Parents Another question of gym etiquette

[MILgymFAM]

My DDs want to be in the gym 24/7. They used to love, before we moved, doing open gym at every opportunity. ODDs current gym offers a parents night out every Friday, but it's held during her practice time. My YDD attends a T&T gym that offers open gym every weekend during her practice time. Since they are both stuck sitting around watching each other's classes, I wondered if it's normal/ok to have them do open gym at each other's gym. Also, to go a step farther, there is a third local gym that offers parents night out one Saturday evening a month, which could be awesome for DH and I as we never get to go out alone. Is it accepted to send them to a completely different gym than both of theirs for an open gym situation? What do you think?

 

[lhmom]

Every gym runs their open gyms differently. DD's gym has open gym that is basically "play time" for all with no team coaches to watch the gymnasts' skills. For DD's group, they are not allowed to go to open gym because it is so crowded (especially weekend evenings with older kids) and several gymnasts have gotten injured.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Depends if they are on team and if the third gym is a rival. In other words taking your kids to competitor on a weekly basis could rub the coaches the wrong way.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Ok, so YDDs gym only competes (and trains) T&T. Since ODD does xcel, there should be no conflict to them doing open gym at each other's gyms, right? ODDs gym does compete T&T, but she does not, and YDD does not train artistic anymore (which is what ODDs open gym is centered around). The third gym is a competitor to ODDs gym, so I would guess that would be out for at least her? Geez there are a lot of unwritten rules in this sport! Ha.

 

[gymbeam]

i would think gong to each other's gyms would be totally fine and understandable.
the third gym *may* be questionable.

 

[happychaos]

I don't think it is a problem, especially since your DD's do excel and T&T. It sounds like a win-win to me! You and hubby get a date night, and your girls get more gym time!

 

[Sasha]

Like another poster said, open gyms are all run so differently. In our case, open gym, and parents' night out, are all run by high-school or college students (who may or may not coach rec, but do not coach team), and so these are just chaperoned play time. There is no instruction. If a kid from a rival gym came to our open gym or parents' night out, I doubt anyone would even know that student was on a rival team, nor care, since they are getting no instruction.

On the other hand, if I sent my team son or daughter to a rival gym's Open Gym where there WAS instruction available, this specifically violates our team contract of receiving no training from other entities without express permission. I can't imagine another gym's Parents' Night Out actually offering any real 'instruction', so that seems the least offensive. I mean, it would be weird if you sent your DDs to another PNO at the same time as your own, but since your own gym's time doesn't work out, I see no issue with doing PNO at a rival gym. Those are basically just babysitting (I am assuming), and akin to attending a birthday party at a rival gym (which we do).

My 2c!

 

[MILgymFAM]

I guess I will have to ask the third gym about their parents night out. I am sure a sort of babysitting is common for those, but I know that at our old gym and ODDs current that parents night out is with rec coaches (albeit of the adult variety) and does include instruction and some coaching. The younger kids at both tended to simply run around but the older kids actually practiced. Same with YDDs open gym. There they have coaches at every apparatus- team coaches at that- and they are actively coaching the kids. I now wonder if that means ODD should not be there on the floor and tumble track practicing her tumbling skills at their open gym. I know she was actually wondering if she would allowed to take their corrections and interact with them, which was one of my lightbulb moments in posting about it here.

 

[Sasha]

I guess I will have to ask the third gym about their parents night out. I am sure a sort of babysitting is common for those, but I know that at our old gym and ODDs current that parents night out is with rec coaches (albeit of the adult variety) and does include instruction and some coaching. The younger kids at both tended to simply run around but the older kids actually practiced. Same with YDDs open gym. There they have coaches at every apparatus- team coaches at that- and they are actively coaching the kids. I now wonder if that means ODD should not be there on the floor and tumble track practicing her tumbling skills at their open gym. I know she was actually wondering if she would allowed to take their corrections and interact with them, which was one of my lightbulb moments in posting about it here.

Yeah, definitely inquire, and better yet, observe. If you called our gym, for example, they might tell you the PNO has 'gymnastics instruction with coaches on hand', and yes, some of the chaperons do coach basic rec, but in reality at PNO they play games with a parachute, swing on the rope and rings, play in the foam pit, and just jump on the trampoline. Sure, a team kid could probably work in some kip or BHS practice in there somewhere on her own, but it is not structured for that - she wouldn't have a spotter, and she'd have to dodge the rugrats. ;-) Team kids don't really go to these things where we are. So yes, definitely check out the specific setup!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

life is too short. go to any open gym you want. no one cares.

 

[MILgymFAM]

life is too short. go to any open gym you want. no one cares.

