Switching Gyms

[Christina729]

So I am thinking about switching gyms and need advice. I will start at the beginning. I was a gymnast for about 2-3 years and I moved to a different state and I went to a gymnastics gym for about a month and didn't like how it was structured (didn't have a trained coach). After that school cheer tryouts came around and I tried out and made varsity but my heart really was still in gymnastics so I ended up going to another gymnastics gym. I loved it there but I really didn't have girls my age to be around and I really wasn't progressing. So I was on Instagram and saw that this gym needed a flyer so I went and I liked it so I ended up competing the rest of the season out with them. During the middle of that I pretty much got taken out of stunts I didn't fly I didn't base I really didn't do anything. All I did was tumble. So I asked numerous times if I could come in and do a stunt private and every time I scheduled one it got cancelled. There were a few that didn't and I actually did really well. Well now I tried out and made our highest level team and all we do is sit around and jump occasionally and help out with other teams. We currently only have about 10 girls on our team and two of them didn't try out due to injuries. I didn't think that was right to put them on a team they didn't tryout for. And now this new cheer gym opened and I am looking at trying it out. It has the adequate equipment to advance my tumbling which is something I am really good at. I know that people say don't try new gyms. I don't know what I want to do. Any advice? Sorry it's really long.

 

[KDCheerMom]

Well I will jump in with a couple of thoughts... I don't see any reason why you should not give them a look. I would think about what you want to get out of your cheer season - types of competitions, coaching, where you want to grow. Make sure you have a clear picture of what you current gym can give and where you have concerns.

AND a brand new gym can carry risks - so I would work to investigate the ownership (previous experience), coaches, and anything else possible. Do they seem organized, do they respond to communications, how do they answer your questions. All gyms were new at some point and even good new gyms may have some growing pains. Make sure you can live with that.

I think there is a thread/post suggesting what to look for.

Bottom line I would make sure you make your decision on what you want out of your experience and do your homework.

Good luck.

 

[SharkDad]

I don't know why anyone would say don't try new gyms. In my opinion you should look at and observe as many as possible to get a sense for the different atmosphere's, equipment, coaching styles, etc, as mentioned above. You have to find the right fit for you to grow as an athlete and an individual.

@KDCheerMom - I think the thread you are referring to is in the parent section.

 

[aquacheern]

i moved from a gym that had been around since 2006 ! and till had only level 1 teams!!! when i joined i didnt know much about cheer ,( i joined at 12) the stunts they did were rubbish and the highest level was level 1 senior which i was put on with absolutely no tumbles, i was there for one season and a half and i never progressed my tumbling , i went in with a cartwheel and came out with a round off.... we came last and almost every comp.. so i left half way through the second season becuase i never progressed plus i was always a front and never got the opportunity to base fly or back... and i was very small and quite flexible at the time so im surprise i didn't fly... so i left and went to a new gym and it was their 1st season ...and now i am working tucks and on a level 3 team this is my second season their. the best decision i ever made.

 

[KDCheerMom]

@KDCheerMom - I think the thread you are referring to is in the parent section.

Thanks for this. I don't always remember in which forum I have seen things. I agree you should give the same level of scrutiny whether the gym is brand new or been around a while. I am sure if you Internet search however you will find some articles. Let us know how it goes.

 

[SharkDad]

i moved from a gym that had been around since 2006 ! and till had only level 1 teams!!! when i joined i didnt know much about cheer ,( i joined at 12) the stunts they did were rubbish and the highest level was level 1 senior which i was put on with absolutely no tumbles, i was there for one season and a half and i never progressed my tumbling , i went in with a cartwheel and came out with a round off.... we came last and almost every comp.. so i left half way through the second season becuase i never progressed plus i was always a front and never got the opportunity to base fly or back... and i was very small and quite flexible at the time so im surprise i didn't fly... so i left and went to a new gym and it was their 1st season ...and now i am working tucks and on a level 3 team this is my second season their. the best decision i ever made.

This is a great example that often times athletes and parents don't understand how much better their situation can be until they take a look at a few other places as a comparison. Even if you love your current gym, you might be surprised that there is a better fit out there for you.

