All-Star Thoughts On Competitions Immediately Following Long Holiday Breaks

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I read your earlier post as well . I owned a gym for years and thought the world revolved around cheer. Then I got married and had kids, not currently coaching and let me tell you it makes you realize what a crazy cheer bubble that allstar kids and families live in. So many of the things they are asked to give up or push off are normal things that every kids should be able to do. I am glad you found a balance! I know that once my girl is old enough I can't even imagine telling my husband that she has to miss a family holiday event due to cheer. Good grief lol. Hope you have a stress free final season!

This. So much.

Life revolved around coaching until I became a parent to my once foster and now forever son.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the fact that every extra practice, every extra hour added on to regular practice (in addition to being at work all day.) takes an hour away from my family at home and from making memories with our boy.

Same with the kids I coach (high school.) The time commitment even for school cheer is intense but I have had to remind myself that they are kids.

We take a two weeks off in the beginning of summer and one after camp (around July 4th) because kids need time to DO NOTHING. Like, just go to the mall, pool, nothing. We also have the benefit of school breaks as well, which helps.

Even with that, I often wonder if we're asking too much as coaches. See also: the things we are also asking PARENTS to miss out on because they are too busy driving kids back and forth.

 

[DropAndRun]

I was a professional athlete and coach for 10 years and spent 20+ weeks out of the year from when Droplet was 6 weeks old through this summer traveling to horse shows and taught and worked 6-7 days a week year round teaching evenings, weekends, and holidays. I do not regret my decision to quit this summer.. I now spend my evenings and weekends with my children. In the height of that though, when I was training some really amazing kids and winning some big things, I lived for that! It's addicting. As my kids got older and weren't interested in my sport, my interest waned. I find often that coaching is not a lifetime thing for most people. Either they eventually scale back or they don't marry or have children because their job is their child. It's the rare bird in my opinion who does it all.

My gym owner missed a noticeable number of practices this fall because she was watching her daughter cheer for football. She also misses to do family things. I was unable to find that balance comfortably as a coach so it makes her a better one than I ever was, and I applaud her for that.

I understand and respect the decision of coaches/gyms both who stay open and close on holidays. You survive by doing what works for you and it's never for every person, but you will only succeed if you're true to yourself. If the coaching style didn't work for me there are probably 10 gyms within 30 minutes of my house and I'm sure I could go elsewhere!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I get it.

I am also a tad more understanding of why KIDS need to miss since becoming a parent.

For example: I know that standing as a bridesmaid in your older sister's wedding is a once in a lifetime event. You can miss a football game (with advanced notice.)

 

[Beans100]

I can honestly speak to the fact that athletes need a break. I'm a runner, and I love to run. I'd go 2 or 3 times a day if my schedule permitted. In fact, sometimes I go running at midnight just to get an extra run in. However, I also know that it really wears on my body. There have been times where I haven't been able to run due to weather or travel. Usually the run that I have after a couple days off is the best one of the week. My body feels refreshed, my legs aren't sore and my lungs don't feel like crap. Even though I hate missing a day of running, I also know that I need to take a break every so often. I understand if coaches feel the need to schedule practices, but I also hope they see that athletes need some rest time. When an athlete loves cheer, they'll be stoked to get back in the gym after a break and will probably perform better due to the adrenaline.

 

[CheerBank]

I can honestly speak to the fact that athletes need a break. I'm a runner, and I love to run. I'd go 2 or 3 times a day if my schedule permitted. In fact, sometimes I go running at midnight just to get an extra run in. However, I also know that it really wears on my body. There have been times where I haven't been able to run due to weather or travel. Usually the run that I have after a couple days off is the best one of the week. My body feels refreshed, my legs aren't sore and my lungs don't feel like crap. Even though I hate missing a day of running, I also know that I need to take a break every so often. I understand if coaches feel the need to schedule practices, but I also hope they see that athletes need some rest time. When an athlete loves cheer, they'll be stoked to get back in the gym after a break and will probably perform better due to the adrenaline.

