Parents Reimbursement for coaches vacation

[Ellen Jean]

We have an out of town meet coming up. Our session is Friday early afternoon. Our coach is traveling on Friday and we booked a hotel for him Friday night since we are not sure what time our session will end. I am currently having an issue with the coach wishing to extend his travel till Sunday. We currently pay our coaches $100 per session, $20 per diem, hotel and airfare for the meet. This meet happens to be in a resort area so a lot of the parents are staying till Sunday, in part because we booked flights before we knew session time, so we had to book the entire weekend to be sure we were covered. Our Non Profit parent booster club informed him that if he wishes to stay till Sunday he would be responsible for Saturday nights hotel. Also, he needed to book his flight now as flights have doubled in price since he has been deciding his plans, our meet is a week away. So not only are we paying more for his airfare but he now thinks he is entitled to a vacation on the parents. How do you handle coaches travel and changes to the standard policy? Any help would be appreciated as he is really giving me a hard time and I am worried it will affect his coaching with my daughter.

 

[skschlag]

well, we have 2 out of state meets, and have booked our coach for Thurs- Monday for both. We know that the boys compete Fri/Sat/Sun morning at one of them, so I guess we are kind of paying for vacay, but really worth it. Parents are doing the same, and our booster club is paying for the nights for the coach and gymnasts. We don't know competition times for the other meet, but he is already booked for those days. (except airfare...I gotta get on that!)

not really much help. I mean, if he wanted to keep extending the nights, we would draw the line. But since we book so far in advance, our coach could very well end up with a mini-vacation without us knowing it until it was booked.

 

[Midwestmommy]

I'm not involved in decisions like this at our gym, but I certainly feel that a two-night stay for a meet that requires a plane ride is a very reasonable expectation. A one-night stay isn't, and the flight would probably be higher too without the Saturday. If it's not reasonable to expect them to fly there on one day and back the next, then it's not reasonable to only pay for one night. You aren't paying for a vacation by reimbursing for a two night stay. He is away from his family 24 hours a day when traveling, take it from someone who knows, that ain't no vacation..... that would be a work trip...

 

[blueredzone]

I'm not involved in decisions like this at our gym, but I certainly feel that a two-night stay for a meet that requires a plane ride is a very reasonable expectation. A one-night stay isn't, and the flight would probably be higher too without the Saturday. If it's not reasonable to expect them to fly there on one day and back the next, then it's not reasonable to only pay for one night. You aren't paying for a vacation by reimbursing for a two night stay. He is away from his family 24 hours a day when traveling, take it from someone who knows, that ain't no vacation..... that would be a work trip...

Traveling on a plane round trip in one day is crap, Traveling on a plan round trip with one night sleep is crap. The Coach will more than likely be hanging around with what the kids are doing anyways. Its good bonding time. Something they can't get at the gym.

 

[profmom]

I'd rather have a well rested coach spotting my child at practice after a meet than one who's run down and dragging. I wish our boys' coach would be a little easier on himself in terms of dashing back to the gym and holding practice right after a long meet weekend. Also, if a coach is handling multiple sessions, especially by her/himself, you shouldn't underestimate the exhaustion that can create. How many sessions is your coach handling? Sometime the setup doesn't even give them much time to eat. And I presume there will be regular practices right up until the meet?

Here's our coach's schedule this weekend. Mind you, he is the only coach going. He's leaving tonight from practice.

Fri. AM (I think report at 7:30, coaching about five tiny boys)
Sat. AM (again, early report, this time to coach one athlete in what is likely to be a 4-5 hour session)
Sat. mid-day (2 athletes)
will go to Sat. night session to see a former athlete compete L10
Sun. AM (early report, 5-6 athletes)
Sun. midafternoon (11 athletes)

He said he wants to stay for awards for the last session. Awards are scheduled to start at 7:30 PM.

Because it's not said often enough, THANK YOU, COACHES!

 

[skschlag]

I agree profmom! When we travel too, it adds a lot of stress. nd then they come right back and start coaching again! No breaks. Ours will fly back Monday and then will coach that night. I guarantee it! (and the boys will be there lol). Ours will coach this weekend from 7:30am-10pm at night, and has 2 nights of hotel. I can't imagine doing what they do!

That being said, we did have a coach once that stayed for about 4 days at Disney. he did pay for that

 

[aerials]

You probably would have been better off booking his plane (cheaper) ticket a long time ago with the Sat stay and paying for Sat night. I would pay for his Sat night.

 

[gwenmom]

At our gym, for a Friday session, coach would fly out Thursday, stay the night Thursday, coach on Friday, hang around Saturday incase backup was needed for other sessions, then fly out Sunday.

IMO I would never have a coach fly the same day as a session if possible because of there are flight delays the kids might not get to compete if the coach can't make it in time.

