wcdad
Cheer Parent
- Dec 15, 2009
- 1,222
- 1,282
@tumbleyoda I hear what your saying but I still disagree. When my daughter tumbled at another gym, it's because our allstar gym was 52 miles away. We would have preferred to tumble at our gym, however alot of the kids lived far away. Anyhow, we chose to to utilize a gym with a tumbling coach we have known in our home town. And when she went to open gym, it wasn't for their help (and they really were only there to supervise open gym), but for the use of the floor to work on what she already learned, or jumps or whatever.
Now, did the gym try and recruit her....all the time. They are a business too. We weren't offended AND at the end of the day they knew we weren't leaving. Not to sound like a snob, but she cheered for Top Gun..why on God's green earth would she leave there...LOL.
Now when she comes home from college, she tumbles at another local allstar gym whose coaches cheer for Top Gun. There can be peace and harmony between gyms.
You stated something here that goes to the core of this policy in my opinion. A Program like TG, WC, CA, Rays, MD Twisters etc.... would not need a policy like this. There would be no need.. They are the best of the best.. The team is comprised of kids that travel a bit to attend the program, knowing they are part of the best and are probably some of the top cheerleader in the area before walking in the door and because they did. I m sure when your child walked into another gym, as a member of TG, she was quite proud of that, and knew what she was there to do. To keep working a skill that Victor and the coaches of TG started her on. You and her were aware that there would be recruiting going on and were able to handle it.. Like you said you were already a part of TG. The same issue happened with my CP living over an hr away from WC sometimes she would want to tumble with some of her friends from school. When she walked into the local gym she was, no pun intended, a star.
Now if you look at it the other way, what if you are part of a small and up and coming gym. That is working hard to try and get the staff to compete with the TG's, WC's, CA's, Ray's, Twisters of the world. The level 5 team consists of 1 or 2 fulls, lay outs and tucks. If your CP had some advanced skills and she went to a gym like TG. She may be one of the top athletes at your current gym but when she is at TG she is one of many with advanced skills. Victor would not have to say a word to her to try and recruit her. She would tumble and start working on the skill her current coach was teaching her and with a couple of adjustments by the TG staff the form is now beautiful. Her confidence is now higher than ever. You know that the car ride home would be a conversation like, " Mom I loved it there"... "The kids have so much skill"... "Do you know they how many times they won worlds?"... "Did you see Shane's pass".. "OMG Victor is so HOT"... " I only wish they had AC but it was so Cool" and so on. The next thing you know you are taking her back again and again. Now because you are not a part of this gym you as a parent you start thinking why not. The next thing you know you are.
I know we did not start up at WC. We were part of some small start up gyms. Here today and gone tomorrow. The goal of these gyms were to be "like WC" or to be able to "Beat WC". It was after 4 years that I came to the conclusion, why don't we just go to WC and we became a part of WC for the next 10 years.
I can understand why some gyms have this policy, for many reasons. But the fact is there are gyms that do not need them as well. And you are correct there can be peace and harmony between gyms but I find it only when there is alumni from one program to the other as you stated.