Cowboy Cheer

★Samantha Cameron

I'm writing this review because I was genuinely shocked by how this gymnastics program handled a very young child on her first-ever visit. This class advertises itself as accepting children ages three and up. A three-year-old attended one single class--her very first exposure to gymnastics, a new environment, new instructors, new rules, everything. Instead of allowing any adjustment period, the staff told the child's parent that her daughter "didn't have the attention span to keep up with the class" and effectively dismissed her after just that one visit. Anyone who has spent time around three-year-olds knows that attention spans develop over time, especially in unfamiliar environments. Expecting perfect focus immediately is unrealistic and developmentally inappropriate--particularly for a beginner. What makes this even harder is the context: this child has been through a lot. She spent much of her early life accompanying her mother to chemotherapy appointments while her grandmother battled cancer. After her grandmother passed away, enrolling her daughter in gymnastics was meant to be a positive, healing step--something joyful and normal for a little girl who has already experienced far more than most children her age. Instead of patience, encouragement, or even a trial period, the response was exclusionary and abrupt. If this program is not equipped to support true beginners or young children who need time to acclimate, that should be made very clear upfront. Labeling a three-year-old as "unable to keep up" after one class is not only discouraging--it's unnecessary and hurtful. I would strongly caution parents of young children, especially first-timers, to ask very specific questions before enrolling. We expected a nurturing, age-appropriate environment and did not receive that here.