Parents Stay at gym or leave?

[JBS]

When you take your child to gymnastics, do you normally stay or leave? If you leave, what could the club do to make you want to stay more often? If you stay, why do you stay?

 

[Megley]

My husband drops both kids off at gymnastics. I pick up my daughter and usually arrive early enough to watch 2 hours of the practice. I can't get to both my son's and my daughter's practices because they are both scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays at overlapping times. Kudos to my husband who takes my son out to gymnastics at one location, then drives clear across town to drop my daughter at her practice (same gym - 2 locations) and then drives back to pick up my son! I stay at my daughter's to watch mainly because she wants me there. She is young (only 5) and likes to have me stay and watch. That said, it will not be possible this summer when her workouts will be during the day while I'm at work.

 

[gracefulone]

My paretns don't stay; our gym prefers it if the don't. There is a window and some parents come, but usually it's just a dop-off, pick up thing. My parents just drop off and pick up at the door.

 

[JBS]

My paretns don't stay; our gym prefers it if the don't. There is a window and some parents come, but usually it's just a dop-off, pick up thing. My parents just drop off and pick up at the door.

That's a little scary...as a director I would prefer that all the parents stay. I have nothing to hide...I am proud of our program and want to show it off. As a coach, it is much harder to explain a situation to a parent that never stays to watch. There are situations when parents are a little too overzealous, but talking to the parent is a much better way of correcting this. I'm not saying that team parents should be there 20 hours per week, but a couple would be nice. Rumors spread like wildfire at a gym and the best way to stop them is with a trusting client base.

 

[just4fun]

stay

I stay - there are huge windows all around the gym to watch - and my dtr likes me to stay.

 

[gymmom]

The coaches dont encourage parents to stay. They dont ask parents to leave but no one gets an invitation to stay. Also, if the kids are paying more attention to the parents(ex. waving, making faces) the coaches will give a warning that they will be asked to leave the gym for the day.

My daughter is in the gym 16 hours so I cant stay the entire time. I usually stay the first hour and then I leave.

gymmom

 

[JBS]

The coaches dont encourage parents to stay. They dont ask parents to leave but no one gets an invitation to stay. Also, if the kids are paying more attention to the parents(ex. waving, making faces) the coaches will give a warning that they will be asked to leave the gym for the day.

My daughter is in the gym 16 hours so I cant stay the entire time. I usually stay the first hour and then I leave.

gymmom

At the team level parents are hardly ever there...this is big reason why so many competitive gyms have problems. Many times the parents that ask the most questions are thought of as problem parents. This is a ridiculous concept. If a coach can't coach in front of a couple parents...how are they going to coach at a meet? Then there is the other question...what are they really doing when you're gone? Waving, making faces, and just being happy should always happen at a gym...a coach that can't control this just has a lack of control.

This subject really kills me...I have started another thread, "Is your gym parent friendly?" Please give us your thoughts.

 

[midwestgymmom]

My dds gym is 45 min away in another town so I'm pretty well stuck there for 2 hrs twice a week. I've learned not to go shopping anymore while she's at practice (too expensive ). Another mom drives an hour so we end up sitting and chatting. The rest of the parents come and watch the last few minutes. Every once in awhile we get put to work doing things the coach needs done.

 

[gym law mom]

HI. I've been looking for a gym forum and stumbled across this one. My daughter is 10 and just finished her 1st Level 6 season.

Thought I'd throw in my 2 cents about staying or leaving practices. Practice for my daughter is 3.5 hrs. on M/W/F and Sat. afternoon. With work and another child I really don't have the time to sit and watch all of that. Also, team parents are asked not to come too much in the late afternoon since many parents of kids in the rec programs are there and seating in the observation area is already tight. Most of us drop in for the last 30 min or so at least 1x/week. Its easier on Sat to catch the last hour or so. Also, if a parent needs to talk with a coach, the end of practice is the best time.

 

[JBS]

As a competitive gymnast I hated having my parents there. As a young coach I hated having the parents there. As a gym director I want the parents there. As a new parent I will be at my child's activities part of the time (that's all anyone can ask).

A key element is the parent viewing area. With an appropriate viewing area, gyms can have everyone together while still keeping a good amount of separation and minimizing distractions. I have attached a picture of the view from the observation deck at one of our gyms. The parents are upstairs behind glass...the kids forget that they are there most of the time.

 

[gymbabisMom]

As a parent.I have nearly always stayed. From the time she started untill now. As a coach, I am always glad to see parents stay and watch as long as they don't try to coach from the sidelines. Gymbabi would probably prefer that I didn't stay but she liked it when she was younger. I think it's good to keep an eye on what's going on at the gym.

 

[rebeccapaige!]

