Hi all,
Going through some issues at current gym. We've been there since the beginning but we had a major coaching change that has been both positive and negative. The positive is every girl in our gym has gotten stronger and cleaner. The entire coaching staff has taken a major step backwards and dialed in on basics and form and it's really paid off in competition. We swept the podium last year, in all levels.
The negative, however, is that my kids are BORED, and frequently complaining that gym is not as fun. My ODD is training optionals this year, but she is the youngest in a mixed Optional level group. She comes home often saying how the HC is super strict and is serious all the time. That they can never make mistakes without getting chewed out, etc. That HC rarely says "good job" etc, and instead always finds something else they are doing wrong. She also says that they are working very, very basic drills 80% of the time and she's bored because that's all they ever do (since about last year). I know drills and basics are amazing but I can see the passion slowly coming out of her eyes....and she fights be about coming to practice and wanting to stay and play outside with her friends (which I used to NEVER get any resistance from her).
She still loves the sport and mentions that she's excited about competing, but I just think the new HC has taken away all FUN from practice. She's still very young (grade school), and she's in a group with high-schoolers. I think HC does not know how to differentiate coaching styles between age/maturity...or at least that's how it seems.
Maybe that's just what happens when you move to an Optional group?? How does your gym balance being fun while still also being strict?
Going through some issues at current gym. We've been there since the beginning but we had a major coaching change that has been both positive and negative. The positive is every girl in our gym has gotten stronger and cleaner. The entire coaching staff has taken a major step backwards and dialed in on basics and form and it's really paid off in competition. We swept the podium last year, in all levels.
The negative, however, is that my kids are BORED, and frequently complaining that gym is not as fun. My ODD is training optionals this year, but she is the youngest in a mixed Optional level group. She comes home often saying how the HC is super strict and is serious all the time. That they can never make mistakes without getting chewed out, etc. That HC rarely says "good job" etc, and instead always finds something else they are doing wrong. She also says that they are working very, very basic drills 80% of the time and she's bored because that's all they ever do (since about last year). I know drills and basics are amazing but I can see the passion slowly coming out of her eyes....and she fights be about coming to practice and wanting to stay and play outside with her friends (which I used to NEVER get any resistance from her).
She still loves the sport and mentions that she's excited about competing, but I just think the new HC has taken away all FUN from practice. She's still very young (grade school), and she's in a group with high-schoolers. I think HC does not know how to differentiate coaching styles between age/maturity...or at least that's how it seems.
Maybe that's just what happens when you move to an Optional group?? How does your gym balance being fun while still also being strict?