Great post idea.
Our gym has a Booster Club but it is not registered as nonprofit so really it is just a name. I have tried for the past several years to get things going but no real luck. Apparently, shortly before my girls joined team there was a large well run club. However, some parents became too overpowering (example refused to pay coaches for meets because they were not happy with the coaches performance!) so the gym owner ended the Booster Club as it was. Those families are no longer with the gym.
Now, we pay a small assessment fee at the beginning of the year, I believe optionals was $50. That gets the general fund started. Every parent is required to sell a certain number of boxes of candy or the profit buyout option. Every parent also has to help with the 2 meets that we host by either volunteering time or food items for concessions or raffle baskets. If not they are charged a $40 fee. We pay each meet entry fee as that meet arises. Coaches meet fees come out of the general fund from candy bar sales and assessment fees. There are several other optional fundraisers and those funds go directly into your own child's account to be used for meet fees, leos, ect.
There are several parties and sleepovers through out the year run by the coaches but the girls pay to participate (usually $20-$25-they get t-shirt, food, and other prizes). We have a parent representative for each level to help organize the meets we host, keep track of scores to post at the gym, write press articles, and arrange for hotels when needed. The head coach handles everything else, registering for meets and so on.
I would like to see more parent involvement. It seems we get the same people every time. Maybe others just don't know what to do which is why we are trying some new ideas. One of the coaches keeps the website updated, however I would like to start a parents page to handle but not sure if the owner is up for that.
TOPS is paid for on your own if you participate.
There is a banquet at the end of the year, the girls attend for free, and get trophies, other awards are given too, parents pay to go (less than $20)
Thanks for the post and good luck to you!
