This is a repost, because I couldn't find the "edit" key on post #16. I had a critical error occur, and my computer shut down--I didn't even know it had posted. I needed to separate the quotes from my answers. (Quotes now in bold) Sorry, i'd delete #16 post if I could.
Ohhhh, so much I could say, but I won't ......
Somehow they have even gone back to one gym twice. Not sure how that works?
I've seen that at my dd's gym, it's the owner being nice or extenuating circumstances.
Parents. Have you gym hopped? If so how many times and why? Have you ever been told that your child needs to repeat and then left? If you have gym hopped, do you believe it was beneficial to your child and their advancement in the sport?
No, been at the same gym for 8 years. We've have 3 different owners, though, so it was kind of like hopping--new coaching styles, new coaches, trying out new ways of running things. But we stuck it out and it worked out.
To all. DO gym hoppers get talked about in the back rooms, either in the viewing area or in the coaches room? Is this talked about at meets? Do clubs all know who the hoppers are in their region? DO you watch out for them?
OH YEAH!!! Everyone knows who they are and they get talked about by everyone. (Maybe I shouldn't say that, but its true.) And at meets, everyone seem to know that "xx is here! Who's she with now? I thought she was at **? No, she's at $$ now. Why?" etc.
Lastly, and most importantly, what do you think the effect on the child will be?
Inconsistency in training, missed foundational skills, resentment from the other gymnasts in the area, never feeling like she belongs, can she make friends? Why? she'll be gone soon anyway.
THis is just a topic open for discussion, I was totally floored this morning and want to know if this hopping is normal, it just doesn't happen here and I cannot imagine that any child can adapt to so many changes without huge mental issues.
We've had this in our area and our gym. I know one girl (age 9) who is at her 9th gym in 3 years; another (age 12) on her 6th in 1 1/2 years; another (age 12) on her 4th in 3 years--3rd in a year; another (age 10) who jumped to ours--stayed 6 months--jumped to another for 3 months and is now out of the sport. I could go on, but you get it.
We also had an influx of gymnasts for 2 years in a row from another gym in the area, but most of them are still with us or quit altogether. It was good for us! Yes, most of the moves above occurred when the child was going to have to repeat a level. A couple were for a move, and one was because she just thought our gym/coaches didn't know what they were doing. And they all get talked about, a lot. And it is always "poor child." Our gym has done well in compulsories under our latest owner, since everything has stabilized, and our optionals are doing very well. Last year we had 9 state champions, 11 regional qualifiers, and 2 regional champions. We have a small gym (about 75 girls levels 2-10), but we do pretty well. We aren't the dominators at every meet, but we do have a gymnast competing at an NCAA Div 1 school right now. So we must be doing something right. But some parents think they know best and want their child to be the star and are willing to pay whatever or move wherever, or drive however far to get their kid to the top. Some of our best gymnasts repeated a level and now they are the best ones at their current level. So I don't understand it. I enjoy continuity and feeling like I belong, and our gym is like a family, so I will never understand it.
Ohhhh, so much I could say, but I won't ......
Somehow they have even gone back to one gym twice. Not sure how that works?
I've seen that at my dd's gym, it's the owner being nice or extenuating circumstances.
Parents. Have you gym hopped? If so how many times and why? Have you ever been told that your child needs to repeat and then left? If you have gym hopped, do you believe it was beneficial to your child and their advancement in the sport?
No, been at the same gym for 8 years. We've have 3 different owners, though, so it was kind of like hopping--new coaching styles, new coaches, trying out new ways of running things. But we stuck it out and it worked out.
To all. DO gym hoppers get talked about in the back rooms, either in the viewing area or in the coaches room? Is this talked about at meets? Do clubs all know who the hoppers are in their region? DO you watch out for them?
OH YEAH!!! Everyone knows who they are and they get talked about by everyone. (Maybe I shouldn't say that, but its true.) And at meets, everyone seem to know that "xx is here! Who's she with now? I thought she was at **? No, she's at $$ now. Why?" etc.
Lastly, and most importantly, what do you think the effect on the child will be?
Inconsistency in training, missed foundational skills, resentment from the other gymnasts in the area, never feeling like she belongs, can she make friends? Why? she'll be gone soon anyway.
THis is just a topic open for discussion, I was totally floored this morning and want to know if this hopping is normal, it just doesn't happen here and I cannot imagine that any child can adapt to so many changes without huge mental issues.
We've had this in our area and our gym. I know one girl (age 9) who is at her 9th gym in 3 years; another (age 12) on her 6th in 1 1/2 years; another (age 12) on her 4th in 3 years--3rd in a year; another (age 10) who jumped to ours--stayed 6 months--jumped to another for 3 months and is now out of the sport. I could go on, but you get it.
We also had an influx of gymnasts for 2 years in a row from another gym in the area, but most of them are still with us or quit altogether. It was good for us! Yes, most of the moves above occurred when the child was going to have to repeat a level. A couple were for a move, and one was because she just thought our gym/coaches didn't know what they were doing. And they all get talked about, a lot. And it is always "poor child." Our gym has done well in compulsories under our latest owner, since everything has stabilized, and our optionals are doing very well. Last year we had 9 state champions, 11 regional qualifiers, and 2 regional champions. We have a small gym (about 75 girls levels 2-10), but we do pretty well. We aren't the dominators at every meet, but we do have a gymnast competing at an NCAA Div 1 school right now. So we must be doing something right. But some parents think they know best and want their child to be the star and are willing to pay whatever or move wherever, or drive however far to get their kid to the top. Some of our best gymnasts repeated a level and now they are the best ones at their current level. So I don't understand it. I enjoy continuity and feeling like I belong, and our gym is like a family, so I will never understand it.