How to Choose the Right Gymnastics Gym for Your Athlete (& Questions to ask before enrolling!)

So… did your kiddo wake up one morning and decide that their newest life dream was to become a gymnast? Maybe they saw a clip of The Olympics and have been mesmerized ever since? Or perhaps they watched a gymnastics show on Netflix and it has now spiraled into a full-blown obsession?  At first, you assume that this is just a phase and it will surely pass. (After all, kids change their minds, right?) Well the weeks go by, and they’re still streaming YouTube videos and begging you to let them go over to the neighbor's house to use their trampoline. You love their passion for trying new things, and their natural desire to move their body and stay active, but admittedly you’re a little hesitant to jump into a new sport because, well,  they have already tried soccer, dance, and tee ball- none of which seemed to stick. You wait a few more weeks and this new obsession has turned your couch cushions into their very own spring floor. It seems like what was once your coffee table or kitchen counter, is now doubling as a balance beam and your heart skips a beat with each and every “thud” you hear coming from the other room. You don’t have any gymnastics experience yourself, and you definitely don’t feel confident in your ability to coach them safely at home, so you open up your computer and type into Google, “gymnastics gyms near me.”

WOW! You can’t believe it! Who knew gymnastics was so popular? At least you have a lot of options to choose from. Now, as any good parent would, you do a little research on your own before getting their hopes up. You scoot over to your favorite local mommy Facebook group and pose a question to the world. “My daughter has been begging me to join gymnastics for weeks. Which gyms are the best and where do you recommend for a beginner?” *Buzz, Buzz, Buzz*  Almost instantly your phone is being blown up with an overwhelmingly large amount of notifications from your post. Moms from all over the county and surrounding areas are sharing both good and bad experiences for you (& everyone else in the group) to read. It seems like every company mentioned has their very own fan club, and its own special group of haters. 

So now what? Which gym is best?

Let’s start with the obvious.

When it doubt, GPS: First things first, you need to narrow it down. You know your family’s schedule better than anyone and driving 20 minutes home from work, to collect your kiddo off the bus, feed them, do homework, get them dressed in their leotard, and then driving 45 minutes to a gym, for a 1-hour practice, and then 45 minutes back home, will put you home after 8 pm, and simultaneously be derailing your night time routine, and stealing time away from your other kiddos, your S/O, and cause extra stress for the next morning. Start by GPSing all the gym addresses and nixing a few that you feel are “out of range” for your family. PRO TIP: Is it worth it to drive a little further for a “better gym?” Maybe! That’s a question only you can answer! However, it is ALWAYS worth the drive to find a gym that is safe, inclusive, and professional. Do NOT skimp on safety or kindness, after all this experience will be playing a part in your child’s childhood memories & development.

Money Matters: Now, not for all of us, but for most of us, money matters. While not glamorous, it’s no secret that at the end of the day, your child’s newest sporting endeavor is not more important than actually feeding said child! It probably won’t shock you, but gymnastics…is not cheap. It also won’t shock you when I say that “cheaper” is not always better. There’s a reason that items purchased from the dollar store, probably won’t last quite as long as the same item that is well-made, with ethically sourced and high-quality materials. With that being said, no, you do NOT “always get what you pay for.” So the next thing you need to do is check the pricing. If you find that the entry-level class prices for your child’s age group are going to put your family into hardship or create a financial and emotional strain, keep checking around! There are great gymnastics gyms with fair pricing, just like there are terrible gymnastics gyms that are “too big for their britches” and are charging sky-high prices for no reason other than to line their own pockets. (Of course, there are also amazing gymnastics gyms whose high pricing directly reflects their experienced coaches, top-tier equipment, and overall impressive atmosphere.) PRO TIP: When you think about gymnastics pricing, don’t just look at the prices of entry-level classes, but look at the pricing for the next few levels up as well. Like with any sport, the goal is to improve and progress through the levels, not to stay stagnant. Typically, as your child progresses through the levels, yes even the entry-level classes, the price will likely increase. This is due to many factors which could include longer practice times, more practices per week required, or the need for higher-level coaches to be assigned to your athlete’s class.

