Parents Tumbling - Switching from cheer to gymnastics & how far do you drive to get to your gym? What's more

[wallflowerone]

DD (I have no idea what abbreviations you use on this board). Has done two years of All-Star cheer (2nd & 3rd grade). We did not sign her up for All-Star this year, so that she could relax and move at her own pace, continue with tumbling classes. Well, coach ended up getting upset with her for not maxing out her potential. Stated he has girls with less talent that work harder and if she worked as hard as them she would (I guess have no more skills left, she can do a tuck, whip, layout maybe not perfect). Thus he didn't want to work with her anymore, which led to her running out of the gym in tears. About two weeks later the gym owner texted (coach is not the owner) if DD wanted to do All-Star. They are hurting for girls this season, the squad is small. I sort of rolled my eyes around with that text. Last year 1/2 way in the cheer season she did get a mental block it progressed all the way to not being able to-do her back handspring (which is part of why we wanted to sit out this year and just let her move at her own pace). After the cheer season was over (their was a change in gym owners and thus a new coach-this is the one that had the minor blow up with her) she did get over her mental block pretty quick (spring). Over the summer she did learn a new tumble pass (whip). This was with the new coach. He did apolize a few weeks later and stated if she did All-Star he wouldn't have said "I don't want to work with her anymore". Despite all this she wanted to tumble I questioned her if she really meant it. I would like her to but at the end only if she wants to. Our options are limited, we live in a small town their is a cheer gym but no gymnastics gym. She has actually talked about gymnastics (she adores Gabby Douglas along with Teen Beach movie -LOL-). But, their is a gymnastics coach that comes down to the local community collage and teaches gymnastics tumbling (no bars). I ended up signing her up for it this term and we've done two classes so far. That her tumble skills such she would be able to go on his team. He is familiar with whom her old coach was and that his teaching style was a mix of gymnastics and cheer (he could tell I guess by her style that she had worked with him?) where the new one (he was familiar with that one also) is more cheer tumble. The problem is the distance to the gymnastics gym, I mapquested it and depending on the route I take it's 53/55 miles. I do know people will drive further then that to attend a specific cheer gym. Infact this gymnastics coach said, even though he owned a gym he had to drive his son 1 1/2 hours to be on a mens team. At the end, I don't even know if the timing (when school gets out) would work out for her to even attend a true gymnastics class let alone be on a team. Gymnastics is something she states she would like to-do but it's never been a true option. I do think gymnastics is going to be harder when you add the bars and beams and explained this to her. Also, big picture wise is gymnastics more $ or the same has comp. cheer ?

Thanks, This may be a wee bit long, drawn out hope you can make it out. Sorry

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Welcome to Chalkbucket! You will find lots of information and helpful parents on this board!!

As for your questions, I know there are some folks on this board that commute pretty far to take their gymnast to a certain gym. Luckily I live in an area that has many choices for gymnastics or cheer. If your are driving 53/55 miles you are looking at at least 1 hour each way driving. Is there anyone else in your community that already goes there or are interested in going there that you could work out a carpool with?

If I had to say which event will be the biggest struggle it would most definitely be bars. Good luck to you and let us know what you decide!

 

[emorymom]

I think gymnastics team is usually somewhat cheaper than all-star cheer but it depends on the team and the level.
I drive about 40 minutes each way for my son to be on a great men's team. I drive my daughter about 12 minutes each way. Swim team is about 22 minutes.

 

[MaryA]

I drive about a half-hour. Your daughter may be frustrated at first because a gym coach may take her back to basics to work on form, and she may feel like she is doing skills that are beneath her ability. And, of course, she will have to learn bars. That said, I have known girls who transitioned very easily from cheer to gymnastics.

 

[cudutch2]

Where I live the price is around the same. Having had one daughter cheer and one do gymnastics by far the gymnastics is more time consuming. When my daughter did All Star (Competes for school now) she practiced 6 hours a week. My 10 year old training level 8 practices 18 hours plus.

 

[GymMom67]

My DD has a friend who does cheer at the same gym we go to. We pay more in monthly tuition than they do, but their uniform/competition fees are quite a bit more than ours, so I'm thinking it may about even out. They also have to travel to several of their meets, whereas most of ours are within our (very large) city, but we never have expenses like hotels at the level DD is at. We will if she continues to progress much further.

 

[alsmom]

I have one dd who is a comp cheerleader and one who is a gymmie. I pay about $100 more per month for cheer than for gym. Cheer is about 6 hrs a week with three optional hours of tumbling and gym is 9.5 hrs(level 3)...so about the same time-wise.

 

[happychaos]

You need to decide if you are willing to do that drive 3-5 times per week. Being that your DD is older and already has some skills, I would think she would need to be in the gym at least twice per week to start. If she gains skills quickly she will be going 3-5 days per week within a year or two. Are you willing to do that? Many of the parents that drive a long distance to the gym started out by going to a closer gym, and when their child outgrew the close gym, they moved to a farther gym that could better meet their child's needs. But by the time they committed to the drive their child had already been in the sport for a few years, and the child had demonstrated that they were committed to the sport. While your DD may love tumbling, gymnastics is also beam, vault and bars, plus the dance that goes along with the tumbling on the floor.

You are the only one who can decide if that much time in the car will work for your family.

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

We drive 30 minutes each way. I wouldn't have agreed to it until Kipper had been in for a couple of years and proven her dedication. We started with a much closer rec gym. Now, it just seem like normal. (and we have found 2 other families to carpool).

 

[wallflowerone]

Thanks for your replies. We may just do the rec. gym, for a month in-between terms and over the summer and go from their. Of course I say that, but the thought of driving in bad weather and darkness doesn't make me smile. I sort feel like DD is to old to switch to comp. gym., she is 9yrs (summer b-day). It seems like many start way younger then her.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

My DD started gymnastics when she was 8. She turned 9 right before her 1st (old) L3 meet. She is turning 14 this October. I would never say that someone is too old to start. Many times a late starter will gain skills very quickly. Plus, your DD already has a great foundation for tumbling. Best of luck!