New to the Chalk Bucket

[millemom]

Hi,

My name is Heather and I have a daughter that has been involved with recreational gymnastics since she was 2. She is currently 11 and a second year Level 4 (she did take a year off and she didn't join a competitive team until she was 8. It's been a frustrating couple of years with lots of turn over in our gym and young coaches that haven't been able to get the girls where they need to be, but she loves her friends there and it was convenient.

We will be moving to Houston, the Katy area most likely in the spring and I really joined to get a better picture of Houston area gyms and where we might start. Also, it seems like this is her thing and now that she's having to make choices in activities (not enough time or money to do it all) I'd like to get to know some other parents that have dealt with some of the issues and the training steps up.

I'm glad to be here and look forward to getting to know some new people!

 

[MaryA]

Welcome! We also joined the gym that was close and convenient, because we knew nothing about gymnastics and had no idea that this was the activity that was going to "stick" and it took us a while (and a lot of angst and tears) before DD (also 11) finally joined a gym that can really help her achieve her gymnastics goals.

I think your challenge will be finding a gym that has a wide range of ages across the levels. I'm sure your daughter would be more comfortable in a group with at least a few kids her own age rather than a bunch of 6-7 year-olds. My DD, at 11, is the oldest in her level 7 group (though the other kids range from 8-10, so it's not too bad). I'm not from Texas, but my guess would be you will have a LOT of gyms to choose from in the Houston area, so hopefully there are some good ones who are welcoming to all ages at all levels. Maybe, in addition to posting here (always a good place to start) try going to "mymeetscores.com" and start looking up gyms in the area and see if there are some who have girls competing in the "10-and-up" category (or whatever) in level 4/5 meets? Also, look into the Excel program, which might be more fun for your daughter and have more "older" girls at your daughter's level.

Good luck, and let us know what you find and how the transition goes!

 

[coachmolly]

Welcome! There are tons of great gyms in the Houston area, ranging to super competitive and elite focused to more fun/recreational focused and I'm sure plenty in between. Like MaryA said, you could look into gyms with an Excel program or I believe Texas has a lot of gyms involved in AAU (or something similar) which requires fewer hours at a lower cost. I think someone else just posted in the last few weeks about moving to the Houston area, so if you do a search you might be able to get some help from that thread. If you can't find it, there are lots of knowledgeable coaches and parents out there who are full of great info about just about any area of the country.
ETA- here is the the link to the thread about Houston area gyms, maybe this will at least help you find a starting point: Link Removed
This site is another good one to use as a starting point- you can get an idea of what would be reasonable driving distance and then check out websites, mymeetscores.com, etc. to narrow down the list: http://USGyms.net/texas.htm
Good luck with finding a gym and to your dd as she makes all of these decisions!

 

[Grommet's Mom]

Welcome in advance to Houston. As others have said, there are quite a few gyms here. However, Texas does not have Excel. There is a TAAF (Texas Amatuer Athletics Foundation) program, but it is quite small in Houston. It's more popular in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.

I suggest you go to TXUSAG.com for more information. The Katy area is in District 5, here's the link for gyms in Districts 4, 5 & 6. Link Removed

Houston is a little different from the Dallas area, in that we have both older and younger gymnasts in the compulsory levels. Your daughter should have no problem finding a gym where she feels comfortable. My dd is 12 and is a just finishing her L6 season, however, there are 11 year olds on the L4 team. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.

 

[txgymfan]

Welcome to Chalk Bucket and to Houston. We have a wonderful city. I don't know the local gyms but I do know the area. Please PM me if you have any questions.

 

[millemom]

Thanks for the welcome and the info. She is competing TAAF, but would have been moving to USAG next year anyway. I have been looking around a bit, but it's hard to tell from the websites. We will be making several trips down to visit schools, neighborhoods and gyms in the spring. There is a lot of info on this forum, so glad that I have found it!