WAG Gymnasts staying with coaches while travelling

[kandkfunk]

Our gym does one big travelling meet per season. This year we are headed to Phoenix (Yay sun!), but there are many parents who are not able to attend this meet with their child. Instead, their female gymnasts are planning to stay in the same hotel room as our female coaches. I was reading through a team handbook from our old gym that is now closed (from about 2004), and there was a statement that it is against USAG rules for gymnasts to room with coaches. I have never heard of this rule before and I am wondering if anyone with access to the rules can confirm or deny.

I should add that all the girls who will be travelling without parents are 14 or above.

Thanks!

 

[marie83]

I know that here it would be a big no no, regardless of age!

 

[gymmomtotwo]

I see no reason why the girls can't stay in a room near the coaches. We started staying in hotel rooms for traveling at age 11 with adult chaperones nearby. Schools and other sports teams do so all the time

 

[iwannacoach]

Separate rooms with a bedtime and bed check done by one of the parents and a coach. The parents that are staying home are already saving $, so a little spent rooms.... 4 kids to a room (chosen strategically to separate co-enabling crazies) has worked for me with no problems.....that I know of.

 

[kandkfunk]

The same statement I read also said that, per USAG rules, there must be an adult over the age of 18 in each hotel room. I find it odd that USAG would make these rules and that's why I am trying to confirm if they really exist.

From a logical standpoint, I agree that high school age gymnasts can probably stay in their own rooms with chaperones near by. Just not sure if there are really rules against these practices.

 

[txgymfan]

I agree that letting the kids stay near the chaperones makes sense, with a bed check. Personally, I object to making anyone share a bed. I don't sleep well with others and don't think kids should be that close to another while sleeping and I would not have slept well. That said, I know its an accepted idea to allow girls (or boys, or even women on a trip) to share beds.

 

[gymmomtoo]

When our girls travel with coaches, the girls stay in a room with other gymnasts (4 to a room, so they do share a bed)--coaches are in separate rooms. I didn't realize USAG made rules about it.

 

[gymdog]

I've never heard of USAG making any such rules and personally I don't see a problem with a female coach in the room, especially with more than one child. I guess it might not be the "perfect way" nowadays but I wouldn't have an issue sending my child with a trusted coach this way. Now, I'm sure the coaches would rather have separate rooms

 

[coachmolly]

Gymnasts room together (taking age into consideration so you don't have a room full of 7 year olds) and coaches and parents stay in neighboring rooms to keep tabs on the kids, check on any noises/problems, and to serve as a "go to" for any issues that might come up. If a parent is not okay with this set up or their child has special circumstances to consider, they need to come along or find a parent who will be attending that can chaperone their child. I know plenty of parents that would trust their kid to stay in a hotel room with a coach, but it just has the potential to cause too many issues for a coach.
I attended a travel meet with 2 of my girls last year and the HC and I had to share a room with the 2 gymnasts as that's how the school worked it out. It was terribly uncomfortable for me as a coach with all of the sexual abuse cases in the news lately, not because I would ever do anything, but because it puts me in a situation where a kid could say anything they wanted and I wouldn't have anything to say to the contrary. And this was a slightly better situation as we had 2 coaches with the kids, so no one was unattended, but it's still a scary place for a coach to be.

 

[gymdog]

Really? I wouldn't be scared in the least. Unless the child had some sort of pathological lying problem or it was one coach with one child. 99.9% of the time, I wouldn't think about it except for how annoying it would be to basically be on childcare duty 24/7 and not be paid for it. THAT'S why I advocate for separate rooms. If I was male it would be 100% different, but realistically 2 female coaches with 2 children is a low risk situation in my opinion.

 

[coachmolly]

I think it would have been different had I known the parents of the children. I only knew them enough to pick them out of a crowd, but beyond that had never held a conversation with them or gotten to know them. They knew nothing about me as a coach, as a person, or my character. They were not club kids I had coached for years, but HS athletes who I had known for 3 months. They were also problematic throughout the season and had a lot of resentment towards the HC and myself. So it was a bit of a stickier situation than I would have liked. Though I am fully aware that I am very much overly cautious when it comes to this issue.

