Getting Ready to Switch Gyms

Mom to 2 gymnasts · #1 02-04-2008, 12:04 AM

ANyone else gone through the process of switching gyms? State is a month away and we are 99% sure we are going to take the girls to another gym. My oldest is 10 yo L4 and while she scores a 34 in every meet, she has scored a 34 in practically every meet. There has been lots of coaching turnover and now just a lack of experienced coaches. We are having issues with her getting yelled at for lack of confidence on round-off back handspring, one of two experienced coaches yelling at her quite a bit for numerous things, just a general crappy attitude towards the girls. There is a lack of consistancy with coaching, they have about 8 different ones that work with them and 3-4 that coach at meets, I think a little change up is great but this is too much. For my younger 6 yo L3 non-competing daughter, there is a lack of consistancy with progression. They have to pass certain things to move up. They are supposed to test the last 3 weeks of every session, yet they seldom test. Out of 50 things, she did not pass one the last 8 weeks. I can name 8 off the top of my head that she can do better than most girls on the L4 team, she simply wasnt' tested. She would have to pass all 50 things by APril in order for her to compete this fall...there is no way when they aren't testing. Right now she has all but 3 skills for L4, not consistantly yet but my older dd wasn't consistant this time last year on any of those 3 skills either. Anyway, jsut wondered if anyone who has gone through this can offer any advice. We have spoken to the owner 2 times about issues (mainly the yelling of my daughter when sick/injured). but in reality that won't change their system, even if that changed. 6 YO DD learns very quickly but there is no avenue there for those that learn faster than the norm.

gymnomore · #2 02-04-2008, 06:29 AM

Yes, if you feel you need to switch, by all means go ahead and do so. By reading your post, it sounds like you have every reason to switch. Don't worry about state being so close. I went through the same thing at our former gym. I was, like you, 99% sure that I was going to switch. After my daughter competed the state meet and qualified for Regionals, things got even worse, and she switched to another team 2 weeks before Regionals. The new coach was glad to have her and made all arrangements for her to go with the new team. He told me it had been done before, as he had taken another new girl just before the state meet.

melmonette · #3 02-04-2008, 12:32 PM

We are switching gyms too for reasons of coaching inconsistancies and ratios and gym space in general. We have so many teams working out at one time and then a trillion rec classes at the same time that it isn't even safe especially with 3-5 year olds running around and in front of the vault track or out on the floor when the higher levels are on those events... I have seen so many close call collisions. We decided to stick it out through state but a friend of mine and her daughter(Emily's teammate) are out of there. We are also planning a few privates at the gym we are seriously considering to get a feel for how we like it. Then after state... We are trying out two gyms for a week(their coaches invited the girls to try for a week each) and maybe go to a couple open gyms and then we will make the decision and move gyms. The thing that worries me is coming back to the gym to meets next season and feeling like a traitor.
I say switch if you are unhappy because it just eats at you everytime you set foot in the gym when your unhappy.

mariposamama · #4 02-04-2008, 02:52 PM

i agree that if you and the girls are unhappy, switch. you pay good money for them to train and we all understand that it won't always be perfect, it should be good most of the time, not just occasionally.

good luck to your girls on the transition.

canadiangymmom · #5 02-05-2008, 05:57 AM

I'm always surprised when I hear of bad (or even less than great) gym experiences. My daughter's gym is like a second family to her, and to the other girls as well. They are all treated with respect, and as individuals with varying needs. Of the chidren I've seen leave, 1 changed directions within the gym (cheer, fewer hours) 2 or maybe 3 quit competing but are learning coaching, and one quit to persue music, but came back when the cheer program began. Our club is young (I think a little less than 5 years old) but the coaching is superb!!!

If you feel your daughters are not progressing where they are and are being yelled at, then a move sounds like the right thing to do. Success comes from loving what you do.

Good luck with your switch. I hope it makes all the difference for you and your daughters.

Canadian Gym Mom

Blackie6 · #6 02-05-2008, 06:49 AM

We've never done a gym switch, but I just wanted to say good luck in finding something that fits you & your daughters. I agree with the posters who say when you pay good money you should find some place that they enjoy doing gymnastics. I doubt I would allow my daughter to be yelled at either. I know it could be the "norm" from some more competative gyms, but I prefer the coaching with caring atmosphere. I want my daughter healthy and happy. If there are no smiles coming out of practice then there is a problem.

Maybe you can shop around and try out some other gyms in the area? Anyone else leaving the team for the same reasons? Maybe you could go with someone else who feels the same way you do and then your DD would have a friend.

rjb765 · #7 02-09-2008, 04:14 PM

We switched gyms at the pre-team level which I know if different than after actually competing but had no problems. The KC area is so small we still see the coach we had for pre-team--who is also now at a different gym--and there are no hard feelings. I am in my 5th year of having child compete and it is interesting to see who has moved to a new gym since the previous year state meet--including at times coaches! I feel fortunate that our gym seems to gain girls from other gyms--a few each year--but I don't think anyone has left for another gym in at least 2 years. However, if my dd was still wanting to do gym but butting heads with the coaches, I would look elsewhere. Like someone else said, just be sure you know why you are leaving and is it really better somewhere else? If your gym is too busy did you watch at the new gym during team time to be sure it isn't the same situation? Are you seeing coaches yelling at girls? Be honest with the new gym so you can be more likely to get honest answers. Remember like anything else, the first few weeks/months will be like a honeymoon period and then you'll notice problems. Be sure you aren't moving from the frying pan to the fire!

DEMom · #8 02-09-2008, 04:56 PM

You need to switch gyms. It is better to do it now than wait because it will be harder the higher level she gets and the closer she gets with friends. I moved my daughter when she was 8 & L4 at the start of the season. She had been in classes and developmental at the old gym for 4 years. Once she moved to Lvl 4 I never watched because it was the summer and I work, but once I started watching in Sept and saw her get lost in the shuffle and all the yelling I knew it wasn't going to work. When her coach told her she was the worst get to the back of the line, I called her out of team, I said how about we quit and go somewhere else, and she said ok. I pulled her out that minute! I didn't even have a place to go. But I thought anything would be better than that. It is funny over the years several of those girls from that gym have come to our gym complaining of the same thing, not that every thing's great all the time but there isn't the yelling. Now as a 12 year old my dd comments on some of the things the coaches used to say or do and says she never would have lasted this long in gymnastics had she stayed with that gym. She is so glad she moved.

Trust yourself. Go with your gut. You know it isn't right. Find a place that is right for your dd. You'll know it when you find it. So many people are afraid of change. It also teaches your dd if something isn't right, she has the power to change it. Good Luck!

medic3188 · #9 02-09-2008, 05:29 PM

we switched gyms twice in the last 8 months. The first time it was because my dd was not progressing..she ended up moving to a more competitive gym and moved up a level to level 4. We then swiched gyms two months ago because we moved from new york to florida. The gym we found was great. We decided to move my dd back to level 2 and compete there. She is doing great and has gotten so much more confidence and skills. It was a great decision.

MomChefKathleen · #10 02-12-2008, 11:20 PM

We switched gyms a year ago... it was an easy transition, though, because our Coach and the owners of the previous gym decided to part ways. The Coach wanted to open her own gym and one of the Moms from the team was looking for a business to start, so they opened it together. 90% of the team switched to stay with the coach.

We will compete in a few weeks against the old gym at a local meet. I don't know if they have any Level 5s left who were originally on our team. I did run into the owner of our first gym a few weeks ago and we were very nice to each other and he was sweet to my DD and wished her luck at her next meet. I'm glad we got that part over with.

Kathleen