Silver Star Gymnastics

I have two children from age 5 to 9. I bring them here once per week for an after school class. Unless your child is a dedicated gymnast, consider other options. This place fills the lobby (if you call it that, it is just the corner of the gym) with toys for sale, snack machines and other junk that your children will bug you every time you visit to «buy something». There is exactly ONE bathroom for everyone — I mean one toilet (his/​hers). There is NO changing room. The owners set up tents in the lobby for the kids to change (are you kidding me?). The environment for the parents is unbearable. It is very crowded, loud, uncomfortable and generally annoying. There is nothing personal about this place at all. Thank goodness this is the last class and the last time we visit here. Good luck.

Went here over the weekend for a birthday party. I had a hard time deciding between 2 or three stars finally went with three since they did do a good job of cleaning up after the kids and giving them drink breaks. Overall a decent place to have a kids party, not so sure for a three year old party the gymnastic skill set is not there yet. LOL

This a great venue to have a child’s birthday party. There are plenty of activities and fun for children. The staff is helpful, organized and wonderful and you have the gym to yourself during the party. The party is great from beginning to end. Thanks Silver Stars.

The weekday classes are just fine. It’s a group class and the coaches seem enthusiastic but not super good at spreading their attention around to the quieter kids. Still, my kid is learning, getting exercise, and having a good time.

Great place, my daughter loves it here…

It’s an assembly-​line anonymous series of classes, one after the next, day after day. The teachers have no idea who the kids are and don’t really teach them anything — just tell them to do stuff and if they can, they can.
I keep looking for a real gymnastics class in the area, with real instruction for a child who’s not a natural gymnast and who’s like someone to have a clue who she is. But I can’t find it.

In an age where childhood obesity is an epidemic, one of the best antidotes to combat that locally is Silver Stars! My son loves going there, whether it’s for Saturday fun and fitness, summer camp or a birthday party. The staff is engaged and helpful and all the kids seem to enjoy being there from start to finish. The waiting area for parents can be a little tight and stressful but let’s face it, it’s not about the parents!

My kid is in her fourth session of gymnastics. I’m grateful that Silver Stars exists, and the kiddo always reports back happily after her class. She gets exercise, and she’s happy — definitely two very important positive things. So maybe I should give more stars, but…
I have some issues with the waiting room — the smell and chaos are enough to make any waiting parent wish to be almost anywhere else. The number of people they move thru the gym on a Saturday morning is simply amazing. And I sometimes wonder what the kiddo is actually learning. After many months (and many hundreds of dollars), I’ve never had a teacher say a thing to me about the kiddo — about what she does well, about what she’s working on, about how hard she tries or anything else. I’m not expecting Mary Lou Retton in six months, but I wish there was a little more personalized attention and structure rather than the assembly-​line feel of Silver Stars.

Tomorrow is Soccerballgirl’s 5^th birthday, and today we had her birthday party here with 15 of her little pals from pre-​school and the ‘hood. This place is tremendous for three important reasons:
1. Lots of jumping, swinging, bouncing, racing, grabbing, running, skipping things for the kids to play with.
2. The staff are fantastic and have high levels of energy, engagement and entertainment for the kids.
3. I’ts the business model baby. Look at these numbers — 8 parties a day on the weekend brings them in about $ 25K per month, assume the weekly classes they have from 9 am to 9pm Monday through Friday bring in the same amount. Costs cannot be more than $ 5K rent, $ 5K insurance and other bills, labor can’t be more than $ 10K a month, throw in an addtional $ 10K to cover equipment leases and miscellaneous and this place throws off an astonishing $ 20K a month to its happy owner sitting in a pub somewhere watching the European Champions League.
So, I admit, it’s a little bit crass to dissect the business model in a review, especially after such a fine experience, but I do it with respect. and admiration.
Back to Soccerballgirl. She had a ball. All her pals turned up and they had a brilliant time. The day did not start so auspiciously for us. I dropped Thing 1 and Thing 2 off at Sunday school and then repaired to the Post and a fine breakfast of crepes alfresco with my two best girls. I told Soccerballgirl that I was so excited she was gonna go to Church with me later that morning — «it is my favorite thing» I said.
” Well, it’s not my favorite thing” she said. Ouch. It might be an uphill task turning this strong willed personality into a willing servant of the dogmatic traditionalism and last bastion of male hegemony that is the Catholic Church.
Thinking it’s 10.00 we get in the car for the half a mile jaunt down the street. Get in to Church. Strange. Everyone is here already. Everyone is looking at me. Smiling. Oh shit. The clock went forward didn’t it. Damn you Domaine de Canton and your compelling ability to make an impeccable cocktail with both gin and vodka.
Church is over. Oh shit. Party in minutes and Honey still in the bath and a cake to be collected. But we did it.