All-Star Convincing Parents To Move To Gym Further Away?

[FierceIsTheName]

Hi. So right now I cheer at, lets call them Gym A. Gym A is right by my house. Like 5-10 minutes away. (estimate).
Gym A is only level 1 and 2. Nobody at Gym A teaches skills beyond RO BHS. I have my RO BHS pretty good, not solid, but close.
Theres a gym about 30-40 minutes away, Gym B. They have levels 2 and 3. They are a good gym. They teach skills from forward roll to back layouts. Oh and 4.2 . (They didn't have it last season, but i think they brought it back)
Then theres this AMAZING gym, Gym C. They're an hour and 30 minutes away, but have an amazing reputation for getting athletes to bump up levels very easily. They are 1 out of 3 gyms in the state to send a team to worlds. (Obviously i'm not ready for level 5 yet, but i am aiming there!) I really want to progress. I have progressed 0% in the past 3 weeks at Gym A.

Heres the issue. My parents don't think its logical to drive me 30 minutes away to Gym B or C. If i stay with Gym A for the rest of my cheer career, I'll never get past level 2. Ever.

I asked my parents that when i'm 16 (3 years away) if i can drive to Gym C every day, pay for gas, if they pay for tutition, uniform fees, travel fees, etc. They said no, because i have to drive through a major city, and they don't want me to.

I've begged and begged and begged. Still, no.

Is it logical/typical for you (as a parent) to drive your cp 1 1/2 hour to practice? Why or why not? What could convince my parents to let me go down there?

ALSO; This is my first season of All Star, but 7th or 8th (i can't remember) of Cheer itself. I've self taught my self many skills. (back walkover, handstand walks, back handspring [sort of] )

 

[MissCongeniality]

I speak as a parent who did spend a year driving my daughter 1-1.5 hours away to a gym.

Driving that far is exhausting and, when you have an appropriate level team nearby, something I would definitely recommend against.

Stay where you are at THIS year. Perfect your skills. Do you have multiple standing BH yet? If you don't feel you are getting the best tumbling instruction at Gym A...then maybe you could find a gymnastics gym nearby to take tumbling at. Or drive to Gym B for a class or private a couple times a month.

Why we did it...There was nothing else for her age/level closer to home. It was manageable because we had a carpool. But in those weeks leading up to big competitions(extra practices) and then the weeks before Worlds, it was an exhausting nightmare of traffic and trying to do homework in the car by flashlight. Also, when you live so far away it is tougher to "bond" with your team. You end up missing the birthday parties and sleepovers. We loved the gym, but after that year we had to look closer to home. As luck would have it, there was a change of management at a gym closer to us and the addition of a team level/age appropriate for my daughter. It broke our hearts to say goodbye, but we had to opt for what was best for our family.

Find out if you love All Star cheer. Perfect your skills...stunting, dancing, motions, tumbling (running and standing) and then...if there is nothing closer, consider the gyms further out.

 

[L5cheermom]

Your parents sound like reasonable and responsible people. There position is certainly defendable. I think it is far too early for you to be worrying about these kinds of things. My children started out at a gym just like yours. They are now driving 160 miles round trip three times a week. If you had asked me four years ago if I would have allowed that I would have laughed at you. Perhaps as your parents see how passionate you are about the sport and that your current gym is limiting you they will change their mind. My advise to you is to work hard where you are and maximize the experience. Parents do change their minds.

 

[CheerMom69]

In addition to the recomendations of the above posts, find a potential carpool if you still feel strongly about it towards the end of the season. We drive an hour each way but only because of that carpool. It really makes a world of difference.

 

[FierceIsTheName]

I speak as a parent who did spend a year driving my daughter 1-1.5 hours away to a gym.

Driving that far is exhausting and, when you have an appropriate level team nearby, something I would definitely recommend against.

Stay where you are at THIS year. Perfect your skills. Do you have multiple standing BH yet? If you don't feel you are getting the best tumbling instruction at Gym A...then maybe you could find a gymnastics gym nearby to take tumbling at. Or drive to Gym B for a class or private a couple times a month.

