For Parents Thoughts on Visiting Gyms for Training While Out of Town

[SupportingHerDreams]

My daughter will be going to visit her dad for about two weeks this summer. I plan to ask her coach about this but was curious to hear your thoughts.
My daughter struggles with anxiety and gymnastics is her comfort. These visits are always tough on her so I wonder if having the opportunity to get in a gym would be helpful.

 

[BusyMomof2]

I see this question frequently on a Facebook group I'm part of, so it seems like a common enough request. I personally would not want to ferry my kid around to a gym while I'm on vacation unless there was a really good reason for it. In your case, it sounds like it might be a good idea to support your daughter.

 

[katrid11]

What does the Dad think? make sure you are both on board before inquiring on gym options during a 2 week stay with Dad.

If gymnastics is helpful in anxious times, I don't see why one wouldn't go 1 or 2 times BUT only if Dad is on board. You could inadvertently add more stress to the 2 week visit by trying to create a comfort. yet at the same time it may create a good chance for Dad to see child in action in "her spot".

 

[gymgal]

In addition to what others have mentioned about Dad above, also consider whether a new gym environment would settle her or raise anxiety even more. My dd never would have wanted to visit new gyms, work with new coaches when she was younger.

 

[Aussie_coach]

How would her current gym feel about this? Many gyms have rules for their team kids, stating they are not to train in another gym.

I have this rule, the rec kids can do it. But team kids are not allowed to do any outside training in anything like gymnastics, trampoline, diving, Acro dance, cheer etc.

I’ve just seen too many dodgy places where they allow kid’s to just throw skills they are not ready for, High injury rates etc.

 

[ldw4mlo]

Really thats between her, her father and her coaches.

Our coaches prefer kids just condition while not in gym. Mine would run with her Dad and he would go through her sets with her. Then she would come to the hotel gyms with us when old enough.

 

[Leo7]

I think it would depend on the age/level of gymnast, what her gym allows, if there is a good gym nearby, and her preferences about what she wants to do on vacation (and what works with the rest of the family’s vacation schedule). We didn’t do it until our daughter was an upper level gymnast - and she wanted to on vacation days she had free time, there was a good gym nearby with an affordable fee, and her gym didn’t prohibit this. So it depends on a number of factors.

 

[JPC13]

How would her current gym feel about this? Many gyms have rules for their team kids, stating they are not to train in another gym.

I have this rule, the rec kids can do it. But team kids are not allowed to do any outside training in anything like gymnastics, trampoline, diving, Acro dance, cheer etc.

I’ve just seen too many dodgy places where they allow kid’s to just throw skills they are not ready for, High injury rates etc.

My gym has the same rule, yet kids go to Woodward, IGC, Flip Fest, and some of the bigger D1 summer camps. It always seemed a weird dichotomy. I don't know if they don't tell the coaches or they do and the coaches are fine with it. Would you have a problem with team kids going to those sorts of (reputable) places?

 

[ldw4mlo]

How would her current gym feel about this? Many gyms have rules for their team kids, stating they are not to train in another gym.

I have this rule, the rec kids can do it. But team kids are not allowed to do any outside training in anything like gymnastics, trampoline, diving, Acro dance, cheer etc.

I’ve just seen too many dodgy places where they allow kid’s to just throw skills they are not ready for, High injury rates etc.

I respect our coaches preference regarding gymnastics training. When younger I wouldn’t let her workout anywhere that the coaches weren’t OK with. But other sports that has nothing to do with them. it’s not for them to decide.

Our coaches are reasonable. When our kids were getting ready for JO states and also doing other sport, mine lacrosse, another track, they just asked the girls not do double practice the same day. They wanted to be sure they weren’t over doing it. Getting tired and risk injury in either of their sports.

 

[ldw4mlo]

My gym has the same rule, yet kids go to Woodward, IGC, Flip Fest,

Our younger gymmies do this despite the coaches feelings. Parents don’t tell. The coaches know, and makes them very cranky.

 

[pt coach]

Most years we take a very low key vacation to Asheville NC spending time with family, taking hikes and eating good food. During those trips my daughter loved to visit local gyms for a couple of workouts as she was not missing out on any vacation fun and also tended to get bored with all of the downtime. She had no interest in working out when we traveled to other places and did more touristy things. Her gym took no position on whether gymnasts should train while out of town.

 

[Aussie_coach]

My gym has the same rule, yet kids go to Woodward, IGC, Flip Fest, and some of the bigger D1 summer camps. It always seemed a weird dichotomy. I don't know if they don't tell the coaches or they do and the coaches are fine with it. Would you have a problem with team kids going to those sorts of (reputable) places?

