UGH!!! this is long a huge VENT and my DD is upset

[MdGymMom01]

I, too, am also glad that you are taking care of this and letting the bank handle it now. Now the gym has to answer to the bank and it is out of your hands so to speak. Hang in there...things will eventually work out.

 

[cher062]

2nd Tryout

Well last night was the 2nd tryout and it went very well. They too loved her and the skills she could bring to the team. The owner/coach had nothing but words of praise for her ability and skills. The team girls are very nice and even came up to me during their break to say that really liked my daughter and that though her giants were awsome and she is really a good gymnast. She got along with the girls very well. The Owner said she would be more than welcome to join their optional team.

This one is about the same distance as the 1st one but instead of going east it is west of our home.

Not sure if I would pick this one over the first one. The cost, time in the gym etc are basicly the same the 2nd gym is a much smaller facility than the 1st one and the 2nd one had a feeling of being a little too easygoingness,

We have one more to go this Sat to make a comparison and make a decision but the1st one is still at the top of my list.

 

[Granny Smith]

When you are there for these tryouts try to talk to the parents of other team girls if they are there because I would think for the most part all the gyms would welcome her but you would probably experience a "honeymoon" period before all true colors shine through. See how the coaches are with the other girls who have been there for a while.

 

[cher062]

When you are there for these tryouts try to talk to the parents of other team girls if they are there because I would think for the most part all the gyms would welcome her but you would probably experience a "honeymoon" period before all true colors shine through. See how the coaches are with the other girls who have been there for a while.

Thanks. Yes I have spoken with the parents that were in the "holding area" (yes that is the viewing area LOL) I am trying to pick a time when there are rec classes and other team levels training too so I can see how they are with those areas as well and how they work with rec and team programs going on at the same time.

The parents I spoke with at each facility have been very friendly and gave me details of their booster clubs (something we don't have at our current gym) They also told me their stories of how they came to choose the facility they are at.

 

[Ingwe]

I am glad that her "tryouts" at the new gyms are going so well. You are going to have a hard decision to make

 

[NOG]

so glad that all is going great with the try-outs! It's a wonderful thing to be validated and know that the old gym was wrong

I'd also be careful of taking your dd back to old gym for any practices. I know that you wanted to let her go back next friday, but I think that another poster was correct in worrying about whether taking her back for ANY practice would interfere with getting your money back. Tread lightly there!

Good luck at the next try-out and with making your and dds decision

 

[imagymparent]

sorry to hear you are struggling

Gymnastics is a marathon, and any coach who gives a child "2 weeks to improve" isnt a very good coach, they are interested in winning, and nothing else. I hope your daughter finds a gym she is comfortable with, with her friends. My daughter is 13, and has been at the same gym since she was 2 as well, and though its hard to move, you dont deserve the treatment you are getting from the coaches, let us know how this works out

 

[gymnut1]

Sounds like you are on top of everything as best you can - you are checking out gyms and that is going well, you have said your stuff to current gym, you have put action in place to get money back and you are trying to protect son a little (he is only 18 very young still). I think you have handled everything brilliantly! Cheers all round for you. Hang in there I think you are doing just brilliant!

 

[cher062]

gym 3 tryout

Ok just got back from the gym 3 tryout. Once again they loved her. Thought she would make a great addition to the team and before we decide they want her to come to one team practice to see if she likes the girls and how a practice is run. I did ask about PrepOp (Just in case we end up doing that program) and they said with her skills and ability there is no way they would recommend her to do PrepOp unless she wanted to do it. They said her form was great, her lines very graceful and she makes correction easily. Very coachable kid. They would be more than happy to have her. We explained that we do have a few gyms we are trying and will hopefully have a decision some time next week.

it was a great try out

After the try out I asked DD what she though and if she would choose one gym over another. She said Gym 2 would be out. She liked it but not as much as Gym 1 and 3. She is having a hard time choosing between gym 1 and 3 (I like gym 1 slightly better than gym 3). so she is making a list of what she liked at both gyms and what she didn't like at both gyms.
and we will hopefully make a decision soon.

Boy its such a relief to know that the old gym coaches opinion of dd is just so different than every other gym that has seen her. 3 gyms now have said basicly the opposite of her current gym. That to me says alot and tells me we are doing the right thing getting out of there.

 

[MdGymMom01]

Cher062--I am so glad that you are having great try-outs and great options to choose from!! Keep us posted on your decision!

 

[Mag_7_Fan96]

Great!!

I know she'll be happier with whichever gym she chooses. How's it going on the money end? Would going to the last practice interfere with getting your money back?

Good luck!!

 

[cathiann]

So happy to read these updates!! I knew from the beginning her old coach was an idiot to say she couldn't make it in level 7--sounds like the other gyms can see the same thing. Really makes her confidence go up, doesn't it? Good luck making the decision!

Oh--and glad you pursued with the bank getting your deposit back. They should NOT be keeping it since they kicked her off the team! I'm shocked they would even argue about it!