Why we did it...There was nothing else for her age/level closer to home. It was manageable because we had a carpool. But in those weeks leading up to big competitions(extra practices) and then the weeks before Worlds, it was an exhausting nightmare of traffic and trying to do homework in the car by flashlight. Also, when you live so far away it is tougher to "bond" with your team. You end up missing the birthday parties and sleepovers. We loved the gym, but after that year we had to look closer to home. As luck would have it, there was a change of management at a gym closer to us and the addition of a team level/age appropriate for my daughter. It broke our hearts to say goodbye, but we had to opt for what was best for our family.

Find out if you love All Star cheer. Perfect your skills...stunting, dancing, motions, tumbling (running and standing) and then...if there is nothing closer, consider the gyms further out.

All 3 gyms are gymnastics and cheer gyms. The current Gym (A) is a good gym and all, but most people start at Gym A, then go to Gym B when they want to go further (even in gymnastics.). I agree, its horrible to have practice everyday with that far to go. The thing is, i have more friends at Gym C (i've met up w/ them at hs comps [when i was in rec] )

But thanks

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

I'm not going to harp too much on the idea itself, as @MissCongeniality said what I wanted to. There is a lot to consider when you try to make a deal like this with your parents. Mainly, how do you plan on paying for gas? Would you be getting an after-school job? Do you think it is reasonable to expect yourself to be able to hold down a job, and balance school & cheer on top of it? Driving 1.5 hours one way for practice wouldn't leave you much time for homework, and then you have to factor in actually being at practice, and then the drive home. You need to find time to eat sometime in there as well. If you have to do that multiple times per week, it adds up. How do you think a prospective employer will feel when you tell them you can't work Monday, Wednesday, and need these certain four weekends off for Nationals, these certain Saturdays off for regional/one-day events, off for scheduled pre-comp extra practices, and "Oh, BTW, I have an extra practice this weekend that I just found out. I know I am on the schedule, but I can't come in". How will you handle it if your car breaks down and you don't have transportation? How would you feel about having no free time between earning money and going to cheer?

 

[FierceIsTheName]

I'm not going to harp too much on the idea itself, as @MissCongeniality said what I wanted to. There is a lot to consider when you try to make a deal like this with your parents. Mainly, how do you plan on paying for gas? Would you be getting an after-school job? Do you think it is reasonable to expect yourself to be able to hold down a job, and balance school & cheer on top of it? Driving 1.5 hours one way for practice wouldn't leave you much time for homework, and then you have to factor in actually being at practice, and then the drive home. You need to find time to eat sometime in there as well. If you have to do that multiple times per week, it adds up. How do you think a prospective employer will feel when you tell them you can't work Monday, Wednesday, and need these certain four weekends off for Nationals, these certain Saturdays off for regional/one-day events, off for scheduled pre-comp extra practices, and "Oh, BTW, I have an extra practice this weekend that I just found out. I know I am on the schedule, but I can't come in". How will you handle it if your car breaks down and you don't have transportation? How would you feel about having no free time between earning money and going to cheer?

Those were some things i thought of too. I don't know how i'd deal with all the homework (since i take all advanced classes, homework adds up quickly) manage a job, and cheer. My dad said i could always do a "home job" where i just do a LOT of extra work around the house. Maybe babysit. easy things that can change schedules easily.

I really want to just get to the top of what i can do. And my gym doesn't do that. It sucks because its like all the gyms by me are like small, don't go far. Only local. Whereas Gym C, is a big gym. Big name, very well known.

I still have 5 or 6 seasons left. So i'll probably stick with my gym for a season or two.

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

i like what @MomOf2ThatsMe said. and its what i was thinking. Being 16 years old, having a job, and a car, and also cheering, it is alot of hard work and very time consuming. It's very hard to find a job where your manager is willing to work with you at school, and cheering. I'm only in high school cheerleading now, but i had to drop the 3 tumbling classes that i was taking a week to A.) be able to work and B.) bring my grades back up. and the gym is 5 minutes away from my house. Cheerleading and having a job is a very time consuming thing.
and if you're talking about paying for gas to drive an hour and 30 minutes... i'm going to go out on a limb here and say most cars get 22 mpg. 1:30 minutes is probably what... 90 miles? 90/22 is 4.9 gallons... a gallon of gas is $3.75 right now (and will most likely keep going up in the next 3 years when you start driving...) so if you're going to the gym 4 days a week, thats over $147 in gas a week. (probably more.) Most jobs 16 year olds get are minimum wage, so thats 7.25 an hour... You'll have to work at least 20 hours a week, and i suppose practices will be 2 hours at the least? and it'll take you 3 hours round trip. (so thats 12 hours of cheer.) you also have to fit 8 hours of school 5 days a week in there... I'm also really bad at math so don't count on any of that to be fully correct...

