Parents Moving for Gymnastics?

[Deleted member 10727]

Has anyone ever moved for the sole reason of finding a decent gym for your gymnast(s)? I have 2 boys, level 5, and we live in an area with only one ok gym, with one very overworked coach for a 20-boy team. There is an assistant coach, but he is not a good coach at all and he is assigned to the lower levels.

It looks like my boys are not going to quit this sport anytime soon, and they both love it passionately. We've been considering moving to parts unknown with a good gym. There are a couple of concerns, one being the gym we're at now is very inexpensive tuition-wise. We may have a 3rd team gymnast in the future as our 5 year old is picking up the passion. We'd have to find a great, longstanding gym in a decent COL area with jobs, and that might be tough. We are looking in Region 1.

What has your experience been with moving for a gym program?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well, i can't remember the gym by you with the 'numbers'. my mind has gone blank at the moment. something like 5465 gymnastics...sorry i can't remember...geesh...brain fart. but they have an excellent mens and womens program. God help my mind this day...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

make that 5280 gymnastics. i hope "COL" meant Colorado? here you go: Link Removed

 

[Gymmommy71]

The negative I can think of is it could put a lot of pressure on a gymnast to continue if they decided down the line that they wanted to stop knowing that the family uprooted itself over their gymnastics. However, you are a special case cause you have 2, maybe eventually 3, gymnasts so I think the chances of them all loosing their passion for the sport is low. I don't think there would be anything to wrong w/ looking into it - you may find a situation that's better for everyone involved - nicer gym, better job, etc.

 

[profmom]

I know one person who's looking into it now (boys' side), but the situation is different -- she's the owner and operator of a L8 who's done very well in Future Stars and placed at nationals, and the family is unusually mobile. I guess in your situation, I'd be pretty hesitant to make such a major life change for gym, but if everything else aligned perfectly, I might consider it. How long have your boys been in the sport and how old are they? My DS, who's also a L5, is outrageously passionate about gymnastics right now, but he's also 9 years old and I have no idea what he will be into when he's 15. (I've noticed, for instance, that I am not now a practicing heart surgeon!)

 

[bookworm]

I wouldn't do any relocating for Level 5...there's just so much that can change before they get to the higher levels (like quitting, which is what happens a lot as kids move up the levels..) . You don't say how old your kids are but I would assume young so I would really hold off... I would investigate a longer commute to a better gym and see what kind of progress they made , and if it would eventually warrant a move to be closer to the gym. We have never been close to our gym...our shortest commute was 30 miles and our commute now is roughly a 200 mile round trip, 5 days a week...but it's worth it to us because the kids have stayed in their home, been among their friends and family, and done gym at a high level. I won't say it's been easy but you can get your kids into a groove of school/gym/homework/meals and it can work although I joke that I sometimes feel like I live in my car

And just an aside, if you're worried about the tuition at a bigger gym being more, it probably will be , and with it will come more "costs" associated with a bigger gym...so I would factor that into a CON for relocating....

 

[Gymdad2]

Have you carefully considered all of the changes you would be making? You are considering leaving your home, jobs, community, schools, church, friends, etc. for a gym change? My advice is to think very carefully about this.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I know one person who's looking into it now (boys' side), but the situation is different -- she's the owner and operator of a L8 who's done very well in Future Stars and placed at nationals, and the family is unusually mobile. I guess in your situation, I'd be pretty hesitant to make such a major life change for gym, but if everything else aligned perfectly, I might consider it. How long have your boys been in the sport and how old are they? My DS, who's also a L5, is outrageously passionate about gymnastics right now, but he's also 9 years old and I have no idea what he will be into when he's 15. (I've noticed, for instance, that I am not now a practicing heart surgeon!)

OMG! all that schooling and all those intern hours...wow!

 

[iwannacoach]

I'd say move if there's a better job market and the housing market favors selling where you're at and buying where you'll end up. Changes in community, friends, and affiliations can be difficult but there's also opportunity, in moving, to find new friends and build a wider network of associations once you combine the new with the old.

Just make sure the communities you're considering have at least two viable gymnastics programs to choose from.... just in case.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

make that 5280 gymnastics. i hope "COL" meant Colorado? here you go: Link Removed

Sorry, that is short for 'cost of living'.
We are looking at Southern California, but all of region one is a possibility.
We would not move without thinking long and hard on the pros and cons.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

I know one person who's looking into it now (boys' side), but the situation is different -- she's the owner and operator of a L8 who's done very well in Future Stars and placed at nationals, and the family is unusually mobile. I guess in your situation, I'd be pretty hesitant to make such a major life change for gym, but if everything else aligned perfectly, I might consider it. How long have your boys been in the sport and how old are they? My DS, who's also a L5, is outrageously passionate about gymnastics right now, but he's also 9 years old and I have no idea what he will be into when he's 15. (I've noticed, for instance, that I am not now a practicing heart surgeon!)

