Parents Coaching

[zesty]

What are the top gyms in the US for elite hopefuls?

 

[JBS]

I guess I'll start...in no order...

Aerial
GAGE
Gym-Max
Chow's
Geddert's
Texas Dreams
WOGA
SCEGA
Brestyan's
AOGC
CGA
Parkette's
TCT
IGI

There are a few. Just depends on if they want to or not.

 

[txgymfan]

The best gym is where the coaches have a history of success and an athlete/ child feels safe and comfortable. Assuming that, there seems to be a recent "changing of the guard" in US elite gyms in the past quad or so. Success seems to be spread out over more and more gyms in the past few years. That said the current top gyms seem to be ( in no order) Gage, Geddarts, WOGA, AOGC, Texas Dreams, Chows, Gym-Max, Brestyans, Cincinati,

 

[txgymfan]

Merged theads, you were asking the same question using different words.

Take JBS's list over mine, I am just a fan that reads the internet and goes by what I see on video and read. Note, just because a gym has a reputation as the "best" it does not make it the "best" for every athlete or family. I would never send a child of mine to some of the places listed on the list simply based on reputation.

 

[zesty]

Thanks, do you have any experience with these gyms?

 

[zesty]

Gym Info

Does anyone have any experience with these gyms (on team level) for elite hopefuls?

Aerial
GAGE
Gym-Max
Chow's
Geddert's
Texas Dreams
WOGA
SCEGA
Brestyan's
AOGC
CGA
Parkette's
TCT
IGI



Thanks

 

[txgymfan]

Merged again, this is one topic about the best elite gyms in the US.

 

[JBS]

Does anyone have any experience with these gyms (on team level) for elite hopefuls?

Aerial
GAGE
Gym-Max
Chow's
Geddert's
Texas Dreams
WOGA
SCEGA
Brestyan's
AOGC
CGA
Parkette's
TCT
IGI



Thanks

What are you looking for an elite club for? There are more elite clubs...the obvious choice would be an elite club that is putting elites out there on a regular basis.

 

[zesty]

Which ones are doing that?

 

[JBS]

Merged theads, you were asking the same question using different words.

Take JBS's list over mine, I am just a fan that reads the internet and goes by what I see on video and read. Note, just because a gym has a reputation as the "best" it does not make it the "best" for every athlete or family. I would never send a child of mine to some of the places listed on the list simply based on reputation.

Your list is a good list...I'm surprised nobody else has added anymore yet.

 

[JessLW]

The question is too broad really. Are you looking for your own child or just curious? If this is more than a hypothetical question, then give the experts here more to work with and they'll give you a better answer. For instance, what level is the child now? There's really no need to go searching for an elite gym for a 7 year level 4, especially if there are no elite gyms in your area, but if you've got a 10 year old level 9, that's something else. Does location matter? Luckily there are good gyms capable of producing elites all over the country these days, and a lot of the gyms mentioned in this thread are on opposite coasts. What about coaching? What style suits your kid -- does he/she need positive motivation, or would he/she thrive under someone who is more of a taskmaster type?

I don't really think there is a "best" elite gym these days. Many gyms are capable of producing successful elites. Chow has had Olympic gold medalists two quads straight. WOGA is, well, WOGA. Texas Dreams has some promising juniors. Geddert took Jordyn Wieber all the way to the top, she's never switched gyms. Parkettes has been around forever. GAGE is pretty old school too and seems to always have a couple of girls on the national squad. There are some lesser known gyms too that have excellent coaches and probably could produce an elite gymnast if they had someone with the talent. And by the same token, some gyms with excellent coaching have no interest in the elite program.

I'm not one of the experts but there are certainly people on this board who could help you if they knew what you were looking for and why.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I think part of why some of these gyms are successful is because they are selective in who they will even allow to train as an elite. Also the ability to develop a working relationship between the coach and athlete (and parent) is another big factor.

 

[sglemon]

Parkettes have some wonderful TOPS videos on YouTube, CNN did a piece on them a few years ago. Anyways, a good friend of mine, has some experience there, but it is 20 years old. She came from a small gym level 10 in NJ. She was top dog, got all the attention, admiration, etc... She transferred over to Parkettes and was expected to go elite. She totally broke down and quit a year later. She went from being the best to one of the worst, because the talent pool was very big. Also there was always emphasis on size. She developed an eating disorder. Emotionally it was one of the hardest things she ever faced, and she couldn't handle it. There is a huge emotional component at that level of training you need to take into consideration.

On the flip side, one of the gym owners in our area was also an elite gymnasts at Parkettes. She had an extremely positive experience.

 

[ThaBigCheese]

I'll ask this question simply out of curiousity. Is it extremely rare or semi-normal for a gym that is not known for it's elite program to take an exceptional athlete to elite? Or does that exceptional athlete look to (or guided to) the more established elite coaches in the game?

 

[Faith]

I'll ask this question simply out of curiousity. Is it extremely rare or semi-normal for a gym that is not known for it's elite program to take an exceptional athlete to elite? Or does that exceptional athlete look to (or guided to) the more established elite coaches in the game?

My own feeling on this is that any gym with good coaching can produce an elite given an exceptional gymnast. However, to go from making elite, to winning elite competitions, is a different ball game. A sole elite in a club will have no training partners, others to egg her on, struggle for elite moves along side. It helps to see others gain that skill, so you can see its not impossible.

Which is why I think elite gymnasts gravitate to clubs which already have elite gymnasts. In the uk, for example, training at Liverpool must be like being permanently at a national training camp.

 

[wallinbl]

I'll ask this question simply out of curiousity. Is it extremely rare or semi-normal for a gym that is not known for it's elite program to take an exceptional athlete to elite? Or does that exceptional athlete look to (or guided to) the more established elite coaches in the game?

Around here, the two gyms that produce at a high level also recruit heavily, so the good athletes tend to eventually migrate to them after being told repeatedly about the greener pastures.

 

[txgymfan]

It can and does happen. Just because a gym has never had an elite does not mean it can't get someone there. Look at Chow, Shawn wanted to go elite and now he has had two gymnasts earn medals. However, he hadto be willing to put in the effort with her.

 

[gymgal]

I'll ask this question simply out of curiousity. Is it extremely rare or semi-normal for a gym that is not known for it's elite program to take an exceptional athlete to elite? Or does that exceptional athlete look to (or guided to) the more established elite coaches in the game?

It's rare but I'm sure it happens from time to time. My guess is that most coaches won't want devote to time and energy it takes to become familiar with the code of points and learning to teach/spot the skills needed. Especially if it is only for one girl. That's a lot to take on! And then think about travel/meet expenses, particularly if you are not in an area that hosts elite qualifiers/meets. And lets face it - while team is a money-loser, having only 1 or 2 elites in your gym is a money vacuum, going the opposite way you want it to. Too many coach hours spent on just a couple of girls...There's a reason why the elite gyms have the bigger programs with more girls...

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Most elite gymnasts come from gyms where the head coach owns the gym.

 

[gymgal]

Most elite gymnasts come from gyms where the head coach owns the gym.

Isn't this the case in about 90% of the gyms anyway? HC's owning the gym, I mean... It is in our neck of the woods