WAG Changing Gyms at upper levels

[still hanging]

I started the thread to find out others experience or knowledge about changing gyms at Level 9/10 and how it affects the gymnast. Not really to discuss how to exit your gym, although it's been interesting reading.

 

[gopuckgo]

Speaking of "changing gyms at the upper levels", just saw on line that Lexie Priessman is leaving Cincinatti...confirmed on Facebook by Mary Lee Tracy....

WTH? Really? That is cray, cray cause Cincinnati is awesome. Well she will be amazing wherever she goes.

 

[BachFlyer]

I started the thread to find out others experience or knowledge about changing gyms at Level 9/10 and how it affects the gymnast. Not really to discuss how to exit your gym, although it's been interesting reading.

Just my humble opinion, but a big part of changing gyms is figuring out how to leave the old one - especially at optionals. We're all sharing because it is hard for everyone involved, and in my experience at least, leaving was actually the hardest part about the change! I never anticipated quite the level of emotional impact it had on everyone. My dd adjusted has adjusted to the new gym, but the way in which that process happened had a ton to do with the way things were at the old gym. Not just the difference in coaching, but how the old gym handled the change. It probably would have been easier on us if the (many) parents at the old gym had not completely shut us out, for example. So I think everyone is talking about leaving because it matters, and trying to give suggestions about the best way to handle a touchy transition to have the least emotional fall out for you and your child.

 

[still hanging]

Thanks BackFlyer. I appreciate the input. I have seen many come and go, so I already know how I will be handling it. Maybe I should of stated that I would not even consider trying out other gyms with a level 10 gymnast before quitting. However a great deal of research and good idea of where we are going will be done prior. My point and what I am concerned with is the adjustment for my child in a new gym more so than the exit from the old.

 

[gymmomof1]

We

Thanks BackFlyer. I appreciate the input. I have seen many come and go, so I already know how I will be handling it. Maybe I should of stated that I would not even consider trying out other gyms with a level 10 gymnast before quitting. However a great deal of research and good idea of where we are going will be done prior. My point and what I am concerned with is the adjustment for my child in a new gym more so than the exit from the old.

At Dds gym a level 10 came this past year from another gym and she had a terrific year with Dds team. We wish she would have come sooner! She's an excellent role model and support for the younger girls and her teammates. Dds coaches I am sure tweaked things but over all I think it was a successful move for her. It's not easy but it can be a positive experience and have a good outcome for your Dd and her gymnastics.

 

[bookworm]

I would not even consider trying out other gyms with a level 10 gymnast before quitting.

What exactly do you mean by this?

 

[still hanging]

We would quit our current gym before trying other gyms. If the current gym finds out we are trying other gyms we would be asked to leave or treated poorly. It is not a situation I will put my daughter in that is why I am doing everything under sun to research all aspects of changing before doing so. This is not an easy decision and I certainly will not rush into it without weighing all possible outcomes and learning as much as I can about the gyms we may consider. It's on my mind day and night. It's exhausting.

 

[Muddlethru]

We would quit our current gym before trying other gyms. If the current gym finds out we are trying other gyms we would be asked to leave or treated poorly. It is not a situation I will put my daughter in that is why I am doing everything under sun to research all aspects of changing before doing so. This is not an easy decision and I certainly will not rush into it without weighing all possible outcomes and learning as much as I can about the gyms we may consider. It's on my mind day and night. It's exhausting.

Indeed it is. And the actual switching can be very emotional. May I make a suggestion? Unless you are certain you will never go back to the gym and are certain you will find a better gym fit for your daughter and your family, I would not leave or give notice to your current gym. If they find out, then just leave. But I would not risk not having a place to go. Our former gym has a long history of cursing out gymnasts and their families who have left their gym. There have been so many shouting matches. I did not want to have to deal with it. But with our limited choices, I was not certain there would be a gym for my daughter and one that would work for us. I have 4 very active children. So, I cannot commit all my time to my gymnast alone. So we searched and when we decided, I just emailed the owner and we never came back. I had one of my daughter's friend empty her locker. The response I got from the owner to my email was such a surprise. They even pleaded us to reconsider. So you really never know.

