Parents Advice needed - explore other gyms or stick with this one?

[CTGymMom]

Hi Everyone - I am relatively new to the world of gymnastics. My 6yo daughter has been at her gym since she was 4. After 1 month of the rec class, she was moved to pre-team where she did 2 years before moving to level 3 team this past summer. She is the youngest on her team as the rest of the girls are 7 and 8.

I am concerned with how they coach as they focus mostly on the routine, not really on the basic fundamentals. I recently watched a competition with other level 3 girls from other gyms and there was no comparison to the polish and form shown by the other teams - our girls just don't have it - even the 8 year olds. I questioned my daughter why she didn't do a few things that the other girls did and she said she was never taught that way. All the girls moved up to team from pre-team, although there are clearly several who really should not have.

My daugher "has" all of her skills except the round-off back handspring (she can do a standing back hand-spring, but can't put the two together on the floor), but her form is wrong on almost all of them and I never see them corrected. We visited my friend recently whose daughter is a level 4 and she showed my daughter a few skills with the corrections and my daughter made the adjustments right away (straight legs, feet together on chin-up pullover).

Long story short, I questioned this (very nicely) in a parent meeting with the head coach/owner and was told "leave the coaching to us, this is how we do it and if you don't like it, you can always explore other gyms". Her response left a bad taste in my mouth. Another parent questioned the use of junior coaches, as we have a 13yo level 7 who helps coach our level 3 team with warmups, spotting, etc. My daugher has gotten hurt while being spotted on beam and bars by the junior coach, as have other girls). We have 1 USAG certified coach, as well as 2 other coaches (one is 18) and then the 1 junior coach. Many times the junior coach is alone at an apparatus with a group. Again, we were told that they were excellent coaches and to leave the coaching and decisions to them. On the flip side, the gymnasts at the higher levels are doing quite well in competition (different coaches). It will be quite a while for my daughter to get up there with these coaches, if she sticks with it.

The other factor is distance, as this gym is 10 minutes from home where as all others are at least 30 minutes away. Any advice on how to proceed?? My daughter loves gymnastics and I think she could do very well if corrected. She has good friends at the gym and loves her coaches. I am not one to create waves or even speak up, so I am definitely not a problem parent - this is the first time I have questioned anything. I pay, get her there and cheer her on. My friend was very concerned by the use of junior coaches, how much we pay, etc. compared to her daughter's gym, so I figured I would post my concerns on here and get some more advice. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Popcorn]

My daugher has gotten hurt while being spotted on beam and bars by the junior coach, as have other girls

Red flag I feel that the younger team members should have qualified coaches, just like the older team members. They are certainly just as deserving of safe spotting.

 

[Sasha]

Hm, there are some worrisome points in there.

The biggest question up front is, did the higher level girls who are now doing well come up through the levels from your compulsory program with these same coaches (obviously not the junior coach)? Or did they have different coaches for compulsories?

Some gyms DO rush/accelerate young girls through the compulsories, not putting so much attention on the finer form points to score super high, but just getting them solid mechanics of the skills they will need for optionals. This plan can work very well, but there is a difference between not spending hours and hours to perfect the exact floor routine dance moves to score a 9.8 vs not correcting fundamental form like keeping legs straight and proper BHS mechanics. It sounds from your description like your gym is more like the latter at L3, which is worrisome. For example, if they are not correcting form on a BHS now, she will continually struggle to build upon that fundamental skill as bad habits form.

The 13 y/o spotting sounds like a bad idea, though leading warm ups and non-spotted drills should be fine.

The 18 y/o coaches may also be perfectly fine if they have some credential for low level coaching (I'm not sure what is actually required). We have some young assistant coaches who spot on simple skills at low levels, but they are at least 17.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Unsafe gymnastics is an absolute stop to me- no passing that point at all. I have pulled my DD from a gym the very same day I observed unsafe bars coaching. Kids getting hurt because a coach, junior or otherwise, cannot spot them properly is a huge problem in my opinion.

