Anon Gym implosion 2 weeks before meet season

[Anonymous (d409)]

All, I am at a loss. We attend a large gym with over 200 girls on team. The entire reason we joined this gym is because the head coach for levels 4-9 is an incredible coach, all around amazing human, and KIND. He's also effective, with lots of top 100 girls, high scores and a few perfect 10s!

Last week, he was let go with very vague reasons and a lot of ugliness about the gym owner has come to light. In a nutshell - she said he's too good. She wants to appeal to a larger audience and he wants to foster top talent. They no longer saw eye to eye.

That said, meets start next week. Almost half the competitive team is refusing to come to practice and is awaiting his new job so they can follow.

My daughter wasn't coached by him full time, but she's upset. Thankfully, she has other coaches she loves so we're continuing on. But, what would you do? I feel like the owner has created chaos for hundreds of people (gymnasts and their families) and I am disgusted. This is an expensive sport, it requires crazy logistics for our family...and I am supposed to continue to trust this place?

UGH.

 

[Anonymous (0805)]

Been there done that. We left. Largely because if the owner would do this now, who knows what they'll do later mid season, or whatever. We found another gym that was stable and they accepted my DD with open arms.

 

[Anonymous (0d89)]

I'm so sorry - that's awful. If this was me, I'd plan for my daughter to stick out the season as long as she is safe, happy, and her other coach is still in the game...BUT I would be actively searching for a new gym to move to immediately after season ends.

 

[Anonymous (44b3)]

If you have even the tiniest inkling that you might leave, contact other teams now regardless of where you think that coach will end up.

My gymnast was on pre-team when her gym’s owner made the post-Covid decision to focus on xcel and rec. At the time her team was larger than almost any other program within a 90 minute drive. Many girls’ families heard rumors in advance of the announcement and were able to secure tryouts at other gyms before regular tryout season. Girls who didn’t hear before the formal announcement and pre-team kids ended up without good options.

When one head coach leaves, it triggers a lot of other changes not just at the original gym but new gyms, too. In our area a couple of big gym shifted at the same time as ours as they absorbed coaches who left following our gym’s changes. Some mediocre gyms improved a lot, and others that were known as strong lost momentum because of the coaching musical chairs.

If you’re not sure about leaving, wait a season for coaches to settle nearby. We had some optionals girls switch gyms twice in 18 months to follow coaches who were chasing the right gym fit.

 

[Aussie_coach]

There is often more to the story than people are aware of.

If she is happy with her current coach, I would stick with it for now and see what happens.

 

[Dahlialover]

Personally, since your child has a good coach for now, I’d stay put until after the competition season concludes. You will have a lot more info in a couple months once you see which coaches end up leaving your current gym (there will probably be others) and where they go. The girls who leave now may end up missing the season because other area gyms may not have the capacity to radically expand their programs on such short notice. I’d be patient and wait for the dust to settle.

 

[Anonymous (29ba)]

My daughter also goes to this gym (I'm assuming this isn't happening lots of places). We're finishing the season out and seeing where he ends up and if any other coaches follow him.

 

[JBS]

How is this going now?

 

[Anonymous (d409)]

AWFUL. Check it out: https://decaturish.com/2024/01/into...ter-calling-parents-a-holes-in-facebook-post/

 

[Anonymous (29ba)]

How is this going now?

https://decaturish.com/2024/01/intown-stars-gym-owner-relieved-of-duties-after-calling-parents-a-holes-in-facebook-post/

 

[JBS]

Wow... ok... that's not what I was expecting to see. I guess the team has probably fully collapsed now?

 

[JBS]

Hopefully everything gets worked out and the club can move forwards.

 

[Anonymous (29ba)]

Hopefully everything gets worked out and the club can move forwards.

2/3 and xcel are still at the gym currently. The future seems TBD, though.

 

[CuriousCate]

Woah! That's intense! Glad you're out of there!

 

[Anonymous (d409)]

Hopefully everything gets worked out and the club can move forwards.

yeah....it's a mess. I do not think there will be a competitive team in the near future.

 

[Anonymous (48cf)]

Excuse my blunt rudeness, I don't like insulting people but.. having read the whole post they posted:

I don't understand how somebody who is eh.. let's say "impulsive and unaware of potential consequences" enough to post something like that has the intellect or mindset neededto have run a gym for any amount of time. I really don't understand.