Don't I wish. Heard from DDs coach that they do in fact care. Lol. No open gym at other artistic gyms. T&T open gym is up in the air for now, and she will get back to me as soon as she has an answer. I think I have been a first for like 20 questions so far, and it's only DDs first week. Ha ha. You'd be amazed at what people care about.

 

[raenndrops]

life is too short. go to any open gym you want. no one cares.

Going to any open gym you want is not always allowed ... as many of the posters have stated. Going to one where you will be coached by a rival is a BIG No-No for MOST teams.
Before we ever went to an outside Open Gym, I asked our HC... she gave us a list of gyms we COULD visit if their times and days worked for us. She was clear. These gyms - no others. To do so would go against our team contract.

When I was looking into dance privates for OG, HC also had a list of gyms and dance studios we could consider. When I contacted the gym (the one we do open gyms at), the owner, at first wasn't going to allow it... and then she remembered who I am and who OG is. Since we NEVER compete against them, she said it would be awesome and even offered to share a private lesson between OG had her own daughter.

Thank you for you input on the matter, but as a coach and a club owner, I would think that you would have rules about your team gymnasts doing open gyms at your rivals?!?!?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i'm a coach and owner. i could care less if the kids go to some else's open gym. it doesn't matter. they know the rules of gymnastics. the only place they are not allowed to go is a trampoline park. if i learn they have gone they're out.

this is just another reason why the industry is screwed up.

 

[gymdog]

We don't have any rule or policy about it either. Never really thought of it. The only gym close by with open gym doesn't really have equipment that would be usable for the level many of our team gymnasts have reached.

 

[lhmom]

i'm a coach and owner. i could care less if the kids go to some else's open gym. it doesn't matter. they know the rules of gymnastics. the only place they are not allowed to go is a trampoline park. if i learn they have gone they're out.

The HC at DD's gym made her rule after several optional girls were hurt at a Fri night open gym (one girl was in the pit and landed on by a much heavier guy). The gym has Fri and Sat night open gym which draws a lot of older kids who are reckless. I have witnessed some scary things myself and the staff supervising are usually high school or college kids. So I respect the HC's decision on this.

 

[NMNorskie]

i'm a coach and owner. i could care less if the kids go to some else's open gym. it doesn't matter. they know the rules of gymnastics. the only place they are not allowed to go is a trampoline park. if i learn they have gone they're out.

this is just another reason why the industry is screwed up.

This may be a dumb question, but I'm really new to gymnastics. Why are they not allowed to go to a trampoline park?

 

[l.c.o]

DD has attended open gym at "another gym". It started right when she first got grips. She wanted to practice swinging and kipping with her new grips. Her gym reportedly does not allow the kids on "real" equipment during open gym. So, we went to a place where her good friend is on team that would not only allow it but is also closer to home. She went once with a goal of trying to get a straighter armed kip. We've also gone a couple of times essentially as a playdate... And us moms can chat. She was/is not coached. She did not try any new or in progress skills. She's gone maybe 6 times total. Went just once over summer.

It's interesting, as DS is currently attending rec classes there (DDs gym has no boys team). DD pretty much hates to enter that gym unless it's for open gym. She views it as enemy territory.

I guess I look at it as she is trying to better herself for her team. Or just having fun in a gym with a friend she adores but doesn't see often. Go nuts. I only hope it's not considered too terribly wrong. I hadn't even thought about it.

 

[LJL07]

I think that's a little ridiculous for a gym to care about attending another gym's kids' fun night/open gym/whatever it's called. We don't have that many gyms around here, and my girls have been to camps and fun nights with friends at different gyms. Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission...

 

[LJL07]

Like another poster said, open gyms are all run so differently. In our case, open gym, and parents' night out, are all run by high-school or college students (who may or may not coach rec, but do not coach team), and so these are just chaperoned play time. There is no instruction. If a kid from a rival gym came to our open gym or parents' night out, I doubt anyone would even know that student was on a rival team, nor care, since they are getting no instruction.

On the other hand, if I sent my team son or daughter to a rival gym's Open Gym where there WAS instruction available, this specifically violates our team contract of receiving no training from other entities without express permission. I can't imagine another gym's Parents' Night Out actually offering any real 'instruction', so that seems the least offensive. I mean, it would be weird if you sent your DDs to another PNO at the same time as your own, but since your own gym's time doesn't work out, I see no issue with doing PNO at a rival gym. Those are basically just babysitting (I am assuming), and akin to attending a birthday party at a rival gym (which we do).

My 2c!

Yes, that's what I envision when I think of pno. No one is getting coached on specific skills at any of the ones my kids have attended. More like games and activities with some free play supervised by rec coaches on equipment. So I don't see what difference it makes.

 

[gymbeam]

i guess its possible that coaches may fear their gymnasts will get recruited by the other gym.
or, that gymnast will end up liking the other gym better.