Coaches Exchange students trainning in USA

[Pilar C]

Hello, My daughter is 14, we are colombians living in Spain, she has trainned gymnastics since she was 3yo. Since her dream is to train gymnastics in the USA, she wants to do an exchange year. Most exchange agencies are not familiar with this sport since its usualy trainned in clubs.

I want to know if anyone has experience with exchange students in your club.

I am lost since I dont know if I should go by exchange student agency, if I should pick the school or maybe do it through a club.

I would appeciate any information I can get about gymnastics inthe USA, bests cubs, levels, exchange programs. Shoud she train in her high school, or do girls go to clubs? Here if you want a competitive level you must go to a club, the same as in Colombia.


Thank you!

 

[RTT2]

I’m sorry, this does not address your question, but I absolutely would not consider sending your teenage daughter from Colombia to train in the US at this particular point in time.

 

[Pilar C]

I’m sorry, this does not address your question, but I absolutely would not consider sending your teenage daughter from Colombia to train in the US at this particular point in time.

Thank you for yor answer, I would like to understand, doyou mean this for safety reasons?

 

[RTT2]

Thank you for yor answer, I would like to understand, doyou mean this for safety reasons?

Yes.

 

[Cmom]

Thank you for yor answer, I would like to understand, doyou mean this for safety reasons?

Thank you for yor answer, I would like to understand, doyou mean this for safety reasons?

I disagree with the previous poster. As long as your child enters through the proper channels and does not overstay her visa she should be fine.

Lots of gyms exist throughout the US. If your daughter is an intermediate level gymnast she can probably find adequate training almost anywhere. If she's above level 8, you may need to be more specific in your search. Many top performing gyms exist in large metro areas. Is there a specific region of the US that she is interested? A specific city?

Good luck!

 

[NutterButter]

Someone who works for a placement agency posted on Facebook in one of the larger gymnastics groups asking this same question. I’m not sure if they were successful but it seemed they asked the question multiple times over a period of time (which makes me think it didn’t work or maybe they had more than one client). One thing to understand about the US is that gyms tend to be in areas where rent is cheaper and/or in a location with other similar sized buildings. This means they tend to be located in suburban/industrial/office park areas that are removed from residential areas and public transportation. A lot of gym families here have commutes of 30 minutes at a minimum (more if you are in a city or rural area). Your daughter finding a gym will require a unique situation of the right gym and a family that is able to arrange transportation to practice. Another potential factor depending on your daughter’s level is that a lot of kids in the US who attend public school have to work out an early release with the school. Some schools make this easy, some don’t. You’ll want to check if there are any ‘requirements’ of whatever program she is in for minimum amount of classes. Lastly, many gyms are selective in who they take in their higher levels so this could be another barrier to get past.

I don’t want this to turn political but I also express caution on sending a kid to the US at this time. I personally wouldn’t do it right now. If she just has a Colombian passport it would be a hard no for me. A passport from a EU country or NATO country could be problematic in the future.

 

[raenndrops]

If she does come, I would suggest coming to Ohio. Many of the schools in Ohio have High School Teams, and if she arrived in time, she could possibly train with a YMCA team in advance of the high school season.
There are a lot of schools around Toledo, Columbus, and Cincinnati that have teams, but if she would feel better with more of a "small town" vibe, Marysville, Ohio, has a high school team coached by the YMCA team coach.

 

[NutterButter]

High school gymnastics would be a great opportunity and much easier to arrange. It will not be as rigorous as training with a club but depending on your DDs level it might be an excellent option.

 

[gym_dad32608]

I would recommend her looking at Orlando. She would not be able to train and go to high school in the same location since high school gymnastics is not really a thing (I know there are some places that do exist, but If one is serious about training I am not sure about the quality). I would recommend going to Montverde Academy which has a lot of international student-athletes. And then train at Brandy Johnsons, which is down the road and has experience with international elites. In addition, the Orlando area has a robust hispanic population which can help with the cultural transition.
I think some of the comments above about coming to the US is a bit catastrophizing, but it is something to consider as the environment for foreign nationals is a bit different than prior.

Just to add, Monteverde has many of the current Brandy gymnasts attend there so they support and facilitate training. And Brandy's has been the club of the year both in Florida and the US for the last two years. Its an outstanding program.