WAG Gym Recs in DFW (TX) Area

[ptork66]

Hello!

• A little background: I started gymnastics in 1992 and have trained/competed consistently until 2008, Level 8. Competing has been non-existent since then, and training has been off and on (mostly off in the last couple years), as I moved to the UK to get married to a Brit.

I've realised that I'm still not done with gymnastics, but I have no more time to waste as I inch ever closer to 30. It's really "now" or never. And I can't live with never.

To that end, I'm planning a move back to my home state of Texas. I'm looking for gym recommendations for optional level gymnastics. While I'm Level 8, I think I can still drop back to Level 7 (old level 7? did the optional levels change when they changed the levels?) if really necessary.

• What I'm looking for in a gym: Positive (non-abusive) coaches (I survived the whole coaches yelling angrily and scarily at you thing as a child and I'm not willing to endure it these days or witness it against other children), team training schedules that have practices after 5 and/or on Saturdays (or coaches/owners who might be willing to work with me), gyms that have insurance for over 18s, coaches/owners who'd be willing to allow having a nearly 30 year old train with their kids (I can compete as an independent if necessary).

I realise most of the above y'all aren't necessarily going to know, and I do plan on getting in touch with the various team coaches/owners to get permission in advance, because I'm centring my job and apartment search on where the gym I would go to is located. So...I have to find a gym first. And I can't visit them in advance. The bolded bits above are probably the most important aspects of what I'm looking for in a gym.

I'm asking your advice/recs because there are just so many gyms in the DFW area that I don't really know where to start.

If anyone knows anything about any of the DFW gyms (what the coaches/philosophy are like, what the team trial is like, what practice schedules are like - anything), I would be very grateful for your insight.

Thank you so much!

 

[ptork66]

Oh, I know some gyms require their gymnasts to have certain skills for each level, so if anyone happens to know anything about a specific gym's requirements, that would be very useful, too.

 

[bogwoppit]

As you must be at least 26, so you will need call each club and ask them what they can do for advanced adult gymnasts who want to compete. Many have adult programs and will not put adults in with their team girls, as team girls tend to be quite young. Some gyms do have adults in the JO programs, but those are pretty few.

Search adult gymnastics on here and you will find a thread or three talking about just this. I do know that there is a FB group. Some pretty advanced gymnasts int he group too.

Best of luck.

 

[gymdog]

Find an adult group that trains for AAU or some NAIGC clubs also allow non affiliated adults. Also tramp and tumbling provides some good options and I think in DFW there's gotta be some programs, more low impact.

But, based on your timeline, I would hesitate to push the path you describe. We would be a similar age but I did gymnastics longer than you and I can guarantee there's no way that today I'm in the physical condition to do level 8. Now, maybe you're in better shape than me, that's very possible, but I still think it will be hard to commit to the full training schedule needed as a regular adult. I think then you risk injury. Just some thoughts.

 

[ptork66]

Find an adult group that trains for AAU or some NAIGC clubs also allow non affiliated adults. Also tramp and tumbling provides some good options and I think in DFW there's gotta be some programs, more low impact.

But, based on your timeline, I would hesitate to push the path you describe. We would be a similar age but I did gymnastics longer than you and I can guarantee there's no way that today I'm in the physical condition to do level 8. Now, maybe you're in better shape than me, that's very possible, but I still think it will be hard to commit to the full training schedule needed as a regular adult. I think then you risk injury. Just some thoughts.

I don't know anything about AAU, so I'll look it up just in case, but I never liked NAIGC.

I got myself to Level 8 and training 9 primarily coaching myself and with 3 hours of practice a week and since moving to the UK have gained a few new skills with an hour a week. I don't really want a full training schedule or hardcore competition (or not necessarily any/much competition), but I've found the problem with most adult classes is a) they're very short and b) they're not coached. I can only coach myself to a point. Plus it's lonely. I really think I need a bit of coaching / proper guidance to finally cross off my gymnastics goals.

Injury is a risk, yeah, but I just can't give up. Not yet. Though I haven't been in a gym (since the only gym here is extremely tiny - the breams are on top of the floor, no full runway or landing area for vault, etc and the adult class is hosted on weekday lunchtime) for a year and a half, I've been keeping up with conditioning/stretching. Hopefully it'll be enough. I'm so close to being satisfied enough with a 'retirement'.

Hopefully that makes some sense and doesn't sound totally insane? lol

 

[ptork66]

The point of the above was 1 hour isn't enough, 3 hours isn't quite enough, full team schedule would be too much at my age plus I need the help of a coach + there are so many gyms in the DFW area that narrowing them down without help will be...a long process.

 

[gymdog]

Have you considered tramp and tumbling? It seems to me like there are more people in their 20s and the practice hours are more medium if that makes sense but it's still very competitive if you're interested in that challenge.

 

[fuzi]

You might also be interested in competing Xcel. The highest level, Diamond, is similar to level 7/8. Most Xcel teams are going to practice less, usually 2-4 days a week. I've also seen a handful of 20-somethings competing Xcel.

 

[OzZee]

I think the biggest issue would be finding a gym with suitable classes that you can get to. Maybe email/call a lot of gyms and narrow that down then ask if anyone has experience of that smaller subset.

 

[raenndrops]

I agree that if there is a gym with Xcel Diamond, that would be an excellent option. Fewer hours, actual coaching, higher level skills, flipping vaults allowed

5 A's and 2 B's required but all C's are allowed and 1 D per event is allowed in Diamond