All-Star Advice For Switcng From Small Gym To Super Large Gym

[Cheer Mom x3]

We joined Woodlands Elite 5 years ago when it was big, but not super huge like now, and it is still the same close family atmosphere as before. I know every season my girls have had plenty of team bonding events and are really close with their team. You will get to know other parents, the viewing area is packed at times, but you will meet a ton of nice moms and dads. Every team seems to have a lot of kids that travel a good distance, my CP's J4 last year had a few that traveled 2-3 hours each way, so we tried to do bonding activities when they were going to be at practice anyway. My oldest is in the level 5 workout group this season and I think they may practice at the same time as S4, I would love to meet you @Kris

 

[Keep_Believing]

That would be awesome! It would be great to get to know another Woodlands Elite Mom! We are at the Magnolia gym. I will message you! Thanks!

 

[TxCheerDad34]

I think you will enjoy the Magnolia location as you transition to the Mega Multi Location Gym. It will give you the experience of still being at a small gym with the close knit family feeling while being 20 minutes from the "mother ship" in Oak Ridge North. There are a ton of food and shopping options for the nights you need to refuel for the drive home

 

[Keep_Believing]

If any parents on here are part of woodlands elite send a message to my inbox. We can share info. and become facebook friends!

 

[goddessmommy]

See @Kris that didn't take long did it And you never know-we have a lot of kids travel from about an hour or so away to our gym, and there are actually several in the same farthur out city, so with a gym like Woodlands you may very well have more kids from your gym in your town than you think! long distance travel to a large gym is not that rare, for all you know there could be 1 or more fellow cheerleaders in your town!

 

[Klynn641]

My daughter was at a very small gym. Initially there was one cheer team and one hip hop team. Both youth teams. Each team had six girls. Only it was the same six girls on both teams. We all really enjoyed each other's company and had a lot of fun. Over the subsequent years circumstances changed and ultimately we left the gym after five years and made the move to a large gym.

We have been at the large gym currently for four years.

I admit I had no clue what to expect. Everything was so different than what we were familiar with. As adolescent as it sounds, I felt like a freshman coming into the new gym whereas I had been more like a senior at the smaller gym.

The large gym was a little intimidating and impersonal initially. I felt like an intruder since they had all been cheering together for years. Things were so different and there was no clear point of contact for my questions. I think everyone assumed we knew what to expect. Needless to say we kinda flew blind our first year.

During this same time our new gym was becoming increasing popular and expanding rapidly which further contributed to any existing communication issues within the gym, which further contributed to our unease.

In addition, I had been overly involved (not by choice) in our old gym for the past five years and I suffered cheer burnout. So, I didn't spend all my time in the gym as before. That only further alienated me (or so I felt). Don't do that. I encourage you to spend time in the gym if your comfortable doing so. That's the best way to familiarize yourself with the players and get a good feel for the program. In addition you become a familiar fixture in the gym. This will provide more opportunity for you become involved and foster new friendships. Ask questions, save your opinions, don't gossip, and don't get your feelings hurt. Introduce yourself to your team Mom and compliment her child. Just kidding on that last one.

The rest is left to chance depending on the other personalities in the gym. I have found that cliques form amongst parents within larger gyms as well. If you or your children go on social media make sure to ask the gym's policy on social media posting. One wrong post could definitely put you in bad standing with the gym.

One more thing you may have occur. This is something I had not anticipated. As a small gym you are not much of a threat to other programs. But, a large gym is. You may encounter unsportsmanlike behavior from some of the other gyms that view you as a threat. It's really a form of flattery don't let it get to you.
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[Cheerlegal]

I went from a small gym to a Large gym and now back at the small gym... I made great friends at both but I will say the distance to the bigger gym made it hard for my cp to participate in sleepovers, parties etc.. I wouldn't trade either experience for anything though... Both experiences had positives and negatives..

 

[stuntjumptumble]

I was at two small gyms before my current large gym. Moving was the best decision of my all star career. I've gained so much amazing experiences and top of the line coaching. Most kids thrive at large gyms so good luck to you and your cp!


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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I admit I had no clue what to expect. Everything was so different than what we were familiar with. As adolescent as it sounds, I felt like a freshman coming into the new gym whereas I had been more like a senior at the smaller gym.

Along these same lines:

Advice for the OP: I don't know what sort of positions your kids had on their teams before they switched gyms.

1. Recognize that your status at your old place does not follow you.

Bigger gyms tend to initially field a lot of "My kid was last pass at her old gym. WHY ISN'T SHE LAST PASS NOW?" people.

