Good luck, OP! Glad to hear you found a gym for DD.

Thank you! To clarify -- she's a 10 year-old but not a L10 gymnast!

We were in DC recently and she practiced at a few gyms, including Hill's, and she loved it (Hill's) so we're going to give it a go. At her current gym several states away she just finished L5 and would be competing L7 in the fall if we were staying here but at Hill's they said they'd likely have her do L6 instead, depending on skill acquisition this summer and other factors. Either way is fine with me ... and she's just glad to be done with compulsories.

Appreciate everyone's comments/suggestions.

A girl from Hill's who is a L10 competes on my daughter's HS team in NoVa...sweet kid/great family...there is a group that carpools over. A few of her former teammates from when she was younger are now at Hill's as L8s/L9s (from one of the MD gyms mentioned here). I would expect that if you reach out to Kelli Hill directly for an appointment, as part of the conversation she would provide a few names of parents to talk to. Mostly, I have heard good things...like any athlete there are injuries (but not as many as some of the other places) and the kids work their way back especially the upper level gymnasts (lower level...there is always another kid...) Second the comments about Dobre. Capital is much more of a your in / your out kind of coaching vs. Hill's...very demanding physically AND psychologically (more so in my observation than other places). Another place that has a number of L10s and college commits over the years is Aerials in Arlington. Since your daughter is a young L10...really, Hill's is probably the best place in the NoVa / MD area.

Hill's has blocks of time for homeschooled gymnasts. I've been there with my pre-school son during the homeschool time... so I don't see homeschooling as a limiting factor. OP, just go to Hill's. It's not far off the ICC.

Anonymous wrote:Find out where the daughter of the OP posting about her 10 year old's eating disorder goes so you can avoid it.

There are some flags that someone who has a kid in competitive gymnastics can recognize as a sign it's a troll. I actually hope that post is fake.

Find out where the daughter of the OP posting about her 10 year old's eating disorder goes so you can avoid it.

Check Dobre Gymnastics. At L7 your daughter will train with Aurelia Dobre directly. The L7 girls (and up) have been with her for years. It's a great group of girls. Definitely a smaller gym, but they know the girls well and the families. Not so good for lower levels unfortunately -- It's in a good location, right off the interstate in Gaithersburg, MD

Anonymous wrote:Hill's puts a lot of emphasis on attending public school. They have an arrangement with the county for those gymnasts who are on the elite track. Otherwise, practices are scheduled around school. Homeschooling is damn near unheard of by Hill's gymnasts.

Capital is much more into homeschooling. But quite frankly, living in Silver Spring, Capital would be a non-starter for me.

Don't even think about Dobre. The couple that runs it has run a bunch of other gyms. All of them end up closing after a few years.

Thank you very much for this!

Avoid doctors with innovative pelvic floor massage techniques.

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at hills (not team, just classes) but I have never yelling and the girls always look happy and respected from the point of view of the fish bowl.

We have the same experience. DD (11) enjoys it and asks to do drop in classes on non-class days.

Hill's puts a lot of emphasis on attending public school. They have an arrangement with the county for those gymnasts who are on the elite track. Otherwise, practices are scheduled around school. Homeschooling is damn near unheard of by Hill's gymnasts.

Capital is much more into homeschooling. But quite frankly, living in Silver Spring, Capital would be a non-starter for me.

Don't even think about Dobre. The couple that runs it has run a bunch of other gyms. All of them end up closing after a few years.

In MD: Hill's
In VA: Capital

Both have quality coaches and would serve your L7 well.