It is the responsibility of Gymnastics Ontario (GO) to sanction professionally organized and safe competitions, which provide optimal conditions for the athlete. GO is also responsible for the development, implementation and monitoring of policies and procedures to ensure effective management of events hosted in Ontario.
To achieve its mandate, GO has made it a yearly objective to train volunteers in the hosting and organization of sanctioned events across the province through the Meet Directors’ Workshop. As the primary resource for this course, the Meet Director’s Manual provides a guide for the operation of all GO sanctioned meets. The manual is divided into sections for easy referencing of the documented information.
The hosting of competitions whether international, national, provincial, interclub or school level uses the same basic principles. This manual is a necessary resource for clubs hosting gymnastics events of all levels in Ontario. In addition, Meet Directors should have a comprehensive understanding of the competition rules for the event being hosted.
The competition rules for each GO discipline are found in the discipline-specific Technical Rules and Regulations. Each of these documents is updated on a yearly basis and should be treated as a supplement to the information contained within the Meet Directors Manual. Clarification on information listed within the competition rules may be obtained from the GO Technical Staff.
The Decision to Host a Competition
WHY HOST A MEET?
* your turn
* your responsibility/contribution to the sport
* publicity/promotion of the sport/club/community
* fund raising activity.
Whatever your reason for hosting, running a competition is a serious commitment. The decision to host a meet should be carefully considered and approved by the executive of the club, as well as by a potential organizing committee.
While the competition should appeal to coaches, judges, spectators and sponsors, the primary concern of a host is the ATHLETE. The goal of the organizing committee should be to provide the optimum competitive environment for the athletes who have dedicated a great deal of time and energy in preparation for this competition.
The Meet Director
A Meet Director has the most important role of any meet volunteer. They will be the lead in all activities surrounding the meet and will be responsible for its success or failure. A Meet Director must ensure the sanctity of the competition and abide by all rules and regulations as outlined by the governing body of the meet.
Frequently Asked Meet Director Questions
- How do I become a Meet Director?
Gymnastics Ontario offers and annual Meet Directors course in which members of Gymnastics Ontario are eligible to enrol and become certified as a Meet Director - When does my Meet Director certification expire?
The Meet Director course is a three year certification course and Meet Directors must recertify after that three year period. - What are my responsibilities as a Meet Director?
The Meet Director of a GO sanctioned event is required to do the following:- Must verify that all participants are current GO members
- Must follow the appropriate reporting procedures
- Must follow all the rules and policies that have been outlined for the disciplines meet that is being held
- What is considered a violation of sanction?
GO suggests that you always refer to the rules and regulations as well as the GO policies and bylaws when making decisions regarding your meet. Listed below are some examples of sanction violations:
a. Conducting a GO event without valid sanction
b. Allowing coaches, judges and athletes on the floor without a current or valid membership
c. Conducting an event on a different date or with more than one location or discipline without the proper
sanctioned changed.
d. Failure to return required sanction forms
e. Violation of any regulations within the rules and regulations
NOTE: any violation can void a sanction thus, providing no insurance coverage
Types of Sanctions
Gymnastics Ontario has three types of sanctions and a completed form must be submitted for the sanctioning process to begin. Important to note; submission of a sanction form does not ensure sanctioning.
Demonstration Sanction Form – the purpose of this type of sanction is to facilitate club demonstrations both inside and outside their gymnastics facilities.
Competition/Event Sanctioning – the purpose of this type of sanction is to facilitate club applications to host competitions of any level within or outside their gymnastics facilities.
Provincial Event Sanctioning – this form varies within disciplines and serves the purpose of allowing clubs the opportunity to bid on hosting a Provincial level event from qualifiers to and for Ontario Championships.
In order to ensure your club is given priority for sanctioning ensure all the appropriate information has been completed and items such as previous years Meet Directors reports have been submitted.