Parents Sydney AUS gym rec?

[fairylightsandroses]

Looking for a gym recommendation in Sydney, Australia. We are supposed to move permanently to Sydney (from the US) in a few months and I’m wondering where I would put my 7yo daughter for her gymnastics. She started rec in October and is now on pre-team. Of course, she says her goal is to be just like Simone Biles. I don’t know if she’ll stick with it long term, but she seems pretty serious about it; she always says she wants to do gymnastics class 4 days a week, and we’ve been able to eke out 2-3 with open gyms and duplicate classes. My daughter will work hard but likes a setting that’s fairly directed and focused. She’s on a very competitive swim team also and the coaches constantly correct the kids’ form, but they are specific. She seems to like that style of feedback. However, a couple times in the past when she had taken classes at another gym, she was sad that she was “getting in trouble” for not being able to complete a skill and the coach being frustrated with her. I overheard another coach at that gym admonishing the girls, “Are we here to get better? Or are we here to just stay exactly the same?” despite the girls seeming to have worked hard, no goofing off or anything. I guess my 7yo wants specific corrections from the coach but also for the coach to believe that she is trying her best. She likes the coaches at her usual gym, although it’s a little less structured than ideal and I think they mostly do xcel. Any gym suggestions in Sydney? Or general feedback on finding a gym? Thanks for any advice!!

 

[JessSyd]

There are only a couple of elite gyms in Sydney, but many good gyms for rec or competitive. Recommendations would depend entirely on where you end up living, as Sydney is geographically large, and every corner of it has somewhere I would happily recommend.

It actually sounds like she would be looking for a competitive program. Entry to competitive programs is generally by invitation, but if you called a gym and said she was in a pre-team group (which is often called ‘development group’ or similar here) in the USA they would probably offer an individual assessment to place her within their competitive program.

 

[coach_M]

Whereabouts in Sydney are you moving to?

 

[fairylightsandroses]

There are only a couple of elite gyms in Sydney, but many good gyms for rec or competitive. Recommendations would depend entirely on where you end up living, as Sydney is geographically large, and every corner of it has somewhere I would happily recommend.

It actually sounds like she would be looking for a competitive program. Entry to competitive programs is generally by invitation, but if you called a gym and said she was in a pre-team group (which is often called ‘development group’ or similar here) in the USA they would probably offer an individual assessment to place her within their competitive program.

Thank you for the info!!

 

[fairylightsandroses]

Whereabouts in Sydney are you moving to?

Looking at the North Shore Chatswood up to Hornsby, or around Ryde, but still getting our bearings…husband will be working in the CBD.

 

[coach_M]

That helps a lot!! There aren’t a whole lot of gyms in that area, so you’ll have to travel a bit. Hornsby RSL up north is decent, or Five Dock Leisure Centre in the inner west (actually not too far from Ryde if you end up down that way). There are a couple of decent gyms on the Northern Beaches or further out west, but those would be further to travel

 

[Matcha Queen]

Looking for a gym recommendation in Sydney, Australia. We are supposed to move permanently to Sydney (from the US) in a few months and I’m wondering where I would put my 7yo daughter for her gymnastics. She started rec in October and is now on pre-team. Of course, she says her goal is to be just like Simone Biles. I don’t know if she’ll stick with it long term, but she seems pretty serious about it; she always says she wants to do gymnastics class 4 days a week, and we’ve been able to eke out 2-3 with open gyms and duplicate classes. My daughter will work hard but likes a setting that’s fairly directed and focused. She’s on a very competitive swim team also and the coaches constantly correct the kids’ form, but they are specific. She seems to like that style of feedback. However, a couple times in the past when she had taken classes at another gym, she was sad that she was “getting in trouble” for not being able to complete a skill and the coach being frustrated with her. I overheard another coach at that gym admonishing the girls, “Are we here to get better? Or are we here to just stay exactly the same?” despite the girls seeming to have worked hard, no goofing off or anything. I guess my 7yo wants specific corrections from the coach but also for the coach to believe that she is trying her best. She likes the coaches at her usual gym, although it’s a little less structured than ideal and I think they mostly do xcel. Any gym suggestions in Sydney? Or general feedback on finding a gym? Thanks for any advice!!

Have you relocated to Sydney yet? If so where did you find? I’m pretty well versed in the Sydney club scene, let me know if you have any questions MQ

 

[fairylightsandroses]

Have you relocated to Sydney yet? If so where did you find? I’m pretty well versed in the Sydney club scene, let me know if you have any questions MQ

Thanks so much for reaching out! Our move got delayed a couple months so probably arriving in November/December. We were looking at a school in Pymble but that seems far from gyms? And also we’re looking at northern beaches as the gyms sound great, but not sure about lack of train service for commute, etc. plus it’s pricey. Any gym recs in these areas would be great. Haven’t ruled out inner west either, but my husband really wants a backyard and I think a little more access to nature. One question I have is can kids join a training group anytime? And should I email the gyms a few weeks ahead to organize an evaluation for her to get placed in the right group? Thanks so much!

 

[fairylightsandroses]

I’ll add a couple things if helpful — she wants to do more days and/or hours at the gym (currently 2hrs 2days/week plus maybe an open gym when we can make it). So a gym where they can go to higher hours at lower levels could be good. And she does well with feedback—enjoys understanding the right way to do a skill and mastering it, likes to be pushed, but not scolded. She likes smaller groups, as gets more attention from the coach, but that’s probably true of every kid. Current class ranges from 4-10 kids, depending on the day. Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[coach_M]

Pymble Ladies College does gymnastics, but I’m not sure whether that’s only open to students or to anyone. If you wanted to live in Pymble and train not at PLC, I would recommend Hornsby RSL Gymnastics or Gladesville as the closest solid gyms.

 

[&bs]

If you are looking at Independent girls schools (like Pymble LC), PLC Sydney (Croydon) and MLC (Burwood) in the Inner West also have gyms at the school. The girls just go to the gym (or get collected by the coaches for the younger grades) and eat afternoon tea in the viewing area in the gym and then start training, so you don’t need to worry about collecting from school and transporting to gym. They can generally start and finish earlier as well because everyone is already there. The schools have pools and swimming squads as well, so the same would apply to that.
In most gyms there are usually about 8 kids to a group. If she can do a pullover, cast back hip circle underswing, and swing on the high bar, and bridge Kickover on the floor she would slot in at Level 3 in Australia. School year and comp season starts after the 6-8 week summer holidays, usually right at the end of January so arriving November/December is perfect for finding a squad and starting the year with them.
Level 3’s tend to train 2 or 3 days a week for 2.5-3hrs a session, but open gym isn’t really a thing in Australia so that wouldn’t be an option.