Moving Gyms?

[hawaii_gymnast]

This is more of a vent and asking of an opinion!
When I was little I went to one gym and at 5 I moved because the program coordinator moved, so we moved with her (love the way she runs the program), I am now 15.
I feel like my current gym is holding me back skill wise, I am the first and only one to have lots of skills (L7/L8 approximately but not all the same because I am in Canada, I am P3 moving to P4 next year) and seem to be progressing a lot within the last few years, but I always stop and wonder how well and far I could go at a more serious gym with a lot of higher level gymnasts. Now don't get my wrong I love my gym, I love the atmosphere, coaches and my teammates. But my most of my teammates are quitting after this year (need more time for school or want to have a normal teenager life) and I feel like it might be my time to experience a new gym with a different philosophy.
I want the experience but I get sad even thinking about leaving my gym because I love it. I also work at my current gym with beginner rec kids and love the fun filled environment the gym brings to them. I currently train 12 hours a week, and summer hours are less.
I don't know what to do!
Stay at my current gym and progress being the highest level and being the one who the coaches first teach these skills too or move to a more well known gym with more training hours and see how far I can get with the opportunities?

 

[Muddlethru]

I can see your predicament. Would your current gym still let you keep your rec coach job if you switched gyms? You can still be in the gym environment you love and train at a more serious gym. Also, are your current coaches open-minded and supportive enough that you can discuss your situation with them and get their opinion? You might want to go to a "serious"gym and get evaluated. Explain to them what your situation is and ask them if they would allow you to workout with their team. See how you like it. At your current gym, 12 hours a week is pretty minimal. If you want to realize your true potential, it looks like you may need to switch gyms.

 

[GetaGrip]

I understand how you feel, I've been in the same position before. Its very hard choosing between a gym you love and a gym you think can push you further. It seems that you have at least a decent relationship with your coaches, and that is built on trust and being able to work together on your gymnastics. If you feel like your being held back, tell your coaches! Tell them about your aspirations and that you are willing to work harder to achieve your goal. If they don't listen, then I'd possibly consider looking at the other gym.

Twelve hours a week is not a lot of gym time. In fact, that's how much I go, and I'm a level 8 as well! This is a very big gym time difference from how much I used to go at my old gym, 22 hours a week. The thing is though, that I've found that it doesn't matter how much time a week you go, but how well you use the time. At my current gym, we are working non-stop for the three hours I get every few days. I learn a lot despite how little I go. At my old gym, we would sit around and talk, sometimes not doing anything for a long time. It took a very long time for me to learn things. Still, twelve hours is not enough to progress quickly. If there was any way to up your hours, I'd take it.