WAG Some news on Geddert himself - suspended

[John]

Oh the stories I could tell.... it really is unbelievable to coach a child for 7-10 years and then they leave and bad mouth you. It really is heart breaking at times ....

P, when a girl leaves your gym on good terms or bad have they ever returned to say hello? My DD will not step foot in her old gym, we left on good terms, we left IGC for USAG. It worries me that she will not go in and say hello to old friends both coaches and team members?

 

[sce]

Oh the stories I could tell.... it really is unbelievable to coach a child for 7-10 years and then they leave and bad mouth you. It really is heart breaking at times ....

That is tough. I know coaches pour a lot into kids. With both my Dd who quit and my son who switched gyms we made an effort to show appreciation to those who worked with them.

I have seen situations where a kid is struggling and the kid and parent solely blame the coaches. In the end the kid leaves or quits and are very negative about the coach and gym. My ds was espnsadddnned when long-time teammates did not even say goodbye.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

P, when a girl leaves your gym on good terms or bad have they ever returned to say hello? My DD will not step foot in her old gym, we left on good terms, we left IGC for USAG. It worries me that she will not go in and say hello to old friends both coaches and team members?

Yes all the time . I even got a weird hug from a parent who totally bad mouthed me when they left... I was like ... really? But whatever we all have to live together on this planet , so I guess I will just take it....

 

[sce]

P, when a girl leaves your gym on good terms or bad have they ever returned to say hello? My DD will not step foot in her old gym, we left on good terms, we left IGC for USAG. It worries me that she will not go in and say hello to old friends both coaches and team members?

My ds is the same way. Left on good terms. Sister still takes a circus class there, he will not go back.

 

[John]

@sce does it worry you that he will not return?

 

[sce]

@sce does it worry you that he will not return?

We have processed it a lot. I think for now it makes sense. While he left good coach relationships the overall gym situation was not all positive and he needs to just be away from there.

 

[John]

@sce thanks for your perspective.

 

[MILgymFAM]

P, when a girl leaves your gym on good terms or bad have they ever returned to say hello? My DD will not step foot in her old gym, we left on good terms, we left IGC for USAG. It worries me that she will not go in and say hello to old friends both coaches and team members?

I don’t get that, honestly. Every gym we’ve left on good terms- all but one per kid- my girls would happily visit with the old coaches- we’ve even gone out of our way to make time for that.

 

[strawberries]

In my experience, most kids just feel awkward around old teammates and coaches. They are the most nervous about meets with them, or running into them at a host hotel. They are almost always excited though to see a girl/boy who has left their program though. No animosity there and they love watching them compete. My sense is it has to do with not being part of a group any more, and feeling out of place? Just a guess.

 

[Ali'sMom]

P, when a girl leaves your gym on good terms or bad have they ever returned to say hello? My DD will not step foot in her old gym, we left on good terms, we left IGC for USAG. It worries me that she will not go in and say hello to old friends both coaches and team members?

Has she said why she won't go back? Does she feel she hurt them? Does she now feel maybe she's better than them? (I don't recall how old your daughter is - so PLEASE do not take offense to that!!!). Does she worry they will look at her like she's a traitor?

My daughter left on good terms, and still connects with her old teammates, and goes to open gym when she gets a chance. She hugs all of her coaches when she sees them. We even just drove 3 hours last weekend to watch 3 teammates compete If she wouldn't go back ever, I'd just ask if maybe she wasn't as close to the friends as maybe you thought she was, and she just finds no reason to keep in touch?

 

[Aussie_coach]

I would take any public review site with a grain of salt. It is someone's opinion, and their option will be coloured with emotion. Like ofthers have said people who didn't make Team and left, people asked to leave gyms because their children behaved poorly or they didn't pay their bills, kids who were not allowed to attempt advanced skills because they lacked the nessesary strength to make it safe, kids who got annoyed because their friends moved to a higher level and they didn't. All of these people love to make bad reviews.

I would also be very, very against any site that gave people access to information about a coaches history, except for those who have in fact had their allegations proven and have been banned. If a coach is suspended pending an abuse accusation, that should not be free public information until such time as those allegations are proven. These days it is very easy for an unhappy gymnast or family to call abuse, and true or not it can ruin a Coaches livlihood. It happens to school teachers, especially male school teachers.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I wouldn't worry too much about a gymnast not wanting to return, after leaving a gym, even if they left on good terms. Sometimes the desicions is very hard and it can hurt a little to walk back into that environment and pine for a time they really enjoyed themselves there.

