anyone with a spare money tree?

[cher062]

Ok I lost my job in April Hubby had pay cut in Feb by 30K (yes you heard right) WE are just making ends meet and the gym put out the competitive schedual.
4 meet out of state OK but come on from were in NH and to go to CA, Las Vagas, PA and MD. Each meet is $140 + coast of transportation, hotels and food not to mention the extras that DD will want at the meets. I don't have that kind of money - What is the gym thinking in this time of economic stress. I'm know I'm not the only one in this boat but I know my kid will be the only one not going to those meets - she is very unhappy she won't be able to go. I am going to need to talk to the owners and see how far in advance we need to let them know if she can go. I'm hoping she can make at least the PA or MD those will be cheaper air tickets and if we stay at a days inn or econolodge we might be able to do it but the team will be staying more at a hilton.

what are they thinking?

 

[NotAMom]

This I have to agree with. Four long-distance meets are rediculous. One is the most I can tolerate. Is that the norm for your gym?

 

[nevertooold]

Wow! That is a lot of travel, and a lot of expense. I'm so sorry to hear that. Owners/coaches need to remember that is is about enriching the lives on children, not personal ego gratification. We cannot be in this for the kids if we make it TOO expensive for families to particiapate. If the kids can't afford to do it, we are out of a profession!

 

[kristilyn73]

We have 2 out of state meets this year. One in Florida and the other is the Chicago Style Meet. We can drive to the Chicago meet so that is nice. But the problem?our coach has refused to drive.. so they are flying and we pay for all travel costs.. how fair is that??

Sorry to rant on your post.. but it was all in a sense of I know where you are coming from. I bet your DD will understand and appreciate the fact she gets to go to the meets at all, we have a girl that is only going to 2 meets because her dad got laid off ....

 

[taximom]

Yikes! That sure is expensive! 4 away meets that require flying seems excessive to me. Hoping your DD enjoys the meets she does attend. If you happen upon that money tree let me have some seeds I could use one too! LOL

 

[hunde2]

Sounds like our old gym (almost).Went all the way from the West coast to the East coast to go to an Optional Meet.We did not attend.Even at Level 9 I felt like it is ridiculous to travel that far. They also had some other travel meets that year.Western was also half way across the country.
We are now at a gym that look at expenses more realistically.
I would understand to have to go to far away meets as an Elite gymnast but not as an Optional. 1 Travel meet is enough.
What Level is your daughter?

 

[gym law mom]

Doing 4 out of state meets that require flying/hotels is ridiculous for any gym--good or bad economy. The kids just get worn out with all the travel. I know your dd is a L7 and that is just way crazy for a L7 kid. Our L7s only get one travel meet.

How do the other parents feel about this? Maybe you need to sit down with the owner as a group and discuss the meet schedule and also the finances.

Could you possibly send dd to one meet with another parent(this was done alot at our previous gym) and then go with her to another?

I really feel for you---the gym has put you in a terrible position. Apparently the owner thinks all the families have groves of money trees!

 

[bogwoppit]

Wow that is brutal. Check out hotwire for hotel rooms, I get the best deals there and we have been able to book a block of rooms for the team at great rates. We are lucky that we only have 3 meets. It is a shame that your gym isn't getting that we are cutting back!

 

[NotAMom]

I would just round up other parents who also are reluctant to go and tell the gym that you as a group are just not going. (mention boycott if you have to) Unless you really want to go (or go along with the gym for harmony sake), you either as an individual or as a group need to make a point.

 

[gymgirly1]

Removed due to bad grammar and spelling. She says she understands and is in the same situation.

 

[claire1985]

wow that sounds super expensive think your idea of only attending one or two is a good idea also with the hotel accoodation could you share a hotel room with anouther gymnast and her mum i know these places often have two double beds a room if there was a large group of you would you consider camping out on a church floor for the night( what we do as a team) curches often hire out there halls for about £100 a night to us much cheaper than hotel accodation for 20-40 people. lets us know how you get on. Claire

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

Wow! I am so sorry. I know your DD is heartbroken and it's just so hard for kids to understand. We have one travel meet 5 hrs so not horrible. We are also struggling. DH owns his own business - he is the only employee, and he has not had any work in a couple of months and the last 8 have been beyond slow. So, we are living on my income and I am now helping at the gym 3 nights a week to help with tuition.

I will pray for understanding from DD, and a job for you.


I think one of the other parents had a good idea, could she go to one of the meets with another family?

 

[cathiann]

4 out of state meets is ridiculous--there is no need for that! You can't be the only parents not being able to make that.

 

[cher062]

This I have to agree with. Four long-distance meets are rediculous. One is the most I can tolerate. Is that the norm for your gym?

