All-Star Gym Hopping

[trueblonde613]

This thread is not about bashing people who gym hop it is more me being curious about other states views on it. I am from Arizona and I know gym hopping causes major conflict every year between gyms, athletes, parents, etc. Athletes leave gyms that don't have the "well known" level 5 teams and go on to a gym that does. Which makes senses, but it is hard for those not so "well known" gyms to even attempt to have level 5 teams because all of their talent has left the gym.

My question is do a lot of states or gyms also have this problem? I know for this upcoming season alone I have noticed athletes from smaller well known gyms switching to the big well known gyms and I think "Oh yayy! Good for her, can't wait to see her this new season" but then I also think "Well crap that sucks for her old gym, I wonder if more athletes are also switching" So I just wanted to see everyones views on it. I don't mean to point out any certain athlete or gym, I am just curious.

 

[AndrewSky]

This thread is not about bashing people who gym hop it is more me being curious about other states views on it. I am from Arizona and I know gym hopping causes major conflict every year between gyms, athletes, parents, etc. Athletes leave gyms that don't have the "well known" level 5 teams and go on to a gym that does. Which makes senses, but it is hard for those not so "well known" gyms to even attempt to have level 5 teams because all of their talent has left the gym.

My question is do a lot of states or gyms also have this problem? I know for this upcoming season alone I have noticed athletes from smaller well known gyms switching to the big well known gyms and I think "Oh yayy! Good for her, can't wait to see her this new season" but then I also think "Well crap that sucks for her old gym, I wonder if more athletes are also switching" So I just wanted to see everyones views on it. I don't mean to point out any certain athlete or gym, I am just curious.

In all honesty, it's a difficult topic to discuss. At some point, most people have made a transition to a different program, in some way, shape or form. Is it necessarily gym hopping when you move at the end of the season to a bigger program who can offer you more? I guess that's up to personal experience.
I went to U of A, worked in cheer there, so I understand your situation completely.

 

[THEJOEL]

I wouldn't call leaving for a bigger program "gym hopping". I would refer to that as leaving for an opportunity. A lot of smaller gyms either lack a large talent pool to build a level 5 team or enough vision to look 2/3 seasons down the road and construct one over a few seasons on their own.
Athletes can "outgrow" a program it does happen. Why would a true level 5 athlete stay at a program that can't or won't be able to surround them with enough level 5 athletes to build a team? In all reality you play baseball and dream to go to the World Series, you play football and dream to go to the Superbowl; so why can't you cheer and have the hopes of some day going to Worlds?
I would call a gym hopper someone that goes to 2/3 programs over the course of a few years.

 

[AndrewSky]

I would call a gym hopper someone that goes to 2/3 programs over the course of a few years.

Or one year.

 

[12stepCheermom]

We changed gyms this year. It will be my daughters 8th year and our third gym. We started in a rec type program, moved after three years to a mud-sized program, and after four years there made the move to a large gym.

I don't consider that hopping. We completed everything we've committed to and left after the season. We moved the first time at lv2 this time were moving at lv5.

I get that it's a bad situation for a smaller gym. We're moving because they don't have a team to meet both my kids' needs. And I get that with us leaving it makes it even harder for them to build that team where they can meet those needs for everyone.

But at the end of the day, as a customer, it's not my responsibility to build a program for a gym, it's my responsibility to ensure my kids needs are met if they're going to reach their ultimate goals. I'm not sure what the answer is for the smaller gyms that are repeatedly finding themselves in this position, maybe the founders of large gyms can answer how they pushed through.


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[THEJOEL]

We changed gyms this year. It will be my daughters 8th year and our third gym. We started in a rec type program, moved after three years to a mud-sized program, and after four years there made the move to a large gym.

I don't consider that hopping. We completed everything we've committed to and left after the season. We moved the first time at lv2 this time were moving at lv5.

I get that it's a bad situation for a smaller gym. We're moving because they don't have a team to meet both my kids' needs. And I get that with us leaving it makes it even harder for them to build that team where they can meet those needs for everyone.

But at the end of the day, as a customer, it's not my responsibility to build a program for a gym, it's my responsibility to ensure my kids needs are met if they're going to reach their ultimate goals. I'm not sure what the answer is for the smaller gyms that are repeatedly finding themselves in this position, maybe the founders of large gyms can answer how they pushed through.


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This.... FTW!!! Especially the "As a customer" part.

 

[AndrewSky]

We changed gyms this year. It will be my daughters 8th year and our third gym. We started in a rec type program, moved after three years to a mud-sized program, and after four years there made the move to a large gym.

I don't consider that hopping. We completed everything we've committed to and left after the season. We moved the first time at lv2 this time were moving at lv5.

