Gym Hoppers.

In my 4 years of cheering this is my 3rd gym. Seems like a lot, but i had issues with my past 2 gyms. They were small gyms and still developing but I left both for different reasons. Now I'm finally at the perfect gym for me, I love world cup

Yeah gy, hopping is an issue but there is nothing anyone can really do about it. The key to fixing the issue of gym hoping is to have better gyms.

This is my 6th season cheering and my 4th gym I've been at. All within good reason though. If it's during the middle of the season I think it's wrong, but with how expensive this sport is, everybody has the rights to find a gym that feels like home to them.

First year of all star cheer for me (with previous rec experience) and i'm going to have to keep gym hopping. Not neccisarily (grr spelling) bad, but good reasons. I'm on this team because they only have one level, i'm going to switch to another one that has level 3, and 4 next season, and stay there for like 2 seasons, then move to a gym that has a level 5 team. I just have to get the skills! Lol.

do these gyms not make you sign a contract?
i know at my old gym you must sign a contract pretty much stating that you will stay at the gym and if you decide to just up and leave, you must still pay all the fees (tuition, uniform, etc) UNLESS of course something traumatic happens. i.e a death, moving, family issues things of that nature. but other than that if you decide to leave you are bound by the contract to still pay.

XTREMElyfierce said:

do these gyms not make you sign a contract?
i know at my old gym you must sign a contract pretty much stating that you will stay at the gym and if you decide to just up and leave, you must still pay all the fees (tuition, uniform, etc) UNLESS of course something traumatic happens. i.e a death, moving, family issues things of that nature. but other than that if you decide to leave you are bound by the contract to still pay.

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Yes, I think every gym will have an annual contract however if after that season they want to go somewhere else they are more than welcome to. If somebody wanted to go to a new gym every single season they can do so as long as they finish up each season at each gym.

codycheerbabex said:

Yes, I think every gym will have an annual contract however if after that season they want to go somewhere else they are more than welcome to. If somebody wanted to go to a new gym every single season they can do so as long as they finish up each season at each gym.

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yes, i agree! i don't think gym hopping is bad, AS LONG AS you FINISH the season with the current gym. the gym may not be the best fit for you but if you can stick it out with that gym then that shows the character you have within

KikiD22 said:

I don't get that either. We had one athlete this season do that twice! Tried out at our program, started practice with another, came back to us 1 month later, went back to the other gym 4 days before their first competition in October, competed with them at that one competition and stayed a month, and is now back with our gym.

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Actually I think what is sad about that is that the gyms put up with that! In my personal opinion that doesn't set a great example for the teams.


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My 11yr old CP started AS in 2007. She had surgery (unrelated) so she was unable to do the next season. We went back to the same gym and my oldest CP was on team and my lil CP did tumbling. We decided for personal reasons that we wanted to switch gyms. I am also one that refuses to ever "trash talk" a gym. We already had decided which gym that we were going to go too. With that being said, my daughters were tumbling there and did have friends there also. My oldest CP decided to do HS. Now my middle CP is a perfectionist and we spent a lot of time "cleaning up" skills, ect...I decided that I was going to pull her a season to focus on skills ect. The owner didn't totally think it was necessary, but my CPs confidence was just not there. I can't even say how much I appreciate how the owners of the gym operate their facility. Even though she is not a technical "rooster" athlete, they have treated her no different. She has progressed tremendously and is ready for tryouts! We as parents are forking out tons of money and need to look at what program fits the best needs of our CP's and we found our spot! I'm looking forward to the next season!!!!


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cmghas3 said:

My 11yr old CP started AS in 2007. She had surgery (unrelated) so she was unable to do the next season. We went back to the same gym and my oldest CP was on team and my lil CP did tumbling. We decided for personal reasons that we wanted to switch gyms. I am also one that refuses to ever "trash talk" a gym. We already had decided which gym that we were going to go too. With that being said, my daughters were tumbling there and did have friends there also. My oldest CP decided to do HS. Now my middle CP is a perfectionist and we spent a lot of time "cleaning up" skills, ect...I decided that I was going to pull her a season to focus on skills ect. The owner didn't totally think it was necessary, but my CPs confidence was just not there. I can't even say how much I appreciate how the owners of the gym operate their facility. Even though she is not a technical "rooster" athlete, they have treated her no different. She has progressed tremendously and is ready for tryouts! We as parents are forking out tons of money and need to look at what program fits the best needs of our CP's and we found our spot! I'm looking forward to the next season!!!!


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I have been guilty of gym hopping myself, but when a higher level athlete Is put on a mucher lower level it makes it hard to want to put effort into a program thats not building her skills. My daughter was labeled a tumbler, because she wasnt good at flying, but too little to base bigger girls. So, she was kind of lost in the middle just cause she could tumble her butt off. I as a parent made the decision to switch gyms, then she felt like she was treated differently because she changed gyms. Some people drive 2 to 3 hours one way to put their kids on big name squads, but I cant do that. I have to work till 5 to be able to afford any cheer at all. Its a very frustrating feeling not feeling your at the "right gym" for your child. So I can see both sides of this.

All I can think of is the 9 uniforms. That's a lot of $$ to have to keep putting out.

This is my 11th season and I have been at 2 gyms. I was at my first gym for 4 years but after one I the coaches left and went to another gym after my 3rd year I wasn't happy anymore so I switched to the gym he now coaches at the next season and have been there 7 years, and if it wasn't my senior year I would definitely keep going!


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But I know a girl who switches gyms all the time and has been cheering since like 2005

05-06:Gym 1
06-07:Gym 2
07-08:Gym 3
08-09:Gym 4
09-10:Gym 5
10-11:Gym 3
11-12:Gym 6 half season then didn't cheer
12-13: didn't cheer
13:14: Gym 4 until right before competition season started then went back to Gym 2.

She has been to every gym in her area and has even driven as far as an hour and a half cause she had been to every gym now she's back to gyms she started at


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@ParadiseMom...I just wanted to clarify that I nor my CP's have ever been labeled gym hoppers! I don't want that misinterpreted. We were at the same gym since 2007. This is only the 2nd gym. They have went thru enough with one change! They like and need consistency!


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I think a lot of the gym hopping occurs because the gym isn't what they thought it would be. If they just take their time, look at all the pros and cons of switching, and did some research, from both the inside and outside the gym on what the gym is really like, then they would probably have a realistic view of the gym and make a more educated decision on which gym to be involved with.
Also, I think that some cheer families are 'fickle', in that they look at a gym, think they would like it there, but then after either experiencing it firsthand or talking with others, they realize they don't like it for various reasons. No gym is perfect! And that's exactly it, perfect gyms just aren't out there, so quit searching for it and carefully choose the one that is the 'right fit' and commit to it.
I also believe that it shouldn't be so easy to switch gyms; if it were more difficult to switch, people would think carefully about the choice they're making, instead of making a rash decision and hating it there and then searching for a new gym. Make it more difficult to switch and that may deter all this gym hopping. I think that was the goal in the rule the USASF instituted on signing off on level 5 athletes.
P.S- CP cheered at one gym for 8 years, switched to a higher caliber gym that met more of her needs (after careful consideration), loved her new gym and cheered there for 2 years, then went away to college and now cheers for a gym at college- so 3 gyms in 13 years.


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