Your ideal gym...

[MaryA]

A young woman who used to coach my DD when she first started this crazy thing called gymnastics is working on opening her own gym in our area. Our area desperately needs another choice for gyms. The one private gym in town is getting HUGE and has one set of issues. Then there's our little YMCA gym that has a completely different set of issues. I've been keeping in touch with this coach and she told me, via email, that she was hearing from disgruntled parents at both gyms who are looking for another option. I told her that I hoped that she would listen to comments from parents at both gyms so that she can avoid some of the pitfalls. This started me listing what my "ideal" gym situation for my DD would be. I have zero gymnastics background. This is totally from a parents perspective. This is what I have so far...

For me, the dream gym would have adequate, though not excessive, hours (with maybe open gym times for kids who want/need more?).
The owner/coach should recognize that these are children, and that children sometimes need to miss practice to go to a birthday party or a school dance, and may even need to miss a meet to go to a wedding or family reunion (though drawing the line at missing a meet to go a birthday party is O.K., unless the birthday party is Grandma's 90th birthday, or some other big family event).
It would be warm and nurturing and positive, yet the gymnasts should be made aware of the areas where they need to make improvements.
The coaches would recognize that everyone learns differently... that some can learn by listening, some need to watch, some need to have their body physically moved into the shape needed.
It would have small group sizes.
It would emphasize being a member of a team and encouraging your teammates.
It would be reasonably priced (and keep cost in mind when ordering things like competition leos and warm-ups, travel for meets, etc. No mandatory meets in Florida, especially for compulsary levels).
It would be as fair as possible in regards to gymnasts getting attention from coaches, who moves up and who doesn't, etc. There may be "superstars" on the team, but the other girls shouldn't feel like the coaches like those girls best, or that they get more of their time and attention.
It should be as low-drama as humanly possible, with guidelines about gymnasts behavior and parent behavior strictly enforced.
It should have a strong upper-level coach (or coaches) so that I don't have to worry that she'll "age out" of the gym down the road.
Safe, well-maintained equiptment.
I think that girls who would like to be on the high school team should be allowed to be, even if it means they won't have as much time to devote to USAG competition/pracitce. You're only in high school once.
Uptraining!!!!

So what about you? What would be your ideal gym, either as an owner, a coach, a gymnast, or a parent?

 

[emorymom]

I think if she really offers an alternative to the drawbacks of the two gyms in the area, and makes sure to have different drawbacks if you know what I mean, that it will be best for the gymnasts. You can't please everyone.

I would love to see gym be more like swim team, at least in the lower levels, in the sense of the kids being able to be responsible for their progress, and having some flexibility in schedule. So it would be great if for example, Level 4's could come in MTThF, 4-7, Sat, 9-12, and if a kid wanted (or needed) more hours they would usually come 5 days, but if a kid was just a super fast learner who still wanted to try other things, or was not incredibly concerned about whether level 4 took 1, 2, or 3 years, she could come 2 days a week. So perhaps for each level there is a recommended minimum number of hours (say 3 days @L4) and having 5 possible days to do it in would allow participation in dance class or Scouts or art or whatever the girl was interested in, or allow for missing for school events or parties and making it up another day of the week.

One thing I really wish could be corrected in the younger levels is the issue of girls who are better going more, but girls with less aptitude being offered less hours. I think girls who are quick learners should be offered to work more hours if they want to advance and less if they want to advance less quickly. I think girls who struggle in the lower levels should not be held to, say, 6 hours a week if that's not what their motivation is. It seems backwards.

 

[GymSurvivor]

I would like any gym that supports teens who may not be in the upper levels.
So just have a fun Educational Class but for teens. That you can work on different levels on all events (So maybe level 4 on bars, while level 6 skills on floor) And not be concentrated on the routines because they would not compete. So more concentrated on skills.

And yes, an open gym for sure.

 

[cher062]

I like all that you said for "program" part and I would go so far as to say our new gym has most of those points. There are no real mandentory meets except for states or regionals - you pay for the meets you want to go to but they need to do at least 5 local/invitationals, if you qualify at least one sectional and the state meet (L4 - 7) for L8 - 10 if you qualify for regionals you are expected to go.

For the facility itself I would also like to see plenty of Parking so if you have a meet folks aren't all over the streets and fighting each other for spaces.
A comfortable set of bleachers that have good leg room so my knees aren't hitting the back of the person in front of me. Bathrooms with diaper changing stations so folks dont change their messy babies on the same tables that gymnasts have snacks at. If there is a loft to view from that there is a long enough space so folks aren't fighting for viewing space. I like the loft viewing area to have glass to look through so the gymnasts can't hear all the noise that might be happening in the loft. Doors at the top of the stairs so the toddlers that are never watched by the parents when they are viewing aren't heading down the stairs. AC in the viewing area or at least fans to move the air around in the summer. If you have vending machines if it could be more health foods no soda but juice and water instead. No candy but granola bars or something like that. etc.

A good sized pro-shop if you are going to sell leos etc so we don't feel like it was an after thought and thrown in some hall.

 

[lilgymmie7]

"The coaches would recognize that everyone learns differently... that some can learn by listening, some need to watch, some need to have their body physically moved into the shape needed." MaryA

That would do it for me too!! Again, I irritate myself because my profession keeps getting in the way! Why does that happen to us as adults? Mom!!

 

[gym law mom]

I would like to have a gym with coaches who actually read the rule and changes to the rules and understand them. A staff that puts the gymnasts safety first. Coaches that are willing to work with all the girls on routines that work for them and not just "cookie cutter" optional routines.
Good communication with the parents from the owner on down to the part time high school kid teaching rec.

Like the idea of lots of parking and AC!

 

[gymgurl]

I would like any gym that supports teens who may not be in the upper levels.
So just have a fun Educational Class but for teens. That you can work on different levels on all events (So maybe level 4 on bars, while level 6 skills on floor) And not be concentrated on the routines because they would not compete. So more concentrated on skills.

And yes, an open gym for sure.

Sounds like you would like our gym we have different levels of rec, i.e. beginner for younger girls, senior rec (pretty much beginner) advance senior non competitive squad minimum level 4 standard and can uptrain all you like, our whole squad used to be teenagers practically our gym is very teenager friendly for those not in high levels haha

I would prefer smaller groups and slightly less rigid practices, more uptraining and less people in the gym