London Gymnastics Academy
Reviews
Having been a long time customer of this facility, I can say that it has progressively gotten worse over the course of my enrolment. While, initially, my impressions of the staff and facility were quite positive, over time these opinions have changed to very negative ones. As mentioned in the other review of this facility, there is a disconnect between clients and the management of the academy. Attempting to begin gymnastics at a later point in my life, I did not expect to be met with discrimination by the coaching staff, who scoff at the idea of someone my age trying to learn gymnastics skills. Unfortunately, I was. One such incident took place when a cheerleading class claimed members of the Open Gym were mocking them, thus leading the owner to lecture the Open Gym clients about how they are not "as much of a priority as the cheerleaders", and are being granted "a favour" for being there at all. It is worth noting that this cheerleading class runs during "Open Gym" sessions - periods in which clients pay to use the facility, the gym blocks off the entire floor of the gym for the cheerleaders. Other times, when the cheerleading team has been absent, the coaches of the cheerleaders have sat in the middle of the floor, filling out paperwork, refusing to move for clients despite there being many offices, change-rooms, and viewing rooms where meetings could be held. Organization is subject to scrutiny as well, as the gym's self implemented protocol for dealing with class cancellations is rarely followed. They claim to update their website if the gym will not be open, but in the past have failed to do so. One such example took place this past winter when the parking lot of the gym was so filled with snow that clients were unable to drive into the parking lot or to approach the facility at all - The gym's official stance on it was that they weren't responsible for updating their page because, despite the building being totally inaccessible to clients, coaches, or anyone, the fault fell onto the snow plowing staff. There are many sanitary issues as well. As mentioned in another review, the gym can be quite hot, normally this doesn't bother me, but recently it was revealed that there are water leaks underneath the foam pit. The bottom of the pit is exposed gravel, and during times when the ground isn't frozen, the bottom of the pit has been known to fill with water. The foam cubes become soaked, the heat allows cultivation of (visible) mold and bacteria, etc, etc. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this place to anyone. You will not get what you pay for. Instead you will probably be disrespected or discriminated against by many of the staff, your business will probably be unappreciated, coaching staff will probably be bad examples for young gymnasts, you will probably be subjected to unhealthy conditions, etc, etc.
The place is almost always too hot! The management a bit disorganized and disconnected from their current clients. Average teachers. You are fronted with stinky feet smell upon your arrival. Too small a gallery to hold the laud parents. This is a place of business folks with not much passion, organization or care to be #1 or a leader. So not the best but perhaps not the worst? Just OK or average.
The best gym to enroll your children in gymnastics. True focus on good basics and fun! Classes available for all levels of ability and ages!