Parents Is switching gym’s the right thing to do?

[flippinthroughit]

HELP!! I truly don’t know what I should do.. My gut tells me we should switch gyms but then I second guess myself on whether it will actually be better. My daughter and I are fairly new to this. Last year was her first year competing, level 2. Now she is training for level 3. I am very concerned and was last year too about the gymnast to coach ratio. I feel like it’s too high which can be a safety issue and she isn’t getting enough corrections and support to make progress. She has been working on skills for months with little to no progress, but when you watch the inconsistent coaching and lack of corrections I feel like that’s a huge part. They were at 13:1 and now are at 15:1!! Meaning 15 girls say at beam, with only one coach as they move through drill stations. This seems way too high. Another local gym is saying they have 8:1 ratio. I’m just worried about moving, is it worth 25 min further each way? My daughter loves her team mates and they have such a great bond… but i’m not pried this big group, my daughter will not make progress needed.

 

[Dahlialover]

Visit the other gym and watch a couple practices and talk to some parents. If you like what you see, arrange for your daughter to do a trial. Get all the info and weigh your options. Good luck.

 

[CluelessGymMom]

I agree with Dahlialover, visit the other gym and watch.

We switched gyms when we made a big, out of state move. Our new gym is absolutely amazing! I knew it would be different within 10 minutes of being there: fantastic positive atmosphere and smaller class sizes. Our old gym had huge classes, so the girls were just a number and received far less corrections and individual help.

Had I know then (before our move) what I know now, I would have looked at other gyms in our old state. So glad we moved out of state and stumbled into an amazing gym because I was completely clueless!

 

[ORgymmom]

No advice, just commiseration!

Maybe this is a west coast thing, but I would be cautious about playing the grass is greener game if you’re in a high cost-of-living area. We were at a gym with very good ratios that suddenly changed when 1-2 coaches moved. And then it was really hard for the gym to hire new coaches. And at the same time another gym closed and they absorbed even more girls.

At compulsory levels, I think we had 14:1 and 16:1 ratios. It wasn’t ideal, especially when there were a few athletes who were struggling or advanced getting most of the spotting or corrections. Gyms that are short-staffed are going to try to keep optionals groups small since their drills and spotting are more complex, so compulsory tends to absorb the shortages and/or get the most inexperienced coaches.

It’s worth checking out other gyms but also important to be realistic when you’re hearing great ratios. Observe how the workout groups really work. It might be 8:1 overall, but more like 4:1 for a group of level 8s-10s and 16:1 for level 2s and 3s.

 

[Dahlialover]

It’s worth checking out other gyms but also important to be realistic when you’re hearing great ratios. Observe how the workout groups really work. It might be 8:1 overall, but more like 4:1 for a group of level 8s-10s and 16:1 for level 2s and 3s.

Our gym is totally the opposite! Our optionals group has the highest ratios, currently at 15:1, and our youngest boys have the lowest ratios (5:1 for preteam and 10:1 or 12:1 for level 3/4). The little boys need constant wrangling but the optionals boys can just get their assignments off a whiteboard and go do their work. The coach circulates between the groups providing feedback and occasional spotting. It works very well.

 

[gymcoach34]

I think it matters what the workout looks like. 15:1 is pretty brutal for young kids, but there are coaches that could handle this and put on a good workout. There are some good coaches that can't even handle 5:1 in regards to organization and management. I think it all depends on how things are organized and managed.

There will be very few coaches who would want/to be able to sustain a young group of 15:1 long term without burning out though-IMHO. That would be exhausting!

 

[LurningGyMom]

Visit the other gym and watch a couple practices and talk to some parents. If you like what you see, arrange for your daughter to do a trial. Get all the info and weigh your options. Good luck.

HELP!! I truly don’t know what I should do.. My gut tells me we should switch gyms but then I second guess myself on whether it will actually be better. My daughter and I are fairly new to this. Last year was her first year competing, level 2. Now she is training for level 3. I am very concerned and was last year too about the gymnast to coach ratio. I feel like it’s too high which can be a safety issue and she isn’t getting enough corrections and support to make progress. She has been working on skills for months with little to no progress, but when you watch the inconsistent coaching and lack of corrections I feel like that’s a huge part. They were at 13:1 and now are at 15:1!! Meaning 15 girls say at beam, with only one coach as they move through drill stations. This seems way too high. Another local gym is saying they have 8:1 ratio. I’m just worried about moving, is it worth 25 min further each way? My daughter loves her team mates and they have such a great bond… but i’m not pried this big group, my daughter will not make progress needed.

My advice is to find the gym you love before you get to the higher levels. Not sure how it works in other areas but it's difficult to switch gyms in the Midwest. I've tried locally and to another state. They really make it hard: scheduling team tryouts during States or regionals when girls won't be available, filling the team with current gym goers from classes and lower levels... Then claiming all spots are filled, placement at inappropriate levels to make your kid/family pay dues or discourage you from going with them. Read the reviews of the gym and look at long term outcomes depending on how far you want to go. Some things to consider are what programs they offer; some gyms only offer Xcel, or only go to a certain level. If they don't have a strong program for level 6/7/8+ gymnasts, you're going to have to move again anyway. If moving often is a concern for you, go to a gym you can stay at, maybe one that prepares for college recruiting. Take in mind as you increase levels the number of girls naturally decrease. There just aren't as many girls in the higher levels. You're in the foundational years. I wouldn't worry about ratio so much if they are producing great gymnasts at higher levels. You can always supplement with privates. Good luck! Not to mention booking a private shows you're serious and may get your child special attention in a class full of kids, which again makes ratio less relevant.

 

[flippinthroughit]

I think it matters what the workout looks like. 15:1 is pretty brutal for young kids, but there are coaches that could handle this and put on a good workout. There are some good coaches that can't even handle 5:1 in regards to organization and management. I think it all depends on how things are organized and managed.

There will be very few coaches who would want/to be able to sustain a young group of 15:1 long term without burning out though-IMHO. That would be exhausting!