WAG Orlando Gym advise

[Kate E]

Hi everyone,

We are from the UK & coming on holiday to Orlando for 3 weeks in August. My DD who is 7 trains 9.5hrs a week at home & she will have a basic conditioning programme set to bring with her to do daily, but being an Orlando holiday we will be out from rope drop to park closing most days! I've told her gym this & offered to take her to a few sessions at a gym on pool & waterpark days (she is sooooo excited to go & train in an American gym) & her gym owner recommended Metro Orlando gymnastics.
I've spoken to them today & they used to let kids on holiday join in with their teams or have 121's but the owner has changed their policy & no longer allows this.
DD is in a high performance gym on the elite track & 3 weeks is far too long for her to not train at all (I booked the holiday before she moved to her current squad) & she will be missing 10 sessions but I have 5 times I can squeeze a session in for her at an Orlando gym during our holiday and I'd really appreciate any advice on a gym that is around the same elk & would be willing to offer her 121's or to join their team for 5 sessions. Thanks for reading xx

 

[munchkin3]

Florida has some great gyms in that area. You can try ACE and Lakewood Ranch......If you dont mind driving, you can check out La Fleurs in tampa.....
But I think you will find that many gyms may not want to have any visiting athletes because they are in the middle of their competitive season. You might get the more 'fun' approach than anything of real consequence.....

personal opinion*****take it or leave it****

This also makes me ask, why would you want her to even see a gym while she is on vacation? Other than doing it for pure fun, but i personally would avoid 'training' while on vacation.....
I have found that when we do not discuss gymnastics while on vacation, my DD misses it more and cant wait to go back. She has gone to open gym before while visiting relatives but its been mostly for fun......Not to mention, she would get much needed rest for her body if she is on the elite path.......
i promise, she wont be behind for long after a 3 week break.....

 

[Kate E]

Oh I'd much prefer to not have to drive her to a gym and take time out of our long awaited holiday. If it was a 2 week beach week like our usual summer holiday, the programme they give her is not a problem to follow but a theme park holiday means there is no time (bar on Waterpark and resort days) to do the programme as we are out very early and back very late.

Gym allows 2 weeks holiday a year, we are doing one over that and DD wants to go to an American gym after the amount of things she's seen on you tube. She's also missing ballet and modern and swimming but gym she really doesn't want to miss ...her reaction when I told her she'd be way for 10 sessions whilst on holiday was not a happy one. She Loves Gym more than Mickey!

The amount of conditioning they do in her 9.5 hours she will lose strength for sure if she's not doing something to compensate, which is what her coach is concerned with, she doesn't want her to do skills in case of injury and she does not want her going to open gym as we don't really understand what it entails but she does want her to do strength and flexibility and as DD loves it so much I see no harm in incorporating into our holiday 4 or 5 of the 24 days.

Thank you for those gym names, I shall give them a call and see if they are willing to offer her anything. Tampa is too far for the odd hour but thank you for that too.

 

[munchkin3]

There is also Orlando Gymnastics.

 

[eucoach]

She is 7.

As the coach of an obviously gifted 7-year-old I would be bummed she will miss 1 week of practice (you are only over the "allowed" vacation time by 1 week really) but it won't matter in the long run AT ALL.

She has a conditioning plan.....let her do that (if she wants to) on days it is possible and enjoy the holiday.

 

[Kate E]

Her gym is really strict and picky .. Kids have been backtracked for having a few sessions off Ill. I'm not going to stress over it though I can at least say I tried, but DD is very disappointed.
Ace have said they will let her join their team or I can book her 121's to call back in June when they have their August schedule.... The girl I spoke to was really helpful.

 

[munchkin3]

Just focus on fun......sending her to practice while away on vacation is a hotbutton issue......
its much easier to say,
'Hi! we are visiting from another country and my DD wanted to burn some energy off at a different gym. Can she come by and maybe practice with the L5s?'

or whatever......

When calling up a gym and mentioning 'elite track', and 'must practice while away', etc will not be very welcomed.......however a foreign L7 might be very interesting to meet!

Besides, you are already going away on vacation......tell your gym that she will be fulfilling whatever they want......then go have some fun!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

She is 7.

As the coach of an obviously gifted 7-year-old I would be bummed she will miss 1 week of practice (you are only over the "allowed" vacation time by 1 week really) but it won't matter in the long run AT ALL.

She has a conditioning plan.....let her do that (if she wants to) on days it is possible and enjoy the holiday.

This she is 7.

Go enjoy vacation. Condition. Be done with it.

3 weeks will not make or break her gymnastics career. No matter what your gym says.