Okay… so now that you’ve narrowed it down to just the gyms you can commit to traveling to and can confidently afford, the next step is to contact the gyms and get all of your questions answered. Here’s a list of questions you should ask each potential gym (or ensure you can find the answers you’re looking for on their website) before you officially enroll your future gymnast!

🏫 Program & Curriculum

What age groups and skill levels do you offer classes for? When it comes to what age groups are welcomed and what kinds of classes are offered, every gym will be different…and I mean vastly different! Some gyms start at 12 months old, some gyms don’t offer classes until kids are “preschool age,” and others are only suitable for school-aged kids or older. You may even find gyms that offer “baby classes.” Many gyms also have “cut-off ages” ranging from 12, to 16, 18, or even into adulthood. Some gyms do accept adult participants.

How are gymnasts grouped — by age, skill, or both? Speaking in terms of the sport itself, gymnasts are most commonly grouped by SKILL. A 5-year-old beginner and a 10-year-old beginner, will both start learning the same basic skills in the beginning, despite their age gap. Some gyms will host classes where these age groups are combined, while others, especially larger gyms, will usually split classes by both age and skill. Developmentally speaking, regardless of skill level, splitting by age can be very important to the overall curriculum and how the information is delivered to the class. PRO TIP: Not always, but more often than not, you will find that as your gymnast enters higher-level gymnastics classes, the age gap of the class will WIDEN. This is largely due to the fact that LESS athletes will make it to those higher levels, where entry-level classes are easily accessible to the public.

What does a typical class look like (structure, warm-up, skill focus)? As a gym owner, I’m always shocked by how FEW parents ask this question. At the same time, I’m equally shocked by how many “transfers” we get from other gyms because the class they experienced elsewhere “was play time” instead of structured learning. Not all lesson plans are created equally. Some gyms will feature a 100% structured class, while others may be more “open play” style or a hybrid of the two. For a beginner, I recommend finding a class that is STRUCTURED. This is going to ensure a higher level of safety, and with the right coach, you will still experience a fun and high-energy class, without it being a “free-for-all.”

Do you follow a specific curriculum? What do the levels look like? How many levels are there? How often do kids move up? If I move up, do I have to change my class, day, time, or teacher? Do you create your own curriculum, purchase it, or follow a curriculum provided by a governing body? Can I see a sample lesson plan? Do coaches have to follow lesson plans? PRO TIP: If these questions don’t speak to you, and you don’t feel the need to inquire about class curriculum, that’s totally fine! Most parents don’t! However, at the very least, I recommend asking if coaches do in fact follow a lesson plan. Following a lesson plan shows intention for the class. Coach preparation is imperative to the overall class success. You can take away all the equipment, the brightly colored walls, and the cute leotards, and if your coach is prepared for class, your child will still learn and grow. An unprepared coach, even in the best facility, with every piece of equipment at their fingertips, will not deliver as productive a class as a coach who shows up with a plan.  (In my humble opinion.)

Do you track athlete progression, and if so, is this publicized to parents? I don’t understand the reasoning behind it, but some gyms do not share athlete progressions with the parents. IMO, you as the parent and paying party, have every right and then some to not only watch and observe class, but to also play an active part in their progression status. Some gyms host formal “evaluation” days or weeks. Some gyms do evals on paper, or do it digitally. Some send home results, email results, or post results online. Some check progressions on an ongoing basis, monthly, seasonally, every 6,8,10+ weeks, or maybe never! I’m a list person through and through so tracking progress is my jam. (Plus, how else are you as the parent, the coach, or me as the owner, supposed to know if the lesson plans are actually working? How am I supposed to know if the kids are learning at an acceptable rate if I don’t actually note and track that progress?)  We do evals every 8 weeks and send home certificates, take pictures, and celebrate kids moving up to the next level class. The results are added to an online portal so parents can also monitor how their athlete is doing, and see which events they are best in and which they are struggling in. Every gym will be a little different!

