Accel Gymnastics

We recently got a group on and took our daughter to Foster City. While she enjoys the class. it is the same thing week after week… the same thing. The teachers are not encouraging kids to participate nor are they inviting at all. They do not make things exciting and enticing for the children to want to join in.
The service is pretty terrible at that. we have 14 year old kids running the classes. in charge of safety with no supervision?
There are also kids in the older classes that just run around crazy and take over the tramps while the toddlers are on them. The 14 year old teachers are just watching and have no authority to say anything, they just WATCH.
We will not go back to Accel and I am extremely disappointed that I even bought the group on.
Its an accident waiting to happen.

My daughter is a competitive diver at Sanford. She needed gymnastics to support training. After her first two months at another gym who said when we joined that she would be at their intermediate level after two or three classes because she already had many skills down. They did a bait and switch and did not stand by their word. We did a trial class at Accel and the teacher said no doubt was she at an Intermediate level. One week after we started, she was moved to the advanced level. Every week the kids have focused on different skills. At the other gym, they did the same things in the same order week after week. I really like that the teachers can speak to the benefits of each activity (such as strength, flexibility, etc.). The staff is also great at scheduling makeup classes, especially with busy summer schedules.

Our daughter was at Accel for more than three years on the competitive track. Thought I would share our experiences with Unilocalers as I don’t feel many of the reviews are fair…
1. Financial: While we were on the «Team» and competing we met parents with children at a number of other gyms and Accel is spot on market rate. Not too high, not too low and considering the stellar equipment I’d say its a more than fare cost. So when you are on the team you pay a monthly fee and then a team fee. but both work out to be fair considering the time the coaches put into each meet. They spend their weekend there some times… I’ve never had an issue with over charging on my auto pay. I’m a auto-​pay-​aholic. But I do request an annual summary of charges from each auto-​pay-​account that I have in place and Accel has been accurate to the penny. So I don’t know what the other Unilocalers are complaining about.
2. Facility: They recently completed a renovation. The gym is huge now. Our daughter loved it. Plenty of space for boys, girls, dev, etc. all at once. We bump into parents of newbies all the time while the entire team is training. How great is that?! Our daughter and our friends kids love to see friends from school join the gym and waive as they run by. An added bonus to a large gym is you don’t have that horrible old socks smell. Accell is always clean, organized, and professional looking to me.
On that note, I met the janitor the other day. Great guy and I thanked him for keeping the gym clean.
3. Customer service: Unilocalers, please keep in mind that this is a large gym. I don’t know the actual numbers but I do know there are 35+ gymnasts on the girls team, they have a boys team, and they have tons of beginner classes going on all he time. The owner (though I think there are two of them) is only one person. Some Unilocalers seem to think they deserve a personal response from the owner for every little issue or complaint they have. Really? We’ve had our fair share of questions, concerns, etc. about our kids and the program and we’ve always managed to get the respond we needed and wanted in a reasonable amount of time. Mostly by working with our daughter’s coaches (makes sense huh?). But we’ve met with the owner a few times as well.
4. Coaches: Again, not sure where other people are looking to find coaches that «don’t pay attention» or «always looking at their phones.» Really? We’ve worked with over seven of the coaches at Accell and NEVER had an issue. They are super attentive and very concerned about their gymnasts safety. I never see them looking at their phones. Only correcting gymnasts and organizing the troops. :)
As I Unilocaled before, I think they still offer a free lesson to gauge your child and make a recommendation where he/​she fits in the program. They do have a strong team and development program if that’s what you are into. They also have a very strong Excel program for girls (and maybe boys but I’m not sure on this one) who want to train a bit less but still enjoy the thrill of competition.
And they have tons of Rec classes.
Due to reasons out of our control we had to switch gyms. But if things change we’ll return to Accel without hesitation.

Very good place to grown in your gymnastics! the only thing that really bother me is the SMELL of the place:((

$ 5 open toddler gym M/​W from 11 – 12 and Tue/​Thursday 12 – 1. Call to check for times.
It looks nice from the outside but the interior is just okay. It was cold in a big space. The toddler area is on the red carpet.

We were supposed to attend a fourth birthday party at Accel Gymnastics on November 30^th. Deposits paid, invitations sent… we arrive and «Closed for the Thanksgiving weekend, be back on December 1^st» is posted on the front door. Whoever is in charge and for those that allowed this to happen: you should all be let go. You all are the reason that at least 15 – 20 families will NEVER consider Accel Gymnastics for any event. Shame.

This GYM is awful and has absolutely no idea what it is doing. It does not treat its customers well nor its employees. Depending on who you talk to you get different information. Desptie writing the owner to speak to him, he never respodned. They fired their most prized teacher and lied to everyone about it saying she chose to leave. The kids were SO upset — they would not even let her say goodbye to the kids. Doesn’t sound like someone who left voluntariliy! Then, they promised the kids they would see this teacher at their annual show just to get them to come, yet she was not there. This yearly «show» that they have they actually charge the parents to come see and your child’s performance is literally less than a minute — and you can barely see! I also had constant problems with overcharging, mischarging of my credit card as well during the time I was there. They do everything they can to make money and do not invest in their staff or their customers. This is a small community and the way they treat people and their staff is poor. There are plenty of gyms to go to — I would NOT EVER GO TO ACCEL.

