WAG Athlete and Coach social interactions

[Deleted member 17723]

What are your gyms rules on this? (Following each other on social media, birthday parties, texting, etc.)
My gym says the girls can follow the coaches-but the coaches can't follow the girls. Although, only HC listens to that rule We are fairly close, and if we don't want our coaches to follow, we just deny the request, and there are no hard feelings! I'm curious to hear what other gyms say about this

 

[emilykatherine]

We don't have any , I think it would be weird if we did

 

[esor]

Our gym has no policy in this area either. It does seem a little weird.

 

[HoldThePhone]

Our gym implemented a new rule this year, there is a form parents have to sign stating who they can "friend" on social media, etc. I think it was a good plan, coaches know going into it if the parent is ok with it or not.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

We have no offical rule. But our gym is family run, I just wouldn't see it happening.

And I'm good with that. I think, when there is mentor type relationship in place, "friend" interactions should be limited, especially with young children.

When the experience level gets closer that's entirely different matter.

It's much like teachers, I wouldn't friend my daughters current teacher. I'm friends with past teachers, because the relationship as teacher is no longer in place.

At our last gym, some of the younger coaches, early 20s would be friends with the kid or family. Lots of parents ended up with awkward issues. They really don't want their kids to see someone who is a role model to their kids partying etc...

Nope, my daughters coaches are just that her coaches, interactions at the gym, team parties/dinners, team site.

 

[2gymnastand1soccerplayer]

I don't think our gym has any formal rules with this, but I do know ( after talking with the coaches) that they will not add a kid that they are coaching or that is currently training in their gym, if the kid is retired, quit, or changed gyms than they will. Also a lot of the older kids who have phones , have the coaches phone numbers, but only so they can text if they are going to late or if their not going to be at gym that day.

 

[GYM0M]

We are all friends on fb and coaches follow DD on Twitter. Me, my husband, & DD have each of their cell numbers. We text occasionally, but not in a weird way. DD's coaches are like family to us. Only rule about social media that's new this year: do not post routines!!

 

[Deleted member 17723]

We are all friends on fb and coaches follow DD on Twitter. Me, my husband, & DD have each of their cell numbers. We text occasionally, but not in a weird way. DD's coaches are like family to us. Only rule about social media that's new this year: do not post routines!!

Why can't they post routines?

 

[GymRays]

We have no rules at our gym for this. I only have Instagram and I do follow my gymnasts and they follow me. I can direct message them with quick gym related updates ( like gyms closed due to snow)/ we just started having a group message put together while we all watch a college meet on TV. During which I post questions related to the meet and they answer for pts. Its been fun and educational for them.

 

[Sari]

We (i.e. two other coaches and I) have a group message with the older kids (12 and up) who have their own cells. I also regularly text one of the girls I coach because she's my assistant coach once a week (she's 15).

I'm also "friends" on Facebook with three or four girls I formerly coached. But I only accepted their requests because they no longer train with me and/or have quit.

I usually avoid contacting gymnasts on social media because 1) I think it could undermine my authority at the gym and 2) I'd get confused with what's "a private matter" and possibly mention something at practice that unintentionally hurts someone's feelings or embarrasses them in front of their teammates.

 

[windydays]

I am not aware of any such rule at our gym. The owner of the gym does not "friend" his clients/customers. However, as a teacher, I am not friends with parents or students. Our family does not allow our children to be friends with their teachers, coaches, mentors, et cetera.

 

[GYM0M]

Why can't they post routines?

I guess bc it's super spy stuff.....I don't ask questions, just follow the rules.....I save the questions for CB!!!

 

[All Chalked Up]

My coaches follow and friend us (15+). We are not expected to reciprocate although most everyone does. I'm under the belief that it's to make sure us teens stay out of trouble, since social media unveils many shenanigans...

 

[gwenmom]

My initial thought was I wouldn't have a problem with DD coach following her on social media. She is 9 and doesn't have any accounts.

