Team training v. rec classes

[Tumblequeensmom]

Hi all. Not sure where to post this, but I'd like some coaches views on this. My daughter switched to a new gym this past June. It's literally brand new, but the coaches/owners have high aspirations, as in wanting to be one of the top gyms in the state in the next 2 years. That sounded great, the owners have stellar reputations and I did expect some growing pains BUT:

My concern is that there are 4 coaches for levels 4 - 10, AND they seem to be filling up the gym schedule with TONS of rec classes at the same time team practices are scheduled. (I just counted literally 20 classes that are taking place at various times during ONE day of team practice) The facility is only 10,000 square feet. I'm just wondering if this is something that you coaches deal with and it's not such a big deal as I'm imagining? Surely the constant in and out of classes is distracting to the gymnasts training for competitions? I'm really nervous about this. . .

Am I just being a worry wart???

Thanks for any advice!

-L

[gracefulone]

Are there a lot of conflicts over space/equipment? If so, it is a problem. If not, then it probably isn't such a big deal. As a coach, I deal with other classes all the time in the gym-though our new director is getting better (rec earlier, team later). As a gymnast, the distraction can be good practice for meets...

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I'd wait and see if it causes problems. Rec classes are where the money is at; the rec classes finance the team coaches' salaries.

It is actually quite rare for a team to have more than one workout a week (if that) in which it is team only; for a gym to be successful as a business, they need to have as many rec classes as they can fit in.

This is true with most gyms, and they manage just fine. I'd wait and see if it really does cause a problem before getting alarmed.

[~JEM~]

All team kids have to come from somewhere, most are pulled out from rec programs and put in pre-teams etc. Rec is a priority as much as team is priority for most gyms. At our gym however the competitive girls training takes place seperate days to rec levels training. The only day there are rec and levels in together is saturday, this doesnt seem to be a problem at all unless coaches refuse to share, which happens more when rec isnt training, as levels coaches seem to want more equipment and want their girls to have more time on apparatus etc (I am a levels coach and pre team coach).
I would say however.... 20 groups seems extreme!! Whether it is rec groups or competitive groups it shouldnt matter.... the problem is the number of groups in the gym at 1time, not the ability level of the kids who are in. 20 in my opinion is WAYYYYY too many groups, however maybe your gym is big enough to accomodate all the groups without any safety issues and with enough room for everyone, at our gm however 6 groups at 1 time is pushing us to the limits lol.
Coaches are used to coaching with other groups in the gym, we are able to do drills that take minimal space.... and drills that require no equipment. I would definately be making sure however that the number of groups in the gym does not affect your daughters training (ie being kicked off an apparatus by another group... having no apparatus to go to etc etc)

[JBS]

You should be happy. Preschool and rec. are the foundation of the pyramid in gymnastics. There should and must be tons of rec. classes during team practice. Otherwise your tuition would be 4-6 times higher.

[teslarma]

At our gym we always have Recreational and Competitive kids training at the same time, we just have a very complex rotations system. Generally we have up to about 8 groups at any one time in the gym, perhaps occasionally more, depending on what the rotations allow, as there are only a limited number of Apparatus, and no 2 groups can be scheduled on the same apparatus at any one time.

[hammy]

Having a large rec program is excellent, because the team kids have to start somewhere. I would wait and see how it all works out, and from the gyms I've been in, it seems typical to have rec and team classes at the same time. In both gyms that I've been in, the rec kids and team kids practice in the same building, just different parts of the building.

Another way to look at it is the fact that it can serve as a means teaching the gymnasts how to deal with distractions and lots of people. At competitions there are a lot of different things going on around them, and there are certainly lots of people.

[Tumblequeensmom]

Thanks so much for all of your replies! I guess I just need to wait and see how things shake out. I guess we were just spoiled at our previous gym re: this issue. I think at MOST there were 3 rec classes going on at the same time team practice was taking place. Yes, I do understand the "feeder" system and that the rec classes "pay the bills," I just hope the coaches are spreading themselves too thin and that my dd continues to get high quality coaching.

I'll just relax for the time being and see what happens!

Thanks again!

-L

[Tumblequeensmom]

O.K.... now this gym, in addition to having the team practices and at least 9 rec classes at the same time, has started an "after school day care" program!!! The team girls are standing around waiting their turns for equipment/coaching b/c the coaches are also trying to "help out" with the rec classes.

I've paid out oodles of $$ for the start up of the season. I guess I'll wait for the first meet in November, which I can already tell will be a disaster with the girls' scores. Then look around for something else.

signed: NOT HAPPY!

[JBS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tumblequeensmom O.K.... now this gym, in addition to having the team practices and at least 9 rec classes at the same time, has started an "after school day care" program!!! The team girls are standing around waiting their turns for equipment/coaching b/c the coaches are also trying to "help out" with the rec classes. I've paid out oodles of $$ for the start up of the season. I guess I'll wait for the first meet in November, which I can already tell will be a disaster with the girls' scores. Then look around for something else. signed: NOT HAPPY!

Sounds like it's not going too well. This is kind of going into gym management now.

The gym should be divided into different areas/events/zones (whatever you want to call them). There should never be more than 1 class or team in a zone. Large classes or teams sometimes need more than 1 area. Each class/team should have it's own coach. If a class or team is divided into 2 areas, it should have 2 coaches. Rotations should be defined ahead of time, not "on the fly". By using proper scheduling and staffing procedures, the gym could be packed and organized.

With that being said....it's usually not a big deal if the Level 9/10 coach leaves the girls alone during conditioning sometimes to help out with a rec. class. However, it's a whole different story if a Level 4 coach is leaving a team of 20 7 & 8 year olds alone.