That said, I would more than happily pay my portion of a coaches extra night. Even if it's a $200 hotel room, divided over the kids on the team, it's like $10 out of my pocket. Worth it to give out coaches a relaxed trip. Of course travel stress me out and I need the few hours of relaxation for my safety and others

 

[Ellen Jean]

We have an out of town meet coming up. Our session is Friday early afternoon. Our coach is traveling on Friday and we booked a hotel for him Friday night since we are not sure what time our session will end. I am currently having an issue with the coach wishing to extend his travel till Sunday. We currently pay our coaches $100 per session, $20 per diem, hotel and airfare for the meet. This meet happens to be in a resort area so a lot of the parents are staying till Sunday, in part because we booked flights before we knew session time, so we had to book the entire weekend to be sure we were covered. Our Non Profit parent booster club informed him that if he wishes to stay till Sunday he would be responsible for Saturday nights hotel. Also, he needed to book his flight now as flights have doubled in price since he has been deciding his plans, our meet is a week away. So not only are we paying more for his airfare but he now thinks he is entitled to a vacation on the parents. How do you handle coaches travel and changes to the standard policy? Any help would be appreciated as he is really giving me a hard time and I am worried it will affect his coaching with my daughter.

I appreciate my coach, i have actually gone to bat for him on a number of occasions. As a parent I wish he would fly out on Thursday night to ensure he is well rested and arrives on time. Flights out of our area are delayed all the time due to fog, so one delay and he could miss our meet and the girls are counting on him. He is flying Friday morning because his "friend" has to work Thursday night and can't leave till Friday. This "friend" used to have a daughter on the team and was a financial nightmare, in that she emplaned about fees, never paid fees and would expense her miles to the meet because she would drive our coach. Something we never argued because our coach does not drive. Now that her daughter is no longer on team, she continues to drive him and accompany him to all our meets where she makes him leave at the end of the last event. He does not stick around for awards. When we organized team dinners after meets he has never attended them because she has other plans for him. This is not about appreciating our coach, it is about a parent hell bent on getting her "money's worth" by taking advantage of our booster club. Also, this is an hour flight. Actually drivable, which one parent is doing, but most are flying. There is no "workout" session he has to be at, but simply one session at 1:00 on Friday. Him flying out in the morning is not ideal and extremely risky and knowing it is to accommodate his "friend" is unnerving. Two parents are flying back on Friday after the meet, but he is staying Friday night, which I think is fair. Staying Saturday night just happens to coordinate with his "friends" daughters session. So this is not about appreciating our coach and it is not so he can be well rested but more ideal for his "friend" who no doubt is staying with him in his room. Two nights hotel (one night before meet and one night after meet) to me is completely within reason. Pushing it another night so the mom can stick it to the parents is uncalled for.

 

[Ellen Jean]

I appreciate my coach, i have actually gone to bat for him on a number of occasions. As a parent I wish he would fly out on Thursday night to ensure he is well rested and arrives on time. Flights out of our area are delayed all the time due to fog, so one delay and he could miss our meet and the girls are counting on him. He is flying Friday morning because his "friend" has to work Thursday night and can't leave till Friday. This "friend" used to have a daughter on the team and was a financial nightmare, in that she emplaned about fees, never paid fees and would expense her miles to the meet because she would drive our coach. Something we never argued because our coach does not drive. Now that her daughter is no longer on team, she continues to drive him and accompany him to all our meets where she makes him leave at the end of the last event. He does not stick around for awards. When we organized team dinners after meets he has never attended them because she has other plans for him. This is not about appreciating our coach, it is about a parent hell bent on getting her "money's worth" by taking advantage of our booster club. Also, this is an hour flight. Actually drivable, which one parent is doing, but most are flying. There is no "workout" session he has to be at, but simply one session at 1:00 on Friday. Him flying out in the morning is not ideal and extremely risky and knowing it is to accommodate his "friend" is unnerving. Two parents are flying back on Friday after the meet, but he is staying Friday night, which I think is fair. Staying Saturday night just happens to coordinate with his "friends" daughters session. So this is not about appreciating our coach and it is not so he can be well rested but more ideal for his "friend" who no doubt is staying with him in his room. Two nights hotel (one night before meet and one night after meet) to me is completely within reason. Pushing it another night so the mom can stick it to the parents is uncalled for.

One last point.....our compulsory parents will likely be upset since he will not just be canceling practice friday, but now Saturday as well

 

[bogwoppit]

Sounds like time the parents actually talked to the coach about this.

 

[skschlag]

It sounds like there are a lot of issues that are beyond this one that is causing the problems.

 

[Ellen Jean]

You probably would have been better off booking his plane (cheaper) ticket a long time ago with the Sat stay and paying for Sat night. I would pay for his Sat night.

