Gymnastics team moms

[Jennifer in MI]

Two questions:

 

1. What is your coach to girl ratio at level 3/4?

2. Is it common for one of the coaches to be pulled from team practice in order to help out around the gym in some other capacity? (In other words, decreasing the coach to girl ratio.)

 

I ask because I've just had a HUGE misunderstanding with my dd's coach. It's been awful and I'm in tears! The coach threatened to quit and we LOVE her! Long story. But, in our conversation, she said that it is common to have a ratio of 15:1 in other gyms. And, she said it is common for one of the two coaches to be pulled IF they are needed somewhere else.

 

Long story: Our gym had a rec level coach quit a month ago. They have been struggling to find someone to replace her and one of my dd's team coaches is nearly always pulled to help with the rec level girls. That leaves my dd with a 15:1 ratio. She might as well not even go. It's crazy. I'm watching her skills decrease as she is practicing things with bent legs and rushing through things because one coach cannot watch 15 girls. I wrote an email stating that fact because we wanted Meg's coach MORE often and her coach ended up being offended and threatened to leave. I am heartbroken. That wasn't my intention at all.

 

Anyway, this is our first gym and I wondered if the things above are true? Anyone?

[Tess in the Burbs]

This is our first year on a team. Dd is level 4. Right now there are 12/13 girls. At one point I believe it was 19! A coach quit right after we started so it's been on coach. They hired a new guy but he's less than stellar. Some judge lady comes in to watch and critique.

 

But skills aren't competent across the team. Seems like the TOPS girls have the back handsprings...and those doing a lot of privates. I don't like a lot of what I see but I also don't like to complain. I started emailing the coach but she pretty said she has too many kids and has to focus on routines and the girls not competent won't compete. It's so frustrating.

 

So on most days there is a main coach with 12/13 girls and one helping coach. But with the holiday it was just the helping coach and all the girls. Tonight it was the helping coach again. We were told another coach was doing practice but then that coach asked all levels 5-7 to be there b/c they have a meet this weekend so I am pretty sure she's working with them and not level 4 tonight.

 

I personally would prefer they have their coaching staff in place and then have a limit on the team so the girls get the best attention while there. My dd needs her back handspring or she won't compete in Jan, but it's inconsistent at practice the time offered, the help given, and her results show that.

 

I think rec classes have to be 10:1 if I remember from last year, so not sure why teams are higher ratios.

[Mommy22alyns]

Rebecca is a Level 4. There are only about 20 girls on the whole team, 4-8. There are 9 girls in Level 4. There are team coaches and rec coaches, and as far as I know, they don't cross over. If the Level 4s are working on something as a group, there are 2 coaches. Sometimes they split up and work on different things and have one coach per group.

[Jennifer in MI]

This is our first year on a team. Dd is level 4. Right now there are 12/13 girls. At one point I believe it was 19! A coach quit right after we started so it's been on coach. They hired a new guy but he's less than stellar. Some judge lady comes in to watch and critique.

 

But skills aren't competent across the team. Seems like the TOPS girls have the back handsprings...and those doing a lot of privates. I don't like a lot of what I see but I also don't like to complain. I started emailing the coach but she pretty said she has too many kids and has to focus on routines and the girls not competent won't compete. It's so frustrating.

 

So on most days there is a main coach with 12/13 girls and one helping coach. But with the holiday it was just the helping coach and all the girls. Tonight it was the helping coach again. We were told another coach was doing practice but then that coach asked all levels 5-7 to be there b/c they have a meet this weekend so I am pretty sure she's working with them and not level 4 tonight.

 

I personally would prefer they have their coaching staff in place and then have a limit on the team so the girls get the best attention while there. My dd needs her back handspring or she won't compete in Jan, but it's inconsistent at practice the time offered, the help given, and her results show that.

 

I think rec classes have to be 10:1 if I remember from last year, so not sure why teams are higher ratios.

 

Ugh.. This is SOO frustrating. I often feel like I have to pay extra to get the skills my dd needs. That doesn't seem right. And, I hear you on a limit to the team girls!!!! They just kept adding to our team. Very frustrating. Seems like THEY should be able to teach your dd her back handspring by competition or they have failed!!!! You are paying them!!! Ugh. ((hugs))

 

Rebecca is a Level 4. There are only about 20 girls on the whole team, 4-8. There are 9 girls in Level 4. There are team coaches and rec coaches, and as far as I know, they don't cross over. If the Level 4s are working on something as a group, there are 2 coaches. Sometimes they split up and work on different things and have one coach per group.

 

I think we need to move to your area. This is a HUGE frustration for us.

[Mommy22alyns]

Jennifer, I would be very frustrated too. IMO, team girls should be a priority. I'd definitely be gym shopping in that situation.

