MAG Which gym?

[miltongrl66]

I'm new to Chalkbucket. My 10 y.o. DS started gymnastics in April 3013. Currently there is only one gym in my area with a competitive boys team. This gym is well established and has a good reputations the problem is that the boys classes are held at before I get off work and the gym is 45 minutes away. I chose the gym he currently attends because it is a relatively new gym (just over a year old) that said they were working on establishing a boys competitive team and because I was impressed with he credentials the owners advertised on this website. The boys classes at this gym fit my schedule. This gym has all of the boys apparatus except parallel bars. The owner system he is looking for a used set. Since my Ds started, there has been massive turn over in coaches and a mass exodus if students overall. On top of that I feel like the boys are treated like an afterthought. We just got another boys coach after being without for several months. Here's my dilemma. My son is a natural athlete and he has really excelled in the 9 months we have been here. I know that with the right training he can go far in gymnastics. Also he wants to compete. Are we wasting our time at this gym or should we stick it out a little longer? The only way I can get him to that other gym is to hire someone to take him there. Any advice would be appreciated

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

We had a better experience at our first gym than you are having...but I still KNOW it was the right decision to move. So, if you can make arrangements to get him there without putting too much pressure on your family (whatever your situation)...I say do it NOW. The only hesitation would be if you are uncertain about his commitment. I waited until it was obvious Kipper was personally invested...about 3 years. I wish I had moved her at least a year earlier.

 

[MyBoysFlip]

Boys programs can be hard to find so... Our first gym only worked with boys until age 5 and recommended that I move mine to a gym that was more boy friendly after a summer. The second gym we did preschool and then both. Of mine ( at almost 4 & 5) were moved to boys classes for the summer. We were told they would be starting a boys team but after 6 months with no sign of it and many coach changes we finally found a gym with an actual boys team. We still waited until my youngest was 5 1/2 to start pre-team and after a year of that he started competing at L5. So.. I guess what I'm saying is if he really wants to do this you need to go to the gym that is able to support him.

 

[miltongrl66]

DS seems to be invested. I just want to give him the best opportunity I can to develop his skills.

 

[Mom2twingymnasts]

Boys program are almost always an after thought. I think my son's coach is amazing but the boys team is definitely not the priority at our gym and I think it is that way at most gyms. Our gym had a boys team when we started but didn't have a pre-team (level 4 team) for boys. It took them a year to start one. I'm glad we stuck it out with them. The big difference is my son was 6 1/2 so we waited until he was 7 1/2 for them to have a pre-team. With your son being 10, I think I would be going with a gym that has a team and all the boys equipment. Good luck!!

 

[gracyomalley]

The first gym my boys were at (and the one my daughter still trains at) does not have a boys program. My older son stayed there until he was the only boy doing the skills (they don't have a mushroom, pummel, and they keep the rings and p bars at settings that are useful only for training - not skills)...and at that time he was finally ready to "try" the other gym ...he had level 6 vault and Level 5 floor skills, but had never been on a pummel....

We did switch the boys to the program with a boys team (I will say that my DD coach encouraged the boys to go as she couldn't offer what they now wanted)...and they both competed level 4 2 months later...although it has taken a few years for their skill set to even out. Both boys learned good form and fundamentals are their first gym, but would be further along if they had always been at a boys program.

Thing was, they didn't want to compete or take it seriously then...only DD did, and she's where she's always been still (despite the girls program improving at my DSs gym since they went there)...if your son really is into gym, then I would seriously try to change - it will be a dead end otherwise - and they need team mates, as well - the fun and friendships are what keep them going. That's why I drive back and forth across town 4 days a week now - so all the kids are where they thrive best - best role models for them, supportive friendships, and good coaching/gymnastics/exercise...

Older DS is now training Level 6/7 for next year after 3 years at new gym...it really did take awhile for him to catch up on the strength based skills...boys do move "slow" compared to girls, but I do think it made a difference...and he was almost 11 when he switched, similar to your son.

 

[skschlag]

So hard to get them where they need to be. You might check and see if they have any pick up. Our gym will pick kids up at school and get them to practice for a fee. Or, you might find that there are other kids there that you could arrange a carpool with. I would definitely try to switch him, as it seems to be the best way for him to get what he needs.

 

[miltongrl66]

Thanks for all the advice. You all told me what I already knew in my gut. I guess the next step is to sit DS down and really figure out what he wants to do with gymnastics long term. I'm a single parent so If we switch gyms not only will I have to rely on someone to get him there, but it also means less time for us to spend together. He has made some really good friends at the current gym and he really likes the owner (the owner teaches the boys class on Saturdays). The boys are training on everything but parallel bars (they use parallettes on the ground). I guess it really all boils down to what he wants to do long term.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Mmmm...a boys gym without parallel bars? not in 2013. go to the other place unless they get a set before your son is born in "3013" lol.

 

[Kidsgym]

Mmmm...a boys gym without parallel bars? not in 2013. go to the other place unless they get a set before your son is born in "3013" lol.

Love it.... Bravo Dunno ! Can't say it better ....

 

[emorymom]

See if he has another friend at his current gym and see if they would be willing to drive there if you pick up.
My advice is move. Your son isn't going to know where he wants to go in gymnastics until he has an opportunity to get into the culture.
If you have a diving team closer to you, well, my advice is convince him he's a diver. But my son wasn't buying it.

 

[Sasha]

I would switch to a serious and equipped program since he's 10 - assuming he really is showing and expressing dedication to competing in gymnastics specifically, and not also baseball, football, soccer, etc. etc... Hope it works out! So hard to have to trade your time with him, though - I feel your pain