In any event, and in my case, we went in for an evaluation at two gyms. Right after the evaluation, they either offer you a spot or they do not. They offered us a spot on the team immediately. So, the transition can happen pretty quickly. And if you are ready to switch, there will be little time for rumors to get around. We were allowed to practice with the team the very next day. But from reading threads in this forum, not all gyms operate this way. Some can take longer; some coaches have called the gymnast's coaches right after the evaluation, some check if you have an outstanding balance at your old gym, etc. So, it may not happen as quickly. I think 9.5 out of 10 gymnasts who switch gyms are very happy they switched and wished they had done so years before. I feel the same way.

 

[wallinbl]

My point and what I am concerned with is the adjustment for my child in a new gym more so than the exit from the old.

Level 10, right? Your daughter probably knows the girls at the other gyms. There are only so many level 10's, and they've been doing this for 7+ years now. They've rotated together at meets, been around in warmups, etc. They should have a basic feel for each other. And, like a lot of other hobbies/sports, there's a bond that exists because of the shared interest. Most of the times I've seen girls come in, the team is thrilled to have them. Only rarely, in the case of a girl that's a drama queen or Debbie Downer, have I seen otherwise.

She'll have to get used to new coaches, likely with different technique. We've done this twice (though once was old level 4, so lower level), and DD has struggled a bit on a communication level, but her gymnastics has had a big jump both times. To some extent, you're combining the wisdom of multiple coaches - she'll know what she's learned, and she'll start getting completely new feedback from someone else and get to integrate that.

It may also be that their conditioning is completely different and for a few weeks to a month, your daughter has trouble with it (the body is good at adapting to the specific things you ask it to do, they're not always applicable to something similar but different). She'll get used to it, but at first it can be strange to hear that your daughter is suddenly back of the pack in conditioning.

 

[Granny Smith]

My dd moved to a new gym last July. She was a L10 and heading into her Senior year. Her biggest adjustment was leaving her friends. As far as gymnastics goes, she had to get used to a new setting for bars & also springs for vault and table height. I would not suggest a move close to the season as these things will affect her gymnastics as first. Due to the circumstances at the time, she couldn't "stick it out" as someone mentioned above. I had wanted her to leave her old gym for years but she didn't want to leave her friends (or shall we say girls she thought were her friends. Some really were and she is still in contact with them, most of them are either not in the sport anymore or at new gyms themselves. BUT, many of her teammates she does not really have contact with. You come to learn that some girls are really good friends because they are in the gym together all the time, but that is the common bond. I also learned this with the other moms as well. It was the gym that bonded us together.)

Dd had a very successful Senior year as a L10. Her new coaches have been fantastic, her confidence levels have grown leaps & bounds. She is a better gymnast as the mind games and constant degrading have stopped. She realizes that this was the right move and she wishes she would of done it earlier in her career. She is now ready to move onto college in the Fall and will be doing D1 gymnastics!!

I would never tell a coach if we were looking at another gym, BUT I would make sure I'm darn ready to move in case they found out and became jerks about the whole situation.

 

[still hanging]

Dd had a very successful Senior year as a L10. Her new coaches have been fantastic, her confidence levels have grown leaps & bounds. She is a better gymnast as the mind games and constant degrading have stopped. She realizes that this was the right move and she wishes she would of done it earlier in her career. She is now ready to move onto college in the Fall and will be doing D1 gymnastics!!

I would never tell a coach if we were looking at another gym, BUT I would make sure I'm darn ready to move in case they found out and became jerks about the whole situation.

I think we had the same coach. Lol. I 'm so glad it worked out for your daughter.

 

[Granny Smith]

Sadly, I think there are a lot of those coaches out there in the gym world. I will say that it is definitely refreshing to be in the new atmosphere and it seems that her college coach is just as normal as her current coaches. I am so happy for dd to see what real coaching, with out threats and mind games is really like. For those who dd's have normal coaches, you are blessed because to have bi-polar coaches who live by threats, mind games and power tripping on kids, for lack of better words... really is no fun!