 

[flippin out]

you have a lot going on there. I would be very concerned with the Jr Coach spotting issue to begin with, as you have said the your dd and several others have been hurt while being spotted by her.

When you had your coach meeting, who was the meeting with? Was it with the lower level coaches or with the owner or HC? If your meeting was with the lower level, maybe you could ask for a meeting with the HC or owner of the gym to discuss concerns. The optional group doesn't seem to be having the same issues as the compulsories, I'd want to know why (asking politely of coarse).

Keep in mind, that you may not get the answer you are looking for and instead infuriate them. You should think about whether you are willing to make the drive to another gym (which going from 10min-to-30min is not a big deal really) and know if the 30min away gym is a viable option training wise before asking for a meeting with the HC/Owner/Optional HC

I've seen many gyms over the years have the issue that your gym has, for varying reasons. Most common is this-- The gym concentrates on the Optionals to the detriment of the Compulsories. The problem is that they cannot become great optionals without first learning good basics and a stable foundation in the compulsory levels. How do they have successful Optionals and a so-so Comp team???? Simplest answer is that a lot of the Optional girls are transplants. The girls trained compulsory at another gym and trasnfered over at upper levels for various reasons. Maybe they had a great comp program where they were, but didn't have qualified optional coaches or a facility to handle upper levels? Anyway........it happens.

For the gyms that have the so-so comp teams, I wish that they would realize that you can't always count on a strong new L8-9-10 coming to your gym....that you need to build a strong program from the bottom up. Your home-grown kids need to be just as strong.

 

[CTGymMom]

Thanks for the responses! We have monthly meetings with the head coach/owner - she is not a coach for the compulsory levels, only the optionals. So none of the level 3 coaches are there and only one coach communicates with us and gives us feedback (so we only get feedback on bars and vault as that is what she coaches). I think I will visit the other gyms, watch a practice and see what they are like, talk to the coaches, etc. I don't know if the optional girls moved up from our compulsory program or transplanted in. We have 1 girl who is training at the elite level. We have a brand new facility and I am wondering if the owner is trying to cut corners/save some money (there has been talk of that) because she got in over her head with the new facility and using lower level coaches to save some. Could also explain why all 18 girls moved up. If I move her to a different gym now, she can't compete this year and she is really looking forward to it, but the safety concerns me.......

Does anyone know if other gyms use junior coaches with team kids?

 

[gymdog]

They shouldn't be spotting if they're not safety certified. But what in the world needs to be spotted on beam at this level? Progressions are off if girls are getting hurt being spotted on beam.

 

[my4buffaloes]

Our old gym used junior coaches, it wasn't the best situation. I think having upper level optional gymnasts help out is fine, but they need a real coach there all the time guiding them and they shouldn't really be spotting. There are numerous red flags here, you should absolutely look around. You might decide to stay, but you should look.

 

[Rockygym]

No junior coaches at our gym with team kids, rec yes, team no.

 

[bogwoppit]

I edited the OP's post to add paragraphs. It is impossible to read a huge chink of text without them.

 

[raenndrops]

Our Junior coaches are at least 16. They are all safety certified and are trained to spot the skills that they spot before they start spotting them.

We have one junior coach that only spots bars (mainly kips) and floor BHS.
Another junior coach spots beam HS and dismounts and L3 bars.
One of the Junior coaches can spot vault, beam, and bars.
Our last junior coach can spot all events for L3-4.

L5+ is only coached by adult coaches with years of experience.

 

[kaloss]

This summer, my daughter had a 16 year old level 6 "coach" that worked with a higher level coach. She mostly led conditioning and warm up, and was learning appropriate coaching and spotting technique. I would never be happy with other team members being full time coaches for my daughter. As other posters said, they should have qualified coaches just like the older girls.

