All-Star If My Cp Has Talent Should I Go To A Stronger Gym Or Stay Loyal To My Small Gym??

[5-6-7-8]

I think one of the things that I noticed about this scenario is not necessarily the tumbling, but all of the other areas of cheer.

She may be working towards level 5 tumbling skills, but sounds like she is only working level 2/3 stunting, etc. I would ask current gym coach/owner if they think they might be able to field a level 4 team next year and if not, I think I would go elsewhere. I would want my CP working level 4 stunting and getting good there before ever thinking level 5.

I think no matter which direction you go, you should have a good discussion with the coach/owner to talk some of this out. She/he may have some great advice more specific to your daughter (and if he/she is not mature enough to discuss this, that may be a sign as well.)

 

[SheCheers]

I guess I'm in the minority maybe...because I don't see a need to rush skills at the age of 9. My CP has always been on a team that is "below" her tumbling skill level. She also just turned 9. She has had SOLID level 4 tumbling skills for probably 1.5 years and currently has a solid full on the floor, whip through to a full, etc. She competes level 3 because 1) our gym doesn't have level 4 this season and 2) she'd never stunted past level 2 prior to this season (besides playing around single basing with the coaches). She can do level 4 next year, or even the year after that. Let her gain experience and confidence and progress at her pace. Rushing it is only going to put undue pressure on her and burn her out. Lots of 9 year olds are gung ho about stuff, but they're also REALLY fickle. My cp is 100% about cheer. lives and breathes it. she probably will cheer for many years, but it's not going to shock me if she changes her mind some day.

But I'm also curious...whatever larger gym you're considering moving to....how much time will the commute take? I mean, if it's an extra 15 minutes each way, I don't see a reason not to at least test the waters, but certainly finish out the season with your current gym.

 

[armycheermom]

SheCheers brought up an excellent point! We are talking about a 9 year old...Skills are important, but confidence, life skills, experience and going at her own pace are the best things she'll ever learn.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

I'll give you my insight on this topic. This is coming from someone who could be called a "gym hopper" but I certainly wouldn't call myself that for various reasons that I won't go into detail on in a public forum. I have been to three gyms in the past four years. My first gym was the one closest to my house, about 20 minutes away and it was my little sister's old cheerleading gym when she used to cheer (back in the day). We didn't do our research and we just assumed that it would work out. My first year there I was on senior level 2 (I was 14) and when I got my tuck solid, I was asked to cross over to junior level 3 because a girl was out for the rest of the season with an ACL tear. I loved it and I just though we were the tea. The next year I made the senior level 4 team (highest team in the gym at the time) because of my fast skill progression. I started looking into other gyms in the area because I wanted to be on a level 5 team once I got my full. I also started working at the gym as a nanny for the coaches. I started to find lots of flaws in the gym that I hadn't seen before and I didn't like it. There was a lot of tension between the coaches and I when my stunt bobbled badly at our first two competitions. I was treated much differently after those competitions and I ended up leaving that program after the third competition that year. I waited a month or two and then I started tumbling and going to open gyms at the gym I was very interested in because they had a worlds team I wanted to be on some day. This gym was about 45 minutes to an hour away from my house and was more successful in my opinion and a "big name" in our area. I tried out and I made the senior level 4 team and I was very happy with it. We didn't have a very successful year but I was okay with it because I had gained quite a few new skills that I hoped would help me make the worlds team. I tried out for the worlds team and didn't make it, I didn't even make alternate. I was honestly crushed because I thought I deserved to be on that team and I had higher skills than some other people who made the team. I was placed on a SO5 team and I injured my ankle doing fulls so much tumbling suffered quite a bit. I wasn't happy because I was treated quite a bit differently than I had been the year before and I felt cheated for reasons I am not posting. (If you would like to PM on that you are welcome to but I won't post them on here). I ended up leaving the gym with the intention of being done with cheerleading completely. I was just burnt out and kind of done with it and all the drama that was apart of it. My friend who cheered at a first year year in our town texted me to come to a practice because they needed a couple more people on their small coed level 5 team. I agreed to come to a practice after talking with their gym owner. I absolutely loved it. It was so much more fun and everyone was friends with everyone. There were no cliques and no snobby girls talking crap on their best friend while she was tumbling. It was a totally different experience. I chose to take a spot on that team and I am very glad I did. I have made so many friends and I have found my passion for cheerleading again. I personally like a small gym better because I like being able to know everybody, even if we don't win every competition. I like being at a respectful gym. But every gym experience is different for different people. You'll have to find out what you like and what you don't like, and what will make your child successful. I have had so many opportunities at this gym that I never would have had anywhere else. My coaches are on NCA staff and they helped me get a position on NCA Staff as well. I also have accepted an offer to compete on a large coed college team for next year ad I am thrilled. Your daughter is very talented but I would take her to a larger gym next season if you are anticipating moving gyms down the line anyways. This way she will get accustomed to the gym while she is younger and not have to break bad habits later in her cheer career. I was also a former gymnast but I quit when I got to level 6 because I had gotten burnt out and it just wanted fun anymore but feel free to PM me for any questions!

