Interesting article on how to decide if you should stay or switch clubs/coaches: "THE CREATIVE ATHLETE Issue 25--When Might You Consider Switching Coaches?" - http://www.onlinesports.com/sportstrust/creative25.html In a nutshell (it gets crowded lol, I like that joke, anyways...), when you're happy at your gym and with your coaches who are experienced and talented you stay, if not...you have things to think about. No one wants to hate going to the gym, it's supposed to be fun. They didn't add something - sometimes it's more the club and their rules and attitude that is the problem, not necessarily the coach, although a good coach should protect you from all that politics. Some reasons they give for switching gyms/coaches: "1. You need better athletes to work with." You'll know it's time to switch coaches if: [quote]A. The only time you see other athletes at your skill level is at competition. And then you're surprised at how good they are. B. Your workouts are never productive enough because you can't find anyone to practice or train with. C. Your coach has you spending more time working with and motivating his or her less experienced athletes than focusing on your own goals. [/quote] A: watch youtube! B: it's funner to have other people to practice with that are at your level and it helps a lot, but it doesn't have to be so bad that you're not productive. C: that really sucks! looks like they're more interested in turning you into a coach then and either making those gymnasts better for competition or making money in the rec. classes, or maybe both. "2. You've hit a plateau." "3. You've outgrown your coach." "4. Your coach is not good for you." ..."you now realize you're in a destructive situation. DEFINITELY switch coaches. Even a mediocre coach is better than a destructive one." [quote]Unfortunately some athletes don't leave bad coaches when they should, either out of fear of failure or retaliation, a misplaced sense of respect and affection, or pressure from parents. This last situation is especially troubling. A number of abused athletes have said that they either didn't tell their parents what was going on or did and weren't believed. [/quote] You should leave if: "A. Your coach abuses you physically, sexually, or verbally (through humiliation, embarrassment, or threats).... ...Increasingly, responsible coaches are taking steps to avoid even the appearance of improper behavior. They won't work with, meet with, socialize with, or travel with individual athletes. They ensure that never is one coach is left alone with one athlete...supervision and designing facilities where there are no closed spaces where people can be alone with the child" "B. You are being manipulated rather than motivated." big difference between those two. "C. You're being pressured to do or perform in ways which are unsafe or inappropriate." Reasons to stay: "1. You're going to lose ground." "2. You're going to create hard feelings." "3. You're going to be considered unreliable." Kerri Strug was a gym hopper: [quote]Gymnast Kerri Strug worked with four different coaches after her coach Bela Karolyi announced his retirement in 1992. Said Tom Forester, the last coach she was with before returning to Karolyi (who came out of retirement), "I knew from the beginning she wasn't intent on finishing out her career with us. She never said that, but you don't move five times and then decide on a club like ours that never has produced an Olympian." (9) [/quote] Good advice is that if maybe your problem with the coach/club is a misunderstanding, talk it out. Also: [quote]But before you actually start meeting with other coaches, do your homework. Talking to them should be the last step you take, after you've already learned about their coaching styles through observation and investigation. You're much less likely to be forced into doing something you'll regret if you've kept your thoughts to yourself until you've checked out what your options might be.[/quote]