 

[profmom]

Just to provide an alternative perspective, we've often taken longish summer vacations in the same place, and our two very much enjoy attending practices at a gym out there. They like seeing how different coaches do things and getting the chance to try some new drills, or occasionally learn some new skills. I wouldn't take them if they didn't demand to go, but it is part of the fun of traveling for them. Will it matter in the long run? No, not at all. But if the gym is your kid's happy place and it's not too inconvenient or disruptive to the rest of the family to allow your child to spend part of her vacation time in her happy place, then I see no reason to be dogmatic about it.

It also occurs to me that a strict rule of "no gym during vacation" kinda frames gym as work, doesn't it?

 

[gymcoach1]

Seven is way to young to be worried about missing gymnastics. And my sister trained there over the summer during a trip but is a level 10.... so I guess they must've changed their rules recently....

 

[Kate E]

I'm not worried peeps so step down.
SHE LOVES gym & would be at hers every day if they let her, she chooses gym type activities in school, she chooses gym style party's, she does gym wherever there is space for her to do it. She does not want to miss 10 sessions & go back weaker than her team mates, her coaches also don't want that.
Going to gym for her is not a chore it's pure enjoyment & will not have any negative effect on her holiday one little bit but add to it (me on the other hand would rather be sat by the pool on those down days)
I was not asking for advice on if I should take her to gym I was asking for advice on gyms that may take out of towners for a few sessions so thank you to those kind people that have given me some suggestions by PM & on here & for the suggestion of approaching it differently. Xx

 

[MeetDirector]

Kate E. -

You know your daughter best - if you want to do this, more power to you. After all, you do need a break from Disney on occasion. Hopefully you will find a gym that will let your daughter get a taste of US training. Good Luck and safe travels.

 

[GymDad9.9]

Lakewood Ranch is a great club but not located near Orlando. It is in Bradenton south of Tampa.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I do understand the passion of a kid wanting to try out what gym is like in another country! Don't have anything to add about gyms in Orlando, but wanted to add a few "translations" that might help when speaking to gyms in the states. You use the word "sessions", gyms in the states would use this term to describe a longer set of classes, usually around 2 or 3 months. What you call sessions would be more commonly referred to here as practices. When you call up or email a gym ask if your daughter can join their team for a few practices during your vacation.(mention how long you will be here and are coming from across the pond) And I am assuming 121's are private lessons(often shortened to "privates" here)? Most gyms offer these and if you are able to schedule one, after they meet you and your daughter, they may be willing to let her come back and join their team for some practices.

 

[GymDad9.9]

A few more clubs to consider are Legacy Gymnastics, Brandy Johnson Gymnastics, Brown's Gymnastics, Dinamo Brown's Gymnastics. I believe all are in the general Orlando Metro area. Bear in mind traffic along Orlando highways can be difficult at certain times of day so a 15 mile drive could take you an hour.

 

[Kate E]

Thank you everyone - some great help here. Ace have said she can join their team or do privates and I'm waiting to hear back from DDs gym owner on his thoughts as he's the one who said Metro. I have the others noted down now (with the speak translation ) and if others agree to let her join in I will be selecting the one easiest and quickest to get to taking traffic into consideration.

 

[munchkin3]

What level out of curiosity?

 

[Kate E]

I have absolutely no idea as our gym does not share that with us minion parents...school want to put her on the talented register (she's on the gifted for her academic ability that the school judged) and I'm waiting for a letter from gym to give to them and that has to include her level so I may know if school share it with me afterwards. Her gym doesn't compete the girls on the elite track until age 10 at level 3 they get them as technically perfect as they can first so when/if she gets to there I'll know!

 

[munchkin3]

If she is 7 and training at least level 5 or 6 un the USA, which would mean BHS on beam, BHS BT on floor, training Giants then she will be Ok at any good gym....ACE, Legacy, dinamos are all very good.......Orlando metro is too big and they have no reason to do this. Unles she was already L10 or so.....
Anyway, good luck! I would go with smaller.....

 

[Faith]

Early elite years in the UK, especially at clubs like I suspect the O/p is at, is conditioning, more conditioning, body shapes, and more conditioning. The o/ps DD is unlikely to be doing any big skills, except maybe on bars- but it will only be single bar, and probably strap bar work. And some more conditioning. The basics will be drilled and drilled until perfect, then the skills come rapidly from there. They'll be doing handstands, getting 180 split leaps, working on range.

Honestly though, at her age, and if she's elite track, I'd give her (and you!) the break now while you still can. Look for activities that will keep her conditioning up- cycling, rock climbing, swimming- even flume pools are great because she'll be up and down stairs all day, lots of walking, jumping, playgrounds, monkey bars. It'll all add up, give her a different work out, a psychological break, and a physical break from the repetitive training of gymnastics. My DD is 11 now and I try to give her several proper breaks per year- two weeks at christmas, two in the summer at least. No training, no thinking about training, and they do go back better for it. One of our seniors had a month out recently, and has just come back and medalled at an elite comp.