Why don't you voice your concerns at the gym?

[NOG]

We're really good on the communication at our gym (especially compared to other stories). We have yearly parent/HC conferences at the end of the summer. This where the HC will go over what skills your dd has gotten over the summer, what level they feel she should be competing, what their plan is for dd basically. If a parent has a question at any other time of the year, they can freely either ask the coaches during a free time, or email the HC with any questions or concerns. All important info (meet schedules, practice schedules, any changes to practice times) goes out to the parents via email. They are pretty open and very easy to talk to at our gym. If a parent is complaining that they don't know x, y,z or have a question about A, b or c - I always say - "just ask" or drop the HC an email.

 

[LizzieLac]

When I was reading about the desire for progress reports I thought, "very hard to manage for a gym without a big coaching staff." I know this can be done, but it is hard when the coaches need to be on the floor coaching. I have one DD at the gym and she in MY focus. A gym with 4 coaches might have 35 girls for them to focus on - the numbers are not in their favor!

That being said, of course, I would love a progress report. So, when I want to know how something is going, I ask. I know it is going to be hard for the coaches to come to me, so I take that responsibility on myself.

Also, I believe this parent/coach discussions don't need to go badly. I try to do very little "statement making" and ask lots of questions. I ask for clarification when something doesn't make sense. I ask why, I ask how, and I ask what if. But I do it with respect.

I don't think my gym is the best at communication, but I am happy with all of the communciation I have with them. At least 50% is my responsibility, IMO.

 

[10.0]

I would love a yearly one on one with the coach telling me the plans for the year, my kids strengths and weaknesses and if there is anything they have observed about my kid that I should know about in terms of fears, stress or disinterest.

I would love to know the required skills for move up (not an issue at our gym.)

I would like to know sooner when the meets are, sometimes you can find out on the net faster.

I would like to know what the rules are, written down. PLease don't change them or make them up just for one kid.

I would love a progress report with my childs goals on it and where she is in terms of attaining those goals.

Evaluations and move ups seem to get the most air time here, so I guess those are areas worth paying particular attention to.

THanks for asking such a good question.

Wow I just realized something kind of bad after reading your post Bog, a lot of those things are totally realistic (knowing when meets are, where your child is goal wise.) but some of them are not and the bad thing is they should be, but like your quote gymnastics is not equal or fair. I have had experience with several gyms in my life, as a gymnast and coaching and I can't think of a single one who has uniform rules for everyone. It is such a strange business that I see a lot of exceptions made and they are not right, such as Well so and so is coaches kid so even though she doesn't have a kip she gets to move onto level 5. Or So and so's Mom threatned to pull her if we don't move her up so we will. Or this kid has this issue so we allow her special privlidges that the other kids don't get. And the rules differ, some of that is due to the parents, well if my kid misbehaves call me and she is out for the night and I will deal with her as opposed to my kid mis behaves because she has some behavior problem and she has to have a snack and re join class. I don't know I guess the issue is a lot harder than it seems on the surface. And with each child's and parents goal being so different it is hard to make uniform rules, for example some gyms may only offer a competitive program but still attract kids who just want to have fun, those kids may not get all the skills for the next level to compete but may be really bored if left at that level to perfect them. I guess the problem would be much easier to solve if everyone was on the same page and gyms stepped up as well to be fair and not make exceptions even if that meant losing some business.

 

[triptwister]

Just drop your wallets in the wallet box and in 12 years or less you can have your kid and wallet back. We'll contact you any time your wallet needs attention. In the mean time (pun) please feel free to consult our comptroller with any concerns about your child.

 

[Bobby]

Just drop your wallets in the wallet box and in 12 years or less you can have your kid and wallet back. We'll contact you any time your wallet needs attention. In the mean time (pun) please feel free to consult our comptroller with any concerns about your child.

My head hurts from laughing!!!!

 

[Bobby]

Can I add to Bog's list that I'd love PRE-PLANNED (knowing the month) parent coach interviews - and I'd settle for twice per year. That's the way schools do it - and it works so well because you can defer a great many questions/concerns for a while, and anticipate many of the others - but this only works when there's a rock solid plan to have discussion time at some reasonably specific time in the future.

 

[gymnut1]

When I was reading about the desire for progress reports I thought, "very hard to manage for a gym without a big coaching staff." I know this can be done, but it is hard when the coaches need to be on the floor coaching.