 

[gymdog]

I think it would have been different had I known the parents of the children. I only knew them enough to pick them out of a crowd, but beyond that had never held a conversation with them or gotten to know them. They knew nothing about me as a coach, as a person, or my character. They were not club kids I had coached for years, but HS athletes who I had known for 3 months. They were also problematic throughout the season and had a lot of resentment towards the HC and myself. So it was a bit of a stickier situation than I would have liked. Though I am fully aware that I am very much overly cautious when it comes to this issue.

Okay, that's fair. It's a very different situation than I coach in and it sounds like the OP is with a USAG club team. If it was kids with resentment or attitude issues I'd probably outright refuse on those grounds, if the kid can't behave and be respectful their parent can take them or they can not go (I know high school it's not really your choice, that's just my feeling).

 

[Deleted member D3987]

USA Gymnastics doesn't have rules on this. they are recommendations. and call me old fashion...i wouldn't have a problem as a coach or as a parent if my daughter stayed in a room with female coaches and as long as the coaches weren't doing things they otherwise would do with adults. and in fact, when my daughter was a gymnast she did.

i hate to bring up the banned list...but there is only 1 female on that list. and what she did was with underage boys.

this topic could go in a lot of different directions if you know what i mean...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

The same statement I read also said that, per USAG rules, there must be an adult over the age of 18 in each hotel room. I find it odd that USAG would make these rules and that's why I am trying to confirm if they really exist.

From a logical standpoint, I agree that high school age gymnasts can probably stay in their own rooms with chaperones near by. Just not sure if there are really rules against these practices.

not rules. they are recommendations.

 

[Deanna]

Well, I know that last season one of our L9s parents just couldn't get away to go to Regionals. The girl went with the coach and shared a room with her. I know that if and when my DD makes it to that level if we are not able to make it to something like that, then I wouldn't have an issue with her being with that coach.
I do know that there is a rule, I believe it is the gyms rule, that no gymnast is to ride to or from a meet with the coach, in their personal vehicle.
But when they went to Regionals, they flew out there then the coach had rented a car..so it technically wasn't "her" car..lol

 

[CoachGoofy]

Back in the day I shared a room with a coach when I was a teenager-my mom was a chain smoker & my younger sister is a bed hog & I leapt at the chance. This was manymany years ago & that gym, like the one I work for now, has a very family dynamic.

Traveling with the athletes now, I want multiple other people around at all times. We've taken athletes who don't have a parent with them (mostly older) but I wouldn't want to share a room with just one athlete unless they were older, like I was when I shared with my coach. It's better to have everyone's butts covered.

 

[kandkfunk]

Our gym owner just heard back from USAG today, and while they very strongly discourage athletes and coaches from sharing rooms, there is not a specific rule. However, they couldn't stress enough how much they discourage the practice.

Sounds like maybe having older girls share a room, as long as the hotel and parents are ok with it and there are chaperones nearby, is a better option.

 

[gymgurl]

I don't have any personal experience with this but our club recently went out of state for a comp and on the trip were 3 coaches and a few parents. I do know that at least one (i think it may only have been one) had to share with the coaches. It was going to be me if i went as I am closer in age to my coaches than some of my teammates. For rooming they did it mainly on age and who work well together. I personally wouldn't have an issue sharing a room with coaches, but having said that I am technically an adult now and the coaches are (for the most part) within 3 years of my age.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

When dd traveled with Team Ontario she stayed in a room with 3 other girls. Coach stayed across the hall and the girls had a card for her room if they needed her and she of course had a card for their room.

The coach is also the mom of 3 athletes in the program. I wouldn't have a problem with dd staying with any of the coaches, but in general they stay together in a room nearby. They want their own privacy too.

 

[wallinbl]

I do know that there is a rule, I believe it is the gyms rule, that no gymnast is to ride to or from a meet with the coach, in their personal vehicle.

That's probably related to the gym's insurance policy.