That has never come up because we don’t have Summer camps in Australia and they don’t attend overseas camps because the US Summer is our Winter and it’s the middle of the school year.

The only time they would ever do trampoline mini outside the gym is if they attended an official clinic held by Gymnastics Australia and in those circumstances a coach has to attend with the gymnast, that ys Gymnastics Australia’s rule.

 

[MomOfAthletes]

Every summer we go to FL for 5-6 weeks where my oldest dd trains her sport, we have also some business there to attend. We enroll our gymnast to a local gym. In fact, attending a summer camp there several years ago she fell in love with gymnastics and started training at the home gym and was invited to the team.
If she doesnt train for 2+weeks she would lose her skills and feel down when back to the gym. Of course, the visiting gyms train differently, the first gym was mainly focusing on conditioning, my dd didn't practice her then L3 routines but her fitness level got superb during summer. She had about a week to learn her routines after we got home before the first meet, team practices and a couple of privates helped her to catch up. She rocked L3!
Last year we went to a different gym to train with the team. The Florida coach cleaned up her kip and dd was learning some elements of her routines. She had better results on the meets than her teammates.

I'm surprised that some gyms do not allow their gymnasts to train outside the home gym! Sometimes, I feel that gymnastics coaches take the ownership of our kids and make all decisions regarding their gymnastic path (training schedules, levels to train, skills to learn, meets to attend, when to move up to the next level ets) without consulting the gymnast or parents. Unfortunately, not always coaches take these decisions solely to benefit the gymnast. Exposing your gymnast to a different high quality gym and getting other coaches opinions are invaluable imo.

 

[Aussie_coach]

The reason why I dint allow my gymnasts to train elsewhere is fully meant for the benefit of the gymnast.

To often we see issues, working on a skill in a progressive way and then the kid attends an acrodance or cheer class or something and at that class they push them to do skills hjetcare not ready for.

Of course they want to do them, but then the rushed skill and poor technique lead to a mental block and we have to build the kid back up from scratch.

When a kid has been training on your team for a long time you know their injuries, fears, strengths, weaknesses. You know when they are in the right mode and when to tell them not to do a skill because they are not in their usual frame of mind.

You know how the gymnast reacts to various types of pressure. This sport is incredibly complex, and each individual gymnast is different.

 

[SupportingHerDreams]

Thank you all for sharing your opinions! It seems there are some very strong and varried opinions on this subject.

 

[LucyRobinson]

Our younger gymmies do this despite the coaches feelings. Parents don’t tell. The coaches know, and makes them very cranky.

Why?

I totally get not wanting your gymnasts to train in different gyms/unexperienced coaches/possibly sketchy environments. But doing a well known summer camp once a year with experienced coaches is not ok? Our coaches actually encourage it. I guess a new coach can give different corrections and something may click for them.

I knew two girl that got their giants at camp last year. Both were very close already and it was not in any way chucking the skill unsafely.

 

[ldw4mlo]

Why?

I totally get not wanting your gymnasts to train in different gyms/unexperienced coaches/possibly sketchy environments. But doing a well known summer camp once a year with experienced coaches is not ok? Our coaches actually encourage it. I guess a new coach can give different corrections and something may click for them.

I knew two girl that got their giants at camp last year. Both were very close already and it was not in any way chucking the skill unsafely.

I believe they have had too many experiences where they had to “fix” skills. And at the lower compulsory levels they have a training plan for the girls.

And depending on the camp the coaches may not be so experienced. So they have a blanket, no camps rule.

Add in our gym offers gymnastics camps all summer. So I have no doubt money is also a factor.

 

[bookworm]

When on vacation , my multi year level 10 gymnasts never set foot in a gym or worked out/ ran/ conditioned etc and never “lost” any skills . Vacation is a time for their bodies to heal from a year round sport. We had coaches who frowned upon this but they were MY kids and we went on vacation.

They did do multiple weeks at Woodward some years and one gym actually planned it into their summer schedule because most of the team went. Another gym wasn’t crazy about it but we went anyway and everyone was fine.

 

[Kolabola29]

Our gym hasn't advised for or against this. I think it would depend on the circumstances. Is the gymnast injured? If so, then I'd just take the time off and do some strength. Is it close to meet season? Then I might try to do a couple of workouts. It also depends on how good the visiting gym is.

 

[Muddlethru]

I wished I had not tried to get my multi year Level 10 gymnast and currently doing D1 college gym into a gym during any of our vacations, or worried about anything gym related. When her coaches very early on told us she had the ability to go elite and then she qualified to TOPs, I felt it was my duty not to waste her talent. All I can say is it really does not make any difference if they don’t do anything while on vacation. Nothing is gained by having our gymnast workout during vacation. What is lost is a missed opportunity to just enjoy their vacation and be kids.