Don't be "that lady." You don't make friends that way. You just become the person who is constantly saying "At our old gym..."

2. If this particular place has a catty group in the parent area, do NOT feed into it.

Ex: If someone you don't know makes an offhand comment to you about another kid like "Ugh. Omg LOOK AT THAT JANKY BHS. Would you believe she's last pass and not my Suzy?!" don't comment.

Toxic parents like to draw new people in on their drama. You were just being polite. You nodded or something re: that mom's janky BHS comment, and two other moms will go to that child's mother and say "Did you hear that new mom was talking trash about Jenny?"

You don't want to immediately be pegged as one of "those moms" just because someone overheard you having what they perceived to be a convo about a child.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Never thought of anyone at our gym having "status" LOL It is a small gym, levels 1-4 . I just want my girl to keep learning and progressing.


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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

^^^^Haha. You never know.

When you're coming from a place you've been at a place for so long, you'd be surprised what comes out of people's mouths re: the status of their kid. Especially when your kid has been the "big fish" at her small gym for awhile.

Example: Someone will say, "Hey my kid was the best tumbler in our old gym. I dunno why she's not last pass."

Only problem with this statement is that your old gym had 3 teams, and her team was the highest tumbling team at JUNIOR 3.

Your three to a tuck tumbling might be the most Olympic amazing thing people have EVER SEEN at your old place because it's the highest level they have.

Meanwhile at Big Gym, it's like "Oh you have 3 to a tuck? Someone else on L3 has that. Do you know her? Her name is EVERYBODY."

 

[Jennie]

@oncecoolcoachnowmom
I like that you use the name Jenny in your examples, awesome name (even better spelt with an -ie at the end but i'm not picky!)

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Ha. Not intentional. Mostly I just throw out a random name that is pretty general. Jenny. Julie. Sara. Becky. whatever comes out that is not super close to a kid's actual name.

 

[Klynn641]

^^^^Haha. You never know.

When you're coming from a place you've been at a place for so long, you'd be surprised what comes out of people's mouths re: the status of their kid. Especially when your kid has been the "big fish" at her small gym for awhile.

Example: Someone will say, "Hey my kid was the best tumbler in our old gym. I dunno why she's not last pass."

Only problem with this statement is that your old gym had 3 teams, and her team was the highest tumbling team at JUNIOR 3.

Your three to a tuck tumbling might be the most Olympic amazing thing people have EVER SEEN at your old place because it's the highest level they have.

Meanwhile at Big Gym, it's like "Oh you have 3 to a tuck? Someone else on L3 has that. Do you know her? Her name is EVERYBODY."

Another issue that may arise is this. My daughter's first year of cheer she was on a Level 3 team. Four years of tumbling classes and privates later,we move to the larger gym, she attends tryouts and is placed on a Level 2 team. And she struggled to maintain her position on that team in the beginning. Should anything similar occur to you don't feel like you've regressed. Our new gyms level requirements were so beyond our old gym's that it was ridiculous. She spent the next three years on the Level 2 team before moving up.






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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Another issue that may arise is this. My daughter's first year of cheer she was on a Level 3 team. Four years of tumbling classes and privates later,we move to the larger gym, she attends tryouts and is placed on a Level 2 team. And she struggled to maintain her position on that team in the beginning. Should anything similar occur to you don't feel like you've regressed. Our new gyms level requirements were so beyond our old gym's that it was ridiculous. She spent the next three years on the Level 2 team before moving up.

YES.

Small gym might be struggling to field a Junior 3. So if your kid has SOME of the L3 skills or is "on the bubble" they might be more willing to take you on and see if you improve.

In contrast, there are gyms where the talent pool for that level is DEEP. Like, there are 2 teams worth of athletes who could potentially be on Junior 3 with ALL skills for L3.

If you have "some level 3 skills" at a place like that, you're headed for L2. Or possibly being a L3 alternate.

This is why a lot of bigger gyms are based on an "ALL SKILLS AT THAT LEVEL" philosophy. The talent pool is such that they can require that of kids.

I see it a lot with Level 5 vs. L4.

A girl with an "almost full" and no other L5 tumbling is L5 at Small Gym because they REALLY WANT a L5 team this year.

She moves to Big Gym with multiple L5 teams. She is now L4 because Big Gym doesn't even consider kids for Level 5 anything until they have ALL SKILLS. Your half a full is not cutting it.