I get that it's a bad situation for a smaller gym. We're moving because they don't have a team to meet both my kids' needs. And I get that with us leaving it makes it even harder for them to build that team where they can meet those needs for everyone.

But at the end of the day, as a customer, it's not my responsibility to build a program for a gym, it's my responsibility to ensure my kids needs are met if they're going to reach their ultimate goals. I'm not sure what the answer is for the smaller gyms that are repeatedly finding themselves in this position, maybe the founders of large gyms can answer how they pushed through.


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Love this response. I feel like a lot of large programs are older, they've started from the bottom years ago and now reap the benefits based off of name and caliber alone. However, there are really competitive smaller programs. Woodlands is pretty small, correct? Look at them!
Top Gun isn't the biggest gym by far, yet they have more worlds medals than most.

 

[THEJOEL]

Love this response. I feel like a lot of large programs are older, they've started from the bottom years ago and now reap the benefits based off of name and caliber alone. However, there are really competitive smaller programs. Woodlands is pretty small, correct? Look at them!
Top Gun isn't the biggest gym by far, yet they have more worlds medals than most.

A little bit off topic BUT:
Part of the problem may very well be there are too many "small" gyms. We are in a relatively large metro area that comprises Augusta GA, Aiken SC and surrounding areas. There are 5 gyms here but not one is fielding a level 5 team. A lot of area athletes that are level 5 caliber are making the 2+ hour round trip to ACX in Columbia so they can be on a level 5 team.
There are some extreme rivalries between a couple of the gyms because there are so many and they are all pulling from the same pool of athletes.

 

[stuntjumptumble]

I've cheered at 3 gyms over the course of my 5 season cheer career. I DO NOT consider myself a gym hopper whatsoever. The first two gyms were small gyms who were relatively unprofessional, I wasn't progressing, or there were issues. I'm not a level 5 athlete so it has nothing to do with that. I now cheer at a large gym which is like my family, and I have improved so much. Overall, my switches were for the betterment of myself as an athlete. I'm sure many others have experienced this as well.


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[Megan(:]

Iowa definitly has this problem!! It causes a lot of hate between the two "better" gyms... last year there were two girls on my team who gym hopped in the middle of the year. One of them had gone back and forth for a while now.

 

[SheCheers]

Love this response. I feel like a lot of large programs are older, they've started from the bottom years ago and now reap the benefits based off of name and caliber alone. However, there are really competitive smaller programs. Woodlands is pretty small, correct? Look at them!
Top Gun isn't the biggest gym by far, yet they have more worlds medals than most.

Woodlands is huge. It's definitely the biggest in the Houston area, probably only second to CA in TX.


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[ChiCheerMom]

The way I see it is, you make a commitment to a team for a season, unless there extenuating circumstances, you stick it out and finish your commitment. After the season is over, so is your commitment. If the program you're in didn't work for you, then you make a change that's right for the athlete and/or the athlete's family. At the end of the day, it's your money and your time and frankly, your decision.

Maybe not a popular opinion but I do believe in finishing what you've started. Leaving a gym mid-season hurts the entire team - been there, seen it many times.


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[cheermommaRN]

Gym hopping happens everywhere...I would say it was worse in Arizona. It wasn't uncommon when my oldest was in cheer for her friends to change gyms each season. I have also seen it here in Texas but for different reasons. In AZ it seemed like people were looking for better team placements. I saw a lot of "Oh your not going to put my Susie on level 5? Then I'm taking her Gym B!" Gym B would usually put Susie on that level 5 but next season move her down...and off they would go again!
Our reason for hopping so much was drive time. We started at CA and then moved gyms for a shorter drive. Then CA moved closer to us, so we went back. I don't forsee us moving again unless we move out of state!

 

[samihalley]

This thread is not about bashing people who gym hop it is more me being curious about other states views on it. I am from Arizona and I know gym hopping causes major conflict every year between gyms, athletes, parents, etc. Athletes leave gyms that don't have the "well known" level 5 teams and go on to a gym that does. Which makes senses, but it is hard for those not so "well known" gyms to even attempt to have level 5 teams because all of their talent has left the gym.

My question is do a lot of states or gyms also have this problem? I know for this upcoming season alone I have noticed athletes from smaller well known gyms switching to the big well known gyms and I think "Oh yayy! Good for her, can't wait to see her this new season" but then I also think "Well crap that sucks for her old gym, I wonder if more athletes are also switching" So I just wanted to see everyones views on it. I don't mean to point out any certain athlete or gym, I am just curious.

I agree with you it's HORRIBLE in AZ. even tho Az Thunder is have two level five teams it SOOO hard to keep it going due to power& storm.



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[AndrewSky]

I agree with you it's HORRIBLE in AZ. even tho Az Thunder is have two level five teams it SOOO hard to keep it going due to power& storm.



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I think it's also difficult in AZ because of the stupid high school rule.