We’ve been at Accel for over a year now – our longest run at a gym. We left Goldstar Gymnastics in Mountain View, as our instructor was a brilliant rhythmic gymnast, but a less-​than-​stellar teacher. She’d teach 36 counts of a routine at a time (to beginners) and never taught the gymnastics part, so when she included a cartwheel in the routine, my poor daughter just threw herself onto the ground in a heap, not knowing what else to do. It was a huge waste of time and money and turned my daughter off to gymnastics pretty quickly.
We started at Accel with my 3 y/​o in the Preschool Gymnastics class on Tuesday mornings. We were the only class in the gym at the time, so it was quiet and enjoyable for both of us. There was free wifi which allowed me to catch up on some work while my daughter learned. Whether impersonating animals or rocket ships, all exercises and skills are presented in a way little kids can understand. There’s a space just for preschoolers, which includes an obstacle course, age-​appropriate balance beams and bar, foam pit and now a tumble track of their very own! The class sizes have ranged from 3 – 6 in this class, which is unheard of at other packed-​to-​the-​gills studios with consistently maxed out classes of 10 students. They recently implemented a little bit of an academic touch to the program w/​a letter and color of the month, which includes a coloring sheet and 1 week where students dress up according to a certain theme. (My daughter kinda misses this in her new class.)
Later we moved up to Mighty Mights when the teacher realized my daughter needed a bit more of a challenge and she’s very happy there, getting a chance to rotate through to to the slightly more advanced area and apparatus.
My 7 year old joined Ballet Basics and, more often than not, was the only student in class. She LOVED getting a 1:1 lesson. Sadly, we’re going to have to withdraw and move to a formal ballet studio, as the ballet class offerings are limited and none fit with our current school schedule :(After having such a miserable time at Gold Star, I was pleased to see her come away from each ballet class with more grace, poise and confidence than she had when she entered.
All-​in-​all, we’re thrilled with the:
–spaciousness of the gym – there are rooms for all levels of gymnasts so you never feel crowded or too distracted (except by the excessively noisy people in the viewing area, which I’d like to see changed.)
— new parking lot – after school, it is packed, but since many parents do drop-​offs, a spot will open rather quickly.
–SOME of the seating/​viewing – The quiet upstairs viewing area is great. Comfy seats where I can work or nurse my baby, while still taking a peek at my daughter… as long as it’s not summer camp time when the spots are taken up by children. The main bleacher seating area NEEDS some cushioning!
–most of the teachers are very energetic and pay careful attention to the kids. We had one who was not as patient with the children, but all of the others have been very sweet and even responsive to my daughter wanting to learn more advanced skills. When we first started, we had a boy with Autism in our class and his teachers worked brilliantly with him. That was awesome to see.
–the front desk staff is very friendly and VERY flexible in scheduling make-​ups, should we be on vacation, or have an illness in the family. I refuse to attend studios that allow for no make-​ups. At $ 20ish/​class, I would’ve dragged my kids to gymnastics while in labor, if I had to, but Accel’s flexibility allows us to miss 1x/​month, and easily fit in to another day to make it up. I really appreciate that, though I know it must be quite high maintenance for the front desk staff.
–equipment and space – each area is seamlessly rotated through by the various groups. No waiting or conflict. There are always improvements being made to the gym, which only add to its benefits. The fact that there are so many different rooms mean all skills levels have their own place to learn.
–class size – I never see more than 6 kids in each class. This is unheard of elsewhere. This is the #1 reason we kept coming after our 8-​class coupon ran out.
I’m looking forward to improvements to the performance the kids do in the summer. (We spent $ 50 to sit behind so many people that I never got to see my daughter do her routine.) The concept was fantastic, but the execution fell short, unfortunately. That said, the staff at Accel are always striving to improve upon the existing program, so I see great things for next year’s showcase!
We drive from Menlo Park in rush hour traffic these days, just to come to Accel and while we’d love a 10-​minute jaunt down the street to gymnastics (especially with a new baby who cries the whole way), the great program, small class size, positive staff, class flexibility, opportunity to advance and spacious, ever-​improving facility at Accel keeps us coming back for more!

My daughter (age 5) used to go here a few months back… I was talking with her mother and my daughter seems to love the new school she is going to now… She told me the other day that the teachers at her new school are really nice and seem to care much more then her last one (Accel)… I asked my daughter why she didn’t like her old school (Accel)… And she told me that the teachers were mean to her and that they didn’t pay as much attention to her like the other kids that were doing better. After telling me that… I just had to leave a review… This place is better for kids that know what they are doing… But for little ones that are just getting into gymnastics, I really do NOT feel that this place is the right place to start… The teachers are students and don’t seem to know much about teaching little ones… With that said… There are much better gymnastics places out there… Keep looking for the right one for your little one… Thumbs Down to this place… Sorry but 2 stars…

My kids have been at Accel for the last year and I have only had positive experiences. They have been very accommodating to our changes in schedule and worked with us to find a good fit for both my kids… one of which has moved into their accelerated tract and the other who has stayed in their basics program. Both kids really enjoy the program. The improvements to the pre-​school program in the past year has also been dramatic and very positive. While the ongoing construction is inconvenient, the resulting changes have always been positive.

