Off Topic Gym staff, parents and Facebook

[BPD304]

So, I have noticed as I have become friends on FB with other gym parents that several (not all) are also friends with some of our coaches. Now, I can say most of these coaches are 20-24 yrs old and the moms are all 35 and up...

It made me wonder if coaches are comfortable sharing their private life with gym parents or do they accept the request out respect for parents.

I am not bashing one way or another just curious how coaches feel. I understand that some coaches/parents develop a friendship after many years in the gym and I think it is great when that happens.

I am not friends with any coaches on FB. (Not because I don't like them but I want to respect their private life outside of the gym... )

 

[Iwannabemargo]

hmm, I have only just become FB friends with Pinks coaches, I avoided it for years but 2 I have known for 9 years and there were lots of group chats going over summer for training times etc. I am only friends with the adult coaches. I know a few who have 2 accounts, public and private

 

[gymjunkie]

I'm closer in age to the parents who friend me, but the only thing that drives me crazy is when parents tag me on everything related to their daughter. It confuses my own friends and distant family who aren't too savvy on FB. They sometimes think the pictures are of my own kids. Also it is annoying when a parent posts more pictures on my FB page of their child than I post of my own!

 

[BachFlyer]

Our coaches have a strict rule, no "friends" with any parents or gymnasts on ANY social media sites.

 

[Sari]

I'm not friends with any gym parents on Facebook.

Some of them text me more than others though I wouldn't consider any of them my friends, mostly for reasons the OP alludes to (me being 22 while most of them are in their mid to late thirties). We talk, yes, we might even joke from time to time, but I'd still feel awkward befriending any of them. Maybe that'll change once I catch up age-wise (those would obviously be different parents).

 

[ZJsMom]

Frankly, Facebook isn't that "in" anymore for young people. I think when the use it, it is more formal than other social media, so I'm imagining most coaches are comfortable with it for this reason.

 

[raenndrops]

Our HC only accepts friend requests from her relatives and friends that live out-of-state. Most of the parents don't even know she has a fb acct.

I accept friend requests from the parents... it makes it easier for them to reach me when I am not at gym. I am also friends with several coaches, some former gymnasts, some former students, and friends and family.

I do remember to set the audience for my specific posts and pics ... limiting them to the appropriate audiences. Maybe this is what those coaches that accept the parents as friends do?

 

[BPD304]

Frankly, Facebook isn't that "in" anymore for young people. I think when the use it, it is more formal than other social media, so I'm imagining most coaches are comfortable with it for this reason.

Very true! My neighbor is a senior in HS and she said while she has FB she stopped using it about 2-3 years ago. She said FB was for "old" people

 

[mandkmom]

I'm friends with all the coaches. Some friended me, some I friended. This is the norm at my gym. They enjoy seeing the pics of the kids from meets.
I'm guessing they may filter some of what they share...but who knows. They are all nice, mid 20s (except gym owner who is my age).

 

[MILgymFAM]

My fourteen year old and her friends use fb still, and she is friends with three of her old coaches on there. I am friends with four of her old coaches and one of my YDDs current coaches. I wouldn't normally be friends with a current coach, but he sometimes shares videos of the kids learning new skills (with permissions) and I like to see. He's moving across the country in January so I guess he'll be an "old" coach soon enough anyway.

 

[ascarter1]

I'm friends with all the coaches. Some friended me, some I friended. This is the norm at my gym. They enjoy seeing the pics of the kids from meets.
I'm guessing they may filter some of what they share...but who knows. They are all nice, mid 20s (except gym owner who is my age).

Me too!

 

[duyetanh]

Very true! My neighbor is a senior in HS and she said while she has FB she stopped using it about 2-3 years ago. She said FB was for "old" people

Hah! Well for once in my life, I am "in,"....
because I don't do facebook.
This said, I never did....so perhaps I was 'out' before I was 'in.'

 

[txgymfan]

Lots of people have stopped using Facebook. Personally, I am grateful to the friends who still use it. I don't live near most of my friends or any of my family. I feel much more connected when people post sweet simple anecdote about their lives. Cute baby pictures, gym comp updates all of it makes me smile and feel like I can share in their joy.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I mostly use it for friends and family around the globe, I remember once having a conversation with my bestie who was living in Tanzania about the F1 in Kuala Lumpur which we were both watching, gotta love the interweb

 

[txgymfan]

I also have a friend in the Middle East. We chat using messenger occasionally. It still amazes me. I remember when calling cross country was expensive.,

 

[chalkbowl]

I used to have parents as my friends on facebook, but some ugliness went down when a new gym opened down the street and many of our team parents left. Since then I have a strict no parent policy.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

I'm not friends with any parents of gymnasts I currently coach. However, I'm friends with some of my former gymnasts' parents that kind of became my "friends" in real life also. I'm 22 so I'm much younger than any of the parents but I still enjoy their company at meets and at other events. I love talking about their kids so we have a common interest I have also spent some time with parents of our gym's optionals because I judge mostly optional levels and I have traveled with them to the meets. They are super nice and I would happily accept a friend request. But I think they respect our personal lives and don't send requests because of that.

 

[IreneKa]

I'm closer in age to the parents who friend me, but the only thing that drives me crazy is when parents tag me on everything related to their daughter. It confuses my own friends and distant family who aren't too savvy on FB. They sometimes think the pictures are of my own kids. Also it is annoying when a parent posts more pictures on my FB page of their child than I post of my own!

Oh, I hate when they do that! Especially when her kid won 1st place, but mine did horribly, yet she tags the entire team on the pictures, and then her friends start congratulating her, and all of that appears on my timeline, but I just want to forget that meet ever happened and move on.

 

[Sasha]

Oh, I hate when they do that! Especially when her kid won 1st place, but mine did horribly, yet she tags the entire team on the pictures, and then her friends start congratulating her, and all of that appears on my timeline, but I just want to forget that meet ever happened and move on.

Thankful for that "Hide Post" feature for those occasions!

Interesting topic, though, as I have a few FB friends who are parents on team, and I do actually stop and think for a moment of them before I post something. I definitely don't tag them unless it's a nice team shot, or of their daughter's unique success that I happened to capture.

So far, no tag-happy gym friends (whew), though there are some family members that incessantly tag me on all those "inspiring / funny quotes" or whatever

 

[B.Gold]

^^agreed Sasha and not only do I hide posts, but I take full advantage of the block and unfollow features, I tend to "unfollow" the over indulgent mommy-braggers and I've made a very small "close friend" group where I place most of my posts, they're the people who actually care about my life.... It's about 20 people, not 500. Lol!

There are parents at the gym who don't even participate on FB. I think they're smart and I have followed their lead and left the gym FB group altogether. When my dd is older and shows interest she can become a member. It's her group, and her coaches, anyway.