And it is not only the physical rest time needed. Very often the mental rest time is needed as well. For the athlete and the family!

 

[catlady]

Absolutely! I work for a school system, we get all Catholic holidays off, but our school system is heavy populated with students who are other religions. I think it should either be all holidays given off or none at all.

Speaking solely from a business standpoint, if 90% of your staff is Christian, then you are going to anticipate 90% of your staff to ask off for the holiday. If your staff is 5% Jewish, you can still allow them their holiday and run your business. The same holds true with school and activities. I, personally, have never known an employer, teacher, or coach not to honor another person's religious holiday. Your school will reevaluate other holidays based on attendance if it is too expensive to run the school with the amount of kids in attendance. It's not about importance of certain holiday's or fairness, it is about being able to function efficiently without the staff, clients, or students.

 

[Onfire381]

Break? What is this brake of which you speak?

Yeah really, my CP's gym had practice the 23rd and started up again on Sunday and will practice through tomorrow. They have their 1st comp of the season on Jan. 9th.

 

[Boughetto]

It's refreshing to read how various gyms operate around the holidays. I thought all gyms closed for 1-2 weeks but I see that's not true.

Does anyone think there is a correlation between winning gyms and mediocre gyms that close frequently (for all major holidays) and those that do not.

 

[catlady]

It's refreshing to read how various gyms operate around the holidays. I thought all gyms closed for 1-2 weeks but I see that's not true.

Does anyone think there is a correlation between winning gyms and mediocre gyms that close frequently (for all major holidays) and those that do not.

If a gym is off for a couple weeks and their athletes continue to condition, they are essentially starting where they left off. If the athletes lay around, eat junk, and atrophy, it could take a month to get them conditioned to where they were prior to the break.

Breaks are the one time my kids accuse me of going all "cheer mom" because I schedule privates and make them go to optional conditioning. With that said, I'm not really concerned about the "win", as much as, the "injuries" that always seem to come after a long break of laying around and junk food.

 

[AngelsMum24]

This. So much.

Life revolved around coaching until I became a parent to my once foster and now forever son.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about the fact that every extra practice, every extra hour added on to regular practice (in addition to being at work all day.) takes an hour away from my family at home and from making memories with our boy.

Same with the kids I coach (high school.) The time commitment even for school cheer is intense but I have had to remind myself that they are kids.

We take a two weeks off in the beginning of summer and one after camp (around July 4th) because kids need time to DO NOTHING. Like, just go to the mall, pool, nothing. We also have the benefit of school breaks as well, which helps.

Even with that, I often wonder if we're asking too much as coaches. See also: the things we are also asking PARENTS to miss out on because they are too busy driving kids back and forth.

We only practice one day a week (recreational classes and a prep team) and between the full time job, school and all the hours that go into that one day of practice and competitions, etc., I'm thinking of down-sizing next year and we are already a micro gym.

 

[Onfire381]

Yeah really, my CP's gym had practice the 23rd and started up again on Sunday and will practice through tomorrow. They have their 1st comp of the season on Jan. 9th.

And her team has practice on sat. The 2nd. & sun. The 3rd also. So she had off the 24th & 25th and the 31st & 1st. This her break.

 

[Boughetto]

Looks like most athletes will be returning to the gym this weekend after long breaks. I'm sure everyone is anxious to get back into the swing of things and pick back up where they left off!

 

[tumbleyoda]

We close for one week for July the break, one week for Thanksgiving break, and two full weeks for Christmas and New Years break. We also close Good Friday thru Easter, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. All staff, athletes and parents are encouraged to take the breaks because we go so hard when gym is in session. A couple of the directors may choose on their own to open the gym for private lessons and open gym for one day or two during the break with owner approval but that is it. No classes or team practices period.

All of us need that time off. This is one of the reasons that burnout is so high in our industry. Because we dont learn how to nor do we appreciate taking time off, until it is often too late.

our cheer teams have competition two weeks after the break. Power Tumblers have two competitions back to back the Sat and Sun after the break. Gymnasts three weeks after the break. We all figure it out.