 

[gymgal]

Just a word of warning - Once you start looking at other gyms, the current gym will likely find out, very quickly. Be prepared have the current HC to show you the door. You may get lucky with an understanding HC, but after what he/she said at your meeting, I would not bet on it. Not saying you shouldn't research other gyms. I certainly would if I was in that situation and the coach said that to me. Just want you to know the possible repercussions.

If the Jr coach has gone through training for spotting and general coaching, I would not see it as a big deal, as long as she is being supervised by a more experienced coach. Injuries happen in the gym, regardless of coach experience. We would have to know the nature of the injuries to comment on whether there is something odd about them.

As for distance to the gym - while it is nice that it is only 10 minutes away, 30 minutes really isn't that much more and chances are any other activity she might do would fall in that range as well. If you have a much better gym 30 minutes away and you really feel the current gym is not a good fit, make the move.

 

[flippin out]

I think I will visit the other gyms, watch a practice and see what they are like, talk to the coaches, etc.

Does anyone know if other gyms use junior coaches with team kids?

Word of Warning. If you start visiting (which really is a good idea in theory), you gym will find out. I would give as little information about yourself as you can and do NOT bring your dd if you are just going over to observe. If you are going to visit other gyms, be prepared to make a move. Gym is a very small world. It seems silly really, I mean you are a paying customer and it is your right (and some would say obligation to your dd) to see what is available and to know with absolute certainty that she is in the best place possible for HER.........BUT, that is NOT how it works. If your gym finds out that you are asking around and visiting other places they may ask you to leave immediately.

As for older team members coaching? No, does not happen here. I wouldn't be opposed to it under the right circumstances.....1) they were safety certified. 2) they were an asst. to the coach in a rotation, not on their own. 3) they were knowledgeable --just because you do it doesn't mean you know how to coach it

 

[profmom]

At my DD's/DS's gym, the littlest team gymnasts have the most senior coaches in the program. The idea is that it's critical to teach the foundational skills well. On the boys' side, one team member occasionally helps the program director with the tiny boys, and we have a coach who was formerly a L9 gymnast who takes an intermediate group sometimes, but he's mostly running through drills and skills that they know, not teaching new skills.

I would check out other gyms discreetly.

 

[skschlag]

I would have a problem with lots of that. But the 13 yo junior coach? Really, you aren't supposed to work until 15. My ds will be 13 and his gym won't hire him until he is 15 and old enough to actually work. I would be looking.

 

[COz]

Have a search on this forum for traveling times. 10 minutes is fantastic, but only if the gym is good. 30 minutes to a great gym is still a good traveling time.

You've seen how well your daughter takes corrections. Imagine how well she would do at a gym with a good program for the little ones.
She will make new friends and love the new coaches even more.

 

[gymmomx2]

At DD's gym, the pre-team is coached by the National coaches. Idea is that pre-team girls need to have the right foundation and also allows the coaches to work with and identify future talent who are fast-tracked through to optionals quickly.

My DD got the.best.training as a result of this philosophy! I love her gym <3

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I'm in agreement with most of what has already been said. I do want to mention that we do have younger team gymnasts helping out with our pre-team group (one is my DD who is 10). However.... She does not spot the little girls, ever. Her "helping" consists of crowd control (helping get them from one station to another), reminders about correct shapes and form such as "point your toes" etc, demonstrating correct shapes/form/skills and occasionally moving a foot into the right place etc. ALWAYS with an adult coach right there, she is a helper, not a coach! I think it's perfectly appropriate and the little girls adore her.... It also makes a nice "bridge" between the team and pre-team as the little girls see what their hard work and practice can lead to and they have a personal "liasion" on the team. The other day the team had a mock meet and all the little girls were cheering really hard for my daughter when it was her turn on events!

 

[poodlemomma]

Your situation sounds so much like mine, it really makes me want to PM you and see if it was/is the same gym.

Needless to say, I moved my daughter to another gym and truly wish I would have done it sooner. We also really liked the HC/owner of the old gym, but when your child is getting frustrated because she knows things could/should be better... Well, it was just time for us to move on and fortunately we had available options.