Is your gym more recreational-focused, or competitive-focused? This answer may mean something to you, or not, especially if you are enrolling a beginner. Some parents are specifically looking for a fun, light-hearted, recreationally geared program, while other parents are specifically looking for a gym with a strong competitive program. Many parents are actively avoiding a competitive opportunity.

What goals or philosophies are integrated into your classes and what is your mindset behind athlete progressions? Many gyms have very strict rules surrounding when a gymnast can progress to the next level. They want to be the best of the best, they want to beat the best of the best, and athlete performance, score, and level, MATTERS MOST! Other gyms put less focus on being “the best” and more focus on having fun in class! What kind of gym you find to be the best fit for your family can heavily be dependent on this question. There is no right or wrong answer here, but I would encourage you to look inward first, as the parent, before asking a gym this question. WHY are you putting your athlete into gymnastics and WHAT do you expect them to get out of it? Are you exploring this new sport for strength or flexibility reasons? Social reasons? A need for them to experience a structured class? Do you want them to have fun and be challenged? Is this just a new hobby? A way to hang out with friends?  Do you want them to train, learn dedication, and commitment, and work to be competitive? Again, there is no wrong answer, but this answer alone could make or break your entire experience. In my gym, I aim to have each and every athlete meet a challenge, and find success, in every class. I never want a child to move up too quickly or before they are ready. Not just for safety reasons, but also to avoid frustration for them and burnout. I would also never want to leave a child behind in a class that they are overqualified for, striving for perfection, leading to boredom, loss of interest, and potential misbehavior. I strive for a balance and to meet the athletes where they are, without losing the integrity of my class and level systems.

🧑‍🏫 Coaching & Staff

What training and certifications are required of your coaches? This is self-explanatory. No one has any business coaching gymnastics, physically picking up your child and spotting them through potentially dangerous activities, if they have not been properly trained to do so. Safety first, mama. Injury prevention is real, and a fun coach is not always a safe coach. (To be fair, a certification or fancy degree does not equal a safe coach either, so performance matters most, but training should be a given!) If you don’t get a straight answer, or the gym can’t tell you how, when, or where their coaches were trained and received certifications…RUN!

What is the coach-to-student ratio in classes? There is no magic number or perfect answer here. To tell you the truth, I have “ratios” in my gym that we use as a guide, but at the end of the day, my more experienced coaches can have more kids in class and the class still runs smoothly & is fun and productive. I also have less experienced coaches who thrive better with smaller classes, and that’s okay too. If we have a class of kids who haven’t been getting along, or have varying abilities and we need more hands on deck for it to be a success, we’ll add a coach, therefore decreasing that ratio. We adjust what we need to to provide the best customer experience and the safest class possible. Now, if a gym tells you they have no ratios, refuses to share said ratios with you, or gives you a crazy high number that makes you feel uncomfortable… run!

How do you handle discipline or behavior issues in class? Are there anti-bullying policies in place? A “3-strike system” for bad behavior? Positive reinforcement practices? Do they defer to the parents? Or do they have no plan for the inevitable behavior issues that may arise? 

Are your coaches required to pass a background check? Self-explanatory.

🛡️ Safety 

Is your gym insured? It’s funny…in my 14+ years of owning a gym, I’ve been asked this question 87 billion times by daycares, church groups, and other businesses inquiring about collaboration with my company, but never once have I been asked by a potential member. (& yet, I have seen more individuals than I can count create a Facebook page with a cute name and start promoting their new class offerings willy-nilly. Now, I’m not saying they don’t have insurance, but I am saying it’s worth an ask. For both them and you. Plus- credible businesses are both licensed AND insured.)

