WAG A GoFundMe for gymnastics

[raenndrops]

Did further digging on Silas Nacita, there is indeed more to it than what the two articles above state. There are not a lot of articles and they are not completely clear. But Silas has made apologies and if I understand it correctly, he was warned a few times about certain compliance violations and he ignored them. Further Silas is not even on scholarship. He was a walk on and originally played for Cornell before switching to Baylor. Baylor and the NCAA provided ways for the walk-on to get housing, but he chose a way which were ultimately NCAA violations. By knowingly violating the NCAA rules, there was no way around the dismissal.

Some of this was referenced in the two posted articles... A walk on that originally had a scholarship to Cornell and competed for them. And some of his apologies were also posted.
But yes, he made mistakes. He has hopefully learned from them.

 

[raenndrops]

And I hope whoever has this account , doesn't plan on competing NCAA....I suppose if my kid wasn't very good and didn't have a prayer of competing in ANY sport in college ( because raising money like this for gymnastics also disqualifies you if say you go on to become a great pole vaulter from getting NCAA money) , and I didn't have the money for the tuition then the risk might pay off....not to say it isn't tacky

NCAA doesn't give money to the athletes (They tell colleges how many athletic scholarships they are allowed to offer though). The colleges CAN offer financial aid. The taking of money or other outside assistance (not offered to someone not in athletic endeavors) would make the athlete ineligible to compete for the college team (because NCAA determines that they are Professional Athletes if they take the money) and therefore, they cannot get an athletic scholarship.

 

[Becauseisaid]

Gyms should discuss things like this in their meetings w/ new team parents - a warning that this type of activity could down the line hurt their child's chances for a scholarship would probably prevent it - maybe reminding existing team members would be a good idea too.

I'm actually glad you said this. I posted a note in our gym parent's Facebook page. Because this IS a good reminder.

 

[raenndrops]

So, say you're a single mom and your 5 year old daughter was invited to Level 2. Tuition is within your means, but travel costs are insane. Friends and family have offered to help and, in an effort to streamline the process, you set up a go fund me account and end up raising the yearly meet fees of $1400.

As your daughter progresses and you start to educate yourself about gymnastics, NCAA, etc., you realize you've made a grave error. Is there any recourse? Pay back the money?

I would bet that a typical mom of a beginner competitive gymnast has no idea of what they are doing in regards to scholarships.

From what I read in the NCAA FAQ, technically, the gymnast would still have a fighting chance...
"The amateurism certification process begins as prospective Division I and II student-athletes register with the Link Removed. Each prospective student-athlete is asked several questions about his or her sports-participation history. If the answers indicate a possible violation of amateurism standards, the amateurism certification staff works with the college or university to determine the facts. If a violation of amateurism standards occurred, a penalty will be imposed based on the severity of the violations. Penalties include repayment of money, sitting out a specified number of games or, in rare cases, permanent ineligibility."

As long as the questions they asked were answered honestly, there is a process to go through. Having friends and family help would be less severe than total strangers helping.


And, they are even allowed to accept prize money "as long as the amount of the prize is less than or equal to his or her expenses for participating in the competition, such as meals or lodging. The prize money may not pay for expenses of parents or coaches." I would think this would also include meet fees since it is an expense for participating in the event. Again, they just have to declare it.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

What about individual fundraisers/sponsorships? At our gym, the athletes can go to businesses and ask for support. In return the business or individual gets a small sign with their name on it (I.e. "Spencer's Dental supports Sally Sue, go Sally!") put up at the gym. The money, minus a teeny portion, goes straight into the individual athletes booster account, NOT the booster club pool....

 

[skschlag]

i can only speak for our state....

Our booster club cannot designate monies for individual athletes, nor can families get more for doing more. Our biggest fundraiser is bingo. Each family has 2 people work every 6 weeks. I am going to help out tonight for a big night, but we will get no extra money.

One of the organizations in our area did just get in trouble for this exact thing. Each person got "paid" to work bingo and the money went into the child's account. So, if you worked, you got $25 in the account, if you were caller, bookkeeper, or games manager, you got $35. They just got in trouble for this as this was seen as being paid.

our club, the money all goes together and benefits are only paid as needed. Every gymnast attending a meet gets applicable fees. Meet fees, coaches' fees, and any travel (air fare, mileage, rental car, hotel, per diem). It is all just fro the gymnast....not the family.

In this way, we are not violating NCAA or non-profit status.

 

[skschlag]

Just a reference. Not sure how that would affect NCAA Status at all, but it can harm a club's 501c3 status:

Crediting of Fundraising Amounts Constitutes Private Benefit If a booster club confers a benefit on a participant in return for their fundraising activities, such as by crediting amounts raised by a participant toward that participant’s dues requirement, or by crediting amounts raised against the cost of a trip, the booster club is providing a private benefit to that participant. Consequently, such practices could result in the organization failing to be described in § 501(c)(3).

 

[MILgymFAM]

What about individual fundraisers/sponsorships? At our gym, the athletes can go to businesses and ask for support. In return the business or individual gets a small sign with their name on it (I.e. "Spencer's Dental supports Sally Sue, go Sally!") put up at the gym. The money, minus a teeny portion, goes straight into the individual athletes booster account, NOT the booster club pool....

Yup- our old gym had a fundraiser and the majority of the money went right into individual girls accounts- and they got prizes for raising the most money too. My daughter raise over $1,000 going door-to-door in our neighborhood, and it paid for about three months of training and weeks of team camp. And she got free privates. Our gym didn't have a booster club or any parent group at all though. This was organized through the hc.

