- Nov 11, 2011
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I can understand it's hard for small gyms, but I think when an age group ends up being almost eligible to compete in a different age group, that's a problem. If only 2-3 girls on the team cannot compete in youth or mini, that's no longer a junior team. I think at that point, the gym should be honest and acknowledge the situation-and if the athletes aren't comfortable with it, suggest moving somewhere else. The same is true if the only age group team is a much higher or lower level. I think there's a point where the onus is on the gym to say "look, we really cannot offer what you need. You can either be on a team that isn't an ideal fit here, or you can look elsewhere. If you decide to go elsewhere, we'll miss you, but we understand".
This is so important. An athlete needs to be equally comfortable and challenged, while also knowing they are successful. A friend of mine just had this issue, she has been at her gym with her girls for 4 years and they are making a move, one of the major reasons is that the older daughter has aged out of youth, they are not looking to field a junior team in her level, and so she was likely being placed on the same level, while her skillset is surpassing that level. She got a lot of backlash however, she knows her kids need to stay happy and challenged!