If that were the case we would not have a problem but he did not allow us to do that and lead us to believe he had taken care of it already. The reason he didn't?, his friend was waiting on her work schedule and her daughters session schedule. Both which should have not have interfered with the process. Also, I am skeptical about why still today, 1 week from meet, he won't allow the boosters to take care of his flight. He claimed he did not have the money to do so earlier which is why he isn't booked yet, but we have always booked travel but this particular time he is insistent on booking his own. Just doesn't sit well with me.

 

[Ellen Jean]

It sounds like there are a lot of issues that are beyond this one that is causing the problems.

You have no idea. Wish we had another option, but we have limited gyms in the area.

 

[GYM0M]

Since its a touchy subject, I would talk to the owner or HC. Explain the situation (meaning how the booster club feels & that you guys are having a tough time swallowing what's been going on) and let him/her make the call for the travel plans. But I'm with you, I would have a VERY hard time paying travel expenses for another parent from another gym. My personal feelings, round trip two hour flight and Friday night is sufficient.

 

[gwenmom]

One last point.....our compulsory parents will likely be upset since he will not just be canceling practice friday, but now Saturday as well

Oh! That's a whole other spin to the issue!

 

[profmom]

It actually sounds like a lot of your issues are with your coach's partner (whose daughter formerly competed on your DD's team and has now switched to another gym??). If I were you, I would be VERY cautious about intertwining concerns about her interactions with your booster club with your concerns about the coach. Keep it separate and keep it clean. Also keep your concerns limited to what directly affects you. If the compulsory parents want to object to the cancellation of practice, they should do so independently. This will help to keep your relationship with the coach on the up and up.

What you may wish to consider is developing a policy within your booster club about how to manage travel reimbursement, and then just apply this policy dispassionately and allow your coach to decide for himself if he wants to pay extra to book at the last minute and stay over an additional day if that does not fit within your guidelines. We don't have a booster club, but the gym has a standard policy for all coach travel and reimbursement for meets (though the boys' coach often tries to save them some money here and there).

 

[GlobalNomad]

Anytime I have ever traveled for work, I just wanted to get home, and would have gladly taken a same day flight. I think a same day flight for a 1:00 PM session is completely reasonable. I've driven 2 or 3 hours one way for a meet and done that in one day. I don't think the parents should pay for the hotel or the second day perdiem at all. It's one session, mid-day, an hour away.

If I had a 1:00 meeting for work that was that distance from the office, there's no way I would ask a client or my boss to put me up in a hotel for a night, let alone two.

 

[2G1B]

A few thoughts... First, for only a one hour flight and only one session, I think that one night in a hotel is fine, especially if he is not willing to go the day before the meet. I can see paying for a hotel for the day before; but not really for two days after. Sure, if you had booked early you likely would have booked preparing for him to be there through Sunday due to not yet knowing the schedule; but really, there is just no reason to pay for a hotel more than 24 hours after the session when the schedule is known.

I think for future travel meets the booster club needs to have published rules. IMO these rules should be along the lines of that the booster club will price flights at a certain time (say a month out) and that is the highest amount that the coach is given for airfare. If the coach wants the booster club to book the flights they will; but it will be done a month out, when prices are better. If the coach wants to book the flight themselves they can; but they will not be given MORE than what the price of airfare was at 1 month out (the booster club will give them that amount) AND if they DO manage to get the flight for cheaper, they will only be reimbursed the amount actually spent, a receipt will be needed. For hotels, if schedule is known at booking, a room will be provided the day BEFORE the first session through the night of the last session. Hotels will be booked when airfare is booked. If airfare is booked before the schedule is know, hotel will correspond with flights. If airfare is booked AFTER the schedule is known hotels will be fore one night before the first session through the night of the last session.

You also need to lay out what is a distance that airfare will even be booked for. Correct me if I'm wrong; but usually a 1 hour flight means that it would be a 6 hour or less drive. In our area, you don't fly that. If the coach chooses to I'd say he can pay the difference between airfare and what he would have been reimbursed for the driving milage.

For our area, coaches share a ride to meets that are 6 hours or closer. They do not all take their own car. I can't imagine a parent being reimbursed for driving a coach to a meet. My DH is picking a judge up at the airport this weekend and he isn't getting reimbursed for that. It is just something that parents in this sport do IMO.

 

[2G1B]

Oh, and I agree with GlobalNomad. When I traveled for work, if it was a short flight, it wasn't unheard of for me to fly up and back in one day. If it was travel that I drove to, if the drive was only 3 hours each way and my meeting were 4 hours or less, I didn't even get a hotel. The company certainly would never pay for me to stay at a destination days after I got done with my work. Coaches do a ton; but it does sound like in this situation this coach is taking advantage of the booster club.