Davita's Funtastic Gymnastics

★Michelle

We recently moved to Summerville and brought our 11-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son to Davita's Gymnastics for what was supposed to be a trial practice for their competitive teams (JO level 5 and Men's Optionals). Unfortunately, our experience left us uncomfortable and disappointed. Before practice even began, an adult female coach addressed my 15-year-old son in front of other athletes and asked whether he owned competition leotards. She then told him he should wear one to practice because she is married to the male coach and did not want to be inappropriately distracted by his body when his shirt came up during tumbling passes. She also stated that she was trying to keep the girls on the team "pure," which she said was already difficult enough. As a parent, I found these comments inappropriate for an adult to direct toward a minor athlete, especially in front of his peers. If adult coaches are less tempted by a teen athlete in spandex than a cotton t-shirt, that should be communicated in advance to the parents. The same coach began the girls' practice by reading from the Bible. Families considering this gym should be aware of that if they are expecting a secular training environment. There were also communication issues regarding practice times. We were told my daughter's trial practice would run from 4:00–8:00 PM with the Level 5 team. Instead, I received a call at 6:45 PM that she was finished and waiting for pickup. When I asked for clarification, I was told that Level 4 practice ended at 7:00 PM, even though I was called by 6:45pm to pick her up. Every gym has its own culture, and that culture may be a good fit for some families. For ours, the public comments directed at a minor, the religious component, and the confusion regarding practice arrangements made it clear this was not the right environment for our children.

★★★★★Kayla Yiliana

Very stric but good