WAG weird season…gym switch in order?

[iwannacoach]

It's pretty rare to get such a strong consensus on this board. Leaving really does sound like the best option. Plus, if you wait and other people from your gym also decide to switch, she could lose the spot that has been offered to her at the new gym.

Based on what you've written and assuming it's gospel.......

Leave this place and go to the other gym while there's still a spot for your dear child. You spoke of following through with your commitment, and that's an honorable code to live by....... most times. I have problems with the scenario you've described:

It's a free market world and businesses survive by delivering a product to enough customers to be profitable.

It seems the product you agreed to pay for until seasons end has been altered by the owner and has lost value in your eyes. Sure, the owner lost a coach and hired somebody who isn't able to be there as often as needed, but filling in the voids with coaches significantly below the original coach's ability is a failure to live up to a the owner's commitment to deliver the goods you thought would be there through the end of your dd's season. I'd say that makes the commitment issue void, and relationship between you and the gym a strictly business one.

Thanks for bringing up the ludicrous notion that a level 1 team gymnast needs to repeat in the absence of a 38.00aa score in two meets. Ya gotta be kidding me! I can't think of any reason to repeat genuine team level kids at any level prior to L4. Sure that's just my opinion, and I gotta admit I don't like having kids below L3 competing, but those L1 skills are neither difficult enough and so necessary that they need to be polished to competition grade.

End of rant........

 

[flippingtogether]

The only new thing I'll add, is after you leave this gym SOON, please keep us all posted on how your DD is doing in the new environment. I am betting there will be some feel-good, exciting stories you can share....and we want to hear!

 

[LJL07]

We are thinking the same thing too about the money making. The current gym historically does not have many gymnasts if at all above level 6, so keeping the low levels filled must be how they make money.

The new gym competes a couple of fun meets for levels 1&2 but the meets aren't even mandatory. I think that may be why they were willing to take her mid-season. The new gym is a brand new program, but we were impressed with how organized it was. The director was a former college gymnast, and the coaches trained at a very good gym that we know of in another city. Even though it's a new program, it can only be an improvement over this.

Thanks! Now for the fun task of telling the old gym...

 

[LJL07]

Based on what you've written and assuming it's gospel.......

Leave this place and go to the other gym while there's still a spot for your dear child. You spoke of following through with your commitment, and that's an honorable code to live by....... most times. I have problems with the scenario you've described:

It's a free market world and businesses survive by delivering a product to enough customers to be profitable.

It seems the product you agreed to pay for until seasons end has been altered by the owner and has lost value in your eyes. Sure, the owner lost a coach and hired somebody who isn't able to be there as often as needed, but filling in the voids with coaches significantly below the original coach's ability is a failure to live up to a the owner's commitment to deliver the goods you thought would be there through the end of your dd's season. I'd say that makes the commitment issue void, and relationship between you and the gym a strictly business one.

Thanks for bringing up the ludicrous notion that a level 1 team gymnast needs to repeat in the absence of a 38.00aa score in two meets. Ya gotta be kidding me! I can't think of any reason to repeat genuine team level kids at any level prior to L4. Sure that's just my opinion, and I gotta admit I don't like having kids below L3 competing, but those L1 skills are neither difficult enough and so necessary that they need to be polished to competition grade.

End of rant........

I love this! And you are so right! A high school student and a parent coaching are not what we signed up for. Commitment void.

 

[bookworm]

Thanks! Now for the fun task of telling the old gym...

As someone who's been there, done that, my advice to you would be to just quietly take your child (and all her belongings) out of the old gym without saying a word, and email the old gym that you will no longer be returning. I would have her fully enrolled at the new gym and ready to roll because as others have commented , there is NO reason to repeat a rec level.

By the standards your gym set, my daughter (who is competing D1 in college) would still be a Level 4 gymnast(!!) because she didn't start getting "repeat 38 AA" scores until she was a Level 10 for a few years!!

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

As someone who's been there, done that, my advice to you would be to just quietly take your child (and all her belongings) out of the old gym without saying a word, and email the old gym that you will no longer be returning. I would have her fully enrolled at the new gym and ready to roll because as others have commented , there is NO reason to repeat a rec level.

By the standards your gym set, my daughter (who is competing D1 in college) would still be a Level 4 gymnast(!!) because she didn't start getting "repeat 38 AA" scores until she was a Level 10 for a few years!!

