Parents Moving - how do you know which gym to choose?

[hienergyhouse]

Just curious how you know what gym to choose when you move? Is there a ranking in the US?

 

[MILgymFAM]

Wouldn't it be so easy if that were the case?! When we moved it was trial and error. We asked around on here. We checked yelp and the state website. We emailed and called gyms ahead of our arrival and scheduled evaluations. After the evaluations we picked a gym and quickly (3 weeks) realized it wasn't the right choice. We then chose a different gym. It still isn't ideal, but our situation made finding an ideal gym nearly impossible. We will be very, very careful the next time we move not to waste time and money on the wrong place- we were so rushed in choosing because DD didn't want to miss any time in the gym, but we should have gone slowly and carefully.

It's important to make sure your evaluation, if you go that route, is with a person who would actually coach your child. It's important that you get a feel for the place and the way it's run. It's important your child feels they could fit in. It's important to understand you may not get it right the first time.

You can tell from meet results the levels a gym competes, how successful they are in competitions, and the general age group they compete per level. You cannot tell from anything other than your kid going there if they lead with positivity or negativity, are rigid/structured or loosey goosey, if they will treat you like family or like dollar signs. It's hard to move with a gymnast, so I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Don't know if there is ranking. I've not seen one.

I would get some recommendations and visit them. Don't know what your priorities are, but see how the gym falls in line with those. I would watch practice at the current level as well as the higher ones.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Wanted to add I would also make sure I was around for arrival and departures of multiple levels. Do the kids seem excited to be there or stressed. what are the parents like, the coaches when not on the floor.

 

[munchkin3]

Ask dunno.

 

[hienergyhouse]

Ask dunno.

Who/what is dunno?

 

[Seeker]

He's a legend.

Senior member extraordinaire here....tell him where you're moving and he can recommend gyms in the area (as can several other coaches here). Also, look at the State gymnastics website for where you're going and maybe peruse the results of the state meets.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Just tell us where u are going. This is a great starting point to get info.

 

[Flyaway]

If you're fortunate you're moving to an area with several gyms to choose from. Start by Google searching for gym names in the area, then contact each of them and arrange to visit. Pm dunno or ask someone else here about reputation. Look up meet scores for the gym. Ultimately you'll have to visit them all to find the right fit.

 

[munchkin3]

Who/what is dunno?

That's the question! A mystical gymnastics force, like Obe-wan-kenobe.....
He might be able to give you some information on gyms.....

As for my personal experience, I asked questions for six months before we switched. I talked to parents, talked to kids about what their favorite things about the gym.....I also asked about their LEAST favorite things....checked scores, coach longevity etc.
The objective was to make sure my kids are having fun, WHILE being trained hard......all work is no fun, all play is also a waste of time........good luck!!!

 

[hienergyhouse]

Just tell us where u are going. This is a great starting point to get info.

We will be moving to Houston Texas.

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

Who/what is dunno?

Possibly the funniest thing I've read today. I think the last reasonable guess was Jerry Hall.

Other than that, choose a gym in much the same way you would choose a school. Carefully.

 

[txgymfan]

Where in will you be moving in the Houston area? We are the 4th largest city in the country and very spread out. The good news is that we have tons of gyms, the hard part, traffic is often a bear.

There are also a number of people on the board from the area so someone should be able to help you.

To reiterate what others have said, Dunno is CM's resident gymnastics deity. Pm him and he will give you a knowledgeable assessment of the gyms in the area. He has almost a mystical knowledge of the coaches in USAG.

 

[hienergyhouse]

Where in will you be moving in the Houston area? We are the 4th largest city in the country and very spread out. The good news is that we have tons of gyms, the hard part, traffic is often a bear.

There are also a number of people on the board from the area so someone should be able to help you.

To reiterate what others have said, Dunno is CM's resident gymnastics deity. Pm him and he will give you a knowledgeable assessment of the gyms in the area. He has almost a mystical knowledge of the coaches in USAG.

We are looking at the the northern part of Clear Lake area (Clear Lake City Blvd/ El Dorado Blvd)

 

[AWOL]

Acro Sports in Friendswood is good, Reflex and Pearland Elite, both in Pearland are very good gyms in the south part of Houston. They have all levels up to L10. They all have web sites so you can review them. There girls usually score fairly good. Also check MyMeetOnline.com to see how they place in meets. Discover is another gym that is fairly close to Clear Lake that you may want to check out. They have a Level 9 girl that is just about unbeatable.

 

[ThaBigCheese]

I used to live in League City about 4-5 years ago. It depends on age and level in that area. My daughter went to Acrosports the entire time we were there, but their optional program has all but disappeared. We have friends at Reflex & Pearland Elite in the optional programs. If we were to return to the area we'd probably end up at Reflex. There are also a couple of other smaller gyms in the area. Closest to you would be Lobo in Clear Lake, Acrofit in Kemah and Legacy is also in Pearland. Again, it depends on level, and goals.

 

[gymnastca25]

Going through exact same thing and I asked Dunno. Then, I set up tryouts.

 

[AWOL]

I would also review the placement of their gymnasts on myscoresonline.com if you are interested in competing. Go and watch some practices without letting the gym know and talk to some of the parents. Then set up a meeting with the coach for your level and if things seem good, set up a tryout.

 

[ZJsMom]

I agree about watching practice first. You can learn a lot. Also, spending time in the observation area and listing to the bleacher talk, will be informative.

Even if they start with an individual evaluation, have your dd practice with the team a few times before making a decision. I think it's important to learn what the group dynamics are like and see if she feels like it's a good fit.

 

[Quadqueen]

The websites to check out are mymeetscores.com and meetscoresonline.com.