Parents Should we switch to a new gym???

[raenndrops]

There was a possibility @thefellowsmom left out for the coach at the possible gym being "too nice."
Sometimes, when a gymnast is just TRYING out a gym, the coaches will be nicer and more encouraging.
We once tried another gym, not that we were even seriously considering switching... our gym was on an unexpected extra week shut down approaching a big meet and OG really needed to be in the gym at least a couple times (one actual training and one open gym).
The coach was really nice to OG. She wasn't as hard on her as she was on her own gymnasts (and OG was actually training with a group 1 level lower, which the coach knew - it fit into our schedule). Since OG was a little older, she noticed how the coach treated her own gymnasts and how she was treated differently.
YG was there too... and her experience was different. The coach she was with had just as high expectations for YG as she did for her team girls... they were the same level but most of the girls were just a little older.

 

[Taxidriver]

You have already been given some great advice by others all I will say is if this was anywhere else would you let a man make your daughter and you feel the way he does in any other situation?

What concerns me most by your post is

All the parents seem to live in fear that if you stir up trouble you could have your child kicked out of the gym at any time.

Whilst most of us don’t want to be seen as a CGM I don’t understand how a parent can have their child in a gym where they live in fear that anything you say that’s not positive might get you kicked out of gym. If training makes my daughter sick and I approached the coach regarding that and she got kicked out for that, well I would’nt want to be there anymore.

My dd Health both physical and mental health is far more important than any gym program.

 

[Faith]

I’ve just done this.

Old gym was pretty much exactly as you describe. In fact it was also pretty much exactly the same as the gym I trained at in the 80’s. I always swore i would never allow anyone to treat my dd like that. It is a horrible environment to be in, even if the child doesn’t see it. Our old gym was actually reasonable until they got a new coach who changed the whole club- only worked with certain kids, these kids could chuck other off the equipment, more hours, more attention. Plus the throwing them out, ignoring, telling them they’re sh*t, having them hanging for crumbs of praise.

My kid is elite. But she wasn’t a “favourite” so was mostly ignored. But i wasn’t having her in that environment.

So we moved. Big time, as we needed an elite club. New club has not been great, low hours and many coaching changes. She’s only just hitting her stride again after a year. While old club have been doing 30 hrs a week with those kids and they are actually doing incredibly well.

But i am still glad we moved. She is healthy and happy, and hopefully will be in long term.

Please remember, abuse isn’t just physical or sexual. Emotional abuse and bullying should not be tolerated either.

 

[John]

In a nutshell:
It is ok for a coach to demand a high-level work ethic and it is ok for a coach to demand a high-level of conditioning. It is not ok for a coach to scare or threaten gymnasts. Positive reinforcement always over negative.