Parents Competitive Parents Duties - Volunteering

[SuperDad7]

So im quite new to this world of gymnastics and just received the contract for our boy’s pre-competitive program.

Our gym requires a mandatory 12 hours of volunteering for parents and then each parent needs to raise more than 600$ by the end of the season in fundraising and such. This is by getting sponsors and stuff for the club, and more. If not, you pay the price.

Just out of curiosity, does every gym do this? What kind of tasks, roles & responsibilities does the gym give you as a volunteer parent of a gymnast? Just tryna wrap my head around this

 

[gym_dad32608]

No, every gym does not do this. While I have only been involved with two gyms, I suspect that fewer and fewer gyms have booster clubs because of the drama and overhead. It sounds like your gym has a 501c4 or Social Club booster organization versus a 501c3 or Charity organization. Many high school bands have booster groups organized this way. The way it works in theory is before the season, the booster leadership works with gym to identify meets/expenses for year, they come up with some target contribution amount and then set individual targets for booster members to raise. With bands for example it could be to fund a band trip to march in a parade. Booster members can either "donate" that amount or volunteer at events where the booster club makes money, so for gyms it could be a meet doing things like set-up, ticket sales, concessions, etc.
As a social club they can make membership mandatory, as a charity organization they cannot. The whole idea behind this is so that come competition season you should be paying little to no meet entry fees and such, Versus where you can see other posts talking about having to pay $1500 a season. I very much dislike gyms with booster organizations, I find there is too much drama associated and they very rarely follow the rules. It just leads to bitterness and acrimony, "why did that parent get the easy volunteer spot", "I heard so and so didn't do all their hours", etc, etc.

 

[Madden3]

So im quite new to this world of gymnastics and just received the contract for our boy’s pre-competitive program.

Our gym requires a mandatory 12 hours of volunteering for parents and then each parent needs to raise more than 600$ by the end of the season in fundraising and such. This is by getting sponsors and stuff for the club, and more. If not, you pay the price.

Just out of curiosity, does every gym do this? What kind of tasks, roles & responsibilities does the gym give you as a volunteer parent of a gymnast? Just tryna wrap my head around this

Meet fees, coach compensation and insurance for meets and coach travel expenses have to be paid somehow. Some gyms also offer travel expense help to athletes. Either these costs are entirely out of parent's pocket or there is some kind of fundraising entity and/or process to offset the out of pocket costs. What I am not getting is why you have to do this if your child is in a "pre competitive program" meaning, I assume, your child is not going to any competitions this season. So why should you pay for competing? That seems fishy!

 

[Carly]

The only volunteering that we were required to do was to work 2 shifts (4 hours each) at a meet that the gym hosted every year.

 

[NYGymfamily]

Volunteering is not required, but recommended for us. Our gym hosts a meet at the beginning of the season and sometimes a state meet. If you volunteer twice at all the meets hosted by our gym, you get a $50 credit on assessment fees.

 

[SuperDad7]

Meet fees, coach compensation and insurance for meets and coach travel expenses have to be paid somehow. Some gyms also offer travel expense help to athletes. Either these costs are entirely out of parent's pocket or there is some kind of fundraising entity and/or process to offset the out of pocket costs. What I am not getting is why you have to do this if your child is in a "pre competitive program" meaning, I assume, your child is not going to any competitions this season. So why should you pay for competing? That seems fishy!

That was the big thing I couldn’t understand. I thought it was me just not knowing how gymnastics works lol.

 

[Madden3]

That was the big thing I couldn’t understand. I thought it was me just not knowing how gymnastics works lol.

You will have to ask them what the deal is. I suppose it is possible there is some kind of thing where developmental team members help pay meet costs for a season with the expectation the same will be done for them when THEY compete. Seems sketchy though to be honest. Gymnastics is a great sport for boys. Just make sure you understand what your child's gym expects of you.

 

[Klaws]

I would LOVE if volunteering was an expectation of our contracts! I’m going to suggest this. We have no end of trouble with parents not volunteering at competitions and sometimes others have to move heaven and earth to make the comps go ahead - and those parents are sitting in the stands watching the comp. For reference, in our gym, the best viewpoint is from on the floor so it in your interests to volunteer!

The fundraising is a bit steep though. It’s expensive enough to keep up with your own fees etc let alone fundraising as well!

 

[LemonLime]

Small fact. If you are volunteering for the gym and not the independent 501(c)(3) associated with the activities that may occur at the gym, the gym needs to issue you a W2 for your earned wages or they have committed tax fraud. I appreciate mandatory volunteer hours are standard in youth sport, but that doesn't make it legal. Around 2004 and again in 2015, the IRS cracked down on this practice with on-site examinations. Not fun.

If you are a beneficiary of an independent 501(c)(3), the entity can require you work, sell and fundraise to receive those benefits.

 

[Klaws]

Ah…not here mate.

 

[skschlag]

If you are a beneficiary of an independent 501(c)(3), the entity can require you work, sell and fundraise to receive those benefits.

I do not think they can require you work, sell, fundraise. in fact, that is the biggest complaint about 501c3s is that a small number of people typically do the work, but everyone reaps the benefits (depending on the structure of the 501c3)

 

[Carly]

I find it very strange that you have to volunteer and fundraise for pre-team. I've never heard of that before. There was no contract at either of the 2 gyms that my kid went to until you were formally accepted to team and committed to competing for the season. Comp season was late fall until spring. Kids were formally invited to team in May and we did not have to commit and sign a contract until mid August.

 

[twinmomma]

I do not think they can require you work, sell, fundraise. in fact, that is the biggest complaint about 501c3s is that a small number of people typically do the work, but everyone reaps the benefits (depending on the structure of the 501c3)

Correct, you cannot be REQUIRED to work. Huge problem with our boosters as well.

 

[SuperDad7]

Correct, you cannot be REQUIRED to work. Huge problem with our boosters as well.

How do you guys handle that problem with your boosters?

 

[SuperDad7]

I find it very strange that you have to volunteer and fundraise for pre-team. I've never heard of that before. There was no contract at either of the 2 gyms that my kid went to until you were formally accepted to team and committed to competing for the season. Comp season was late fall until spring. Kids were formally invited to team in May and we did not have to commit and sign a contract until mid August.

Glad were on the same page. They mentioned they do ‘friendly’ comps with pre team boys from other gyms once a year. Thats about it. Not sure if that counts.

 

[SuperDad7]

Small fact. If you are volunteering for the gym and not the independent 501(c)(3) associated with the activities that may occur at the gym, the gym needs to issue you a W2 for your earned wages or they have committed tax fraud. I appreciate mandatory volunteer hours are standard in youth sport, but that doesn't make it legal. Around 2004 and again in 2015, the IRS cracked down on this practice with on-site examinations. Not fun.

If you are a beneficiary of an independent 501(c)(3), the entity can require you work, sell and fundraise to receive those benefits.

I think it might be different since were a gym located in Ontario, Canada