WAG This can not be normal

[littlegirlsdream]

Ok, I am really trying to remain positive about the gym my daughters go to. There are very positive things about the gym. It's a very family friendly atmosphere, its a low pressure gym, her current coaches are great. Now, that being said I have serious concern. The level of manipulation and control parents seem to have concerns me, the gym as a whole is often very chaotic and loud, rec kids will run infront of team vaulters, there are dozens of classes at one time taking place and are all intermingled together everyone from rec to T and T and boys and girls teams of all levels. There seems to be a lot of injured team kids and tonight I saw an optional level coach spotting a girl on beam with a sucker sticking out of her mouth. I can't imagine that this is ok but it seems to be just how it is and everyone is good with that. I however am a bit concerned:/

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yikes! tort is the first thing that came to my mind.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

Well yes this is true. I am not certain but I would think there would be certain certifications necessary to coach and safety regulations on proper equipment set up, mats vs concrete ect but if so it isn't implemented here. I am having trouble justifying keeping DD here after this year. As skills get harder I become more concerned about the atmosphere and safety.

 

[Flossyduck]

We changed gym earlier this year over very similar concerns. At the time I had nothing to compare our experience to and I didn't know if it was normal for a gym to appear 'chaotic' and for there to be a lot of injuries and various other things which had started to make me very uneasy.


I was amazed at the difference when we visited the gym she is at now. Don't get me wrong, it's a big gym and there are several classes taking place at the same time - artistic, acro, recreation etc. BUT the big difference is that it does not appear chaotic. It looks busy, but organised. Kids are not running around crossing paths, each group appears focused and self contained within the area they are using and they take safe paths to transfer around the gym so that the groups seem barely aware of each others presence. The coaches look focused and everything looks safe and ordered. I know that gymnastics is a dangerous sport, but I feel that my daughter is in safe hands and am relaxed about her being in there. You can genuinely feel the difference.

My daughter had actually developed a habit of checking behind her several times before doing walkovers as she had little kids run behind her, just as she went backwards, several times. It took a while for her to break that habit, but she got there.

Have a look around a couple of other gyms. From my experience I think you can tell fairly quickly, but others might have different experiences.

I don't regret it for a minute and I'm glad we got out before she got hurt.

 

[Seeker]

Yeah...that sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I'd be looking to move ASAP.

A sucker? Really???

 

[gymmomtoo]

Yes, this screams accident waiting to happen. I'd be looking around now for another gym. Doesn't sound safe at all!

 

[Moxiegrl83]

Definitely not normal. Every gym I've been in has an organized chaos going on. There might be 8 different classes, but they have rotations, every coach knows where their kids are, and what they are doing. NO food or drinks allowed on the gym floor (coach's can have a drink, but no food, and definitely no lollipops!)... As for kids walking in front of vaulting or tumbling passes, major safety concern. Two of our little pre-teamers got excited after class one day, when they found out they got a Popsicle, and took off blindly running to the front of the gym. No one got hurt, but they ran right through the gym floor where there were kids tumbling. They did push-ups, then got their Popsicle. Just go and check out some local gyms, and see how they run classes etc. You should be pleasantly surprised, that does not sound normal at all to me.

 

[cbone]

Who are we to judge? Maybe that coach was diabetic and only had the sucker available to...

I'm just kidding. It's funny how small things like that are often very accurate indicators of a lack of control. These coaches literally have our daughters' lives in their hands. I wouldn't be at a gym where I questioned the safety of the atmosphere.