[QUOTE=gymdaddy;35083]Parents, read this: Local topics : Wsj It's from the news page on Gym Chat: http://gymchat.com/news.php[/QUOTE] Gym Daddy, have you seen this post?: Originally Posted by meganclarke The Gym Chat Forum has a thread on this topic with links to the Nick Checker situation: A coach that doesn’t want parents to watch?! From the site, gymnasticscoaching.com:[ Read More... ]

Another one: http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?p=12952#12952 good to know the signs, hints... You can find others under the news forum category http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewforum.php?f=35

"Coach Convicted For Sexual Abuse" - http://www.rnews.com/Story_2004.cfm?ID=48417&rnews_story_type=18 [quote]Penev had sexual relations with the girl over the course of six-months at his gym. [/quote]

Gymnasts and other athletes should be careful when deciding to practice / compete with pain, there could be some real injury involved that practicing and competiting on it more could aggravate it to the point that rest is no longer a solution for it, and surgery comes into the picture. Interesting article: "Stevenson: Gymnast fights through pain, aims for state" -[ Read More... ]

Thanks for all the info! We chose a gym where the coaches are very passionate about gymnastics and what they do and the club is really like a family gym rather than a business. We did the talking with the other parents and the kids, and the trial lesson in the 2 gyms around us, and this was the gym for us - the atmosphere is really good and nurturing!

Thanks for all the info! We chose a gym where the coaches are very passionate about gymnastics and what they do and the club is really like a family gym rather than a business. We did the talking with the other parents and the kids, and the trial lesson in the 2 gyms around us, and this was the gym for us - the atmosphere is really good and nurturing!

Kati, you are so right!! they are all nice to you the first day - the coaches and the owners - and as the practices go by and you are there longer, then their real personality towards you come out.....so, you can get a good picture of what practicing/working out there and competing for this club will be by watching the practices without them recognizing you're new and watching to decide how they[ Read More... ]

Ok i know this is a late reply but i guess ill put my two cents in lol -neways the one practice won't make a difference really b/c no matter what, the coaches are going to b a lil nicer on the first day. -look at the classes, and teams during practice: are they organized? controlled? -look at the history of the gym, and size of the team: are they good? trophies/medals? any upper level kids?[ Read More... ]

Good things to keep in mind, "Tips for parents of young gymnasts", from a couple years ago, http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2004/12/19/sections/news/news/article_349501.php . It's from a special investigation by ocregister.com, "Gymnasts in pain", http://www.ocregister.com/investigations/2004/gymnastics/ . In summary, check how the coach talks to the gymnasts, ask and talk with the parents[ Read More... ]

Thanks for the links kaycie!

Make sure they are not like the coaches in this article, that literally "screwed" their gymnasts -- literally, with screw drivers -- if they did not have perfect form. It is really important to watch practices esp. if your child is young -- and beware of the gyms that don't let you!! Here's the link to that article: http://www.wftv.com/news/9513925/detail.html

kaycie, thanks so much for that post! Can you please post the link to that information regarding the bad effects of exercise in too cold conditions, and what is too cold, etc? That information seems really logical. Maybe a switch would be good if the gym owners there don't care about that. We don't have that problem in our gym actually, the 2 head coaches are the co-owners and they keep the[ Read More... ]

The gymnasts can tell the difference between the correct coach spot and an inappropriate one. Best to listen to the kids also!

If you scroll down the Gym Chat News page, there's another article on this with more info, the direct link is http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/090806dnmetgymnast.3339e81.html . We had a guy like this in our gym too, in the way that the parents and kids were complaining about his spotting technique and behavior being inappropriate as a coach, he wasn't accused of[ Read More... ]

Unfortunately, coaches misconduct does happen, in any sport, not just gymnastics. There is another story out today about a coach sexually abusing a gymnast and telling her to use cocaine to lose weight at a well-known gym club WOGA in Texas, not by the owners, by someone they have hired. Parents should really watch practices now and then as much as possible and be involved! The story on the[ Read More... ]

Parents, read this: http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=96825&ntpid=3 It's from the news page on Gym Chat: http://gymchat.com/news.php

most gyms, if not all, let you try out the class you would be in for at least a day, then you can watch how the coach interacts with the kids, and also ask your daughter how she likes it.....personally, i like the coaches that spot you rather than just stand there with their arms crossed, watching you fall, and screaming at you! :D

Hi, Our daughter is ready to go to level 5 now, so we are looking for a new club as our current gym is only for recreational. There are 3 gymnastics clubs near us, so we're going to visit all of them before deciding. What should we look for in the coaches? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!