Parents What to ask: new gym

[flipnastic]

My daughter is a level two, five-year-old. So yes, I know she's really young. But, Some of y'all read my previous threads talking about some major concerns we had at Her previous gym. I had actually just switched her to that gym in January, and I really hate that we are switching again, but we really need to Because of the major issues. Anyways, what it boils down to, is that I really should have done thorough research before switching. I do not want to make that mistake again, and I absolutely do not want to have to switch my dd again!! I want a gym that she can grow with it, make excellent friends, and build wonderful relationships with her coaches and teammates for as long as she wants to take part in the wonderful sport of gymnastics I just want her to have fun.

So, I've seen a lot of threads about what to ask for older kids moving, but I don't feel like a lot of those questions will apply to my daughter. What questions would y'all ask for a five-year-old switching gyms? We are meeting with the level to coach next Wednesday, and she will have her evaluation to determine proper placement. I am also planning to go to the gym Before then to watch a practice.

Thanks y'all!!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Where are you located? Trevinos is an amazing gym, and focuses on sending girls to college. We switched there from another gym that sounds similar to your current gym, and have been so pleased!!! They are in the Lancaster area.

So you switched to this amazing gym and now you want to switch again. So 3 switches and she is only 5 and a L2. And the gym is amazing. And you were never quite clear on the why the other switch, nor did you give a lot of information on this switch.



I fear the gym you are looking for does not exist.

 

[GymDad9.9]

So you switched to this amazing gym and now you want to switch again. So 3 switches and she is only 5 and a L2. And the gym is amazing. And you were never quite clear on the why the other switch, nor did you give a lot of information on this switch.



I fear the gym you are looking for does not exist.

If memory serves, the OP's most recent gym has a coach with a drug problem.

 

[flipnastic]

I received information through a private message as a result of My post that you quoted. Evidently, I fell for a very convincing Sales pitch. I looked into this information, and information that I received was in fact very true. The following week, I had some personal Experiences with the gym that were extremely Concerning, and I put my daughter in a very Compromising position. I posted on here for suggestions of how to handle the situation and everyone unanimously Agreed that the best thing for my daughter was for me to pull her out of the gym.

The gym that I am looking for exists. And I am extremely appreciative of the information that I received regarding the gym that my daughter was at. I think it is perfectly valid to move my daughter if I feel that my daughter's safety is compromised and I cannot trust the people who are coaching her.

 

[flipnastic]

If memory serves, the OP's most recent gym has a coach with a drug problem.

This is correct. And he openly told me that he had used Just prior to coaching my daughter. And, my belief is that if I knew after knowing him for a couple of months, the people who hired him has known long before me. That is why I felt it was necessary to switch gyms as opposed to just switching coaches.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I received information through a private message as a result of My post that you quoted. Evidently, I fell for a very convincing Sales pitch. I looked into this information, and information that I received was in fact very true. The following week, I had some personal Experiences with the gym that were extremely Concerning, and I put my daughter in a very Compromising position. I posted on here for suggestions of how to handle the situation and everyone unanimously Agreed that the best thing for my daughter was for me to pull her out of the gym.

The gym that I am looking for exists. And I am extremely appreciative of the information that I received regarding the gym that my daughter was at. I think it is perfectly valid to move my daughter if I feel that my daughter's safety is compromised and I cannot trust the people who are coaching her.

That sheds a completely different light on things.

 

[flipnastic]

That sheds a completely different light on things.

Yes, I didn't want to put too much information on here because i was also informed that gyms in this area are very tightknit community, Which is why I deleted the previous thread. I was trying to give as much information as possible without sounding like a crazy Person with high expectations of gyms. I know it sounds crazy to switch her again and I hate that I am having to do it. But, My daughter loves gymnastics so much and I feel like our only options are to quit or switched gyms.

I created this post because I want to prevent having to switch again. I want a gym that I can trust, And I absolutely do not want to put her in a Similar position.

 

[Texasmomof3]

I think we all come up with questions based on the things that we have seen go wrong at the last place. I would want to know:

Is there a fixed coach for the level/event, or do coaches change from practice to practice? (Basically, will she have a coach or team of coaches, or will she practice with whoever is at the gym working that day.)
What is the staff turnover rate at the gym? (Everyone has turnover, but it can be red flag if all coaches are brand new or there is lots of turnover.)
Do they have an age limit for coaches? (Some gyms actually hire coaches as young as 14/15 to work with the little kids. I'm personally not a fan of that practice.)
Do you drug screen your coaches? What is your policy on drug/alcohol/tobacco use by coaches?
At what level do they actually go to meets? How do they handle meets with the little ones, as far as readiness, scores, focus on fun or focus on performance? How many meets do the little ones have. (I would want to figure out if it is a high stress environment for the littles, or if it is about having fun meet experiences while they learn basics.)
Do they have a TOPS team? What is their view of training young kids?
Is the gym religiously affiliated? (I know this sounds like a crazy question, but we are in Texas, and I had a gym where teammates routinely told my children during practices they were going to hell for not believing in Jesus, and the coach refused to put an end to it. And they knew we are Jewish.)
When and how are coaches available to talk to parents?
How does the gym handle discipline, acting out at practice, distractions?
Are parents allowed to watch practices? (Not that you want to sit there all the time, but given your experience, you will want to know that you can watch if you have concerns.)