QUOTE]

why do you think this is hard to manage. I am a teacher i write 30 reports every year. Shock horror we don't do this while we are in the classroom teaching , we do it at home. Coaches could so easily do the same. It would require effort and planning thats all.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Just drop your wallets in the wallet box and in 12 years or less you can have your kid and wallet back. We'll contact you any time your wallet needs attention. In the mean time (pun) please feel free to consult our comptroller with any concerns about your child.

i spit coffee on my screen...hahahaha...lol

 

[LizzieLac]

Gymnut, I hear what you are saying and I also said it is very hard to manage, but not impossible.

Re: your example of teachers. Teachers have a principal, maybe an assistant principal, a superintendent of schools, a board of ed, and basically an administration that handles the "business" side of schools.

I guess I was looking at my gym and even my daughter's swim team (which actually was better at the communication and status repoprt thing). But at our gym the head coach is the owner. He has to deal with all of the "business side" of gymnastics. We have a very lean coaching staff which also teaches the rec classes, but yet it is a very good program. What we sacrifice is more direct, consistent communication. That doesn't mean there isn't any. The coaches talk to parents on a daily basis as things happen in the gym (struggles, aches and pains, etc.) but regular status reports on all of the girls would really be difficult for our small staff.

However, they make up for this by being VERY approachable, willing to listen and talk to parents, and being open and honest. The parents just have to approach them a lot of the time. And I am ok with that...

 

[gymdog]

why do you think this is hard to manage. I am a teacher i write 30 reports every year. Shock horror we don't do this while we are in the classroom teaching , we do it at home. Coaches could so easily do the same. It would require effort and planning thats all.

I'm not opposed to doing this, however I'm paid hourly (so I'm only paid to work during the hours I'm coaching). Most teachers are salaried. It's not my only responsibility. I'm also in school full-time. It would take me several unpaid hours each time to do something like that. I'd do it if I was getting paid, but I already put in significant amounts of unpaid time setting up, cleaning up, and planning practices.

 

[flipper's fan]

Communication is a two way street. If you don't ask the gym for what you want, the gym will not be reading your mind. It is also a complicated process, and it is important to frame things in a way that is conducive to getting the business done.

I have seen owners and coaches who non verbally and verbally give the message that parents don't need to know anything, need not ask, and are just getting too overinvolved.

I have seen parents who are overinvolved, demanding, and do not know what they are complaining about. I have heard about parents who never give the coach a compliment, threaten to take their child elsewhere, and I've been told by our owner and coach that parents have threatened to sue them or hurt their business if their child doesn't qualify for states or get a medal.

So, try to ask succinctly and neutrally for what you want, give a compliment every once in awhile when deserved, be clear about your intentions to make things work for your family with the gym rather than threatening to go elsewhere, help keep gossip in check, and I bet, in most cases you will find that the coaches and owners want to talk to you.

 

[NGL780309]

When something really bothers me I will speak up. Otherwise I just like to vent and then I feel better. It's sort of like being in a romantic relationship; you complain about the deal breakers to your mare and everything else you whine about to your girlfriends on the phone and then move on.

I am a bit perplexed lately. I see a lot of posts from angry/frustrated parents on CB complaining about everything imaginable that their gym does. What ever happened with going straight to the source? I can easily tell from most of these posts that the parent has not even though about approaching the coach, head coach or gym owner? And why? You pay good money for this, you are a customer and your concerns should be heard and dealt with. If you went to your favorite grocery store and all the sudden the food was moldy and the store was unclean and the cashiers were rude would you go on the internet and ask others what to do about the situation or would you talk with the person in charge of the store? I mean there is nothing wrong with venting or asking advice but please talk to your gym. I have been on all sides of it, a coach, a gymnast and a parent. From the coach perspective we want you to talk to us! I know we don't always seem approachable, a lot of coaches teach class after class and don't have time to chit chat in the hall but you can always ask for a time to talk. And I hated nothing more than teaching a class that I thought went terrific, going out and having every parent say thanks and good job with Sally today and then getting to hear from my boss, Sally's Mom pulled her because she said your class was unorganized. What? Really? Why didn't she ever talk to anybody? I do think gyms need to be more informative to parents but communication has to go both ways. You have to keep in mind that your child is special and you surely deserve to know anything you need to know about him/her and what’s going on but the gym may have 300 kids and owners worrying about putting on meets and coaches worrying about training for meets and things get lost in the mix. Use your voices and speak up, you just might be surprised at how much easier it makes the gym journey when you do!

 

[CreateMagic]

Very true! You must be a wonderful coach - very insightful. As I said "A coach can not coach effectively if they don't know what is going on with a kid". The more you know about a kid/family the better you can coach them. If the the family dog died that morning, you should know that so that as a coach you know what's in the girls head. .

Thanks I just really love what I do, both in teaching the actual skills and working with the kids. I'm a teacher in "real life" too.