What are your injury protocols if a child gets hurt? In my gym, we have a “doctors note out, doctors note in” policy. This means that if you bring me a doctor’s note stating that your athlete cannot participate due to XYZ, I need a note releasing them back into practice as well, before allowing them to rejoin. I’m not a doctor, my coaches aren’t doctors, and I don’t have access to your medical records. Again, safety first!  Other questions to consider are if coaches have been CPR/First Aid trained, trained in injury prevention, or what processes they follow if an injury (minor or major) occurs and you as the parent are not present. Some gyms require all members to have health insurance and provide proof of that before enrolling; many do not.

Are your classes open to spectators? Yep, it’s true. Some gyms do not allow parents to stay and watch the class, while other gyms make it mandatory that parents stay and they are not permitted to leave the premises during class time.

📅 Scheduling & Logistics

How flexible is your make-up policy if we miss a class? Do you get refunded? Can you pre-schedule a missed class? Is there a time limit on making up a class? Which classes are eligible for make-ups? How many make-up classes can you book? Is a make-up class the same class style as a typical class?

Can we switch class times if our schedule changes? & if so, how often? What If I just want my child to try a different teacher? Are there only certain times of the year that I can change classes?

Is there a trial class or evaluation before enrolling? Most gyms will offer you a free or paid trial class. Some gyms will allow you to try multiple times before committing. Other gyms will require a trial class. Some gyms do not offer any trial at all.

What is your sick policy? I’ve never met a parent who was excited to have their child join a class with a teammate who is snotting everywhere, coughing non-stop, has puffy eyes, and can’t stop sneezing. Yuck! Some gyms, just like daycares and schools, have sick policies in place to prevent inconsiderate parents from sending contagious kids to class, where they might infect everyone else! If gyms didn’t have this policy before, I’m willing to bet that thousands created them post-Covid life. As a small business owner, with a small coaching staff and limited resources, I need to protect my coaches. If you bring a contagious child to class and my teacher gets the flu, I now have a week or more worth of classes that I need to find coverage for. Oh & don’t forget, your child’s class isn’t the only class that the coach teaches that day, so if someone infected my coach, it’s highly likely that they will infect other coaches and kids throughout the day. This means that next week, your class may have a substitute teacher filling in, a class of 1-2 kids because everyone else is now at home sick, or worse… we are forced to cancel the class and reschedule due to lack of staffing because everyone is ill. Do us all a solid and if your child is sick, stay home! Our bodies perform better when we’re healthy, anyway!

(On the flip side, fair is fair. In my gym, coaches are NOT encouraged to “push through” illness and show up to work. I don’t want you to send your sick kids to class, and I feel it would be just as inconsiderate of me to send my sick coach to your class. As a general rule, if you’re not feeling well, stay home! Gymnastics can wait until next week!)

PRO TIP: Also ask about lice policies, and wart/ skin infection policies.

When is your gym closed? What holidays are observed? School closings or extended breaks such as Spring Break or Winter Break? What about snow or weather closings? Are refunds issued? Is there a calendar and where can I find it? Most importantly, ask how you KNOW when the gym will be closed for business. Should you be expecting an email or call? 

Can I view a complete list of your rules and policies? The more you know, ya’ll!  Don’t register for anything, don’t sign anything, don’t agree to anything…until you understand the rules and expectations. You’re not going to wholeheartedly agree with every gym’s processes & procedures, and that’s okay, that’s why you ask! PRO TIP: Trust me, the coaches and managers would rather you ask first and not join the program, than to be that parent who didn’t ask any questions, but gets mad later down the road because they signed a rules and policy sheet that they didn’t bother to read and then claims “they didn’t know.”

💲 Cost & Commitment

Can you tell me about your tuition fees? Can I pay cash, check, or card? What cards are accepted? Do you require auto-draft, and if so, from a credit card or bank account? What is the payment due date? Are there late fees? What happens if I forget to pay my tuition one month? How many classes are included in my tuition cost?

Are there registration fees, uniform costs, or other hidden charges? No one likes a surprise fee. Get all the information up front! (Credible gyms will have all policies and fees written on paper or on their website, and easily accessible to all members!)