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I can understand you want to prevent switching again but I think its important to remember things change, coaches come and go, family situations change, the child changes as well. What my daughter needed at 5 is different then what she needs now at 10. And she might need something different at 13 or 15.

I think you need to get clear on what you need as a family and what your daughter needs and work from there.

For us first and foremost was safety and schedule. We needed a gym that didn't have mandatory weekends. Not a huge commute. Safe and well maintained equipment. Coaches with experience across the board with older kids and younger. So we found that. My kid has the opportunity to get to upper level optionals at this gym with not a ton of hours. If she decides she wants to push more we would have to change gyms. I don't see that happening.

Again for me I didn't want tons of hours. Our old gym, more hours but less was being done in those hours. Our current gym there is no wasted time. They try to give the girls life balance.

I would go and watch some practices to see what they are like and does their style seem to suit your child. And I would watch more then just the practices where your daughter is currently at but higher levels as well. You can learn a lot just watching how the kids interact before and after practice as well. Then narrow down your options and try them out.

 

[flipnastic]

T

I think we all come up with questions based on the things that we have seen go wrong at the last place. I would want to know:

Is there a fixed coach for the level/event, or do coaches change from practice to practice? (Basically, will she have a coach or team of coaches, or will she practice with whoever is at the gym working that day.)
What is the staff turnover rate at the gym? (Everyone has turnover, but it can be red flag if all coaches are brand new or there is lots of turnover.)
Do they have an age limit for coaches? (Some gyms actually hire coaches as young as 14/15 to work with the little kids. I'm personally not a fan of that practice.)
Do you drug screen your coaches? What is your policy on drug/alcohol/tobacco use by coaches?
At what level do they actually go to meets? How do they handle meets with the little ones, as far as readiness, scores, focus on fun or focus on performance? How many meets do the little ones have. (I would want to figure out if it is a high stress environment for the littles, or if it is about having fun meet experiences while they learn basics.)
Do they have a TOPS team? What is their view of training young kids?
Is the gym religiously affiliated? (I know this sounds like a crazy question, but we are in Texas, and I had a gym where teammates routinely told my children during practices they were going to hell for not believing in Jesus, and the coach refused to put an end to it. And they knew we are Jewish.)
When and how are coaches available to talk to parents?
How does the gym handle discipline, acting out at practice, distractions?
Are parents allowed to watch practices? (Not that you want to sit there all the time, but given your experience, you will want to know that you can watch if you have concerns.)

Thank you!!!! This is great...I will print this out and take it with me!!!! I love the questions about the questions regarding a stress free environment. My daughter does not handle stress well and I think she's shut down...of course, I'm sure that's pretty common for 5 year olds in general!!!

 

[l.c.o]

OK, so I am probably going to take an unpopular position here, but in my honest opinion, its hard to get good answers.

In light of your recent history, I'd recommend the following:

-what texasmomof3 noted.
-which coaches will travel to meets (optional and compulsory)?
-what are your policies on private lessons? Do many kids have them regularly?
-what is your current average "path" for your gymnasts?
-number of hours & days per week per level?
-what percentage of kids have overuse injuries.?
-how would you reprimand a coach for drug use/inappropriate behavior? How many offenses until they're let go?

It's so hard to avoid the sales pitch. We've fallen for it once ourselves. Be a little wary of a too perfect fit. No gym is that perfect. You'll likely have to make some concessions. That said, give them an opportunity to volunteer information, rather than just answering your questions.

Some programs want every kid they can get. Others are more selective and only take a few new kids from other gyms per year.

And finally, with how often gyms change (coaches, level requirements, overall program structure changes), it makes it even more difficult to gauge how they actually work over time, and when they're being genuine vs disingenuous.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Which is why I deleted the previous thread.

Well that explains why I missed it.

And along with that information. I don't watch practice and our coaches would prefer we don't. But I would never have my kid anywhere, where no parents were allowed. Not a doctors appt, a music lesson, school or gym.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

I think you've received a lot of good advice on here about questions to ask, etc. I saw your previous thread before it was deleted and I'm so so glad you are moving her. I know it sucks to have to move gyms twice in such a small amount of time, but IMO these are circumstances that definitely call for a move.

It never hurts to look up the gym on mymeetscores.com and see how the team gymnasts are scoring/placing at the lower and higher levels. That will give you an idea of how their gymnasts are doing when competing with other gyms in the state and regions. They don't necessarily have to be at the very top to be considered successful but you do want to see good solid scores at all levels if possible.

