Parents Bummed out for DD

[Mariainlv]

I posted that J switched gyms since we were moving. Well turnsout we are not moving so will have to go back to the old gym. After we left the head coach and her husband were replaced by a new out of town coach. Well this was Js first week back and there is turmoil! The new coach quit on Saturday. So as of now there is no head coach. J is happy to be with her friends but commented that the training was better at the other gym. Bums me out that my 7 year old feels that way.

When I picked J up on Thurs I noticed there were 20 girls level 4-7 and 3 coaches. 2 are late teen/early twenties (very new to coaching) and one is one year removed from college *she was a gymnast* They also had 2 level 8 girls helping. Thats not acceptable to me. There is a coach that is supposed to stand in as the temp head coach but she has family commitments that prevent her from doing more. Right now there is no real coaching experience at the gym and it shows. Lots of standing around and general sloppiness with the girls.

I am also not OK with the training group J is in. There are 2 level 5 training groups during the evening practice. One group is Js age and spent a year @ L4 and are now training L5. The group J is in had spent at least 2 years @ L4 and don't learn at the pace J does. I am hesitant to say anything since I know the gym is doing the best they can but its hard when we have seen how much better the training can be.
I also feel like bad for introducing the whole situation to J by moving in the first place.

No real question I guess, just venting. I like the owner and genuinely feel she is doing her best. I just wish things were better.

 

[10.0]

Is there another gym near by that you could go to? Your profile says Las Vegas, unless that is just to through people off I would have to guess Las Vegas has to have quite a few gyms. I can see where you are coming from being frustrated but look at it from the owners point of view too, her coach just up and quit a week ago, he/she is probably trying to do the best they can for now until they can hire someone else. ( I would hope) and good HEAD coaches are not a dime a dozen, it may take some time to search and then interview and hire the person, and from owing a business myself I know especially if I had the last person up and just quit I would be careful making my next selection and take my time. As far as the coahes just because they are young does not make them horrible, and they were thrown into this situation too, they have had a week to adjust and that isn't much time. I also don't see anything wrong with higher level girls being helpers as long as the main coach is an adult. I would say either quit and find another gym if you can't deal, or wait a few weeks to see what might happen before making a decision or ask the owner whats going on. Nothing wrong with a hey things are a lot different, I know your coach just quit are you planning on hiring a new head coach or are you going to have these coaches take over permently? Then you could make an informed decision.

 

[cher062]

I posted that J switched gyms since we were moving. Well turnsout we are not moving so will have to go back to the old gym. After we left the head coach and her husband were replaced by a new out of town coach. Well this was Js first week back and there is turmoil! The new coach quit on Saturday. So as of now there is no head coach. J is happy to be with her friends but commented that the training was better at the other gym. Bums me out that my 7 year old feels that way.

When I picked J up on Thurs I noticed there were 20 girls level 4-7 and 3 coaches. 2 are late teen/early twenties (very new to coaching) and one is one year removed from college *she was a gymnast* They also had 2 level 8 girls helping. Thats not acceptable to me. There is a coach that is supposed to stand in as the temp head coach but she has family commitments that prevent her from doing more. Right now there is no real coaching experience at the gym and it shows. Lots of standing around and general sloppiness with the girls.

I am also not OK with the training group J is in. There are 2 level 5 training groups during the evening practice. One group is Js age and spent a year @ L4 and are now training L5. The group J is in had spent at least 2 years @ L4 and don't learn at the pace J does. I am hesitant to say anything since I know the gym is doing the best they can but its hard when we have seen how much better the training can be.
I also feel like bad for introducing the whole situation to J by moving in the first place.

No real question I guess, just venting. I like the owner and genuinely feel she is doing her best. I just wish things were better.

We were 15 years with our old gym between my son on team and my DD on team. We moved to a new gym just over a month ago and it was the best choice we ever made. We were actually friends with the owners and lived only a few streets away for most of those years. My son has a job there since he was 14. But in hindsite when I look back over those years there were many times I held my tonge, overlooked things, yet at the time I could say the owners/coaches were doing their best too, all because my kids loved it there.

When I look back I should have moved to a new gym at least 3 - 4 years ago. what I have learned is that if somthing doesn't feel right it's time to say something and consider a gym that meets your child's need, even if the owners/coaches are nice etc.

 

[mariposa]

That is a hard situation. I remember shortly after DD moved to her new gym, we were contemplating moving out of state. And my first thought was that I kinda wish we never had changed gyms because now we KNOW what works for her and she was so happy, that if we didn't find that, it would be sad. So I get where you are coming from. You actually KNOW that the mats are bluer at the other gym.

Maybe you could talk to the owner/HC and approach the situation on an age thing? That you think J would do better amongst a group of girls her own age?

Tough situation. If the other gym is too far for you to commute to though, I think you are going to have to try to make the best of it. Since it seems they are in transition, maybe in time things will get better. Hopefully that will be the case. Good luck.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

Hi, there. I don't really have any advice, I just felt that I had to say that I am sorry for your let down. Hopefully, things will work themselves out at the gym and it will get better all around for your dd and you, and if not, then I hope you find a great option for her...
Hang in there!