- Jun 14, 2019
- 225
- 655
There has been so much going on in our gym as of late that I feel like I have turned to this community more and more. It the hard part of being in a gym..when things aren't going well you don't want to bad mouth the gym for the kids who are not experiencing the same thing, but then at the same time you want to shout warnings from the rafters.
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I had posted previously about my DD (level 7 training 8) that felt the move to XCEL Diamond was the best move for her because of the tremendous favoritism that was going on in Optionals. If you aren't TOPs you don't get training essentially. You are left to figure it out for yourself and coach yourself. Well, DD tried XCEL but do to the "less than" reputation fed to the Optionals by the head coaches, her friends and teammates from Optionals were saying things such as "Why are you there?" or "Just quit. They suck." (or however kids say it now). Essentially her former teammates made her feel terrible for switching so she decided to quit.
In talking to some other families who had left the gym, it has become clearer and clearer that the head coach not only knows of the favoritism, it is under the HC mandate, who the other coaches are supposed to help more. Basically the younger you are, the more attention you get. Move the youngest up as quickly as possible and ignore the others. Come to find out my daughter was on his short list of 3 he wanted to fast track from 6 to 8 before Covid hit. Once covid hit and she didn't get her 8 skills after a 5 month gym closure, he stopped working with her and asked the other coaches to stop working with her. NONE of those 3 girls made it to 8. 2 made it to 7 (my daughter included) one repeated 6. The one who competed 6 again has been completely ignored and left without coaching since last fall. The other who made it to 7 has parents who are shelling out big bucks for privates 4-5 times a week and they are trying to push her to 10 this summer. Other girls (levels 7-8) who have been with the gym since level 2 were on the "push them to XCEL, sell them to Tumbling and Trampoline, whatever, just get them out of my program" list. These are girls with huge potential, but they are in high school and therefore TOO old to to be worth the HC time.
Doesn't USAG's Athlete Bill of Rights say something about fair and equitable training (Each athlete has the ability to participate in a level that matches their maturity, ability, and will be given equal opportunity to succeed). Does a coach deciding who he/she is going to coach to their full potential not violate these rights?
My daughter is heart broken to be out of gym, but I will not ask her to continue in an environment where not moving at break neck speed determines her value as a gymnast. She is talented, she is beautiful, and she is on her own journey. We are activity trying to move out of our area and she has said if we weren't here, she would already be in another gym. And, no, there isn't another one in driving distance to us. She has been sobbing saying she isn't done with the sport, she is just done with our gym and the favoritism. If a 12 year old can sense it, can't the coaches see it? The morale of the team is super low and it is because of this. There are SO many talented girls on this team, some that may take a while to get to their full potential, but they will get there and the HC and AC are destroying the program with their ways. It is goes beyond unfair. It is unethical because the gym sells parents on "We will help all girls develop the love of the sport. We don't focus on winning, but on each athlete reaching her full potential." Apparently that potential is whatever the coach decides is her potential and when they will stop coaching her because that potential has been reached. I am livid. I am heartsick.
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I had posted previously about my DD (level 7 training 8) that felt the move to XCEL Diamond was the best move for her because of the tremendous favoritism that was going on in Optionals. If you aren't TOPs you don't get training essentially. You are left to figure it out for yourself and coach yourself. Well, DD tried XCEL but do to the "less than" reputation fed to the Optionals by the head coaches, her friends and teammates from Optionals were saying things such as "Why are you there?" or "Just quit. They suck." (or however kids say it now). Essentially her former teammates made her feel terrible for switching so she decided to quit.
In talking to some other families who had left the gym, it has become clearer and clearer that the head coach not only knows of the favoritism, it is under the HC mandate, who the other coaches are supposed to help more. Basically the younger you are, the more attention you get. Move the youngest up as quickly as possible and ignore the others. Come to find out my daughter was on his short list of 3 he wanted to fast track from 6 to 8 before Covid hit. Once covid hit and she didn't get her 8 skills after a 5 month gym closure, he stopped working with her and asked the other coaches to stop working with her. NONE of those 3 girls made it to 8. 2 made it to 7 (my daughter included) one repeated 6. The one who competed 6 again has been completely ignored and left without coaching since last fall. The other who made it to 7 has parents who are shelling out big bucks for privates 4-5 times a week and they are trying to push her to 10 this summer. Other girls (levels 7-8) who have been with the gym since level 2 were on the "push them to XCEL, sell them to Tumbling and Trampoline, whatever, just get them out of my program" list. These are girls with huge potential, but they are in high school and therefore TOO old to to be worth the HC time.
Doesn't USAG's Athlete Bill of Rights say something about fair and equitable training (Each athlete has the ability to participate in a level that matches their maturity, ability, and will be given equal opportunity to succeed). Does a coach deciding who he/she is going to coach to their full potential not violate these rights?
My daughter is heart broken to be out of gym, but I will not ask her to continue in an environment where not moving at break neck speed determines her value as a gymnast. She is talented, she is beautiful, and she is on her own journey. We are activity trying to move out of our area and she has said if we weren't here, she would already be in another gym. And, no, there isn't another one in driving distance to us. She has been sobbing saying she isn't done with the sport, she is just done with our gym and the favoritism. If a 12 year old can sense it, can't the coaches see it? The morale of the team is super low and it is because of this. There are SO many talented girls on this team, some that may take a while to get to their full potential, but they will get there and the HC and AC are destroying the program with their ways. It is goes beyond unfair. It is unethical because the gym sells parents on "We will help all girls develop the love of the sport. We don't focus on winning, but on each athlete reaching her full potential." Apparently that potential is whatever the coach decides is her potential and when they will stop coaching her because that potential has been reached. I am livid. I am heartsick.
Telling your coaches to stop coaching certain gymnasts is ridiculous. I'm so sorry that you are in this position.
