It's All About the Money

I have a problem. I'm not sure if the problem is me or everybody else. My problem is, almost every activity I have put my kids in, I am not satisfied with. Am I overly critical, or do people not do things like they used to? I'm inclined to believe they don't do things like they used to. I have had this problem in t-ball, soccer, dance, swimming, and gymnastics. That's just about everything (I'm overall happy with piano). 

We tried t-ball at the Y a few years ago and it was a total joke. Even I could tell that. So when we tried soccer we went into the FPPS league - "positive" only. My kids were already behind for the more serious league so we tried this one, and it wasn't bad. Except they wouldn't tell the kids the score. Really? And if we saw them making grave mistakes, we were to just stand there and keep their mouths shut. That's a bit silly if you ask me. So if the coach said nothing (which was always the case because he was just so darn nice), they didn't learn. Dance is not too bad except the way they divide up the levels and ages is in my opinion too broad. Mackenzie has always been the oldest in her group but they want to make sure they can accommodate everyone's schedules, so the real teaching that takes place is what suffers. 

Swimming - oh don't even get me started. The one sport that I taught. I never considered myself to be an exceptional swim teacher, because I compared myself to my step-dad and our other dear coach, who truly WERE exceptional, but after seeing so many young instructors not know what the heck they are doing, I realize I was actually a pretty good instructor! If only I could teach my own kids. The olders would never listen to me and didn't matter anyway because I had two babies to worry about. And the littles would listen to me but again, how do you spend one-on-one time with one kid when you have to worry about 3 other kids not drowning elsewhere in the pool? 

The latest is gymnastics. We switched gyms this year because Kaitlyn seemed to just be spinning her wheels at the other gym. Again, the way they divided their classes up was just to suit every parent every night of the week instead of more levels for the kids. (Kind of like school - no levels anymore! But that is a whole other subject.) So she switched and now Mackenzie is taking as well but her class is going nowhere, and while Kaitlyn is challenged, I still see more that they could be doing. (By the way, I'm a former gymnast as well. Never taught, but I know I moved along faster than they are.) The team takes up the whole gym and they get the leftover equipment. 

I just feel that all these things are just money-makers (I understand they have to make money, but is this the only way to make money in this kind of business? Cram them in as much as you can?) The coaches and instructors put all their real time into those that are the naturals, those who pick things up quickly, instead of putting time into so many more that could really develop some talent if someone would give them the attention and individual work that they need.

But what am I to do about it? I've asked around. All the gyms that are within a realistic driving distance are about the same. Same as all the sports. I just hate spinning our wheels and wasting money when I know better instruction would provide better results.

On that note, I hope I've taken some positive steps at the gym we're at now. Got one of them moved up. Started the little girls - the instructors were impressed with them! Sounds like they're considering putting them on the fast track. Don't really want that either. Why can't there be just the healthy, balanced, smooth and steady track, instead of the fast track or the slow waste-of-time track?

Time will tell.