Parents Which gym?

[MrsE]

DD joined a rec programme at a local sports centre last year and after advice from on here we put her name down for a few local clubs.
Two have contacted us with places on their rec programmes but we don't know which to go for if either.
The old gym's does beginner rec, intermediate rec and advanced rec.
DD's now in the advanced rec, if she stays with the current place they are starting BG awards from next term and the advanced group are starting on award 3.
One of the new clubs does BG awards and the day and time offered would be perfect but they have said DD will have to start in the beginner rec class for 7 year olds and start with badge 8.
The other club is a little further away and time not as ideal. This club doesn't do BG awards and said DD would be in a mixed rec class but have said if she is keen and meets certain skills there may be other classes available.
As I type DD's got her mat out trying to master her front limber and front walkover and making routines up

 

[Noideaaboutgym]

Can you try both and then decide? Most places will allow a couple of trial sessions before committing so you can get a feel for which you both prefer.

 

[MrsE]

Unfortunately they both want us to pay DD to secure the place and don't have funds to do both alongside all other activities.

 

[momnipotent]

If her current gym is adding award 3 and she will be moving into that program, and either other gym will require her to go backwards, why not just keep her at the current gym?

 

[Taxidriver]

Depending on the gym and the child the first few BG awards can be progressed through very quickly, my dd completed 8-3 in I think 6 months.
I wouldn’t avoid going to a particular gym just because they want her to start at badge 8, they may want to check that she knows the basics and that she is learning skills correctly.
I think you are moving in the hope of her competing in the future? And because the current gym is based in a sports centre so not a dedicated gym and I’m assuming the one you are moving to does have a competive team, in my experience these two different types of gyms have very different approaches to teaching gym with the sports centre teaching lots of different skills where as the other focusing more on learning skills correctly.
Out of which of the two new gyms to chose well that all depends on what you want and without knowing the 2 gyms it is very hard to say, I know at my dd gym is an elite gym that is very selective and only competes at high level so many girls wouldn’t be selected at our gym could compete at a different gym at a lower level.

 

[MrsE]

Hi momnipotenent the advanced rec time is not suiting other commitments and being in the sports centre they have only got the one advanced rec class and only really teach floor and vault skills and basic beam skills (walking, jumps and rolls, DD does cartwheels and handstands at home and wants to learn more on beam and potentially try bars)
Hi Taxidriver, didn't realise the BG awards could be done so quickly, one of DD's friends goes to a dance school that offers gymnastics and they only take one badge every 3/4 months. Where another goes it's every other term is a badge term and the terms are 10 weeks.
The club offering a place within the badge 8 class have said roughly every term they are entered for a badge but I don't know if that means a badge will be achieved every term.
Yes DD would like to compete, I don't know if this is something she will ever be able to do as parents with no gym knowledge we don't know if she is any good. Both gym clubs have competitive teams but it appears they both operate slightly different from what I can gather ie badge 8 beginner class for 7 year old. The other gym mixed age and mixed ability rec class.
Taxidriver I think I understand what you are saying re possible different teaching methods. In the current class she is learning limbers and walkovers and spotted handsprings but a friend who goes to another local gym that follows the BG awards are not learning anything other than rolls.
I'm not too bothered about awards as we don't have awards at ours yet and DD loves it without the motivation of a certificate but OH says re the one offering a place in beginner and badge 8 class that DD will get bored if she is back to learning rolls and not allowed to try limbers and walkovers.
Without seeming pushy to either of these two if we were to accept one of the places how do I express that DD wants to learn and is hightly motivated to do well and constantly practices until she gets it right?

 

[Taxidriver]

Hi Taxidriver, didn't realise the BG awards could be done so quickly, one of DD's friends goes to a dance school that offers gymnastics and they only take one badge every 3/4 months. Where another goes it's every other term is a badge term and the terms are 10 weeks.

