Gym Drama on it's way

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C

cher062

Ok today was an interesting day. If you live through reading this god bless you.

A bit of history - we have a new girls coach that started in June to replace a coach who left (she moved to CA). she is a coach qualified to teach through elite. The current HC is only qualified to go to L8. Well after 2 months it seems the 2 coaches can't see eye to eye on how things should be. The old HC feels threatened by new coach and she should feel that way because then new coach is just SOOOOOO much better.

Well over the past 3 months my DD comes home from practice with little statements like HC is always mad at me, why doesn't HC like me etc. Now almost nothing phases my DD and she usually doesn't let things bother her - she is very easy going. So I figured I would stay a little longer at drop off and arrive a little earlier to pick up to see what was going. Did this for the past month and HC just yells and screams negative corrections at the girls (this isn't what she did over the past year)and I do get the feeling that my DD isn't a favorite of hers by any stretch of the imagination. No wonder my DD is feeling like she is the worst gymnast ever.

Over this past season (jan - Apr) I have felt my DD was being slighted and I have had several parents approach me and say they felt my DD wasn't being treated fairly either. So I know it's just not a mom's view. I kept quiet up until now hoping that things might change. When we started the summer practice the L 6 - 8 all practice together but some how when they divide my DD and another girl about the same skill level as my DD up she is always with the L6 girls practicing the L6 skills. When I tried to approach the HC on this to ask how is my DD going to get the L7 skills if she isn't practicing them I get the "I know what Im doing" speech. She is very unapproachable. 2 weeks ago I did talk to the new coach on these issues hoping that I wouldn't need to go to the owner on this and that the coaches could fix things, but no luck there. Seems HC just feels so threatened by the knowledge the new coach bring to the gym that she is having a hard time adjusting to the new coach and merging ideas on how to coach etc.

So today I get the owner aside and have a very private talk with him about this. And he informs me that I'm not the first to come to him on this and some of the girls who have left the gym left for this same reason. After a 20 min discussion on my concerns owner informs me that over the next few weeks the HC will only do the Pre teams and L 4 and L5 - the L 6 and up girls will now be run by the New coach I'm thinking YIPPEE!!!! He tells me that the HC doesn't know this is coming yet and none of the other parents know this either as the decision to do this was just made last Friday. He asked If I would keep this quiet in the gym and there will be an announcement made sometime over the next 2 weeks. They have to figure out which of the other team coaches are going to move up to the upper level team. This new coach my daughter just adores and the coach seems to have really clicked with my DD as well so hopefully she can build her self confidence up before she has her first meet.

It's going to be a very dramatic 2 weeks I think and I wouldn't be surprised if HC doesn't just leave when this comes down.

LOL maybe this is where Make It or Break It is getting all of it's drama from ( oh no wait there are no drugs, eating disorders or sex in this drama so guess not LOL:D)

We have done a couple of privates with this new coach and boy I like what I see ALOT!!! This coach is going to be fabulous for these optional level girls!!!!
 
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That sounds great! I was worried about where this post was going, but very happy for your DD about the outcome! I can't say I've had a very similar situation, but I totally get how you're feeling. Good luck!
 
Best wishes for a drama free 2 weeks! I'm glad that the end result will be a very positive thing for your dd.
 
It sounds like you're well on your way to a solution! I'm sorry to hear your daughter's had to deal with the bad attitude for so long.

Good luck with the new changes!
 
UPDATE:

Well it didn't take 2 weeks. I would say the owner spoke with the HC today. The entire team got an e-mail to announce the "Team Coaching Re-assignments".

the old HC I would say has been demoted. The new coach is doing all the other levels from L6 - L8 (if we had higher levels she would be doing all of those too) with an assistant coach if she needs it (currently only 12 girls total at those levels). The owner is going to do the L4 and Pre Teams with assistant coaches. Boy that is going to make things I think better for the team but I think there will be some drama with the old coach yet. She is doing rec classes, the Hot shots and L5 only.
 
We had a very similar situation last year, where the new HC was threatened by a new coach. She ended up making her coach begginers:(good luck in your hectic weeks:D
 
Yea good luck!! This sorta thing happened at my gym old gym except a little different. I had to leave my old gym though.
 
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Good luck with the new coach! Hoping your DD regains her confidence quickly :)
 
Oh this sounds like it will have a happy ending!! Can't wait to hear the ending once the news comes out. Think the old HC will quit over it??
 
So glad everything worked out for the best! There is just so much drama in this sport! We had a similar situation happen last year.... then an elite level coach stepped in when DD's coach abandoned them in the middle of a meet last January. Unfortunately this coach only works w/them on beam now.... the owner can't seem to let the coaches do their thing by themselves... oh well. DD is happy there.

Let us know how your daughter does now that she has a coach to back her up!
 
Glad to hear that your DD is on the winning end of this drama! Also, it is best that the owner acted quickly to make the necessary changes! Best of luck and I hope the dust settles around your gym quickly!!
 
Well drop off today was interesting.

those of us parents on the not favorite list were delighted this AM to see the change in place and the 3 parents of the favorite gymnasts hadn't seen the e-mail from the night before and were flabergasted!!! Saying things like "You could have knocked me over with a feather, I can't believe they would demote such a good coach etc" of course they are unhappy because over the last few months the new coach was working more with the non favored kids and connected more with those kids.

Don't know if they are going to stay at this point with the new coach in place because now they don't have the coaches ear like those of us parents who have the non favored kids have.

What a change in the practice today too. The "gym princesses" wern't princesses today everyone was treated the same with the same attention (about time) Of course for kids like mine they felt like they got more attention. My DD came home all smiles, happy and got her giant on strap bar without assistance or a spotter. Tomorrow she is going to start practicing it on the regular bar. Its amazing how you can get a L7 skill when you are actually allowed to do it!!

Well most of the rest of the team parents are really happy along with their daughters. Definitly a change for the better from my point of view.
 
you know, you said he asked you to keep it quiet. today is wednesday and i don't know if this has taken place.

i know what gym you're from. and for the rest of you, keep this in mind when you post stuff.


okay, and i read further down post. glad everything worked out.
 
We had a kind of similiar situation this year, with DD's coach just not liking her. I also wondered if it was just DD being overly sensitive and it was just the coach's way of talking to them all, until other parents told me their daughters thought my daughter was being picked on by the coach.

I tried to talk to someone at the gym about it, but didn't get anywhere, so I pulled her out and enrolled DD in another gym - and I can't believe the change in her!! She is so much happier now it's like she's a new person.

Having a coach with the right attitude is so important!!
 

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