Is it a monthly commitment or seasonal/session-based? Some gyms allow members to start and stop at any time, while others have specific registration windows and feature enrollment with start and end dates. Some gyms force short or long-term contracts.

What discounts do you offer? Military discounts? First resonders discounts? Sibling discounts? Early registration discounts? The options are endless. Don’t forget to ask this one!

How do I quit? Don’t be afraid to ask this question! No gym is expecting your athlete to remain a member for the rest of their lives. (Well... probably not.) All good things come to an end, either by the natural evolution of moving on to a new sport, or aging out. What if you gave it a try and gymnastics just isn’t their thing? What if you have a family emergency, your financial situation changes, your job is relocating you out of state…the list goes on. If you need to “quit” or take a break from class, how do you do that? Does this gym require written notice? How much notice? Is there a fee to drop? My gym does not accept “verbal requests” to drop because well…that can get messy and our memory can play tricks on us. Our online portal allows customers to request their own “drop.” Our office receives the request and processes it. Now we both have a record of the request so there are no questions concerning the athlete’s end date. 

⭐ Reputation, Experience, & Communication 

How can I contact you or my coach if I have a question? Email? Text? Website? Phone? Social Media? In-person only? A customer portal? Some gyms have a fully staffed front desk, while others are 100% virtual. Some gyms have online chat systems or automated “bots” to answer your questions. Some gyms have phones, others do not publicize numbers and work via email and in writing only. Everyone has their own preference and how you choose to communicate will always matter more than you think! (You know what they say…communication is key!)

Where can I learn about your coaches? Do you publicize coach bios? Hey, you’re being asked to trust strangers with your precious babies…you have a right to know more about them than their first name.

Can you tell me your story? How did this gym start, and why!? How long have they been in business? Find a gym you can feel good about supporting!

Do you have a photography/video policy for spectators? Many gyms do not allow photography or videography of any kind. Many gyms allow photography, but no video. Some allow it all, but no flash. Some require signed photo waivers from all participants. If you feel strongly about taking photos of your athlete in class or about pictures of your children potentially being used in the company’s marketing promos, this is worth an ask.

Do you have reviews or testimonials from other parents? Let’s be real, you can probably find what you’re looking for on their website, a Google listing, or Yelp review platform. Let’s be real again…don’t believe everything you read. Word of mouth and client testimonials are SO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for both the consumer and the business, but it’s important to remember that reviews are simply an expression of someone else’s experience and should never be 100% accepted as truth or fact. After all, studies show that people are 2-3x more likely to share a negative experience than they are a positive one, and the majority of people will not share their experience at all. Google reviews are not regulated, and non-customers or even fake bots can leave false negative and false positive reviews, ultimately skewing the reader's impression on a company, before they ever get to experience it themselves. Simply said, don’t believe everything you read on the internet. PRO TIP: This is where a trial class can come into play. Go get your own experience and if it’s positive, consider sharing that experience on a review platform to support that business owner. If your experience is negative, I encourage you to first try again. The first time is not always the best time. Secondly, I encourage you to attempt a remedy and solution with communication, before blasting a small business on the internet. Words have power.

Do you offer performance opportunities, competitions, or showcases? If yes, are they mandatory? When are they? Is there an extra cost associated?

What makes your gym different from others in the area? A simple, yet meaningful question. If a gym can’t tell you what makes them great, and you can’t feel their passion for inspiring your community’s youth, maybe they’re not the best fit.

What else does your gym offer? Most small businesses offer many unique programs to support their main offering. In the world of gymnastics gyms, you’ll find that many of us offer birthday parties, private lessons, PNO events, camps, clinics, and so much more!

THE ULTIMATE PRO-TIP:  Gymnastics gyms, coaches, classes… there is no one-size-fits-all! Schedule a trial class at a few gyms before registering. Pick the gym that best aligns with your family’s schedule, goals, and financial situation, and that will best support your athlete on their new journey into the beautiful sport of gymnastics!