Parents Gym break ups

[Tigtimes]

There are people at our gym who have made that arrangement as well, just a personal preference but was noting the way to get around the "notice" issue.. To clarify I lost the month tuition not due to 30 day notice but pulling from gym on second week of month when she was accepted by new gym.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

You know what?! I DO remember a mean story from when we left. I privately FB messaged three moms of Puma Jrs old teammates just saying good bye and thank you (their kids were teens and for the most part pretty kind to Puma Jr). I just wanted them to hear it from me. Well, you know what? All three of them saw the message and no one responded at all. I really thought they'd at least take 5 seconds to type "Good luck", but nope. I guess I blocked that part out...oh well

 

[CameraShy]

It has been my experience that you leave for your new gym, and then send a polite email thanking the gym and the coaches....and never look back. Giving "notice" just gives them "notice" on how long they can crap on you and your kid....if they tossed you from the gym, you wouldn't get any "notice"....

We did this exactly and it worked well for us.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Our gym didn't take credit cards or debit cards until 2 months ago

 

[kitkat]

So sorry that this has happened. I switched gyms because they didn't have a national program. Parents did the same thing to me - I almost think they did it out of loyalty to the club. I move because they didn't have a national program nor did they have coaches that could coach national. But those parents didn't understand and felt we should have stayed. I don't regret the move. Well fast forward I moved back to the original gym - new fantastic national coach - couldn't be happier. (plus only 7 minutes away from my house) And 99% of those old parents are gone. Kids retired or quit. Management is still the same and welcome us back with open arms. Real friends will stay friends and the rest don't matter.

DD still goes back to her old gym to say hi to the girls, see her old coaches at meets, give hugs. Its a good idea to never burn your bridges.

I decided to change gyms after this season. I didn't think the gym was a good fit for my DD in addition to the gym being far away. My DD was on team level 3. Levels 1-5 all were trained together with one coach. The gym is not small, they focus all their attention on the optional girls. The compulsory girls are treated like step children. The team has frequently been kicked off the floor if the optional girls need it. There was a lot of standing around and coaches leaving left and right. I informed them my DD would not be returning. I didn't get into specifics just choosing a gym closer to home. Our last month at the gym, the owner wouldn't look at me or even speak. My DD and one of the front office staff would have play dates with our daughters and now she is ignoring me and has defriended me on Facebook. Is this normal? I had no idea they would take it so personally. I don't owe them money. I gave proper notice. To me this is beyond childish. Has anyone had a similar experience.

 

[AWOL]

Our girl is planning on changing gyms and one of her coaches called the new gym to let them know how nice she is. That's the way it is done down here.

 

[Serenity28]

Our girl is planning on changing gyms and one of her coaches called the new gym to let them know how nice she is. That's the way it is done down here.

Wow where do you live?

 

[duyetanh]

Wow where do you live?

Seriously. No offense to coaches everywhere, but geez....that is amazing. I have heard horror stories even locally.

 

[Gymmommy71]

In my area, gym switching (or the more negative term "hopping") is very common. I'd say most gymnasts over the age of 11 have at least been to 2-3 different area gyms around me. If other parents got their feathers ruffled at families that left gyms, we'd all hate each other by now, and we don't . Like right now (since its that period of time between the end of season meets and contract re-signing) families literally will say to each other "so, are you staying here for next season or not?" and discussions about our gym versus others and who is looking where are just what everyone talks about this time of year.

Owners, however, will sometimes get upset, but it really depends on the athlete how they will take it. One year a gym that my DD was at was having a mass exodus - like 10+ gymnasts (many from the same group) leaving to go to various other gyms or quitting gymnastics - the owner seemed to react differently to every single one that quit depending on how much she felt they had done for that athlete (or sometimes where they were going). And even then, some of the girls who got the most wrath for leaving then are now back there at that gym! So go figure.

Lol - call me cynical, but if I worked at a gym and someone from another gym called up to tell me how nice a gymnast who was leaving their gym to come to my gym was, I'd almost wonder if the gym was happy to get rid of them . I'd either think that or if it was a coach that the coach was trying to get a job at my gym. I find it hard to believe that anyone was that nice w/o some self-serving purpose - but that's a general life attitude that I have (I think it comes from watching too much Seinfeld in the 90's). Lol.

 

[GymDad9.9]

In my area, gym switching (or the more negative term "hopping") is very common. I'd say most gymnasts over the age of 11 have at least been to 2-3 different area gyms around me. If other parents got their feathers ruffled at families that left gyms, we'd all hate each other by now, and we don't . Like right now (since its that period of time between the end of season meets and contract re-signing) families literally will say to each other "so, are you staying here for next season or not?" and discussions about our gym versus others and who is looking where are just what everyone talks about this time of year.

Owners, however, will sometimes get upset, but it really depends on the athlete how they will take it. One year a gym that my DD was at was having a mass exodus - like 10+ gymnasts (many from the same group) leaving to go to various other gyms or quitting gymnastics - the owner seemed to react differently to every single one that quit depending on how much she felt they had done for that athlete (or sometimes where they were going). And even then, some of the girls who got the most wrath for leaving then are now back there at that gym! So go figure.

