WAG Funny how things work out sometimes.

[Aero]

Life is interesting. Let me tell a story.

About three weeks after I told the owners of my current gym that I would be leaving after the end of the season, I got a call from the mother of one of my old gymnasts I used to coach back when I had created my original team (the Aero Flyers for those of you who remember!). She wanted advice on her current situation. When I dissolved the Aero Flyers and went to work at Giant Gymnastics two years ago, this family went to a different nearby gym, and competed her first season there as a Level 4, and this season she is Level 6. With just the State meet left to go, the mom was telling me they really needed to leave as soon as possible due to one of her coaches being a major problem. She told me he plays mind games, shows major favoritism, yells at the girls when they won't go for skills, refuses to spot and completely walks away, and has even been known to completely leave the gym to go out and get food during his rotations, just leaving the girls by themselves!!! Her daughter was obviously not doing well and this coach was really beating her down and breaking her apart. This made me very sad.

I ended up speaking to my bosses about the situation, and we invited her to finish her season here at Giant. They made the switch, and I am now coaching her again. I am honored that they came to me for help, and that they wanted me to coach her again. It's interesting how things come full circle sometimes. It has been so cool seeing how much she's grown as a person and as a gymnast. There are daily recountings of old memories and funny stories, and she is having fun and fitting in with the other girls just fine. Sadly, I see the damage that has been done by this other coach, both mentally as well as the quality of her skills and technique. I am trying my best to help her in every way I can, but there are a lot of situations that I simply have not encountered yet as a coach, and it has been very challenging for me. I want her to know she is truly a beautiful gymnast who is very capable, but it will take some time.

I have no idea what they will do when I begin working at ENA. I would love for them to follow me there, but it is a significantly further drive than what they are used to. Perhaps they will stay at Giant. I do not know, but I will continue to help her as much as I possibly can to ensure she has a good end to her season.

I'd love to hear some interesting stories with happy endings from all of you!

 

[gymisforeveryone]

Oh how lovely story! Something pretty similar happened to me too.

I used to coach in a different city 4 years ago, more than 300 km from here. I had one gymnast, let's call her Ava, that I really liked, one of the sweetest kids that I had ever had. I coached her for a few years but then I moved. When I moved the gym I left didn't really find a new coach that would have given much effort to coaching that particular group and most of the girls quit pretty soon after I left. Ava continued to do gymnastics but also her other sport, competitive swimming. She moved to the optionals, she was a strong girl and did very well until I left but then her progress slowed down and she got injured a few times.

Now her mother contacted me saying they are moving to the city where I'm currently coaching! Ava is already 14 or 15 years old and I have only seen her for a short amount of time at some competitions a few years ago. Her mother asked if we would have a group for her and I immediately said yes. She's been out of the sport for almost a year now but really wants to start again. I didn't even think about her current level or anything, I just want her in our club because she was and most probably is so sweet kid. She has also been coaching rec classes for some time now and wants to continue that too. I can't wait to have her here, they are moving here in a few months

 

[AlijahsMom]

We moved across the country from a gym we loved, to a new gym. My daughter was at the new gym for a few months when the coach asked to speak to me before class. She had absolutely nothing nice to say about my daughter, staying she “had no skills,” was not progressing, and was a “danger to the entire gym” and that she wanted to move her back to rec classes. Mind you, my daughter is 4, and she said all of this (and more) in front of her.

I hadn’t liked the coach from the beginning. I tried to explain my daughters learning disability to her, but she blew me off. And did so again when we had this talk. She even became condescending and patronized me, talking as if I have no clue what I’m talking about. Meanwhile, I coached martial arts to this specific age range for 15 years and have worked in multiple preschools/ day cares and also work in the early intervention field.

Immediately following the class, I called up their other school to switch. She was evaluated the next day and immediately put right back into the class she was in. A week later, I called to ask about privates (she’s always done privates since she began at 2 due to her learning disability) and received an email from the gym director and the JO coach asking for her to begin a specialized training class that is hand picked by the JO coach of pre schoolers that show promise towards become team gymnasts.

Spoke to the coach after the first specialized training class and even he agreed, that when they’re that young, it’s the coaches job to teach at a level the child can understand, not the other way around. I’ve always said what my daughter lacks in learning skills, she definitely makes up for in natural strength, flexibility and balance.