Anon Do clubs often try to recruit/poach talented gymnasts from opposing gyms?

[Anonymous (1071)]

We live in a pretty competitive gymnastic hotbed in a large city. I'm curious if gyms ever try to recruit/ poach talented gymnasts from surrounding gyms? Or do they not really care much about that, and it's more delusional parents who think Gymnastic Clubs are the same as college recruiters?

I tend to see gyms in our area that are what I would call "feeder" gyms. They have excellent and dominant compulsory programs, but gymnasts tap out at level 8 or so and switch to other gyms that have a better track record of developing Level 8-10 gymnasts.

One gym in particular doesn't even really concentrate on developing a compulsory program in our area. They soley focus on their Rec/parties at the gym for money, and then take on level 8s-10s that leave surrounding gyms. A lot are injury recovery projects that they rehab successfully and get ready for college gymnastics and nationals when they tapped out at their prior gym.

But this gym in particular seems very unconcerned about developing a compulsory program and just assume the nearby "compulsory factories" will hand them a steady supply of level 8 or 9 gymnast to to train up through high school. it's a odd model, because it was my understanding that large compulsories programs help fund upper optionals. I'm surprised just a robust Recreational program can soley fund high level coaching that is required for level 8-10.

 

[Anonymous (3b78)]

We live in an area with several strong DP programs. It's not uncommon for gymnasts to move from club to club. Sometimes it's because certain clubs aren't as strong with the upper levels. Other times it's because a gymnast is looking for something different (gymnastics is hard, and from what I can tell all of the top clubs have strengths and weaknesses.) With all of that said, I do not think it's a "thing" for clubs to try to poach gymnasts. Sure, they probably get excited if a top gymnast moves to their club. Yes, they want to do well and for the team to be the best. But no, I cannot imagine a club coach actively poaching another gymnast. I don't think they really have time for that, plus it's just not really their focus, at least from what I've seen. Finally, they all have to get along and I think it would be a major breach of etiquette. If a gymnast approaches them it's fair game but a coach approaching a gymnast trying to get her to switch clubs would be in pretty bad form, IMHO.

 

[mags.so]

Rec is much more of a moneymaker than compulsory (since gymnasts are paying much more per hour), and the rec program generally subsidizes the expenses of the team program at all levels. So if that gym has a successful rec program, their financials make total sense. But it’s odd that they import *all* their optionals—that’s actually quite a clever model if there are a bunch of area gyms that aren’t strong in the upper levels.

 

[Anonymous (9bcd)]

I have seen gyms shamelessly trying to poach athletes from other gyms. They start by getting a parent from their gym to befriend you and get your contact info and then that parent invites you to a camp. Once you set foot in their gym, they pounce! That’s why some gyms restrict their athletes from attending camps.

The most lucrative segment of a gym’s business is Rec and Parties. The set-up you describe is pretty smart.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

It's scummy, but it happens.

Honestly though, as a team coach, I'd hate to be importing my entire team; it means I have no oversight in how they learn basics, which are the most important part. I'd much rather be coaching at a feeder gym that teaches low levels and not high levels than at a gym that gets their entire high-level team from other gyms.

 

[RTT2]

What are you basing your assessment of that gym on? How do you know they don't bother to focus on training their compulsories- do they openly state that is their policy, or are they just less dominant in the compulsories? There aren't that many gyms that can successfully coach the upper levels, so it's possible that they are a magnet for gymnasts who stick with the sport and make it to 9-10 because they have a proven track record. Is it a large program? Maybe they do have different coaches for compulsories vs optionals, so that could also make a difference. Most coaches in a geography know each other really well, and it wouldn't be good for relationships in that small world to actively poach gymnasts.

 

[Anonymous (fea3)]

Poaching? No, not really in my area. If anything it’s the opposite. We had a multi-year level 10 (who is at a top D1 school now), try to switch gyms a few years ago due to a personality clash with one of the coaches and none of the local gyms would even entertain the idea of taking her out of respect for her coach.

There is a local gym that has a large team of level 10s and only 1 of them competed as a compulsory at that gym. The rest have all transferred from other local gyms because of various reasons. It's a (bad) running joke in our area that gym takes all the "rejects". I can only think of one girl from their gym who has gone on to compete in college, and she came in to the gym already at that level.

 

[skschlag]

It's scummy, but it happens.

Honestly though, as a team coach, I'd hate to be importing my entire team; it means I have no oversight in how they learn basics, which are the most important part. I'd much rather be coaching at a feeder gym that teaches low levels and not high levels than at a gym that gets their entire high-level team from other gyms.

This....

When my son had to switch gyms due to a closure of the MAG side, that was a challenge for his coach. His first gym had trained one way, and there were some things that the new coach had to train him on differently. It worked, but added a degree of difficulty.

 

[Anonymous (1071)]

What are you basing your assessment of that gym on? How do you know they don't bother to focus on training their compulsories- do they openly state that is their policy, or are they just less dominant in the compulsories? There aren't that many gyms that can successfully coach the upper levels, so it's possible that they are a magnet for gymnasts who stick with the sport and make it to 9-10 because they have a proven track record. Is it a large program? Maybe they do have different coaches for compulsories vs optionals, so that could also make a difference. Most coaches in a geography know each other really well, and it wouldn't be good for relationships in that small world to actively poach gymnasts.

MeetScores state meets break it down by sorting by level. They do seem to be rebuilding a compulsory program a bit recently, maybe it was a pandemic hiccup where they abandoned compulsories. But they still have almost double the competing level 8-10s - (roughly 20).... than they have of levels 3-7 combined.. (under 10.). It's usually the opposite where the upper optional program is smaller than the compulsory program. If you look at the history of their upper optionals.. NONE of their current level 9s -10s are homegrown.