I came here to attend the Brien Shamp Boot Camp. I think the facility is clean, easy to get to. Again I wasn’t here to learn gymnastics so I cannot really give my input on that other than the boot camp promotion I was doing.

We like this place that you can makeup the class as long as you call them in advance. They have many schedule /​hours you can choice from. For the pre-​school instructors, they are not really paying attention to the kids. I see the 2 young female instructors keep talking to each other through out the class. The place is somewhat clean but I see some instructors are wearing their shoes on the mat, which is not right. Kids are all over the mat and I’m not sure if they ever clean them.

My daugher (5yrs old) took gymnastics class here. She enjoyed her class and her teacher very much. The gymnatic program seems organized. When we went, they were in the midst of doing a lot of upgrading and remodeling, which I assume once all complete, would make the facility even better.

Gosh, I am surprised by all the negative reviews. My daughter has been doing gymnastics here for the past 9 months. We previously did gymnastics in Boston and then in the South Bay when we first moved to CA. When we moved to San Mateo in May we decided to try out Accel. My daughter was initially in the preschool class with teacher Madison and had a great time. She was recently moved up to the Mighty Mights class with teacher Amanda and is very happy in this class as well. My daughter also attended two weeks of summer camp as well and loved it. She made friends with a couple older girls and begged me to pick her up late every day. We already signed her up for 4 weeks this summer.
My two year old is also in the toddler class with Tiphanie. He took a brief break for a couple months mainly because he was going through a bad case of the terrible twos and didn’t want to cooperate during class. The break was my decision, not the gyms and once my son decided he wanted to try it again, we did a trial class and then signed him back up again. He is doing much better this time around!
With regard to other complaints about the viewing areas: the downstairs area was just renovated over Christmas break and is much better. Of course it is very crazy after school, but it is that way at most places during that time.
The parking situation isn’t terrible. I usually find parking on the street if I don’t get to class early. I’ve never not found parking.
And I have never had an issue with the front desk staff. True they might be friendlier during the day classes, but it can be crazy busy in the evening so I understand.
I would recommend this gym to others!

My family had an awful experience with Accel.
We have had out two boys there since July 2012 and have really tried to make it work, by sharing our concerns and providing feedback, but unfortunately no one seems to care and I got tired of watching my son be mistreated. Their preschool teachers should not be allowed to work with kids. They are negligible, completely inattentive, and have no idea how to engage kids in the activities. Most of the time the teachers spend standing, talking to each other, playing with their hair or looking at their phones. Its quite awful and frankly at times dangerous to see them pay so little attention to the kids.
To make things worse, at one point, we were told that our 3 year old son was not keeping up with his preschool gymnastics class and should instead be with the 2 year old class. Granted, I know i don’t exactly have an Olympic gymnast on my hands, I still think its unacceptable to effectively «kick out» a 3-​year-​old from a preschool level gymnastics class.
There are some good teachers at this place like Bethany and Sam, but they could not address our concerns with the preschool program. I’m extremely disappointed that I have to resort to writing this scathing review, but I want to save other parents the heartache of watching their children be mistreated.

Be very careful with these people. One Kim told me to sign up or lose my spot. She never mentioned that there was no cooling off period.
Within 24 hours after signing up (and not taking any service from them), we figured we didn’t want it. The lady at the front desk was willing to return the 80 $ monthly fee but not the 50 $ member ship fee.
Why? Because they pay this to an insurance company. How come my car insurance company will return the unused amount but not them? By this time, the lady had lost her patience. She told me that I had signed papers and how she will take me to small claims court if I even as much talked about this to anybody else.
Conclusion: If you have money, they are well and nice. Otherwise, a used kleenex gets better treatment than a customer. Repeat business? What is that?

My daughter loves this place. Good gym, safe, lots of equipment. Teachers are nice and interactive. Some are a bit young and seem like they are just going through the motions, but others are really into it and it gets the kids excited. They feed off of that energy. Wish that the waiting area for the parents was a bit bigger though. We are fans and will continue to go there.

Was introduced to Accel gymnastics thru a JuiceintheCity promo & absolutely love the place.
Ended up attending extra weeks of summer camp & bringing a girlfriends daughter too.
The staff, especially Kim, had great customer service & i am pretty picky. My kids loved every minute & learned some gymnastics.
Facility was clean, colorful, & safe.
Highly recommend.

I love this place! It is roomy and spacious. The crew here is very attentive and professional. You will not be disappointed in the level of commitment and service. I still prefer Gymtowne in SSF, but if you are shopping for a quality facility, you should look here as well.