Stay at gym or leave?

[JBS]

When you take your child to gymnastics, do you normally stay or leave? If you leave, what could the club do to make you want to stay more often? If you stay, why do you stay?

[Megley]

My husband drops both kids off at gymnastics. I pick up my daughter and usually arrive early enough to watch 2 hours of the practice. I can't get to both my son's and my daughter's practices because they are both scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays at overlapping times. Kudos to my husband who takes my son out to gymnastics at one location, then drives clear across town to drop my daughter at her practice (same gym - 2 locations) and then drives back to pick up my son! I stay at my daughter's to watch mainly because she wants me there. She is young (only 5) and likes to have me stay and watch. That said, it will not be possible this summer when her workouts will be during the day while I'm at work.

[gracefulone]

My paretns don't stay; our gym prefers it if the don't. There is a window and some parents come, but usually it's just a dop-off, pick up thing. My parents just drop off and pick up at the door.

[JBS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by gracefulone My paretns don't stay; our gym prefers it if the don't. There is a window and some parents come, but usually it's just a dop-off, pick up thing. My parents just drop off and pick up at the door.

That's a little scary...as a director I would prefer that all the parents stay. I have nothing to hide...I am proud of our program and want to show it off. As a coach, it is much harder to explain a situation to a parent that never stays to watch. There are situations when parents are a little too overzealous, but talking to the parent is a much better way of correcting this. I'm not saying that team parents should be there 20 hours per week, but a couple would be nice. Rumors spread like wildfire at a gym and the best way to stop them is with a trusting client base.

[just4fun]

I stay - there are huge windows all around the gym to watch - and my dtr likes me to stay.

[gymmom]

The coaches dont encourage parents to stay. They dont ask parents to leave but no one gets an invitation to stay. Also, if the kids are paying more attention to the parents(ex. waving, making faces) the coaches will give a warning that they will be asked to leave the gym for the day.

My daughter is in the gym 16 hours so I cant stay the entire time. I usually stay the first hour and then I leave.

gymmom

[JBS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by gymmom The coaches dont encourage parents to stay. They dont ask parents to leave but no one gets an invitation to stay. Also, if the kids are paying more attention to the parents(ex. waving, making faces) the coaches will give a warning that they will be asked to leave the gym for the day. My daughter is in the gym 16 hours so I cant stay the entire time. I usually stay the first hour and then I leave. gymmom

At the team level parents are hardly ever there...this is big reason why so many competitive gyms have problems. Many times the parents that ask the most questions are thought of as problem parents. This is a ridiculous concept. If a coach can't coach in front of a couple parents...how are they going to coach at a meet? Then there is the other question...what are they really doing when you're gone? Waving, making faces, and just being happy should always happen at a gym...a coach that can't control this just has a lack of control.

This subject really kills me...I have started another thread, "Is your gym parent friendly?" Please give us your thoughts.

[midwestgymmom]

My dds gym is 45 min away in another town so I'm pretty well stuck there for 2 hrs twice a week. I've learned not to go shopping anymore while she's at practice (too expensive ). Another mom drives an hour so we end up sitting and chatting. The rest of the parents come and watch the last few minutes. Every once in awhile we get put to work doing things the coach needs done.

[gym law mom]

HI. I've been looking for a gym forum and stumbled across this one. My daughter is 10 and just finished her 1st Level 6 season.

Thought I'd throw in my 2 cents about staying or leaving practices. Practice for my daughter is 3.5 hrs. on M/W/F and Sat. afternoon. With work and another child I really don't have the time to sit and watch all of that. Also, team parents are asked not to come too much in the late afternoon since many parents of kids in the rec programs are there and seating in the observation area is already tight. Most of us drop in for the last 30 min or so at least 1x/week. Its easier on Sat to catch the last hour or so. Also, if a parent needs to talk with a coach, the end of practice is the best time.

[JBS]

As a competitive gymnast I hated having my parents there. As a young coach I hated having the parents there. As a gym director I want the parents there. As a new parent I will be at my child's activities part of the time (that's all anyone can ask).

A key element is the parent viewing area. With an appropriate viewing area, gyms can have everyone together while still keeping a good amount of separation and minimizing distractions. I have attached a picture of the view from the observation deck at one of our gyms. The parents are upstairs behind glass...the kids forget that they are there most of the time.