 

[sce]

I wouldn't worry too much about a gymnast not wanting to return, after leaving a gym, even if they left on good terms. Sometimes the desicions is very hard and it can hurt a little to walk back into that environment and pine for a time they really enjoyed themselves there.

It is bittersweet for sure

 

[Aussie_coach]

I think one of the big problems we have in gymnastics is not just the culture in these abusive gyms, but also the culture in the seemingly non abusive gyms.

Talking to a few kids last night who attended other gyms previously, or had siblings or friends who have. It seems like it is very common to put gymnastics before the welfare of the child, even in quite mild environments.

 

[e'smum]

Oh the stories I could tell.... it really is unbelievable to coach a child for 7-10 years and then they leave and bad mouth you. It really is heart breaking at times ....

and then there are the opposite stories. where kids leave and the coaches bad mouth the kids and families.... or, where they bad mouth the kids STILL in the gym.... plotting to move them over to xcel in an effort to get them out of the gym. honestly it can be like really bad middle school behavior at times...

 

[John]

She just turned 11 on this month. She is quiet and I think many here offered things I never thought about. These comments here I think have given me room for more thought

I wouldn't worry too much about a gymnast not wanting to return, after leaving a gym, even if they left on good terms. Sometimes the desicions is very hard and it can hurt a little to walk back into that environment and pine for a time they really enjoyed themselves there.

In my experience, most kids just feel awkward around old teammates and coaches. They are the most nervous about meets with them, or running into them at a host hotel. They are almost always excited though to see a girl/boy who has left their program though. No animosity there and they love watching them compete. My sense is it has to do with not being part of a group any more, and feeling out of place? Just a guess.

She loves to compete against old teammates. But the being part of the group I think is spot on.

She talks to the girls outside the gym and in text messages. She has waited in the parking lot for one of her besties but wouldn't go in. She has run across an old coach at the mall and they had a huge hug. I feel better that it isn't something so unusual.

 

[Midwestmommy]

I think some gyms need to take an honest look in the mirror.

Have you perpetuated an environment of disdain by coaches toward parents? Do you care about each and every kid and each and every customer, or only your “superstars”?

I’m going to challenge the premise of the most recent posts in one way—why the heck would you want to wait until you lose customers to get their feedback? Every job I’ve worked in the last 15 years, we survey our customers for anonymous feedback annually. Is it a little uncomfortable, sure. Do you get some screwball answers sometimes? Yes. However you always learn something.

Where else do customers pay $400 plus a month, trust you for many hours with their kids, and generally get ignored if not shown disdain as parents? That environment is dangerous.

How about detailed surveys soliciting specific constructive feedback? Know what?? Most parents care less about Susie being level X than they do about you caring about the well being of their kid and respecting them as parents and paying customers.

I’ve been around long enough to know that how a message is delivered is much more important than what the message is in terms of the reaction you get. And many gymnastics coaches and owners stink at communicating with parents and delivering messages in a positive way. Ask your customers and listen to what they say, if you do care. If you don’t care, well you might be part of the problem.

 

[bookworm]

Not to beat a dead horse, but is CB looking into ridding itself of the nauseating Doc Ali ad I have to see every time I click on here? Her behavior was reprehensible and any support for her , especially on a gymnastics site where some members knew/are victims, should be gone...

 

[Ali'sMom]

She just turned 11 on this month. She is quiet and I think many here offered things I never thought about. These comments here I think have given me room for more thought

She loves to compete against old teammates. But the being part of the group I think is spot on.

She talks to the girls outside the gym and in text messages. She has waited in the parking lot for one of her besties but wouldn't go in. She has run across an old coach at the mall and they had a huge hug. I feel better that it isn't something so unusual.

That all sounds totally normal. Text is so hard to interpret sometimes. I pictured her flat-out refusing to have contact. This description sounds extremely normal

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Not to beat a dead horse, but is CB looking into ridding itself of the nauseating Doc Ali ad I have to see every time I click on here? Her behavior was reprehensible and any support for her , especially on a gymnastics site where some members knew/are victims, should be gone...

I know Ali and I actually agree with you on this one.... she screwed up bad