Parents Getting Ready to Switch Gyms

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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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!
 
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!
 
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.
 
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
 
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!

I could have written this post! Our daughters must have had the same coach! And, we have had the same experience for sure. I commend the above poster for pulling her daughter out that very minute. I only wish I had been there to hear some of the demeaning comments that were said to my dd during practice. If so, we would have left sooner. Some coaches don't realize how impressionable these young girls are and their negative comments can be very damaging. It's true that people are afraid of change and it's very hard for gymnasts to leave their friends, but I believe that in some cases, change is best. I second the "go with your gut" advice.
 
Update

OK, well, it is final. My youngest's session is up Feb 29 and state for my oldest is on March 8-9. My youngest has all but 3 of the level 4 skills yet won't be allowed to compete next season at current gym, nor do they spend much time no those skills so it is detrimental for us to get her out of there sooner versus later. So, on monday she is going to go to the new gym and practice with their Level 3 team and see how she likes it. We anitcipate that she will love it (she asked me last week if she could go to ____'s gym instead of the one she is at now--she had a holiday party there at the beginning of Jan) so then on March 3 she will start at the new gym. With my older daughter, she is going to go to state competition on March 8-9 and will start at new gym March 10. She is very excited, even though she will be leaving many friends around.
The new coach is excited at the possibility that my younger dd may be ready thsi fall for L4 (based on skills I know she has and what she doesn't). He saw her at teh party but they didn't work much on actual skills as most there weren't gymnasts. My older dd he knows and is familiar with her and her abilities. I dont' know if she will repeat L4 again or go to L5 next year, that depends on the skills she gets between now and then but there is a good chance she would repeat at current gym since she is getting 34s at the meets.
Anyway, i jsut wanted to update. Our plan is to pull 6 you out and jsut tell them she isn't coming back for the next session and then once both are pulled letting them know that we are going to a new gym and why. As sad as it is, I am not certain that if we tell them before what would happen. As crazy as it has been, I wouldn't put it past the owner to say see ya and not let her compete with them for state. Thanks for all the support!!
 
I am glad you have found a new place for the girls that seems to be a good fit. Good luck to your DD in states.
 
Good wishes to both girls at their new gym. With the end of the season being so close, I would just let the older dd finish the year and have her state meet and then tell her coach and teammates that she just needs to make a change and she'll be seeing them at meets come fall. Sometimes the less said the better. If she has a few close friends make sure she can keep in touch with them. I know some parents or kids feel you're a "traitor" because you go to another gym, but hopefully some maturity of parents will prevail.

One note regarding changing gyms. While my gymmie desperately needed out of her previous gym, it is different everywhere you go. She found the conditioning was different, had to get used to different coaching styles, perfect some skills she had never really worked on much and get to know her new teammates. Its a fun and exciting time, but can also be a little stressful with the new gym routine etc. If any of this comes up(and it probably will), just reassure them that in a month or so, it will seem like they've been at this gym forever.
 
Good luck with it all, it sounds like you have made a good desicion for the girls and a great desicion to keep it quiet about what you are doing until your older one is done. Even if the gym do allow her to compete they may treat her differently if they know she is going and start to plant doubts in her head.

Keep us posted on how the girls are settling into their new gym.
 
Thanks!!

There are many parents frustrated with our current gym for the same reasons as us. I know of one other pulling her daughter out of pre-team and putting her in cheer after being told she may be in Level 2 another year to pass everything (8 skills left). This girl has been in L2 for 6 months and there are like 30-45 skills total. I have had conversations with about 6 other parents that were really unhappy and possibly thinking about looking else where. I have kept my mouth shut though, I feel like each family needs to make thier own decision separately and I am sure if a few knew we were leaving they would look into the gym we will be going to (only other one in town). New gym has a small team, owner likes it that way, and he is prepared that he may be getting phone calls once we leave.
 
Kathy, it sounds like you have made a good decision. I recently switched my dd from one location of our gym to another that is further away. I know it is not quite the same thing, but I felt compelled to do it because the girls were not getting the conditioning they need and were not working on new skills. I think kids need to work ahead (it has the added benefit of keeping them from getting bored) and it is fine to move them up when they still need a couple of skills. Mostly likely they will get them in time. We have been told that my dd will go to Level 5 next year even though right now she still doesn't have her kip. They believe that she will get it and she has everything else she needs. Anyway, best of luck to your girls at the new gym!

Meg
 
we switched in july.. it was the best decision. we are all sooo happy at the new gym. i would never go back to our old one now.
 

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