All-Star Why Do Some Cheer Families And Cheerleaders Take It Personal When You Change Gyms?

[mollymags]

When I was younger and still cheering, I felt hurt by the people that left because I considered my team a family and felt abandoned. However, I always tried to keep some communication with anyone I felt close to that left and handled the change with grace. Some of my old cheer friends who I am still fairly close with are people who switched gyms. Others left and bashed the gym as they were on the way out the door. Those were the people I chose not to keep up with, and it didn't seem like they would have cared anyway.

These days, most of the time when I see kids leave the gym I'm at, it's to go somewhere to be put on a different level- but they fall into two different categories. The first is families that leave because they've outgrown what we have to offer are usually the ones that break my heart, but I'm happy to see them somewhere where they can thrive and I hope that someday they can come back when we can offer the team they truly belong on. The second is those that leave because they refuse to accept they belong on a certain team and go to seek out a gym that will move them up a level or two without the skills are easier to let go of... Not necessarily the kids, but most of the time it feels like a little blessing to not have to face those parents regularly anymore. Those are the ones that seem to backhandedly (or straight out) bash their old gym and paint the new one like rainbows and roses grow out of the spring floor.

Either way, as a coach I try to push my kids to be kind and friendly to ex teammates when we run into them at competitions, regardless of how they left. Give them hugs, high fives, and go cheer them on if they are performing during your downtime at a competition. Any kind of aggression when someone leaves a gym is generally not the child's fault at all and even if it is, a kid doesn't deserve to have their old friends turn their noses up at them.


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[calikaitlyn_]

I left my old gym for many reasons. If you're a coach/owner and you feel hurt that they left, just know that most of the time it's hard for the athlete as well! I got an email from my old coach after tryouts about not being there etc and it broke my heart. I still love my old gym and teammates! I still talk to them, plan to meet up at competitions, etc. No hard feelings.