I'm just going to say I'm not a fan of blanket statements. Maybe not everyone is outright saying all small gyms hold kids back, but that's the overall impression I'm getting on this thread. Im also getting small gyms make kids stars, where big gyms treat everyone equally. We've been at 2 small gyms, even a crappy one and my cp has never been held back. I don't even understand why a gym wouldn't want their athletes to improve/grow...it makes no sense. I also believe a small gym wants ALL their teams to succeed all the time. And I also believe every gym/coach has the potential to have favorites or spotlight athletes, it's just way more obvious in a small gym where you know everyone. So it's probably not fair to say it isn't as likely to happen at a big gym when it's really just human nature. That being said, at our small gym I've sometimes noticed a kid or two is well liked by a coach or something, but it has never affected their placement in a routine or on a specific team. I think those sorts of things depend mostly on the philosophies of the coaches and owners and less on the size of the place.