All-Star Tumbling At A Different Gym?

[alpaca]

CP needs tumbling classes. The issue, is that the appropriate class for her skill at her current gym, is on an inconvenient day/time. I have looked at the local gymnastics gym and they have a huge waitlist for tumbling classes. So that is not an option.

Another local cheer gym has classes at a time that would work for our family. But is this acceptable? It feels odd to take classes at a competitors gym , but I can't found any other tumbling options. CP is happy at her current gym. She has no interest in leaving, she wants to improve to help her current team. But her gym can't support her tumbling needs. I know that other cheerleaders have taken classes at this gym when they competed at other gyms.

For the record, the gym with the classes does not have a team in the same age/level category that CP is on. So she would never directly compete against kids at this gym.

What would you do in this situation. I am especially interested in what coaches/gym owners think is appropriate.

 

[BlueCat]

I wouldn't say that we love it when customers choose to use other providers for services we provide, but we don't forbid it. After all, we don't own those children. However, if that other provider tries to bad-mouth our gym while they are there (or try to talk them into leaving our facility for good), we will generally take that up with the other facility. We try hard not to trash our competitors and would hope they do the same. Let your services and products speak for themselves.

 

[Lisa Seye]

I wouldn't say that we love it when customers choose to use other providers for services we provide, but we don't forbid it. After all, we don't own those children. However, if that other provider tries to bad-mouth our gym while they are there (or try to talk them into leaving our facility for good), we will generally take that up with the other facility. We try hard not to trash our competitors and would hope they do the same. Let your services and products speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, I have seen gyms that do forbid it and put in their contract that if you use a competitor for any reason, tumbling, clinics, special events, you are off the team. And of course gyms that won't let you go to another franchise within the same program without permission once your current season is over. It's sad that not all gyms have the "we dont own you" mindset. I certainly hope that those are exceptions and not the rule, however.

 

[Lisa Seye]

CP needs tumbling classes. The issue, is that the appropriate class for her skill at her current gym, is on an inconvenient day/time. I have looked at the local gymnastics gym and they have a huge waitlist for tumbling classes. So that is not an option.

Another local cheer gym has classes at a time that would work for our family. But is this acceptable? It feels odd to take classes at a competitors gym , but I can't found any other tumbling options. CP is happy at her current gym. She has no interest in leaving, she wants to improve to help her current team. But her gym can't support her tumbling needs. I know that other cheerleaders have taken classes at this gym when they competed at other gyms.

For the record, the gym with the classes does not have a team in the same age/level category that CP is on. So she would never directly compete against kids at this gym.

What would you do in this situation. I am especially interested in what coaches/gym owners think is appropriate.

I would talk with the gym owner and let them know that you want your child to progress with her current gym and your schedule doesn't allow for classes at her current gym but you just want to give them the heads up that your child will be tumbling at another gym but is fully committed to her current team. See what they say.

 

[cheermomforever]

Let your current gym know the situation if u do go tumbling somewhere else because you know how rumors go crazy!

 

[5monkeysjumping]

We have a lot of kids from
Other gyms who tumble and do privates at our gym. I have never thought a thing of it. My daughter has gone to clinics at other gyms, and inknownother kids do too. We are in a pretty close knit market, though, and all of the gyms seem to have good working relationships, so I don’t think it’s frowned upon. It would be if people badmouthed the gyms, but as long as everyone is respectful, it’s not a big deal at all.
(On a side note, my daughter and I have a tradition of tumbling at a gym whenever we travel. She’s tumbled in 5 different states in the last two years. It’s so fun and everyone is always so welcoming!)

 

[SthrnCheerMom]

The one thing I'd be concerned about is how technique is taught. I never knew there was a difference until we switched gyms. Once we did, there were many things that our current gym had to change about the way she was tumbling. It's been a noticeable difference, for the better.

 

[quitthedrama]

I know you are looking for coach/owner input, but my CP took tumbling and stunting privates and a class at a different gym last summer because we liked the coach there and she had a need that was specific, and that coach worked best for what she needed to work on. We did not talk to our gym about it and had no intentions of changing gyms. I look at it as similar to a salon - you may go to one place because you like the stylist who does your hair, but you go to another place because you like the technician there who does your nails. Although there is nothing wrong with talking to your current gym staff, you aren't obligated to.

 

[Natalia5]

CP needs tumbling classes. The issue, is that the appropriate class for her skill at her current gym, is on an inconvenient day/time. I have looked at the local gymnastics gym and they have a huge waitlist for tumbling classes. So that is not an option.

Another local cheer gym has classes at a time that would work for our family. But is this acceptable? It feels odd to take classes at a competitors gym , but I can't found any other tumbling options. CP is happy at her current gym. She has no interest in leaving, she wants to improve to help her current team. But her gym can't support her tumbling needs. I know that other cheerleaders have taken classes at this gym when they competed at other gyms.

For the record, the gym with the classes does not have a team in the same age/level category that CP is on. So she would never directly compete against kids at this gym.

