All-Star Advice For Switcng From Small Gym To Super Large Gym

[Klynn641]

Another issue that may arise is this. My daughter's first year of cheer she was on a Level 3 team. Four years of tumbling classes and privates later,we move to the larger gym, she attends tryouts and is placed on a Level 2 team. And she struggled to maintain her position on that team in the beginning. Should anything similar occur to you don't feel like you've regressed. Our new gyms level requirements were so beyond our old gym's that it was ridiculous. She spent the next three years on the Level 2 team before moving up.

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In addition, our new gym didn't just pick up her tumbling where she left off at her old gym. We were told at the new gym that almost everyone new that comes in has to begin with basic tumbling to learn proper form before advancing their skills. I felt like the past four years of cheer had been a waste. When switching gyms you are at risk for this type of thing to occur. But trust that there's a method to their madness and roll with the punches. Sometimes I think they do these things to test the parents more than the athletes.


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[addicted2cheer]

Of course there is always and adjustment period but I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find others who probably live in your area that travel to your new gym. My D cheered at a small local gym and we moved to another gym about 1/2 hour away. Although it was not super big so many from my area traveled to that gym as well. Same thing with the big gym about an hour away. Dozens of cheerleaders from my area travel there. They have car pools, gatherings etc with the locals as well as their whole team. A very exciting time for you and your girls. Best of luck to you!

 

[Klynn641]

YES.

Small gym might be struggling to field a Junior 3. So if your kid has SOME of the L3 skills or is "on the bubble" they might be more willing to take you on and see if you improve.

In contrast, there are gyms where the talent pool for that level is DEEP. Like, there are 2 teams worth of athletes who could potentially be on Junior 3 with ALL skills for L3.

If you have "some level 3 skills" at a place like that, you're headed for L2. Or possibly being a L3 alternate.

This is why a lot of bigger gyms are based on an "ALL SKILLS AT THAT LEVEL" philosophy. The talent pool is such that they can require that of kids.

I see it a lot with Level 5 vs. L4.

A girl with an "almost full" and no other L5 tumbling is L5 at Small Gym because they REALLY WANT a L5 team this year.

She moves to Big Gym with multiple L5 teams. She is now L4 because Big Gym doesn't even consider kids for Level 5 anything until they have ALL SKILLS. Your half a full is not cutting it.

So very true. A successful gym gets to pick and choose the best of the athletes out of a large pool of talent, because everyone wants to be a winner. If you win....they will come. What happens is good coaches build a team full of talented hard working and compliant athletes. The team is good enough that they'll let the parents pay outrageous money for the team to go to NCA. They win. So now they let the parents pay more outrageous money to go to UCA. They win again. Their videos get posted and with the help of social media the athletes names get out there. People start talking about the gym and the other teams at that gym that also have winning records. Season ends, time for tryouts. You attend tryouts and hundreds of new athletes showed up. The coaches have an even greater pool of talent with which to form their teams for the upcoming season. Tryout results arrive. You open it up and discover you've been dropped a level. Because you were good and worked hard the prior season, and your parents were willing to take out a second mortgage to pay cheer costs, you just got yourself a demotion. Where's the justice in that ? But it happens. The gym wins, the coaches win, the parents pay and the athlete pays. In this scenario, the athletes would actually be better off if they hadn't been quite that good.


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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I think there is some merit in that approach in that it lets kids DEVELOP instead of bumping them up when they do not have the skills. If others have the skills, I think it's fair. I wouldn't want to have ALL L5 skills with good technique and be passed over for someone who has JUST a full.

I've said this before, but if a kid barely has her full, I'd much rather her STAY L4 than be the girl on the R5 team who is constantly "chasing" skills that other people ALREADY HAVE. It's not fair to her. But that's another thread in itself!

 

[Klynn641]

I think there is some merit in that approach in that it lets kids DEVELOP instead of bumping them up when they do not have the skills. If others have the skills, I think it's fair. I wouldn't want to have ALL L5 skills with good technique and be passed over for someone who has JUST a full.

I've said this before, but if a kid barely has her full, I'd much rather her STAY L4 than be the girl on the R5 team who is constantly "chasing" skills that other people ALREADY HAVE. It's not fair to her. But that's another thread in itself!

Since tryout time is near (or here for some) I'm curious about athletes tryout process. We have only attended a few gyms in our ten years of cheer. One of them you made the team the minute you walked thru the door. No tryout necessary. The other holds four days of tryouts (three for levels 1-4). And everyone must tryout ,returners and newbies. Nobody has a secure spot.

Most gyms I know of have tryouts where everybody attends and then waits to learn what the next years teams will be and who made what team.

Are there gyms out there that approach tryouts in a different manner ? I mean, are there tryouts that aren't cattle call ? Aside from video tryouts that is. Are any held by team ? I presume most, if not all,separate athletes based on age (except small gyms perhaps). And, how long are most tryouts ? How do they organize the tryouts ? How much conditioning is done ? Do coaches check tumbling only ? Or do they look at motions too, and stamina etc. ? I mean, what is their selection criteria ?

I'm intrigued by the manner in which tryouts are approached, and the different philosophies the coaches/gym owners have as to what method works best.



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[TheVipersMom]

Since tryout time is near (or here for some) I'm curious about athletes tryout process. We have only attended a few gyms in our ten years of cheer. One of them you made the team the minute you walked thru the door. No tryout necessary. The other holds four days of tryouts (three for levels 1-4). And everyone must tryout ,returners and newbies. Nobody has a secure spot.

