Cost of gymnastics

[born2flip06]

I have to say I agree with everyone. My DD (who is 6) started at 5 and went right onto a pre-team and loved it. Although she is probably the shyest little girl I have EVER known. She never said one word to her coach for almost 3 months and he asked me if she was liking it because she never talks. I told him he was a hero in our house and she never shuts up about him. She is just very shy. She has again started to train with him at a new gym and she told him about 5 weeks ago that he was like her big brother and she loved being at the gym with him. He said it melted his heart to hear something like that come from such a shy little girl. She now doesn't shut up around him but will only talk to him at the gym. We are still trying to break her out of that shell with other kids and she is slowly getting there but she just shines at the gym. It's her silent way of saying to everyone "look at what I can do!" As far as gymnastics being worth it. OH YEAH!!!!! I just need to get a better paying job to afford her meet fees and monthly tuition as a L5. I will do everything in my power to let her do just that if she wants to. She has so much more confidence in herself and what she is capable of doing and that's not all. So to make a long story short, I don't care what it costs if she wants to continue with it and go as far as she can I will do everything I can to support her no mater what.

 

[bribri514]

gymnastics is so expensive!! my gym is really cheap because it's through the Rec District even though we did USAG. when i was 9 i got to go to TOPS national camp, because USAG paid for it. but when i was 12 and qualified for nationals, i couldn't go, b/c my mom couldn't afford it (our gym doesn't have much money and my mom was too proud to ask my aunt or uncle on my dad's side who like to pay for things for me and my sister). money is part of why i had to quit eventually (stopped doing JO in 9, 10 and 11th grade, back in it tho!) b/c of gas and travel time to go the hour each way to practice. my mom had to work and couldn't drive me ne more.

i was on the pre-elite track but my mom couldn't (partially because of money) move near the only elite gym in our state and wouldn't send me to live with another family (once again part of b/c it was too expensive). sometimes i get jealous when i see girls who's families can pay for all their travel and meets and everything (even if they take out morgages, my mom couldn't do that) so they can go for elite. or when i see kids who live where i live who's parents drive them all across the state for ski races and stuff.

stupid money. i love gymnastics and hate when money gets in the way. hopefully i'm getting a partial scholarship tho! yay! for the first time i wouldn't have pay a ton to do gymnastics!

sorry for the long rant!

 

[bogwoppit]

Yes, gymnastics is expensive.

I know for sure that many of you US based parents pay a lot more money than I do for gym. US gyms attend many meets that are very expensive, entry fees and family travel add up quickly. Leos and warm up costs seem to be ridiculous. Many of you have booster fees, equipment fees, monthly training fees and summer training obligations, team training leos etc etc.

I am wondering whether even with the post Olympic influx of gymnasts in the rec levels, will many team gymnasts be forced to quit due to the economic slow down?

Most parents say that they will do whatever they can to keep their child in the gym, but at the end of the day extra curricualr sports, like gymnastics, are a luxury and a priviledge. How far will parents go for their childs dream, their dream even, to keep a child in gym?

Families are cutting back now, will we see that reflected in declining numbers in gyms where the fees and expectations are huge?

Our gym situation is relatively inexpensive and self limiting, the girls cannot train more than 11 hours a week, that is all there is. They only do 3/4 meets a year, and only one meet really will involve travel and a hotel. Leos are made by a local couturier and are cheap. Summer training and camps are all options that we can choose not to particiapte in if times get tough.

Of course, as you all know by now, we have never had our eyes on the Elite levels, so our kids are in gym solely for their love of it and what it gives to them in terms of personal growth.

Anyway, I got off on a ramble there, but you know what I mean. Parents can only support gymnastics as long as they can afford it, many of our girls may have to stop due to financial issues, it is a harsh reality of life. They are many children sitting at home with more Olympic potentail than most of our kids and we'll never even know that they exist, their parents simply could not afford to even begin the marathon, let alone complete it.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I am not sure if it is worth it but I would not have the heart to take my daughter out of gymnastics because she loves it. Luckily we have a great booster club where we are able to fund raise alot of our fees and I am lucky enough to be in a profession where I can pick up alot of overtime. The girl who qualified to nationals and had to quit because of money just broke my heart, it is really ashame that there isn't so kind of funding to help kids compete who are really talented.

 

[bogwoppit]

I am not sure if it is worth it but I would not have the heart to take my daughter out of gymnastics because she loves it. Luckily we have a great booster club where we are able to fund raise alot of our fees and I am lucky enough to be in a profession where I can pick up alot of overtime. The girl who qualified to nationals and had to quit because of money just broke my heart, it is really ashame that there isn't so kind of funding to help kids compete who are really talented.

But does being talented mean a child deserves it more than a child who isn't?

 

[all-aroundgirl]

No it doesn't. But it really depends the child's attitude.

 

[Gymgrl111]

That is awesome Teamdad!!
My mom is one of my coaches, so i get a discount. so mine is about 180, but without the discount its about 285. yes, that is just for the FIRST LEVEL!!!!! our gym is way overpriced. but i think it is worth it, b/c i work very hard to acheive my goals.

 

[Flip5424]

Thank godness my parents pay the bills and I only live half an hour away from my gym so I am lucky

 

[bribri514]

But does being talented mean a child deserves it more than a child who isn't?

not to sound bitter, but the way it works now, at least in the US pre-elite program and upper level USAG stuff, is that athletes who have more resources (money, parents able to devote time to practices, etc.) "get" it more than those who don't. id rather it be accessible to talented athletes instead of just ones who are well off.

 

[bogwoppit]

It is true BriBri, the world is certainly full of the haves and have nots. Many girls have left our gym due to financial issues, some had potential to go much further, other really didn't have potential but loved the sport. As a parent I feel both types of child deserve to be able to enjoy gymnastics, or whatever extra curricular activity they choose, but sadly it isn't a reality.

All sports are very expensive once you take them beyond the rec stage. The world is full of potential Olympians that we'll never have the pleasure to meet. The world is also full of little girls who would love the chance to just try gym.

There is one little girl playing gymnastics my basement now with my daughter. She would love to do gym, but it is just not in the family budget. So she and my little one are doing routines, handing out medals and making the most of what they've got.

I've always told my kids not to say "it's not fair!" , because life is not fair and never will be. Hopefully they can still fulfill some of their dreams, but they also have to realise that there are limits too.

Being a parent isn't easy, and making those tough choices can be heartbreaking. No parent wants to stop there little girls from doing their favourite thing. Sometimes it's about money, other times it maybe about time or distance or family life.

Hard choices.

 

[all-aroundgirl]

Naturally....

 

[NYgymfan]

I've always told my kids not to say "it's not fair!" , because life is not fair and never will be. Hopefully they can still fulfill some of their dreams, but they also have to realise that there are limits too.

Yes, it is true that life isn't fair. But I don't think people should use "life isn't fair" as an excuse, because we can always work and try our hardest to make life more fair then it is now. Unfortunately those on the receiving end of "life isn't fair" are usually the ones most able to change the injustices and inequities of the world, but don't because they won't benefit as much from it.

 

[all-aroundgirl]

I totally agree.