For now I stay, she is on pre-hotshots so preteam for the 4 year olds at our gym I enjoy watching, also we live 30 minutes away so until her practices get really long I will probably stay maybe even then, who knows
Becky

 

[rainmonkey03]

As a child I just did gymnastics at my school as an after school program. Parents weren't there unless they had finished work and were there to pick their child up. After I left that school I started piano (so I'm going off topic here). My piano teacher had her studio built with a private room where we work on theory lessons (how to write and read music, names of notes, signs etc). We were to stay there until it was time for our lesson so we didn't interrupt the other person(s) in a lesson. My teacher never encouraged parents to stay, or discouraged them. She always let the parents know what was going on. She let them know if we were not practicing etc. My teacher didn't like when parents sat in the same room as our lesson unless she had invited them. Too many times the parents were interrupting the teacher and adding their own 2 cents worth. It seemed to work for piano.
In gymnastics though I think it's important for parents to be able to stay and I think a room such as my piano teachers room is a good idea. Big glass windows allow the parents to see everything and know everything is running ok and to their standards. At first I would be nervous if my parents were watching me. I didn't like when they watched me do homework or practice (mainly cause they were critiquing the entire time). But if it was a room such as the photo JBS has posted, I wouldn't mind cause they would be far enough away that I wouldn't feel like I was being watched. I hope this makes sense.

 

[beamqueen]

well my gym

MY gym ask's that parent's ( like mine ) would not watch daily and they would like about no more then 2 times a simply because either the gymnast is distracted or get's so excited that they hurt them self

 

[azmom]

My daughter only practice 8 hours a week so I try to be there.
My older daughter does cheer though so she frequently needs rides too. She doesnt really have a set schedule either. She basically goes everyday for a good 4 hours. Her cheer gym is 30 minutes away so I cant stay for my younger daughters gymnastics the whole time.
On the other hand, only 3 more years till the older one can drive :]

 

[9bob8]

my gym does not let parents stay. my mum would stay all night if she could.

 

[Carmansunshine]

I have two dds in gymnastics, I live 45 min from the gym so I stay. I am the only parent in the viewing area and stay quiet except for a few good jobs when she comes out to get a drink. I'm not discouraged from staying, but I feel a little tension from the coach about it. (I think I'm not really sure because it's a new gym for us only been here 4 months.) But the coach is always looking at me to see if I'm watching, I think she may be a little distracted by me being there, but my dds are used to it and want me to stay. So I stay.

 

[JBS]

GymnasticsCoaching.com just added a great post about this. You can view it at the link below:

http://gymnasticscoaching.com/?p=2105

Be sure to read and add to the comments.

 

[Granny Smith]

I read the article. I think for each child what is needed is different.

For my child, she wants me there. She is 10 and just for conversation, she is a Level 7. She practices 4hrs per workout, 20 hrs a week. I normally drop her off after school at 4pm, I stay for about 45 minutes and then I leave. I have another child, we go home get dinner ready for when my husband comes home, eat. I then head back to the gym aroung 6:30. Her workout is over at 8pm. So I do get to see a lot of it. Each day their rotations change, so by being there for at least an hour at the end, usually in a week, I get to see her on every event.

My daughter thrives on me being there. As for me, I know where she stands. I can see where she needs to work and I have realistic expectations of her because I know where she is at. I have heard parents, who usually aren't there to watch their kids, say oh so & so should be up at the next level. What they don't even realize is that their daughter is the one who is struggling the most at the current level. If they were there more, they would see for themselves.

Just for the record, I love watching my daughter do gymnastics too. I was a gymnast (back in the day), but she has already surpassed where I was. I just love watching her do her stuff. If I not happy with something, I rarely say anything to the coaches with the except that I believe that it is a safety concern. We are at one of the best gyms in our state and I believe that our coaches know what they are doing and I let it all rest in their hands. What they have done so far has worked, who am I to complain.

I guess I should also throw out there that it cost a lot of money too, and I should be able to see what my money is getting me! This is the way it works in the "real" world, it should also work like this in the "gym" world.

Just keeping it real!

 

[Monkeygirlsmom]

I am there all the time!! but as of now they are only there 2 time a week!! we just looked at a gym and they have parents wait outside but I did notice the doors were open so it was easy to see!! plus I ended up staying in the room while I was there so were the other parents!! I think they encourage parents to wait outside but when I mentioned my kids need me there! (kind of what they are used to from where we are at!! plus they get a boost when they see me smile at them!! the coach did say that it was ok!!

I love to watch them and they get proud to have me watch!!

I believe if I can i want to cause They are away from me enough and they grow up way to fast!! I want to not miss them growing up! andI believe we are a close family and this is 1 way we support each other!!

I do believe other than a good job or keep tryin!! i keep my mouth shut and let the coaches coach!!