Lol - call me cynical, but if I worked at a gym and someone from another gym called up to tell me how nice a gymnast who was leaving their gym to come to my gym was, I'd almost wonder if the gym was happy to get rid of them . I'd either think that or if it was a coach that the coach was trying to get a job at my gym. I find it hard to believe that anyone was that nice w/o some self-serving purpose - but that's a general life attitude that I have (I think it comes from watching too much Seinfeld in the 90's). Lol.

Just don't violate the Good Samaritan Law!

 

[krisnkids]

My daughter hyper-extended her knee in the middle of meet season and missed 2 weeks. She came back the week before Sectionals. Worked out 3 times, competed at sectionals and scored higher than she ever had. Her coach accused her of training with another gym for those two weeks, AT Sectionals. She never went back to that gym.

 

[flippin out]

My daughter hyper-extended her knee in the middle of meet season and missed 2 weeks. She came back the week before Sectionals. Worked out 3 times, competed at sectionals and scored higher than she ever had. Her coach accused her of training with another gym for those two weeks, AT Sectionals. She never went back to that gym.

Wow! That's insane......what a paranoid individual that coach is!!

 

[duyetanh]

My daughter hyper-extended her knee in the middle of meet season and missed 2 weeks. She came back the week before Sectionals. Worked out 3 times, competed at sectionals and scored higher than she ever had. Her coach accused her of training with another gym for those two weeks, AT Sectionals. She never went back to that gym.

That is the nuttiness thing ever. Good lord!

 

[FloMoGymMom]

Gym #1 we left after they announced they were cutting their USAG program. Owner and coaches were very supportive and happy to see my DD move on into a program that would keep her challenged. At gym #2, DD experienced rapid improvement and decided that she wanted to pursue a D1 scholarship and/or elite, workout more hours, tops conditioning, and have the opportunity to school through the gym. Gym #2 did not offer those opportunities. DD loved the gym, coaches, and girls, but she made the decision to move on after a junior coach made some mistakes in competitions that affected her scores. This mistakes the coach made were horrible, but it's what reopened the conversation DD had been trying to have with me about where she wanted her gymnastics to go. We supported her decision. The timing sucked b/c she switched right before states. The timing was important to her though b/c she wanted to do 5 and 6 back to back (fall and spring in my state) and she needed to get in and get prepared as her old gym does not do 5/6 back to back. This is my DD's sport, and this was her decision. I supported her, but I didn't agree with the timing.

Gym #2 took it personally I think. One coach immediately unfriended me. The owner understood, but thinks DD made a mistake. I thought she might be making a mistake, and I really have no desire for her to scholarship in gymnastics. But it is her goal , and her sport, and this girl is fierce in her pursuit. It has turned out to be an excellent experience for her. I'm still friends with all the Moms from both gyms and DD is still friends with all her past teammates. The Moms and the girls saw DD's intensity and are happy for her.

I have all good things to say about both gyms when asked. I often refer folks to both gyms. The bottom line is that I'm going to support DD being in the program that best fits her goals and it's not a ding on any gym that their goals don't line up with hers.

I really experienced it as a break up though... days of tears, uncertainty, wanting to go back, etc. But so proud of DD for setting this course and following through on it. It's all about the girls, not the coaches ego, balance sheets, and medal count my daughter can bring.

 

[twinmomma]

What about when you leave for a program the gym doesn't have? DD is considering T&T and it would mean a gym switch. I personally think that T&T might play to her strengths a bit more and give her more opportunities but I'm concerned because she has a lot of friends and is close with her coach. I haven't said anything to the coach yet because I don't want to create an issue if DD decides against it.

 

[FloMoGymMom]

What about when you leave for a program the gym doesn't have? DD is considering T&T and it would mean a gym switch. I personally think that T&T might play to her strengths a bit more and give her more opportunities but I'm concerned because she has a lot of friends and is close with her coach. I haven't said anything to the coach yet because I don't want to create an issue if DD decides against it.

If you are happy with the gym and coaches, maybe ask them if they'd be interested in starting T&T team, because your DD has interest. Great if they do. If not, that'll set the ground work for if/when you decide to move on to a gym that does have T&T.

 

[MILgymFAM]

What about when you leave for a program the gym doesn't have? DD is considering T&T and it would mean a gym switch. I personally think that T&T might play to her strengths a bit more and give her more opportunities but I'm concerned because she has a lot of friends and is close with her coach. I haven't said anything to the coach yet because I don't want to create an issue if DD decides against it.

YDD has had kids leave to go back to artistic, to go to acro, rythmic, cheer, and other T&T gyms. All the break ups have been handled well enough, but when the kid is switching gym type it's always a friendly goodbye. When ODD left her xcel gym to pursue JO it was the same. I think it's a different situation when they are leaving the "sport" (and yes, to me they are all different sports). If you have a good relationship with your DDs coaches I would broach the subject honestly.

 

[momto2js]

When we left, I did the "kid get all your stuff" after a practice and then sent a we are moving on email. My kid didn't even know it was his last peactice. But it was really bad!!

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

When we left our old gym, they fired the optional coach a week later and blamed it on my DD leaving "they could no longer afford to pay him". Also experienced the unfriending and badmouthing ("the kid will never make it at X gym and will be back"). Very childish, not people that I need in my life.

 

[GymDad9.9]

When we left our old gym, they fired the optional coach a week later and blamed it on my DD leaving "they could no longer afford to pay him". Also experienced the unfriending and badmouthing ("the kid will never make it at X gym and will be back"). Very childish, not people that I need in my life.

Talk about a guilt trip. Yeesh...