[Jennifer in MI]

Jennifer, I would be very frustrated too. IMO, team girls should be a priority. I'd definitely be gym shopping in that situation.

 

 

I would agree, but all of Meg's best friends are on this team! And, next year, the coach is going to be more consistent. I'm really mixed.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

We were in the Canadian system, so not quite the same. In the early levels, it was often 12 girls to one coach, with an assistant coach on either vault or beam. In level 7 and up, it was 12-15 girls to a team, but with three coaches, each with a specialty apparatus.

[Mommy22alyns]

I would agree, but all of Meg's best friends are on this team! And, next year, the coach is going to be more consistent. I'm really mixed.

 

Ugh, that is so hard! I know Becca would probably have a fit if I tried to move her to a different gym.

 

ETA: I should also say that they got a new head coach in August, I think. I don't know exactly why the first guy left, but the new guy has raised the standard significantly.

[Kari C in SC]

We do prep-op (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) - our entire team has about 30 girls. It is very rare that they are all together - I think the is one hour a week where they overlap so the girls can see what they are working towards. We have one main coach and 2 assistant coaches. A typical practice has 15 girls in it and all 3 of the coaches will be there.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

We switched gyms and it lead to my daughter's quitting the sport. The philosophies of the two gyms were too different. However she was a level 6 when she switched (and went up to 7, almost 8) so there was already quite an investment in her training. The new gym pushed her too hard (from 6 to almost 8 in less than a year).

Think twice before changing gyms, but if you do, do it early on in the gymnast's career, before she's too used to one approach.

[Jean in Newcastle]

A 15:1 ratio doesn't seem too bad from what I've seen. It seems to depend a bit on the apparatus. For vault and beam, they often had two coaches, while on floor and bars it was often only 1. Even then, it depends on what skills they were working on since some skills (esp. when new) needs a spotter and if you have two lines of girls going, then you would need two spotters.

[jenn-]

I cannot tell you what happens with the 3's at our gym as they practice opposite days from us. I can say that there are about 25 level 4 girls that practice at the same time. Typically they are split onto 2 different apparratus with one coach for each location. On occasion that group will have a third coach (she is the team coach that floats to rec if needed). Our level 5 girls have 17 on the squad. On Fridays it is not uncommon for them all to be doing the same thing with only 1 coach or maybe a team coach and a helper from the rec level (there are no rec classes on Fridays so there are some spares). Fridays we have all the level 4-9 girls there which totally about 50 girls and there are only 5 official team coaches with 2 of those ladies being the official coaches for all 5 levels (one is officially the level 2 & 3 coach and two are the assistant coaches for level 4). It is a crazy day to say the least. Tuesdays are also challenging because we start with one coach for the first 30 minutes for about 30 girls, then we get another coach, and finally at the 1 hour mark we get a third. That day's rotations are screwy to say the least.

[Sisyphus]

Ugh..  This is SOO frustrating.  I often feel like I have to pay extra to get the skills my dd needs.  That doesn't seem right.  And, I hear you on a limit to the team girls!!!!  They just kept adding to our team.  Very frustrating.  Seems like THEY should be able to teach your dd her back handspring by competition or they have failed!!!! You are paying them!!!  Ugh.  ((hugs))

 

 

--------------sorry can't quote!

 

You probably will have to pay extra. Private lessons are very lucrative, and even during regular training, a kid who has regular privates will get more attention.Kids with more attention win, and those kids get opportunities like TOPS, etc. This is just how it is. Also, the competitive kids are not a gyms big money maker- the rec kids are. A winning competitive team may attract more kids, but the huge rec classes pay the bills. Normally teams are money losers, due to the low cost of per-hour training. Their value is in making a name for the gym and attracting more kids.

 

Ds was a level 8 before quitting shortly before turning 11.

[Melissa B]

We've been in two gyms and it is common in both gyms for team coaches to pick up a rec class if needed. In our old gym there were about 12-15 girls per level and two coaches per level. At the new gym things are much more flexible. There are about 6-8 girls per level, but no set coaches. All of the levels practice at the same time and there are generally six coaches on the floor. They rotate between the girls with each coach generally working on the same apparatus each day. The director generally does not coach, but will pick up a lower rec class if needed. The head coach moves between the girls, but works mostly with the highest levels. All other coaches work every level. It seems more chaotic than our last gym, but the results appear to be similar. :D

[Georgiana Daniels]

Yikes! That doesn't sound good at all. I feel your frustration.

 

I think ALL gyms go through seasons where the coach to gymnast ratio is less than ideal and coaches get pulled for rec etc. If you know it's not a long term situation and you're otherwise happy, roll with it. Every gym will have their own issues.

 

Our gym usually keeps team coaches with team kids and will occasionally pull a rec coach if someone is sick, etc. If they are really short staffed then the ratio can be 10-15:1. But the norm is 6-8:1.