But then thinking about it I decided that is more because of who her coach is (dad of DDs best gym friend and I might not feel that way about the other coaches. Not because I don't trust them with my kids but because they need a life and shouldn't have to worry about their posts offending little girls.

 

[LucyTRA]

In the UK there are specific rules about this from BG, I'm surprised that the US governing body doesn't have a stance on it! Here, it's just not allowed. Social media interactions are only allowed if its a 'public' account, such as a generic facebook/instagram page for the gym, and even then I don't think they would approve of personal or direct messages being sent to individual gymnasts. British Gymnastics have a bit in their policy about how if your gymnast also happens to be your biological offspring then (if they will let you) you are allowed to be friends with them on facebook

Personally I like it that way, though when I was 18 and not coaching I was friends with lots of other gymnasts at my club who were in their teens but not necessarily over 18. When I qualified as a coach I found it a bit werid that I was supposed to suddenly stop being friends with them on social media. At my uni club we are obviously all adults and so we are free to use social media to contact people and we do, but we remove any children who may follow or like our pages as we occasionally post pictures of club socials involving alcohol.

 

[Aussie_coach]

We do have this rule, and I think it is a very important one.

Coaches are not permitted to socialise with gymnasts or parents outside of gym events. Coaches should not be friending gymnasts on facebook, and they re not permitted to contact parents or have any contact details

All contact goes through the gym.

I have seen places where this rule is not used and it has caused some serious problems. Coaches inviting some gymnasts out to events and to socialise can cause cries of favoritism from other gymnasts and parents.

Coaches may also lose the respect of their gymnasts, when they start to see them as a friend and not a coach.

Coaches may post things on social media that are innapropriate and forget that little eyes are watching.

 

[COz]

Just a reminder to everyone that you can set up lists on Facebook so you determine who sees what. You may have things that get posted to your "Friends" list and have others that get posted only to your "Friends with kids" list etc.

If you take the time to set these up you have a lot of control over who sees what.

 

[coachmolly]

We are not supposed to have athletes as Facebook friends. Just prevents problems. I don't post much at all on my Facebook and what I do share is very tame, though I know that is not the case with all coaches. And I think it's best to have coaches responding to such requests in a uniform way. And I do know of some coaches who add athletes yet continue to post things not appropriate for a younger audience which I don't appreciate- not that coaches have to always act in a G-rated way outside of the gym or should need to censor everything they post to social media, just that I don't think it should be shared with the kids they coach.
I have worked with children in other capacities (through a camp) and keep several of those kids as friends- though only if they added me. It's nice to stay in touch, see how they are doing, and offer support. I also coached a high school gym team and would add those girls if they requested me first.
As far as parents, I will accept friend requests that they send, but will not add them myself. Only 2 parents have added me, so I'm not too concerned about it.

 

[IreneKa]

We didn't have any rules until this year. I don't know what happened, but something must have happened, because we received a long email stating how the girls are not allowed to take pictures with the coaches, and post those pictures on social media. And if your child has any social media account please make sure to delete all such pictures. Also it said that the girls are no longer allowed to communicate with the coaches directly through texts or emails, and even parents are not allowed to communicate directly to the coaches. All communication should be done between parents and team administrator, who will forward any questions\request to the coaches.
Again, I don't know what happened to cause such an outbreak, the atmosphere in the gym used to be pretty laid back.

 

[emilykatherine]

Alright to those of you with rules, why? I don't see the point at all. I get teachers not being able to do that but my coaches go beyond being my coaches, first off there also my boss, second off they're my second moms, I see them more then my own mom! If I had no why of communication with them outside of gum life would be hectic they are the ones I talk to if I just had a bad day they calm me down, (if you find this weird then you're nuts) I can't talk to teammates about stuff I have none my age. They understand. With a rule I could do any of that. One of my coaches also has an Instagram so we can see cutie pictures of her 2 year old, and she's adorable. She made that just so we could see her, because we didn't get to when she was born"