It really depends on the gym and the child, at my dd gym in rec the can work towards their BG award each week, if I remember correctly you have to be able to do 8?different moves to get each award (it was a few years ago), and the first few she completed in under a month each (I think they saw her talent from early on so progressed her faster than most). She had completed BG awards 8-1 by the time she was 5 1/2 so not the norm.
However I do know of other gyms who only test once a term so everywhere is different.
Also as you say BG awards aren’t everything.

It’s really hard to say what is the best move for her, if she wants to compete it really depends on what form she has with the moves she has learnt whether she needs to go back to basics, I know we have had kids join the team with advanced moves but because of either poor form or wrong hand placements have had to go back to basics. (I also know kids who haven’t got through trials to join team despite having advanced moves as form was so poor) also as you say they mainly focus on floor and vault she needs the basics on bars and beam.

Someone else suggesting you try both but you said you don’t have the funds, competitive gym is expensive I pay £150 per month in gym fees that doesn’t include the club leotard (£150) club warm up (£60) competition fees, grips, chalk etc the list goes on!

If she wants to compete and you think you can fund and support it I think you need to ask the gyms that you have been offered a rec class how are team kids selected, what are the chances of her making team, could they assess her chances during a rec class? Also just if she doesn’t fit one gyms standard for team she might fit another.
Have you looked at these gyms in person?

 

[MrsE]

Hi Taxidriver,

Thanks for the reply.

I think I understand what you are saying re form. Not having done gymnastics I don't know if her form is correct all I know is that the head coach in the rec class must have progressed her from beginners, to intermediate to advanced for some reason?
Most who started with DD are still in beginners or intermediate and DD is one of the youngest in the advanced class
The reference of hand placements is quite interesting as I watched DD's class last week and I noticed that they seemed to be focusing on placement of hands with the cartwheel and walkovers. Sadly your reference of hand placements makes me realise DD may have to give up one of her activities she loves as it's got elements of gymnastics in but when I've occasionally watched I've noticed that the moves look sloppy so if she does want to try and progress with gymnastics then it my be better not to do this activity now :-(
We don't have the funds to try both at the same time ontop of all DD's other activities and staying with the current gym whilst DD tries another.
If she got to do more hours at new gym with a view to competing then the funds for this would be available as DD would drop some of her activities and I've already said to OH I would take on an additonal day at work if and when the time comes and if I needed to. She's just started doing dance competitions and I'm tracking this in my spreadsheet (bookeeper so I have an habit of tracking things) so I can see how much extra costs are involved in activities outside of fees.

Not looked at them but have found something out about one of them today that if a place is still available I think it will make our decision easier to make.

 

[Taxidriver]

Not having done gymnastics I don't know if her form is correct all I know is that the head coach in the rec class must have progressed her from beginners, to intermediate to advanced for some reason?
Most who started with DD are still in beginners or intermediate and DD is one of the youngest in the advanced class
The reference of hand placements is quite interesting as I watched DD's class last week and I noticed that they seemed to be focusing on placement of hands with the cartwheel and walkovers.

I don’t have a gymnastics background prior to my dd starting so what sometimes looks good to me isn’t with the correct technique or hand placing. I just have learnt from watching them being corrected and spending ages mastering a round off with the correct form etc.
I don’t know what other activity you think she might need to give up but I personally would let it be her choice otherwise she might resent it especially if she loves the other activity.
I would go have a look at the gym you are considering and watch part of a rec class from the viewing room and see what the gym is like.

 

[MrsE]

Well we have signed up to the gym without the BG awards and start next week. The other place had gone.
Not sure now if this is the right gym because we have been told DD will be in the beginner rec class and they wont tell me what she needs to be able to do to get to advanced rec. I did say she was advanced rec at current class but the person on the phone just said everyone starts at beginner level. I tried to find out if the skills required to progress are similiar to the current place but I was just told it is down to the coach when a rec student moves from beginner to intermediate etc and no set skill set.
The way the payments worked out we have paid until the end of May so might aswell go along and see how it goes.

