In a perfect world I could imagine everyone would love to come in say goodbye, give hugs and receive a fond farewell and best wishes, but unfortunately sometimes things just don't work out that way. My daughter recently switched gyms and after observing the way the coaching staff had handled gymnasts who had left previously, we too made the decision to worry more about our child's emotional well being than hurting her friends feelings. As her parents, we did not feel comfortable putting her into a situation that was negative because egos and feelings were hurt. We did send a letter, a very nice letter thanking the current club for all they had done and expressing our love for their program and all of the people who were a part of it. We asked permission for our daughter to come say goodbye to her coaches and her teammates and were told no. She was not invited to the end of the year team celebration and did not receive any of the awards she had earned after competing an entire season with the team. Tell your daughter, that although it is sad, sometimes people aren't given a choice...the choice is made for them. I did send a letter to the parents that we as a family were close to and that my gymnast was close to explaining our decision and saying goodbye. We had tons of well wishes, visits and nothing but love from the recipients of that letter. I would say to reach out to the person. If your daughters were close I'm sure the family would be happy to give your daughter an oppurtunity to say goodbye to her teammate and friend. Just remember, there are always two sides to every story.