 

[bookworm]

NCAA doesn't give money to the athletes (They tell colleges how many athletic scholarships they are allowed to offer though). The colleges CAN offer financial aid. The taking of money or other outside assistance (not offered to someone not in athletic endeavors) would make the athlete ineligible to compete for the college team (because NCAA determines that they are Professional Athletes if they take the money) and therefore, they cannot get an athletic scholarship.

My reference to "NCAA money" was meant as athletic scholarship money,not the NCAA giving money directly

 

[Muddlethru]

The articles below do not address the question in this thread about gofundme. I doubt we'll find anything spefically addressing a specific corporation/entity or institution. I think gofundme is clearly in the gray area and pretty debateable whether it violates rules of amateurism. But for the minimal money received, it seems not worth it to risk eligibilty.

http://www.ncaa.org/amateurism

http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/CBSA.pdf

 

[gymgal]

What about individual fundraisers/sponsorships? At our gym, the athletes can go to businesses and ask for support. In return the business or individual gets a small sign with their name on it (I.e. "Spencer's Dental supports Sally Sue, go Sally!") put up at the gym. The money, minus a teeny portion, goes straight into the individual athletes booster account, NOT the booster club pool....

if your booster has a non-profit status , then it is violating the law concerning distribution of funds. If it is a for profit, then this is not an issue - but the parents would be responsible for the funds on their own tax returns.

As for ncaa eligibility, I would say it is a violation because that gymnast now has corporate sponsorship - she is getting paid to have her name attached to a company's name.

 

[bookworm]

@bookworm and @LemonLime might be the best people on here to answer this. Maybe also @dunno and @coachp as they have experience in placing ahtletes.

We definitely need to present the correct information, which is why I linked to pages, but as you say the whole story is not there.

Speaking as one who has been through the process, I wouldn't touch a Gofundme account for my kid with a 10 foot pole...the risk is just too great. When your athlete gets to the point of competing NCAA, there's a whole section in the NCAA clearinghouse that asks specifically about any money or " prizes" they have accepted, or not....we were able to answer " no" without any hesitation. Using a gofundme type arrangement would definitely muddy the waters...

 

[Gymmommy71]

What about individual fundraisers/sponsorships? At our gym, the athletes can go to businesses and ask for support. In return the business or individual gets a small sign with their name on it (I.e. "Spencer's Dental supports Sally Sue, go Sally!") put up at the gym. The money, minus a teeny portion, goes straight into the individual athletes booster account, NOT the booster club pool....

Hmm - I don't know - but that sounds kind of iffy IMO. Hopefully your booster club cleared that w/ the right people to make sure it's okay. I see this as very similar to a corporate sponsorship of a pro athlete. Our banners like that reference support of the entire team, not specific gymnasts.

 

[profmom]

What about individual fundraisers/sponsorships? At our gym, the athletes can go to businesses and ask for support. In return the business or individual gets a small sign with their name on it (I.e. "Spencer's Dental supports Sally Sue, go Sally!") put up at the gym. The money, minus a teeny portion, goes straight into the individual athletes booster account, NOT the booster club pool....

Not a good idea. That is direct corporate support for an athlete. Not only are you risking running afoul of regulations for a 501c3 if your booster club is organized as a non-profit, but also the individual athletes are potentially forfeiting their amateur status.

 

[coachmolly]

It is within NCAA rules for an athlete to receive funds to help offset costs associated with training. So for example, girls on the National Team receive a small training stipend to help pay for their gym time. This, or at least was, okay with NCAA rules and those girls could still go on to compete in college. However, I think GoFundMe type sites are a little dicey in that they are run by an individual, not a larger organization (such as USAG) and probably have much greater difficulty documenting how all of those funds are used. It's not like GoFundMe sends the money directly to the gym and stipulates it go towards training/travel expenses for the athlete.
Beyond National Team membership, I am sure there are other ways to receive funding for training expenses that meet NCAA rules for those struggling to afford a sport, but really you need to talk it over with someone who knows (not all USAG coaches know these things, so don't assume the coach is an authority). It's better to be safe in this regard than to have a scholarship your kid earned pulled their senior year when issues come to light.

 

[2G1B]

Correct me if I'm wrong; but I thought that the girls on the national team turned down the stipends if they wanted to do college gymnastics?

 

[bookworm]

Correct me if I'm wrong; but I thought that the girls on the national team turned down the stipends if they wanted to do college gymnastics?

No they do not try them down...as Coachmolly said, the stipend is paid directly to their gym for "training expenses" by USAG.

 

[gymdog]

The stipend is fine but the check might be cut to their gym. (I'm not 100% sure how it goes now). That would be an important distinction.

 

[MILgymFAM]

So here is a question. My DD will not be an NCAA athlete, but I am curious about it generally, so let's pretend that's a possibility. My DD has an academic scholarship that lasts through high school. They pay for school, summer camps, travel, enrichment, and even for gym. They cut a check every four months to her gym for the cost of her practices. We pay meet fees/expenses. Would this preclude eligibility, or would it be the same as the stipend?

 

[Gymmommy71]

So here is a question. My DD will not be an NCAA athlete, but I am curious about it generally, so let's pretend that's a possibility. My DD has an academic scholarship that lasts through high school. They pay for school, summer camps, travel, enrichment, and even for gym. They cut a check every four months to her gym for the cost of her practices. We pay meet fees/expenses. Would this preclude eligibility, or would it be the same as the stipend?

Wow - thats a sweet deal, an academic scholarship that pays for an extracurricular activity? I've never heard of that before. Usually private high schools around me only do "need based scholarships" - nothing academic. Is the gymnastics a school team, or club team?