I was thinking the same thing!! My DD would still be a level 3 gymnast even today!!

 

[my4buffaloes]

My dd has never gotten a 38 AA and I don't know of any of her team mates that have either. Some of the great level 10 girls have, but a 38 AA is very rare.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Switch gyms. It will all work out. I only wish my mom switched me back when she originally thought about it. Your daughter will thank you!

Sounds exactly like something my now 16 year old-quit-gym-at-14 has said!!

To the OP, if you think your DD is not progressing and/or the gym holds back for reasons other than lack of skills or being able to do skills safely, I'd run..... At level 1 I would not be concerned at all about leaving mid-season. Most gyms don't even compete this level.

 

[wallinbl]

As someone who's been there, done that, my advice to you would be to just quietly take your child (and all her belongings) out of the old gym without saying a word, and email the old gym that you will no longer be returning. I would have her fully enrolled at the new gym and ready to roll because as others have commented

Yep. Leaving a gym can go smoothly or strangely, and you can't really predict which one. Enroll at the new gym, get your stuff out of the old one, and then let them know in writing that you're not returning. If you're required to give 30 day notice, do so. Be matter of fact and not angry or rude.

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

If you leaving might increase charges to other kids accounts (coaches fees for meets, etc), then you might consider finishing the season...or at least offer to pay your portion of those fees regardless. Just a courtesy to the parents, not to the gym. I don't think you owe the gym anything as they have failed to honor their side of the commitment.

We waited to leave after our season was over to switch gyms, even though I KNEW we should have left mid season. It worked out okay, and the transition was probably easier since we waited. However, the difference in coaching and atmosphere is so different, a couple of months might have made a difference for her this season.

Whenever you decided to leave, I agree to take everything and not go back if you can. Your dd will adjust quickly, and having her tell her friends goodbye will add drama. If you have parent numbers or email, you can arrange a get-together with her team mates away from the gym once she is settled. Unless you get a quick response to your withdrawal email, I would also send a letter and keep a copy. (Just to protect yourself from additional charges.) If you are on an autopay, send a certified letter.

 

[wgymmom]

I would leave! I'm generally a finish what you start kind of person, but that is ludicrous. At our gym, ONE compulsory girl in recent memory has gotten a 38. They'd all be level 3's under that kind of rule! I also wouldn't even want to pay to compete level 1.

 

[dynamicduo]

You have gotten a lot of really good advice from parents who have been there done that! I just wanted to wish you good luck with your decision and please keep us posted on how/when the move went! I'm just happy that you found such a great place so close to where you are now!! Exciting changes!!

 

[2G1B]

I will say that when we swapped gyms I told the head coach in person and followed up with an e-mail to give our notice. I told the coaches. My kids told their team mates. We finished out the two weeks (I wouldn't do in your situation because DD just needs to move on) that were left in the month. It helped my kids to say goodbye to their friends, they would have had a really hard time with it if they hadn't gotten the chance to do that.

Now, had the HC said we needed to leave as of giving our notice we would have; but I also would have asked for some money back. But one thing that was different for us was that we left after competition season.

I honestly feel like it is a total waste of time and money to continue at your DD's current gym. And IMO, even if they had had the same coaches that were there when you started, simply failing to tell you that your DD would need two 38AAs in order to move up would be enough to warrant leaving. I just looked at our state's fall results from the state meet... for For level 1 not a single kid scored a 38 at state out of 44 girls. For L2, TWO 38s out of 184 girls. L3 had five 38s out of 260 girls. L4 ONE person scored a 38, out of 218 girls. And for L5 again only one 38, this time out of 76 girls. So that is nine scores of 38 at state for all of the compulsory girls at the state meet - 9 out of 782 girls! And I can tell you, a fair number of those girls were repeating their level (more so at the L4 and L5). At least in our state, 38s are rare. For a gym to require 38s to move up seems to be setting a kid up for failure IMO.

 

[LJL07]

Thank you all so much! I really appreciate you guys taking the time to weigh in. I may send an email as bookworm suggests since our mind is made up and because communication has been such a problem. I hope to come back soon and have some positive stories to share about the switch. This board seems like a great resource!

Oh, I did want to add since JoyAvenueMom raised a good point that our meet fees are paid because they were due a couple of months ahead. I'm not planning to ask for that back since we are rocking the boat enough. We didn't sign a contract when we started team, and I think (hope!) the tuition remains the same for the other kids.