 

[Christina729]

i moved from a gym that had been around since 2006 ! and till had only level 1 teams!!! when i joined i didnt know much about cheer ,( i joined at 12) the stunts they did were rubbish and the highest level was level 1 senior which i was put on with absolutely no tumbles, i was there for one season and a half and i never progressed my tumbling , i went in with a cartwheel and came out with a round off.... we came last and almost every comp.. so i left half way through the second season becuase i never progressed plus i was always a front and never got the opportunity to base fly or back... and i was very small and quite flexible at the time so im surprise i didn't fly... so i left and went to a new gym and it was their 1st season ...and now i am working tucks and on a level 3 team this is my second season their. the best decision i ever made.

Thanks! This really helped!

 

[JemmaMorrow]

Well I will jump in with a couple of thoughts... I don't see any reason why you should not give them a look. I would think about what you want to get out of your cheer season - types of competitions, coaching, where you want to grow. Make sure you have a clear picture of what you current gym can give and where you have concerns.

AND a brand new gym can carry risks - so I would work to investigate the ownership (previous experience), coaches, and anything else possible. Do they seem organized, do they respond to communications, how do they answer your questions. All gyms were new at some point and even good new gyms may have some growing pains. Make sure you can live with that.

I think there is a thread/post suggesting what to look for.

Bottom line I would make sure you make your decision on what you want out of your experience and do your homework.

Good luck.

Great advice. I recently switched my daughter to a new gym that opened in our area. I started with watching how the team's performed all season and researching their other location to see how professional and competitive they were. Then, I took her to a several pre-try out clinics and really liked what I saw from the coaches and the variety of classes offered. Best of all, my kid got new skill she had been struggling with for months and started learning new skills she had never tried before. By the time try outs came around, I felt comfortable that I was making the most informed decision I could. You never really know what it's going to be like until you get there but so far it's been 2 weeks and we are still loving it.... And my kid has learned another new skill!

 

[KDCheerMom]

Great advice. I recently switched my daughter to a new gym that opened in our area. I started with watching how the team's performed all season and researching their other location to see how professional and competitive they were. Then, I took her to a several pre-try out clinics and really liked what I saw from the coaches and the variety of classes offered. Best of all, my kid got new skill she had been struggling with for months and started learning new skills she had never tried before. By the time try outs came around, I felt comfortable that I was making the most informed decision I could. You never really know what it's going to be like until you get there but so far it's been 2 weeks and we are still loving it.... And my kid has learned another new skill!

Wonderful news and totally agree with your additional suggestions. We moved gyms this year as well and so far so good.

 

[Juststartover]

So I am thinking about switching gyms and need advice. I will start at the beginning. I was a gymnast for about 2-3 years and I moved to a different state and I went to a gymnastics gym for about a month and didn't like how it was structured (didn't have a trained coach). After that school cheer tryouts came around and I tried out and made varsity but my heart really was still in gymnastics so I ended up going to another gymnastics gym. I loved it there but I really didn't have girls my age to be around and I really wasn't progressing. So I was on Instagram and saw that this gym needed a flyer so I went and I liked it so I ended up competing the rest of the season out with them. During the middle of that I pretty much got taken out of stunts I didn't fly I didn't base I really didn't do anything. All I did was tumble. So I asked numerous times if I could come in and do a stunt private and every time I scheduled one it got cancelled. There were a few that didn't and I actually did really well. Well now I tried out and made our highest level team and all we do is sit around and jump occasionally and help out with other teams. We currently only have about 10 girls on our team and two of them didn't try out due to injuries. I didn't think that was right to put them on a team they didn't tryout for. And now this new cheer gym opened and I am looking at trying it out. It has the adequate equipment to advance my tumbling which is something I am really good at. I know that people say don't try new gyms. I don't know what I want to do. Any advice? Sorry it's really long.

Definitely take a look at other gyms. Some all star gyms are great at guilting kids into staying by using words like family and loyalty. It's your life, your body, and your money ( well you parents money) and you should be where you are happy. You don't get to cheer forever so enjoy every second of it!