Most gyms I know of have tryouts where everybody attends and then waits to learn what the next years teams will be and who made what team.

Are there gyms out there that approach tryouts in a different manner ? I mean, are there tryouts that aren't cattle call ? Aside from video tryouts that is. Are any held by team ? I presume most, if not all,separate athletes based on age (except small gyms perhaps). And, how long are most tryouts ? How do they organize the tryouts ? How much conditioning is done ? Do coaches check tumbling only ? Or do they look at motions too, and stamina etc. ? I mean, what is their selection criteria ?

I'm intrigued by the manner in which tryouts are approached, and the different philosophies the coaches/gym owners have as to what method works best.



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Are you in the parent section?
If not you should ask to join. We have a tryout thread and I believe it talks about tryouts and a lot of people mention how it works at their gym!
& more people respond because it's more private!


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[Klynn641]

Are you in the parent section?
If not you should ask to join. We have a tryout thread and I believe it talks about tryouts and a lot of people mention how it works at their gym!
& more people respond because it's more private!


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I was at one time but not since my new account (yes, I forgot my password ). I need to make another request and do that. Thanx for the advice. I have no real need to know beyond curiosity. I'm just intrigued about the different philosophies and varied approaches used by the gyms.


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[Madelyn]

My 2 CP' s ages 11 & 12 have grown up at a small gym. They have cheered there 5 years. This year we are switching to a super large gym. I am excited, but also overwhelmed. We will be driving about an hour and a half one way. Any advice, tips, things I should know about transitioning to a super large gym? For example, I am use to having close friends and bonds with other cheer parents. My girls are use to cheering with their best friends. How do you get to know people at these huge gyms?

I switched from a gym with 50 athletes to a super large gym this season. I was at my old gym from 2007-2013, it is a little bit of a shell shock to switch at first, but its great. there is so much more support from other teams at your gym, and even though it isn't as tight bond as a small gym, you do feel more supported, especially at competitions. And about the friends part, i have met friends, on other teams at the gym through just practicing with them and girls on my team introducing me to the girls who were on their team last year. Good luck switching! I hope its a great experience :D

 

[Madelyn]

1. Don't get discouraged if your kids don't have BFFs right away.

I've seen it happen where parents go into a program and three months in, they're ready to pull their kid and go back to Small Gym because "My daughter has no friends there."

Three months is not long enough. Think about your BEST FRIEND. She didn't become that in a month or two months. Friendship takes time.

2. Encourage your kids to be outgoing (if they are not already.)

As to the above point, so often, parents will pull kids because "Everyone excludes her" when in reality, she just kind of sits there and doesn't say a whole lot. People ARE nice, but at the same time, making friends is a two-way street. If your kids hold up the wall at open gym, people will come talk to them, but if your kid doesn't reciprocate, they'll stop bothering.

3. Use your distance to your advantage (carpools/etc.) You get to know A LOT of people because your kid is in their 2 hour ride carpool or you drive their kids every other week. You also get invited to a lot of "Well, let's have Jenny sleep over Friday night after practice and you can pick her up Monday!" that way too.

i completely agree, this my first year at this gym and i didn't become really close with girls on my team until after the first competition

 

[littlestALLSTAR]

This is a hot topic in my cheer mommy friend circle these days. We made the switch from very small to a large gym when my CP was 7. Learned a lot before making the move. Observed other gym cultures...some good, some not so good, did my research, lots of thought and planning. Made the decision to switch for the opportunity in team placement afforded in the large gym setting. Yes, we now commute over and hour vs. a 15 minute ride...yes we now travel the country vs. staying local....yes I am cheer poor. People at my former gym thought I was insane for making such a huge commitment for a child so early in her cheer career. However, when you find the right fit, the right HOME, the coaches that light up your childs eyes, all that other stuff is forgotten. Interestingly enough, quite a few of our former gym friends will be joining us in our large gym adventure in the upcoming season. Im confident their experience will be as rewarding as ours has been....

 

[Keep_Believing]

This is a hot topic in my cheer mommy friend circle these days. We made the switch from very small to a large gym when my CP was 7. Learned a lot before making the move. Observed other gym cultures...some good, some not so good, did my research, lots of thought and planning. Made the decision to switch for the opportunity in team placement afforded in the large gym setting. Yes, we now commute over and hour vs. a 15 minute ride...yes we now travel the country vs. staying local....yes I am cheer poor. People at my former gym thought I was insane for making such a huge commitment for a child so early in her cheer career. However, when you find the right fit, the right HOME, the coaches that light up your childs eyes, all that other stuff is forgotten. Interestingly enough, quite a few of our former gym friends will be joining us in our large gym adventure in the upcoming season. Im confident their experience will be as rewarding as ours has been....

How many times a week do you make the drive?

 

[littlestALLSTAR]

How many times a week do you make the drive?

Last year I drove every single practice, meaning three days a week. It was difficult, expensive, tiring.
This year, I was fortunate enough to find two other semi-local families to carpool with. Now I'm driving every sunday (they don't have the same practice times on the weekend) and for our weekday practices, which are Tues/Thurs, we rotate. So, I'm driving every third weekday practice. Not too bad. I have third row seating, hoping to add some new families to the carpool next season...squeeze in two more kids!