No this is the first year they have been out side New England. Usually the Optional girls would do the meet in Disney Land over the christmas break in the past but it was an optional one to go to and you could make it into a fun family event (still couldn't afford it though). But that one has package deals to make it more affordable and If I had to I have familyl down there so it would only be transportation and minimal spending once there.

 

[cher062]

Sounds like our old gym (almost).Went all the way from the West coast to the East coast to go to an Optional Meet.We did not attend.Even at Level 9 I felt like it is ridiculous to travel that far. They also had some other travel meets that year.Western was also half way across the country.
We are now at a gym that look at expenses more realistically.
I would understand to have to go to far away meets as an Elite gymnast but not as an Optional. 1 Travel meet is enough.
What Level is your daughter?

She is only just L7 and only 12yo. 2 of the closer east coast meets has the L5 and above going too.

DD has a private with the owner on Tues I'll have to discuss it with him.
Owner wanted to work with DD on her floor tumbling but I told him we just don't have the money to pay for a private and he said he would do it for free because he really wanted some one on one time with DD (thank god for that)

 

[cher062]

Doing 4 out of state meets that require flying/hotels is ridiculous for any gym--good or bad economy. The kids just get worn out with all the travel. I know your dd is a L7 and that is just way crazy for a L7 kid. Our L7s only get one travel meet.

How do the other parents feel about this? Maybe you need to sit down with the owner as a group and discuss the meet schedule and also the finances.

Could you possibly send dd to one meet with another parent(this was done alot at our previous gym) and then go with her to another?

I really feel for you---the gym has put you in a terrible position. Apparently the owner thinks all the families have groves of money trees!

I don't know how the other parents feel about this as we just got the schedule yesterday afternoon and we don't see each other until Monday again.

I won't send DD to a meet with another parent to a meet that far away. I'm not comfortable sending my 12 yo accross the country in the care of someone else.

I'm hoping that those are all only "possible" meets and that they will only choose one to go to but either way looking at our finances right now we just can't afford it.

 

[cher062]

Wow that is brutal. Check out hotwire for hotel rooms, I get the best deals there and we have been able to book a block of rooms for the team at great rates. We are lucky that we only have 3 meets. It is a shame that your gym isn't getting that we are cutting back!

the travel I can get a deal on as a friend of mine is in the travel industry but it still just isn't affordable. I wish the gym if they do want to do this would have some type of package deal set up with a final cost for each so we could make some type of decision based on a final cost. I also wish they would let us fundraise for this. there is no booster club and fundraising is limited to if a coach does it then MAYBE they will allow it.

 

[cher062]

wow that sounds super expensive think your idea of only attending one or two is a good idea also with the hotel accoodation could you share a hotel room with anouther gymnast and her mum i know these places often have two double beds a room if there was a large group of you would you consider camping out on a church floor for the night( what we do as a team) curches often hire out there halls for about £100 a night to us much cheaper than hotel accodation for 20-40 people. lets us know how you get on. Claire

I'm a scout leader LOL I've slept on the ground with 2 blankets and a piece of plastic in the rain - I think I could handle a church floor the problem would be convincing the other parents to want to do it. Most wont even do an Econolodge. Last year they did go to one in NJ it was the first time for an away meet in years for all the levels (only a 5 .5 hour drive but we didn't go to that either) The all stayed in Hilton type hotels. Very exspensive for 3 days and 2 nights it was going to be just over $1000 per person and that didn't include the transportation or food.

 

[canadiangymmom]

That's insane! I don't know what your owners/coaching staff were thinking. I'm sorry that your daughter won't be able to attend all the meets.

Last year Bean's gym did one travel meet (Ontario-Arizona) She had to miss it because there was no way I could cover the cost, and her dad doesn't contribute to her gymnastics. This year she's planning to attend as she's been saving since missing the meet last March. She's also only getting cash for her birthday and Christmas.

I totally understand the cash crunch. I'm off work for treatment, my EI just ran out, and I'm now waiting for long term disability coverage. Your title made me laugh, because it's almost identical to my facebook status from earlier this week.

I hope you can find a way to get her to some of the meets. Let us know what the owners say, in regards to payment timelines.

 

[momof5]

Oh man I really feel for you guys. If I were in your shoes there is no way I could afford it either. There has to be closer big invitationals that are closer. I would definately talk to the coaches and find out why they feel a L7 needs to travel so far away when there are meets that are much closer. We don't have our schedule yet but I am already stressed about it. We ended up with only one hotel stay last year and we ended up staying in a motel 6 for $49 while everybody else on the team stayed at $110 a night hotel. I was worried DD would feel left out but she was a champ about it.