What would you do in this situation. I am especially interested in what coaches/gym owners think is appropriate.

Awww, I am so sorry the gymnastics gym was not an option because that is what we did and still take classes to this day so that we could avoid any possible cheer gym drama. It's sad that another cheer gym which is a BUSINESS would be so petty as to let a potential new "$"tudent walk away because your kid isn't on a team there? Also, if you honestly love this sport and just want to see and train great athletes do you really care who come take classes at your gym? Now, if you are able to eventually get into an excellent gymnastics gym where the focus is primarily on safety and technique first i.e. YOU CAN NOT MOVE ON TO THIS SKILL UNTIL YOU PERFECT THAT ONE and you are willing to accept the proper progression and the schedule works I say do it. It has totally changed and upped my CP's tumbling. JS

 

[FamUsM0m]

CP needs tumbling classes. The issue, is that the appropriate class for her skill at her current gym, is on an inconvenient day/time. I have looked at the local gymnastics gym and they have a huge waitlist for tumbling classes. So that is not an option.

Another local cheer gym has classes at a time that would work for our family. But is this acceptable? It feels odd to take classes at a competitors gym , but I can't found any other tumbling options. CP is happy at her current gym. She has no interest in leaving, she wants to improve to help her current team. But her gym can't support her tumbling needs. I know that other cheerleaders have taken classes at this gym when they competed at other gyms.

For the record, the gym with the classes does not have a team in the same age/level category that CP is on. So she would never directly compete against kids at this gym.

What would you do in this situation. I am especially interested in what coaches/gym owners think is appropriate.

I have taken my CP to a few other gyms to tumble. There was no problem whatsoever. Her coaches/gym owner knew also. I think it all comes down to loyalty. It also comes down to integrity of the gym you're visiting. As long as they're under the understanding that you're simply there to tumble and get instruction, no interest in switching gyms, there shouldn't be an issue. It's good for athletes to explore other avenues. Each coach teaches different tumbling techniques that can help your CP get better. Using the same coach all the time could only be limiting them.

 

[CheerBank]

Cp's gym was way too far away for her to go to for tumbling. It was never an issue for her to go to a local gym/coach.

 

[Melissa Starke]

Awww, I am so sorry the gymnastics gym was not an option because that is what we did and still take classes to this day so that we could avoid any possible cheer gym drama. It's sad that another cheer gym which is a BUSINESS would be so petty as to let a potential new "$"tudent walk away because your kid isn't on a team there? Also, if you honestly love this sport and just want to see and train great athletes do you really care who come take classes at your gym? Now, if you are able to eventually get into an excellent gymnastics gym where the focus is primarily on safety and technique first i.e. YOU CAN NOT MOVE ON TO THIS SKILL UNTIL YOU PERFECT THAT ONE and you are willing to accept the proper progression and the schedule works I say do it. It has totally changed and upped my CP's tumbling. JS

I believe you misread part of the post.
No one refused her as of yet, she stated that there is no direct competition with the gym she wants to tumble at due to the different ages/team levels there.

@alpaca
In my opinion there is nothing wrong with going to another gym when the schedule doesn't work out.
Family time is important.

 

[molls]

As a coach, I just want my kids tumbling SOMEWHERE. I'd prefer that it was at our gym, but I know it's not always realistic. Some of our families drive close to an hour each way to the gym. I can't expect that their parents will be willing to drive an hour each way for an hour tumbling class if it's on a night that they don't have practice. It's time, it's money. I know that "my" kids on my team are happy where they are, and because of that, I don't feel threatened when they tumble somewhere else.

The only time I have an issue with kids tumbling somewhere else is when they are not progressing, at all. The gym I coached at previously would allow athletes to tumble where ever they wanted unless they did not start progressing within 2 months. That didn't necessarily mean getting skills - but just measurable increase in technique, getting closer to skills, etc. Sometimes parents would claim that they were taking them somewhere, but wouldn't. Sometimes they would just take them somewhere that was just bad. We'd require that they start in classes at our gym if they were behind on their level skills and not progressing where ever else they were tumbling.

 

[CGAcheer]

just talk to your coaches about it first, they may have a solution if they know there is a problem. It could be privates, or it could be a change in their schedule, if enough people are wanting to have a class at a certain time they'll most likely find a way to make it work if possible. If they aren't able to help you in the gym, they may be able to recommend what other facilities in the area that have similar philosophies or produce better tumbling.

 

[alpaca]

Update on this: I talked with cp's gym. Of course they would like to keep the business so they suggested trying some group privates, similar to classes. They had a few people that we were going to try it out with. And the first 2 that I booked were cancelled either the day of or the day before. Different instructors, different reasons but the same end result.

At this point I feel like I need to look out for my athletes best interests and find her tumbling opportunities where I can. My main goal is to give her consistent opportunities to work on her tumbling. And cancelling 2 in a row is a deal breaker for me.