Even if they are great "gymnastics" coaches, at what price are you willing to pay with your child for that coaching. To see my child break down at her team banquet this past weekend when she gave her senior speech, it was gut wrenching to her hear say that her former coaches didn't believe in her, she was told she wasn't a good gymnast and no way she get a gymnastics scholarship. These were all things being said in the gym to her. I wasn't around, I never knew any of this because those same whacko coaches were out in the lobby telling me she was good enough and how hard they are trying to get her noticed with college coaches.

I was blinded by what i thought were good "gymnastics" coaches. I say this as a warning, please do not make the same mistakes I've made. If my dd ended up staying at her old gym, the only one she had ever known up till this past year, I am pretty sure she would not have had the success she did. She would of been that scared little kid, who doubted herself and had convinced herself that she wasn't as good as she actually was.

If you think it is time to change, it is probably time to change.

 

[still hanging]

Sadly, I think there are a lot of those coaches out there in the gym world. I will say that it is definitely refreshing to be in the new atmosphere and it seems that her college coach is just as normal as her current coaches. I am so happy for dd to see what real coaching, with out threats and mind games is really like. For those who dd's have normal coaches, you are blessed because to have bi-polar coaches who live by threats, mind games and power tripping on kids, for lack of better words... really is no fun!

Even if they are great "gymnastics" coaches, at what price are you willing to pay with your child for that coaching. To see my child break down at her team banquet this past weekend when she gave her senior speech, it was gut wrenching to her hear say that her former coaches didn't believe in her, she was told she wasn't a good gymnast and no way she get a gymnastics scholarship. These were all things being said in the gym to her. I wasn't around, I never knew any of this because those same whacko coaches were out in the lobby telling me she was good enough and how hard they are trying to get her noticed with college coaches.

I was blinded by what i thought were good "gymnastics" coaches. I say this as a warning, please do not make the same mistakes I've made. If my dd ended up staying at her old gym, the only one she had ever known up till this past year, I am pretty sure she would not have had the success she did. She would of been that scared little kid, who doubted herself and had convinced herself that she wasn't as good as she actually was.

If you think it is time to change, it is probably time to change.

Wise advise. THANK YOU!

 

[gymdog]

It will be a hard adjustment and could lead to setbacks, although it could also lead to improvement. It's hard to tell without more specifics of what you're leaving vs where you may be going.

But a few major could be equipment settings and skill family preferences that vary among gyms, even just slightly, could cause a setback. If they train on a different bar setting, she would have to adjust to that (though nowadays most high school age JO 10s are on pretty similar settings). But it's possible it could be a big adjustment . That doesn't mean in the end it won't be for the best.

In my experience, it may also be hard socially and/or cause resentment of lesser skilled gymnasts that a new gymnast is getting a spot in a higher group.

I think your exit strategy is the only way to go. Quit and then take your time trying all the gyms you want. Owners and coaches talk. We always know, although personally we're professional about it. If it seems like they're going to wait out a long period of time we'll be upfront and let them know it wouldn't be best for either side to drag it out. It confuses the kid when they're trying all these other practices and then coming back the next night.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Can anyone tell me how many girls are in your 9/10 training groups? Choices are limited. Concerned about group size and going to a gym without pits. The only ideal gym is 90 minutes away. Ugh....

Ours together has 28 I think.

 

[3rd_time_around]

10-12 kids at the upper levels is too many. It's very difficulty to polish and clean when there's that many to watch. That would drive me nuts. We go 6-8 at the most for level 9/10

We had 12 level 10s and 10 level 9s this year. The 10s won state, had 4 AA state champions (we had AA champions in every age group that had a competitor), many individual event state champions, 14 regional qualifiers (10 from level 10), 1 lvl 9 Eastern Qualifier, 3 Jo and 2 NIT qualifiers, all of which placed top 15 at their Nationals. So its not always the case that a bigger group can't still train well and be polished. We have 3 coaches for them. Sorry about the brag. Can't help it!

