 8 usag competition
Can I wear french tip nails at a gymnastics meet
Is my daughter allowed to wear french tip, beige, or white nail polish. She also has permanent jewelry. So what do I do? Should I call the coaches and explain?