Private Lessons! 1-on-1 And Small Group Instruction

[Matt Faherty]

In my gym, (Fame All-Stars NY) private lessons are huge when it come to skill building and conditioning! They offer one-on-one attention between the coach and cheerleader to maximize their progress. For athletes it gives them the drive and motivation to push their mind and body to he limit to better achieve their goals

Understandably, some gyms do not offer lessons because of tight scheduling and limited staff or resources. Some coaches who do offer lessons have only a few athletes tale advantage of the due to with the additional cost of private lessons on top of an already expensive sport with other expenses such as make-up, tuition, and travel fees.

I am curious about how your programs deal with their lessons. If they are as popular and effective as they are in my program? Are there ways to improve my lessons, or help other coaches run theirs to get better results?

So many times conversations about lessons are dictated by parents who tend to run the conversation and the athletes opinion is lost Or other times as coaches we get too involved and excited to forget to listen to your wants and needs as athletes

So I want to hear YOUR OPPINION! Feel free to tell me whatever you want. Below I listed some examples of questions that might help you get the ball rolling. Feel free to answer those or other questions, state other personal opinions, or even ask me some questions!

If you do take private lessons:
How long is each lesson?
What does the lesson consist of? (what do you do?)
What does your instructor charge for the lesson?
Do you feel that the price of each lesson is worth its value?
Do you think you benefit from private lessons more than a group class or clinic?
Is there any way your coach could run a lesson to help you more?
How are the lessons scheduled? through the gym? through the coach?

If you don't take private lessons:

Explain why not?
What could your program or coaching staff do to encourage you, or convince you to take individual lessons?

Everyone's answers help me! So thank you in advance!

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Well I just lost my job so obviously we aren't doing them right now, but I'll answer your questions based on past experiences. We've taken them at 4 different gyms.

1. How long? 1 hour, once a week. (One hour for tumbling, one hour for flying. They're both bases now, so no more flying class)
2. They've taken tumbling and flying. Tumbling consisted of LOTS of handstands and conditioning and then just repetition of the skill they were working. Flying was about half stretching and half flying.
3. Cost was $60/hour, except at FAME (Virginia Beach) we paid $70.
4. Worth it? YES. Or we wouldn't do it. But I only think it's worth it if you can afford to do it consistently. I don't think one or two is worth it - it needs to be a progression.
5. Do they benefit more than as a group? YES. That individual attention is way better because they can pinpoint what MY kid is doing wrong and work on it. And they get more actual floor time. It also allows me time to actually talk to their coach one on one after the private. After a regular practice or tumble class there really isn't time for that, so this lets me touch base on what we should be working on at home.
6. Not sure if the coach could run the lesson better. I don't think so.
7. Lessons are scheduled and paid solely through the coach.

 

[TheVipersMom]

Ok well my cp who is 6 goes to 2 gyms.
One gym is her cheer gym (CCE) where she competes on 2 teams, she also takes a flexibility class, and a tumbling class there.

Since we live so far away from her cheer gym we go to another gym (Elite) once a week on her off night for a tumbling class as well.

The way both gyms do privates is a world of difference so I'll detail both in each question referring to the as either CCE or Elite.

How long is each lesson?
At CCE & Elite you can pick 30 mins or an hour.

What does the lesson consist of? (what do you do?)
At CCE & Elite you just tell them what you want to work on and they will do it. Sometimes the parents just say do whatever you think he/she needs help with.

What does your instructor charge for the lesson?
This is the huge difference-

At CCE the owner does not want a cut in on the profits off of privates. That is between her and her employees. So you can ask any coach there for a private and all their prices are different.
In the past year we have had multiple coaches do a private.
Some coaches do it 8$ for 30 mins and 15$ for an hour.
Then I had another coach who was 10$ for 30 mins and 20$ for an hour.
Then my daughters favorite private coach at that gym was 15$ for 30 mins or 30$ for an hour.
Any one can do a private even if your not in a class at that gym the owner will let who ever wants privates walk in that gym and get one. We don't do privates there any more since we moved.

At Elite- it is paid up front. You pick the coach you want to do the private but they are all the same price. 30$ for 30 mins or 50$ for an hour. Since I don't pay it directly to the coach I believe the gym is cutting in on that. Also you have to be enrolled in something at the gym wether it be on a cheer team or a class.. So not just anyone can do only private.
This is who we do privates with currently because my cp is in love with this one coach and I have never seen her perform the way she does for him. Haha it's like a whole new kid out there. We do 1hr every week on Fridays!

Do you feel that the price of each lesson is worth its value?
For sure I mean I loved paying so little at CCE but I don't mind paying way more at Elite for what that coach does for her!

Do you think you benefit from private lessons more than a group class or clinic?
Yes my cp does tumbling classes but what she gets from 1 on 1 attention outweighs what she gets in group classes!

Is there any way your coach could run a lesson to help you more?
Not the coach at Elite. She gets his all for a whole hour. Heck I'd pay 75$ an hour for him because he is worth it!

How are the lessons scheduled? through the gym? through the coach?
At both gyms just ask the coach when there available and I've never had a problem at any gym with them because we can always agree on a time!

 

[kaliangel01]

In my CP' case it has been very beneficial. This is her second year cheering and she is six years old. The first year she couldnt do a cartwheel. last summer she started privates weekly which are one hour long adn she has imporved her tumbling tremendously. It cost 35.00 for one hour which includes tumbling and conditiong. She is a flyer this year so it has helped tremendously with her flexibility also. And teh rpivetes are scheduled through the coach and I pay her.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I've done couple private lessons before..
How long is each lesson? Depends, you get to choose, either half hour or hour
What does the lesson consist of? (what do you do?) warm up, tumble, conditioning
What does your instructor charge for the lesson? depends on the length of the lesson
Do you think you benefit from private lessons more than a group class or clinic? Private lesson, more time with the coach to work on skills.