 

[FierceIsTheName]

Maybe i'll just stick with this old gym :\

 

[L5cheermom]

Maybe i'll just stick with this old gym :\

I think it's prudent for now. Will you be there three years from now? Maybe not, but push yourself for the next year or two and see what happens.

 

[12stepCheermom]

Maybe i'll just stick with this old gym :\

I think that's a wise move. I'd recommend putting all those extra hrs you're talking about into the gym you're at now to move your skills forward. Go to extra tumbling, take privates do open gym etc. and move yourself forward. Not only will you build skills but you'll show this idea isn't on a whim. You may also have to educate your parents as to where you want to go (have them seen level 5 worlds caliber routines) versus what you're working with at your current gym. That isn't something you do in a weekend. But you can (over the course of the year) show them what your dreams are and where they may be able to happen.

But most importantly, you should stay where you are because it's now September. I'm assuming you've either had choreography or you're working on it and your season has "started" for 12-13 at least in terms of practice. If you've made a commitment to your team for this year already....you need to keep that commitment. If you choose to go somewhere else thats fine, but don't leave your team and break your commitment during the season.

 

[ellen495]

I would definitely stay. I'm a parent who did finally take my cp to a gym further away. When we moved, she was level 4 (age 12) working on her full. The local gyms either had nothing for her, or were not great gyms. It would never have moved her at age 10 with level 2 skills - not even level 3 skills. No reason. If you get to the point that you're solid level 4, your parents may decide it's worth the trade-off, as we did.

But it's not all roses. Cp can't cheer for HS, has little time for social life (because the great gyms as you suggest Gym C is) practice a LOT, and uses left over time for her homework. Yes you see Gym C rock the floor at competitions, but behind the scenes is a lot of work and trade-offs.

It takes a family to commit - not just mom and cp. My husband and son are affected, too - along with aging parents.

 

[cheerkidzmom]

you have to also remember, for your parents its not just the 3 hr round trip drive. That is too far for them to drive back home so they have to stay either at the gym or at the very least in that area for your entire practice. Keeping them away from home and the things they need to do for 5 + hours every time you practice.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

Maybe i'll just stick with this old gym :\

Sweetie, there is nothing wrong with the gym you are at, for the level you are at. You have to remember that a lot of those athletes at big gym C came from programs just like yours. Sure, they have homegrown athletes too, but a lot of those kids started someplace else Your plan you describe above is detailing exactly what small gyms hate- they end up losing athletes because the big gyms have a great reputation in their higher-level programs. If everybody keeps leaving, they don't have a reason to have a level 5 certified tumbling coach on hand. So, it may not necessarily be that there is anything wrong with your gyms, there just isn't a demand for a higher-level program at the local level.

 

[coachlex1019]

Sweetie, there is nothing wrong with the gym you are at, for the level you are at. You have to remember that a lot of those athletes at big gym C came from programs just like yours. Sure, they have homegrown athletes too, but a lot of those kids started someplace else Your plan you describe above is detailing exactly what small gyms hate- they end up losing athletes because the big gyms have a great reputation in their higher-level programs. If everybody keeps leaving, they don't have a reason to have a level 5 certified tumbling coach on hand. So, it may not necessarily be that there is anything wrong with your gyms, there just isn't a demand for a higher-level program at the local level.

This is true - if a lot of your peers are at your level (RO BHS level), you all may very well move up in skill around the same time and your small Gym A may suddenly have a need/option to make a higher level team. Work hard on your own skills and don't get ahead of yourself. As former small gym coach, it's the worst feeling to train someone from the ground up (not that that's what is going on with you) and watch them walk out the door to go to that bigger gym.

Just focus on what's realistic for you right now. There's always next season!