 

[NOG]

so glad that all 3 try-outs went so well! DD sounds very level headed and is approaching the decision making process in a terrific way. You know that she can always ask to practice with the team for a day at each of her top 2 choices. It might help to see which group of girls she clicks with better.

Good luck in the decision making Always better to have too many choices as opposed to too few

 

[gymluvr33]

I'm so glad the try-outs are going well. I really hope you are happy at whatever gym you choose to go to.

 

[mariposa]

I would check with the 2 gyms she likes and see if you could pay some partial payment (Maybe figure out what tuition ends up per day and offer that?) for a week tryout at each gym so she could really get a feel for the gym? Not sure if they do that, but maybe it would be something to ask about. Good luck! So glad things are going well for her!!!

 

[gymster]

My family was in a very similar situation a couple of years ago, and a dear friend of mine, who has been in the sport for a long time gave me the best advise yet. He reminded me it was not about me or my happiness It is all about what she wants. Naturally, we do not want our children to be passed over for opportunities when we feel they are not being given the best chance to succeed. that is what makes us good parents. However, your gymnast willl let you know what path to take. About 6 months after my disscussion my gymnast hit a wall and said she never wanted to go back to the gym again. To complicate things I had a son on a team there and my husband's best friends was one of the owners. However, we had been talking with him for several months about these issues. When she shut down she left for the betterment of everyone. However, my son stayed. We did our best to maintain the relationships we never said anything bad about the gym or the management, Really how could we if we still had a child there? What would we be saying about ourselves as parents if we did, besides after all it was not about us it was about her. About two years later the opportunity presented its self for her to return. Not your typical scenario as many times gymnast never return to a gym after they leave. but she did and even to the same team and primary coach. which is also rare! The transition proved to be very good for her. I am not going to say any of it was easy but life is complicated and Gymnastics more than any sport in the world helps our children to face life's challenges realistically. In otherwords it not only teaches them gymnastics skills but also life skills. So what ever you guys do remember it is more about the smile on her face than the medal around her neck cause without the smile the medals are very hard to come by.

 

[taximom]

Cher
I'm thrilled that the tryouts have gone so well! You have handled this whole scenario with wisdom I'm sure you and your daughter will make the best choice!

 

[gym law mom]

I'm so glad to read that all the tryouts have gone well. Its also positive that you can eliminate 1 gym from the running and look critically at the other 2. I have to say I did like Gym 3 recommending dd come in to work with the team to see how she liked a typical day of practice. You can do all the private tryouts and things may seem great, but in the end its the day to day workouts and relationship with the coaches.

I would let her go back to each gym for a team practice and see how she feels after that. That would give you more time to get information on team expenses, how many meets, travel out of state(I know that was an issue for you), booster club expectations etc.

Sure glad you decided to make the change.

 

[cher062]

The Decision

Well it really ended up being a hard decision. Each gym had it's pros and cons. We were down to the first and the last gym we tried. and have been the last 3 days trying to see which would fit her best. In the end either gym would have worked for her program wise. In the end I told her either gym would be good and now she has to choose between either.

We sat down and made a list of the things she wants in her gym, coach, program and teammates. I was surprized by some of the things she came up with.

In the end she decided on .............................








With a beaming smile The first gym!!!

She liked the fact that the gymnasts were part of the decision making process for their individual goals and when they go to practice stations the coach and gymnast together decide on the skills they want to work on. that was a big selling point for me too.

She also liked that the gym space itself was larger than the 3rd gym. She said she didn't feel like she was dismounting on to any one.

She thought the 1st gym was cleaner than the 3rd (I would have to agree but I wouldn't say the 3rd gym was filthy) and she wants to work where she doesn't feel like she is walking in dirt.

Lastly all the gyms we went to all the L7 girls were around her age 12 - 14 instead of her being the granny gymnast - she is now one of the younger optional girls - She really likes that and she likes the fact that there are up to L10 girls in the optional program that are in High School. Our old gym only had up to L8 and only 1 girl at that level until this year where there might be now 3 L8 girls.

So we have called all the gyms she tried out for and let them know our decision and all the gyms we didn't pick still offered her a spot if the current gym doesn't work out. ALL said she was a very tallented girl and any team would benifit from her being part of their team. They wished us good luck in our decision and again said if things don't work out they would definitly have a spot for her on their team.

GOD I feel great - like a huge weight has been lifted!! She picked the team I was hoping she would go for and I felt was the best fit for her. And the more time passes I wish we would have done this alot sooner - like 3 years ago whenthe first wave of coaches left the team.

DD is a little sad this week knowing she will be gone from her old gym I am letting her go on Friday to say good bye and practice one last time with her teammates. DD is crafty and has crocheted bun covers for all the girls to go with the competion leo.

She is also very excited to start at a new gym where she seemed to fit right in at the tryouts and there are actually 2 girls that are there she knows from our old gym. They moved there about 3 years ago so there will be some familure faces for her.

 

[MdGymMom01]

Congrats on the decision--sometimes the actual making of the decision is the hardest. The best of luck to you guys and keep us posted on your new venture!!!