 

[bookworm]

A. In my experience, it may also be hard socially and/or cause resentment of lesser skilled gymnasts that a new gymnast is getting a spot in a higher group.

B .I think your exit strategy is the only way to go. Quit and then take your time trying all the gyms you want.

Point A. This should not concern the OP at all...it is the gym's responsibility to level the gymnasts by skill level and has nothing to do with you bringing in your level 10...if a current level 9 isn't happy, then the gym should speak to her about making progress towards level 10...

Point B. I would not take this route at all, unless forced (i.e. asked to leave) . My girls never liked being "out of the gym" for periods of time so to leave without a definite landing spot seems unnecessary....you do your quiet research, get a plan in place for a new gym and THEN exit, sending a polite, thankful email. With the summer coming, I would get my new plan in place in the next week or so...

 

[Muddlethru]

Ideally, ending a "relationship" before starting another one, seems like the more ethical thing to do.

However, during the research phase of our switch (July), there were three gyms in the running. Gym A was probably the most established gym in our area but longest commute. Gym B just opened and HC had no authority yet to start a team and my daughter would be the only L9 and potentially only optional gymnast. Gym C was fairly new but had decent coaching and showings at meets, at least better than our former gym.

While, the HC in Gym A accepted my daughter immediately, we opted to wait a week to check out other gyms. By the time, we decided to bite the bullet on the long commute to Gym A, the gym lost a coach and HC indicated she could not take my daughter until she finds a replacement. She already had a very large, full team (around 25-30 L9s and L10s). That was mid July. She kept me posted on her progress (or lack thereof) in getting a coach. Meanwhile, Gym B called and said she was given the ok to start a team but not until September. We opted to wait for Gym A. By December, nothing. So we decided we no longer could wait and went to Gym C (Gym B did not return my call anymore :-( ). The switch to Gym C took place in a day. But throughout the entire 5 months wait for Gym A, our former gym had no clue.

If I decided to hold off for Gym A, I could still be waitng. Gym B was a two month wait and Gym C was a one day switch. So you really never know. It was a ridiculous summer and my daughter was training L9. Not to mention, the gym we were switching out of had closed their doors for a month because they were moving locations and did not want to pay a month's rent at the old location so their gymnast had a place to practice. We still paid tuition but practiced two times a day for two weeks for two hours at a rec/pre school gym owned by one of the parents.

 

[gymdog]

Point A. This should not concern the OP at all...it is the gym's responsibility to level the gymnasts by skill level and has nothing to do with you bringing in your level 10...if a current level 9 isn't happy, then the gym should speak to her about making progress towards level 10...

Point B. I would not take this route at all, unless forced (i.e. asked to leave) . My girls never liked being "out of the gym" for periods of time so to leave without a definite landing spot seems unnecessary....you do your quiet research, get a plan in place for a new gym and THEN exit, sending a polite, thankful email. With the summer coming, I would get my new plan in place in the next week or so...

I'm just bringing up potential concerns from my experience, whether it's her problem or not. Social relationships are significant to the kids.

Also, in my state, gym owners talk and whether we tell you we know or not, we know. Literally the next day. So, it's up to the parent to decide whether they think that will hurt their kid in the long run or not to keep going somewhere they aren't committed to. And even if the coaches don't know (unlikely when it's just a text away) it affects the kids in the gym. Seen it happen a million times. If you decide to go, don't drag it out. It's not in anyone's best interest.

 

[iluvgym]

We had 12 level 10s and 10 level 9s this year. The 10s won state, had 4 AA state champions (we had AA champions in every age group that had a competitor), many individual event state champions, 14 regional qualifiers (10 from level 10), 1 lvl 9 Eastern Qualifier, 3 Jo and 2 NIT qualifiers, all of which placed top 15 at their Nationals. So its not always the case that a bigger group can't still train well and be polished. We have 3 coaches for them. Sorry about the brag. Can't help it!

I think you misunderstood my point - I think the original question was about how many in a group on the same event with one coach. I'm sure your 22 level 9/10 kids are not all on bars at once with one coach! If that were the case you wouldn't have had all those amazing results!