 

[jcheermom]

Again, it is awesome hearing this from someone that has actually experienced this situation and dealt with it. If we leave now, later, or never I just fear the most having to look back and regret my choice. I completely agree with you saying everyone is basing my reason off of skill, which yes some of that does influence my choice but it would be nice to have out of state competitions, more practices, and so on! I even spoke with my CP this evening and asked her would she prefer to be "a big fish in a little pond" or be among a lot of great cheerleaders with skills similar or better then hers. Her response was "I would like to be with girls better then me because it makes me want to work harder and be the best" <-- pretty strong words for a 9 year old!!! :)

Those are pretty strong words and feelings from a 9 year old and I can see why you are concerned at her young age and advanced skill level about her future. One more thing I didn't mention is that there will be 'fall out' from switching gyms and you both may and probably will lose some pretty good friends by 'abandoning' your old gym and joining a new one. There will be animosity and anger and you will have to field those feelings from all those involved. It was difficult for my whole family because we had to deal with it at cheer competitions or even any social situation that we saw the athletes or coaches from this old gym. But one thing I wanted to point out is that these feelings go away. My daughter and I have received many messages, both to our faces, and by Facebook and texts that have complimented my daughter about how well she is doing at her new gym, about how much her tumbling and jumps have improved and about how she looks so good and happy out there on the mat, and it brings me a great sense of satisfaction knowing that we made the right choice by switching gyms, and I think that this was their way of saying that CP is better off where she is without saying as much. Some of these people are coaches, who, if the owner knew that they had done this, would have been fired, some were parents of my CP's best friends and some were my friends from the old gym, and all in all, this reinforced our decision to switch. The reason why I am telling you this is because it may get harder before it feels like a good move, but I feel that it was well worth all obstacles and feelings along the way. Good luck with your choice, whether it be now or in a few years.

 

[jcheermom]

SWITCH NOW! When you are young you have fewer distractions, and I swear you can get your skills easier at a younger age-although it takes years to perfect the skills. At a larger gym she will become humble because she won't be the best, and have great opportunities to learn a lot at a young age. Plus, at a larger gym there are so many kids she can meet and imo much better training. You must realize when you switch, your cp will most likely be on a lower levl than you might expect. They need to make sure she throws her skills in comps and in tryouts. Also, just because she has one L5 skill does not guarantee she will be on that level. We switched when my daughter was 8 and am grateful we did. She had a full, but her technique wasn't great and they had to reteach her how to do things so she would progress. They did not put her on the J5 as I had hoped, but she got there eventually. I only wished we had switched sooner. Anyone out there regret switching from a small gym to a large gym?

No, we switched and we do NOT regret it. However, CP was 15 when she switched and it was for skill progression hitting a brick wall and she progressed and was pushed harder at her new gym; this would not have happened at her old gym :)

 

[Born2Tumble]

To answer a few questions from some of the replies.....

1. We are not rushing to shoot for Worlds now! It is just something my CP strives to attend down the road. It is like a young football player who says one day he wants to go to the superbowl. We just want to be in a position for her to get there in the future!

2. I understand many other skills are necessary then just tumbling this is part of the reason I think going to a gym that pushes their kids harder might be benificial to my CP so she can perfect her jumps, facials, stunting, etc....

3. The closest "big gym" in our area is Cheer Extreme in Kernnersville but it is quite a commute. There are other decent gyms that are closer, but just looking at big names I guess that would be the one.

4. We would never leave our gym mid-season! And it might not even be this next year. Again, this post is all directed towards her future in Cheer. At 9 she is ok and still has a lot to learn in cheer but the way she is already advancing i fear that she will eventually hit that brick wall. That is my main concern!