Question about a facility trying to be all things to everyone. . .

[Tumblequeensmom]

I just want opinions about a gymnastics facility branching out into other things... I'm going to try to be as general as possible, but here's the bottom line:

Gym facility is a few years old. In addition to trying to teach gymnastics (team, rec classes, TOPS, etc), they also run a day care/after school care program. They have recently undergone an expansion and now will be including an academic "school" to teach culture, language, etc. Just wondering how they will be able to maintain the focus on gymnastics training with the limited staff that they have. Has anyone ever done this before? To me, it seems like something has to give when they're trying to offer so many different programs.

Opinions?

 

[gym law mom]

I have seen gyms with an afterschool program for young kids and obviously there are gyms that do cheer and dance. I've never seen a gym that was offering academic programs too. Seems awkward and they would need seperate staffs to run each program. Doesn't make alot of sense to me.

 

[Muddlethru]

I think there are some elite gyms that home school their elite gymnasts. They have an in-house teacher that teaches the girls in between morning and late afternoon sessions. These are usually the gyms that have a few gymnasts in the elite level.

When you say this gym provides an "academic school", are they providing tutors to help their gymnasts with school/home work before practice? Or do they have an actual academic curriculum (such as the one being provided in school)? Or are they just offering an enrichment curriculum/program (one that provides a curriculum separate and different from the one at school, i.e., art classes, languages, etc.)?

I find this actually quite interesting and this gym could be providing a service that may be very useful, depending on what kind of academia they are providing. If managed properly, as in any other business, this does not mean their gymnastics focus and/or strength would be jeopardized. If you are concerned, you may try to find out what the true direction this gym is headed or what is their main focus. If not, you can just wait it out, time will tell.

 

[GymSurvivor]

My gym does dance and karate along with Gymnastics. But they are sort of a side focus and more kids who take dance or karate also take gymnastics or have siblings that take gymnastics at the gym.

I've never seen or heard of a sort of school curriculum with it. Is it to help out with the girls who do gymnastics or is it a whole separate thing?

 

[JBS]

We have a club by us that teaches Chinese culture and language as it is run by a Chinese coach and his family. It has not caught on as of yet. Actually, many of their clients have switched to our gym as they feel they are "spreading themselves too thin" and "losing focus".

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

I know many gyms who offer karate classes or dance classes and it's incorporated into the schedule so as to not conflict with a class or team training... this is an entirely different separate thing. It's going to be interesting to see how it all pans out... the current parents are not happy about it at all... they're paying for gymnastics training and they're afraid the owners/coaches will definitely be spread too thing to do anything well.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

in the current economy, gyms are trying to find any revenue streams they can to necessitate getting thru the 'dark days' we're in. i don't blame them...let's all hope that it's all over soon. it has been reported that near 100 clubs have already closed up in the last year. and others have combined and gone in to partnerships with each other at 1 location.

 

[JBS]

Agreed...times are tough. We are looking to start a T&T team. Many clubs also rent space to other programs. The after school care sounds like a great idea. Culture and language still leaves me a bit skeptical. Keep us posted.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

I agree that times are tough and I'm all for a gym promoting their gymnastics programs and other fitness programs as well. But, this isn't just an academic school (there are no certified teachers there anyway), it's a cultural/language center, sounds like the gym near JBS... We are all EXTREMELY skeptical... esp. since they're losing gymnasts to competing programs anyway.

 

[gymcoach26]

There is a gym near us that offers Karate, Wrestling, Tumbling, Swimming (summer time only), before and after school care, as well as a kindergarden program. I think the program is actually a montessori school and they take kids pretty young, but only through kindergarden age. They have been doing this for 20 years so I think they've managed pretty succefully.

 

[JBS]

I know many clubs that do many things very well. I also know many clubs that do gymnastics well and other things to a lower level. I also know a few clubs that tried to add too many things to keep their head above water...gulp. Where this club is at...I don't know.

I'm just saying that when I saw the ad about "cooking a wonton" at a gymnastics club...I didn't rush out and start a "how to grill a cheeseburger" class.

I am trying to start a T&T team. Am I doing it for financial reasons? Well...yes and no...I've always wanted to have a T&T team and everything I do at the gym is financial...it's a business.

I am also trying to add pizza to the gym. Frozen pizza that we cook in pizza ovens. I am not teaching people about the pizza...I'm selling it for a profit at open gyms and birthdays.

Like I said...keep us posted...I am very interested. If parents are talking, talk to the owners. Ask them questions...I'm sure they will be more than willing to let you know what their plan is. When I need help (especially starting a new program) the first people I always goto for help are my team parents. Our team parents understand that we are a business...they understand that other money making programs help their child.

 

[gymdog]

There are several gyms in this state that have branched out in preschool programs, academic classes, and in one case a private school that has been very successful.

Like anything, it depends on the management and the product offered.

 

[JBS]

There are several gyms in this state that have branched out in preschool programs, academic classes, and in one case a private school that has been very successful.

Like anything, it depends on the management and the product offered.

Exactly...a good example is the YMCA. I have been to many Y's that offer top notch programs...including gymnastics. I have also been to Y's that offer absolutely nothing of quality...but they have everything. The YMCA that we are currently located by is very top notch...my daughter has taken several programs there.

 

[JBS]

I should add...one of our facilities had day care for many years. It was very successful and it made us a good amount of money. However, we just rented the space to someone else. The day care has since moved out as they needed to expand...they built a brand new building. We now rent the space out to another company.

As gymdog said...it's all about the management.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Several of the gyms in our area have very successful preschool programs. They include gym time every day but are run completely separate from any of the gymnastics programs. There is even a gym with a pool. It seems to me that they do whatever makes sense and they have access to expertise in to make extra money. I figure that extra money probably goes to support my very expensive team program so hey, whatever works.

 

[emorymom]

If the gym is sitting empty during the school day, it makes sense to offer something out of the building then.

 

[gymjourneymom]

The old saying "Jack of all trades and master of none" comes to mind...

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

The old saying "Jack of all trades and master of none" comes to mind...

... that's exactly what I'm thinking. . .

 

[NGL780309]

... that's exactly what I'm thinking. . .

I don't really understand how the gym trying to do this other thing really impacts the gymnasts. It's not like your coaches would be teaching them at the same time right?DD's gym has many other activites and they are all covered by different people. They have a preschool/daycare, but it's during the day and is staffed seperately. The two really have nothing to do with each other except they are located in the same building. If DD's gym deciding to start teaching underwater basket weaving, I wouldn't care at all. Unless of course they were trying to teach it while also coaching my DD at the same time.

 

[10.0]

I don't really understand how the gym trying to do this other thing really impacts the gymnasts. It's not like your coaches would be teaching them at the same time right?QUOTE]


The starting the T&T team and this quote came to mind. I think it depends on who you are charging with these programs. Obviously a gym coach is not going to be teaching daycare at the same time but I have a relative that ran into an issue with her dd's T&T program, they offer both rec. and competitive her dd was competitive at a high level, but the gym began to focus less on it for competition and more for rec. and making money, but they did not tell anyone and tried to pass it off that they still had a highly competitive program. Her coaches were moved to coach gymnastics and new high school coaches with no interest or knowledge of T&T took their spots and now the program is a mess and is most likely not going to last. And to top it off the team gymnasts practice at the same time as team T&T and the T&T coach has left the T&Ters to their own devices around meet time for the gymnasts to go watch their routines, so basically she was coaching 2 things at once. My point is I think it is fine if you have the specialized staff to run the programs but not when you start shifting people around and sacrificing the quality of the programs you do offer.