Parents Do gymnastics scholarships exist?

[cbifoja]

I'm sorry but certain things ARE blocked by one's socioeconomic status, and that's not necessarily a bad thing...I don't see the point in having a family go into hock for a beginner gymnast...when she could , at age 5, be guided down a more affordable path for her family situation.

Agree. My daughter talks about becoming an elite gymnast. And maybe, if I had the income to move to a strong gym state and enroll in a high quality program....maybe she could cut it (bit maybe).

But the reality is that I am a single mother who is a public school teacher and I can't afford to send her to a program that costs $500 a month and send her to "the ranch" several times a year. So yes....that's a path I am steering her away from.

I'm trying to have her focus on what is realistic....not what could be only to get her all excited and then say "oops, sorry.....can't do it."

 

[tooootsie]

Having your kids in competitive gymnastics is a sacrifice, and once you get to that cross road you decide with your child, can we do this? In our case we have for 6 years with our kids. Competitive track for the past 3 years, now team (YIKES). But we continue them because they LOVE the sport. we struggle, they know.. and I think that makes them work THAT much harder!

 

[raenndrops]

I agree with this Raenndrops as it being their most affordable option but even $3000/yr might be a figure the family still can't manage if they are struggling to pay for one rec class....but I don't see it getting any cheaper than this. And in going back and looking at the original post , it says that the little girl is "almost 5", so she's a 4 year old, not even a kindergartener, and has plenty of time to get involved in activities, either through a Y, town or school program , that won't bring her family the financial stress that gymnastics would....

I think in this whole discussion , we need to realize that we're not pulling the rug out on a 14 year old who's been in the gymnastics world, but a little kid, a 4 year old, who would probably be open to doing anything "fun" ....

That $3000 a year I posted is the MAX for our gym. I have 2 gymmies on team and think my total for both (not counting Nationals, which we WILL be going to, but I don't have final figures on) came in at $600.
As this is a 4 year old, the most her mom would have to pay for the rec program would be $945 ... in the highest level of rec... 2 days a week... without a membership OR a scholarship, but she would most likely be eligible for a scholarship (which was what she was asking about- although this one wouldn't be gymnastics specific).

 

[Dka]

My husband and I are both public school teachers and my dd is at a very expensive gym, both of my boys are travel ice hockey players. I work an additional part time job to pay for their sports, and we have a small home in an area with good schools. Sometimes when I put in 12 hour days I know it's for them. All that we ask of them is to work hard every day and we will find a way.. It can be done, but it's not easy. I had no idea what I was getting into money wise when we started, but they are all excelling and are at a high level, so we just work as much as we can.

 

[dani4]

It's funny that this topic came up.. my kids are still little and in developmental gymnastics, but rec hours and rec prices (in an expensive city). We almost didn't put them in gymnastics this session, because our financial situation is precarious at best and we just lost the tenant in the house we own across the country, unexpectedly... I mentioned off-handedly to my MIL that it was too bad they would have to stop gymnastics, since younger DD enjoys it so much and she has obvious talent. At that moment in time older DD was kind of whining about gymnastics, so I didn't feel too bad pulling the plug on her. Well anyway MIL said "I could cover younger DD's gymnastics" and I took her up on it... then DH and I talked it over and decided to pay for older DD because she started to love it again and it has been SO good for her.. she has always been a bit delayed in the gross motor skills department and gym is better than physical therapy. Now they are both really loving it, older DD's last report card showed that she gained a lot of skills in the last session and I think she may actually be on the team someday (that is her goal).

As for affording team someday, I don't know that we will be able to but it is possible. As Natalie said, today's financial situation is not necessarily tomorrow's. First we have to sell that house (but it's worth almost nothing) then DH has to get a real job (currently he works as a community college instructor but he has the skills & education to work as an engineer and we live in a job market where he should have no problem finding a technical job that pays well). And I also think that I'm underpaid but that's debatable. And of course, someday our kids will be in public school and we won't be paying through the nose for childcare... maybe!

So I can definitely empathize with finding gymnastics expensive. I'm really glad to have found CB because I am fully aware of what we could be getting into. I am going to pull the plug if it gets to be too much... my kids do have other (cheaper) interests that I could more easily accommodate.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

While I would love to think anyone who wanted to could take gymnastics (or any other sport) I agree with Bog. It unfortunately just isn't the case.

I have an employee who wanted to send her daughter to rec gym, and we couldn't find a program she could afford. Y programs here are the same cost as private gyms.

Our family makes good money, and it is amazing how big a chunk of the budget is eaten up by DDs gymnastics, especially now when we have multiple travel meets, flights, special team travel suits, warm ups, national meet entries, hotel stays around once a month, plus regular monthly fees, and god forbid, privates.

If we were a one income family or I was a single parent, she just wouldn't have this opportunity. It's a sad thought.