 

[MrsE]

Just a little update. DD went last week and isn't happy with me at the moment because she says the class was boring.
Apparently it was boring because they were rolling down wedges whereas in current class they do rolls on floors.
Also she was frustrated because in current class after warm ups they practice what I call floor routines (not sure if thats correct description) but they will all line in a lane then the coach will give them a list of moves to do to the end.
She says she doesnt want to go this week and would rather stay in the current class where she is learning exciting things ( I assume this to mean based on the last two weeks she means, limbers, walkovers and flips and handsprings on vault as new place only allowed them to straddle on this week)
Today at home she mastered the front walkover without support (only been able to limber until this morning)
I've told her we have paid until the end of May so might aswell go every week until then and things may improve.

 

[MrsE]

Well this week they let them go on the high beam and bars which DD loved and now it's me unsure because again on floor its was basic rolls handstands and cartwheels whereas the intermediate class which was going on at the same time were doing one handed cartwheels, round offs, handstands bridges and kickout. DD says she missed learning "basic floor routines" and walkovers but could go every week to just go on the bars.

Help, lost what to do.

She wants to compete but there is no chance at the sports centre although someone mentioned they have a link with a local club whatever that means??

New club the excitement of bars but back to basics on floor and vault.

We are debating whether to do both temporary as she does want to give up swimming which would free time and funds up. Thoughts on attending both for a while?

 

[raenndrops]

Well this week they let them go on the high beam and bars which DD loved and now it's me unsure because again on floor its was basic rolls handstands and cartwheels whereas the intermediate class which was going on at the same time were doing one handed cartwheels, round offs, handstands bridges and kickout. DD says she missed learning "basic floor routines" and walkovers but could go every week to just go on the bars.

Help, lost what to do.

She wants to compete but there is no chance at the sports centre although someone mentioned they have a link with a local club whatever that means??

New club the excitement of bars but back to basics on floor and vault.

We are debating whether to do both temporary as she does want to give up swimming which would free time and funds up. Thoughts on attending both for a while?

go for it for 1 session (a month or however long a session lasts). Then re-evaluate.

 

[MrsE]

Just a little update we are stopping at both for a while as they seem to teach slightly different.
However just a little question does beginner recreational usually have children in who have never done gymnastics before to those who have done a little bit but appear to be struggling to those that can do handstands, cartwheel, limbers etc etc.

 

[Taxidriver]

Just a little update we are stopping at both for a while as they seem to teach slightly different.
However just a little question does beginner recreational usually have children in who have never done gymnastics before to those who have done a little bit but appear to be struggling to those that can do handstands, cartwheel, limbers etc etc.

It varies from gym to gym what they would class as beginners rec. often you will get a range of abilities within a group

 

[MrsE]

Thanks again Taxi.
It's just that with gym 1 where DD is in advanced rec we (me and dad) can see a clear difference between beginner, intermediate and advance children and can see why when DD got moved up each time.
Whereas gym 2 she's been put in beginners and we were just trying to figure out why she's been put in a group in particular with children who have never had a gymnastics lesson before joining this club?
Is it just differences between clubs/lessons again and something we will find to be different if we were to move again?

 

[Taxidriver]

I can’t honestly answer that question for you, all I can say is that every gym seems to be different.
I get the impression you’re not very happy with the new club.

 

[MrsE]

I can’t honestly answer that question for you, all I can say is that every gym seems to be different.
I get the impression you’re not very happy with the new club.

We actually like both places and can see the benefit of both classes it just left us wondering why beginners at club 2 ranged from a child never doing gymnastics before, to some with a couple of years or more of gymnastics and with such a range what may be needed to move up.

 

[Taxidriver]

We actually like both places and can see the benefit of both classes it just left us wondering why beginners at club 2 ranged from a child never doing gymnastics before, to some with a couple of years or more of gymnastics and with such a range what may be needed to move up.

Do you know what other classes they offer? Could the other classes be currently full so kids are staying in beginners? Those that are in beginner class and have been doing gym for a few years are they new to this club? (If so they might like to assess and ensure they have the basics before moving up) there are so many different possible reasons it’s hard to speculate the reasons.