My gymnasts are young, but the youngest is particularly talented and gymnastics is his thing. Sometimes you just know when a kid will be with a sport for a long, long time. However, with the coaching situation he is sitting around half the time (both because he is told to wait, and because he doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing. The assistant coach has some major focus issues) and this boy has to be kept busy or he gets antsy and doesn't do his best work. They've been doing gymnastics for 2.5 years, including rec. Last year my younger team gymnast got 2nd in the state in all divisions (all age groups, but he competed as a 6 yr old) for several events, but that was level 4, of course.

 

[wandrewsjr]

If you are looking for an area in Region 1 with at least 2 strong boys team programs to choose from(as one poster suggested), that would already narrow your search considerably. You would likely only find this in the 5 biggest metro areas in Region 1 - Phoenix, Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco/Bay Area.

 

[krisnkids]

I would seriously think twice about moving to southern California. Yes its beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the cost of living is ridiculous. It is very difficult to make it on one income, if you are both working the childcare is expensive. The only schools that are worth a dang are the private ones and even then many of those are sub-par.

Sorry, that is short for 'cost of living'.
We are looking at Southern California, but all of region one is a possibility.
We would not move without thinking long and hard on the pros and cons.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

I would seriously think twice about moving to southern California. Yes its beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the cost of living is ridiculous. It is very difficult to make it on one income, if you are both working the childcare is expensive. The only schools that are worth a dang are the private ones and even then many of those are sub-par.

Yeah, the expense is insane, and we do live on one income. We homeschool, so schools aren't an issue.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

I'm wondering what options we have. We could stay here, and have sub-par training for the boys. The head coach is very good, but he has too many boys and not enough support from the gym owner to get him proper coaching help. I also worry he will leave himself due to the those issues, as he has hinted he has thought about it in the past. The gym experience has become chaotic for the lower levels in particular. And dangerous.

We could try to encourage our boys into another sport, but that feels wrong.

We could try to make a move.

We could travel 1.5 hours each way to another gym that I'm not even sure is all that great. The facility is awesome.

 

[dani4]

I don't think it's the craziest idea ever, to move for gymnastics. But in the end you have to make sure that it's a move you'll be happy with even if the gymnastics doesn't pan out. If you're moving from a more rural/small city to a large city (to have greater options) will you be happy with that? Have you ever lived in a big city before (or maybe you do now)? Obviously you're going to need to consider everything, and whether you are the kind of person who likes to move and be challenged to make new friends and figure everything out all over again. When I was first pregnant my husband & I moved for a better quality of life, which for us included a place with great rowing and outdoors activities. I don't get to row anymore and I hardly ever get out of the city much, but I'm still happy that we moved.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

Can you tell me what gyms/areas of Phoenix has the good boys programs?

 

[GymBee97]

unless my kids were prodigies and knew they were going to be Olympians with the right training I wouldn't move for any reason other than work or for a better academic school. Its just gymnastics like any other kids after school activity and if they are having FUN and ENJOYING everything about their experience at their gym then they don't need anything else. Level 5 is just at the start of training and any gym can give them the basics. If they are still in it when they get to the optional levels and are superstars ready for more than your gym can give then its time to look around but I wouldn't move to make it happen. Most of the boys in my area I've seen usually quit the sport around L6 - L7 very few move on past that level.

 

[GymBee97]

Question: Does the boys team you are currently on have upper level gymnasts? Does the team and/or the team members place at meets? if they do then I wouldn't say they are sub-par. The gym my dd is at has a boys team and girls team many of the "other gyms" who are considered "better, bigger, more coaches" etc don't do as well at meets at our gym does even though they are supposed to be "BETTER". After 17 years of being a parent of a gymnast (first my son then my daughter) I've come to the conclusion that what is the "best" for a kids is what program fits them best. that might mean the "big gym with the big name" it might mean the smaller gym with the not so big name. In the end the best gym is where the kids are happy, and enjoying themselves not where mom or dad think they will become the next big thing and will push them to "success" which is a different thing for every gymnast.

 

[wallflower]

I think it's a bit too early in the journey to move just for gymnastics. If you had girls I might have a different opinion, but you have more time with a male gymnast. I think you should give it a few more years.