Also when your dd is working with the coach and being evaluated, maybe sit out in the lobby and casually chit chat with some of the parents. You can learn a lot about a gym from talking to parents that already have kids who have been there awhile.

Good luck to you in your search, please keep us updated on how it goes!

 

[ProudDad]

If you want to avoid the sales pitch talk to other parents at the gym, discreetly. If there are issues you will see a cluster of parents that look unhappy or concerned and will be more than willing to share. You will find the occasional gym hopper that only complains, so grain of salt applies. If you find other parents difficult to approach or stand offish... that is a red flag. Kids tend to mimic their parents.

Also look at the other kids. Do they look happy? Are they milling about or are they engaged in whatever event they are working? Look at the older girls... are they performing well... not trying to be a pig here, but are they fit and tone or do they have extra weight and cellulite?

You can learn 70% of what you need to know by looking at everything other than your kid. You can ask her what she thought after you leave... twice - once right after and again a couple days later. Sometimes the newness of being someplace different impacts one way, but once they process things may change.

We auditioned 6 gyms before selecting ours. In one case the facility was beautiful, but the parents were not people I would want to hang out with, my DD liked the coaches and the facility, but complained about the other kids being rude. Another was jam packed with kids and the rec kids seemed like coked up squirrels - running onto the floor as team girls were doing passes . Found out later that one of the girls at our gym left the other one because of a broken arm from exactly that problem.

 

[flipnastic]

I can understand you want to prevent switching again but I think its important to remember things change, coaches come and go, family situations change, the child changes as well. What my daughter needed at 5 is different then what she needs now at 10. And she might need something different at 13 or 15.

I think you need to get clear on what you need as a family and what your daughter needs and work from there.

For us first and foremost was safety and schedule. We needed a gym that didn't have mandatory weekends. Not a huge commute. Safe and well maintained equipment. Coaches with experience across the board with older kids and younger. So we found that. My kid has the opportunity to get to upper level optionals at this gym with not a ton of hours. If she decides she wants to push more we would have to change gyms. I don't see that happening.

Again for me I didn't want tons of hours. Our old gym, more hours but less was being done in those hours. Our current gym there is no wasted time. They try to give the girls life balance.

I would go and watch some practices to see what they are like and does their style seem to suit your child. And I would watch more then just the practices where your daughter is currently at but higher levels as well. You can learn a lot just watching how the kids interact before and after practice as well. Then narrow down your options and try them out.

Hmmm. Excellent perspective.

 

[flipnastic]

If you want to avoid the sales pitch talk to other parents at the gym, discreetly. If there are issues you will see a cluster of parents that look unhappy or concerned and will be more than willing to share. You will find the occasional gym hopper that only complains, so grain of salt applies. If you find other parents difficult to approach or stand offish... that is a red flag. Kids tend to mimic their parents.

Also look at the other kids. Do they look happy? Are they milling about or are they engaged in whatever event they are working? Look at the older girls... are they performing well... not trying to be a pig here, but are they fit and tone or do they have extra weight and cellulite?

You can learn 70% of what you need to know by looking at everything other than your kid. You can ask her what she thought after you leave... twice - once right after and again a couple days later. Sometimes the newness of being someplace different impacts one way, but once they process things may change.

We auditioned 6 gyms before selecting ours. In one case the facility was beautiful, but the parents were not people I would want to hang out with, my DD liked the coaches and the facility, but complained about the other kids being rude. Another was jam packed with kids and the rec kids seemed like coked up squirrels - running onto the floor as team girls were doing passes . Found out later that one of the girls at our gym left the other one because of a broken arm from exactly that problem.

Love this. Thanks!!!

 

[cbifoja]

That sheds a completely different light on things.

Sucks to have to walk back all that scorn......

 

[cbifoja]

I would definitely look at how many homegrown older girls they have. Are kids leaving their program for greener pastures? Or are they staying for years because they are happy there? Do they have many "fly by" gymnasts who transfer in, stay for a season or two, then transfer out?

 

[flipnastic]

Thank you so much, y'all! I have been super bummed because I Was wondering if it would be possible to really know what the gym was like before we started paying and going. After all, I just "knew" The last gym would be "the" gym, And obviously it was anything but that. But, I really think all of this information will help me get a really good, accurate Feel.

There are not a ton of options that are feasible for us, but we have three that we are going to look at, And I am definitely not going Enroll her again until my husband and I are both certain that it is a good, fun and safe environment.

 

[ProudDad]

I would definitely look at how many homegrown older girls they have. Are kids leaving their program for greener pastures? Or are they staying for years because they are happy there? Do they have many "fly by" gymnasts who transfer in, stay for a season or two, then transfer out?

Same thing applies to coaches... if they have a lot of turnover that's not a good sign. On the other hand, we have a few girls that got scholarships who come back and coach during summer... that kind of loyalty is a huge positive signal.