Gymnastics - is it normal for parents not to be allowed to watch lessons?

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My child's gymnastics club only allows parents to watch for 15/30 minutes every couple of months. Is that normal? They have an area that would make a great viewing area so that's not the issue.

Perfectly normal, the kids just dick about if parents are there IME. And tutors are probably fed up of parents who think they are qualified to teach the subject.

normal. I dont know why, but it is normal

Yes completely normal.

I think this is quite normal - our kid's gymnastics club is the same. I think it probably started out as a Covid thing, but kids are more distracted when their parents are there. I doubt it's anything sinister. I guess all of the instructors will have enhanced DBS checks so there's no reason to assume that the kids aren't safe (yes I know there are exceptions but we'd all go mad if we assumed something was going to happen whenever our kids were out of sight).

I coached another sport. Children behave and perform better ( a lot less tantrums)without parents watching. Let parents watch at special celebrations and competitions.

My daughters new club lets parents watch from the balcony. My daughters old club never let anyone inside as they said it was too risky as kids would get distracted and injure themselves

Yes. Too much pressure on the kids to be performing in front of strange adults (other parents).

Yes, parents are distracting to their children. Parents also sit and talk to each other throughout the class which is distracting for everyone. The odd parent even thinks it’s ok to interrupt the coach to tell them how they should be coaching despite being neither a gymnast nor a qualified coach. Some parents are a danger to themselves and others.

Yep normal but not to my liking so I skipped it as an activity.

DC’s first club had a raised viewing area behind glass, parents all watched. Worked well and was not distracting to children at all.

Two years later that club closed (owner career change) so we joined another. New club would not allow parents to watch anything at all other than the official performance at end of year.

Child started being afraid of gymnastics saying “it hurts” and “the teacher makes me do thinks that hurt”.

Mindful of the amount of child abuse in gymnastics (emotional abuse as well as sexual), and very unhappy that I was unable to see what was going on, I withdrew my child and we stopped gymnastics as no other club nearby.

This experience made me quite suspicious of clubs that don’t allow parents to watch. I don’t agree that parents are distracting but even if they are, better that than facilitating practices that are harmful to the child.

Yes my daughters gymnastics class is a drop and run (for me!) situation, no opportunity to watch.

Mindful of the amount of child abuse in gymnastics (emotional abuse as well as sexual), and very unhappy that I was unable to see what was going on, I withdrew my child and we stopped gymnastics as no other club nearby.

I agree with this. I only allow my children to do clubs where there is the opportunity to watch. Not saying I watch every hour of every session but I like to be able to pop my head in and see what is happening.

I did a lot of sport in the 90s and sexual abuse was rife and I don't think it has gone away. Gymnastics also has the added fat shaming etc (which still 100% exists).

I suspect the 'children don't train as well when being watched' excuse is a great line for abusers.

Although it's about a different sport I would advise watching Nowhere to run on IPlayer about sexual abuse on IPlayer, sadly another of the girls has died since it's aired.

My daughter did it for years before the lock down and you were never allowed to watch then.

It's normal. It's also important the children learn to dig deep and train hard for themselves, without drawing on parental support or approval. For this, they need independence from their parents and the punishments/rewards regime they know in their home life.

There's plenty of competitions and open days where watching is encouraged during the year. Often, the real beef isn't that parent's can never watch, it's that they can't watch on their terms, at a time of their choosing, without the consent of the coaches. That's about their power relationship with the coaches, not the coaches' relationship with the child. No-one seems to mind that they can't just walk into any school classroom whenever it suits them and observe a lesson. Why should it be any different at a sports club?

No-one seems to mind that they can't just walk into any school classroom whenever it suits them and observe a lesson. Why should it be any different at a sports club?

The difference is that schools are a lot more heavily regulated than sports clubs, many rely on volunteers and their perception of safeguarding (even though there are regulations). There is one sports club in my hometown where they allow one coach to still coach teenagers even though he was banned from being a Scouts leader in the 90s and being involved in school sports due to inappropriate relationships. They allow him to coach because he wasn't convicted (as if anyone was at the time). An assistant coach in the club was arrested about 2 years ago for taking inappropriate photos of kids on a beach, he has never denied it but the charges we dropped when he got a quick private autism diagnosis. He is still allowed to coach.

This is a sample of one sports club. My long suffering dad has continually reported both to the sports governing body but nothing gets done.

You just don't know who is coaching your children and although teachers can be abusers it is still rife in sports- Jessica Ennis' coach has just been banned for life for sexual behaviour. It's bloody everywhere.

I think this is normal in lots of extra curricular activities such as music, dance and drama for example. If you DC is happy to be there without you is there a reason you would want to be there?

It is normal but it is changing.
I know three clubs.
One is pure drop and run, you don't see anything and I've heard some negative things about the coaching.
Another the parents wait downstairs but there are screens so you can see the lesson via camera.
The one my kids to to has a cafe with floor to ceiling windows but behind bars (ladders?!) So you can see the kids but they can't really see you. Works well.

Lots of activities don't allow parents in. Quite normal

I know it’s different but my children do ballet and parents don’t watch, we wait In a little side room I can hear what’s going on but can’t see. The children all sound happy, I think it’s pretty normal and stop ‘those’ parents.

Where my children do gym / trampolining you can watch from a balcony. Kids can’t see (or hear) parents but parents can see their kids.

Gymnastics has a very problematic history from an abuse and safeguarding point of view.

If a club is not allowing parents to watch then I would be concerned about whether they are really centring safeguarding.

Aside from anything else, this should be done for the protection of the coaches.

Normal for most things. Especially something like dance and gymnastics where 'Dance mums' are a very real thing and would definitely cause problems.

When my girls went we could watch up until covid since then it has been a no

I think that safeguarding children is a lot more important than worrying about dance mums.

Here's an overview of some CSA cases from dance

www.leighday.co.uk/latest-updates/blog/2022-blogs/abuse-in-ballet-and-dance/

Here's a review of abuse in gymnastics

www.skysports.com/more-sports/other-sports/news/29877/12635046/british-gymnastics-rocked-by-abuse-report-starved-thirsty-body-shamed-and-punished

There will be more in many more sports (like the documentary I mentioned upthread).

I know I sound like a broken record but if parents don't challenge the norm and ask questions then nothing will ever change.

The safety and enjoyment of the young people who do the sports should be at the centre and everyone has to try and help the change!