WAG Inequitable training hours

[owwibfma]

Hi!
I have a question about how gyms handle training hours between squads. At our gym, there is a [seemingly] "favourite" squad who has always had the privilege to get more training hours and special opportunities over other squads at our gym. For example, when the squad was training for level 8 two years ago, they trained 20 hours per week. As well, when they were in level 6 (3 years ago) the head WAG coach (who is also this squad's coach) organized special training opportunities at other gyms for them - and only them.

Now, my daughter is training for level 8 and her squad is only getting 16 hours per week. As well, the special training opportunities are now only for levels 9-10 (the favourite squad, and not anyone else). My daughter is getting really annoyed at this inequity and I am too. We pay the same hourly rate as this other squad but don't seem to be given equal opportunities. I'm just wondering if this is normal - Are the athletes in the "top" squad generally given more privileges or is this just happening at our gym?

Any advice on how to address this with the WAG head coach or gym owners without making them mad? Or do we just let it go?

And no, there's no other competitive gym in town that we could move to.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice anyone might have!

 

[NutterButter]

While not the norm, it's definitely not unusual that there is a training group that is treated differently (ie, TOPS, HOPES, number of hours, homeschool kids only, etc). My concern would be if you are paying the same flat amount as the group with more hours. It makes sense that the hourly rate would be the same but I would assume you are paying for 16 hrs/week instead of 20.

If you are happy with the quality of training, I wouldn't say anything - mostly because it sounds like you don't have any other gym options anyways. If your daughter would like to be in that other group, then it doesn't hurt to ask if she can move over. 16 hours for L8 is appropriate assuming the gym knows how to be efficient with training. Do hours go up for L9/L10?

 

[Dahlialover]

Life ain’t fair. Unless you want life to get even less fair, keep your mouth shut.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Totally normal at our gym, training hours and groups aren't set by level necessarily, coaches put the girls who can handle the extra training in the special groups. Its hard as parents to come to the realization that our own kid may not belong in the group when of course we think they deserve the world. I've been on both sides of this with my daughter, and in hindsight I can look back and see exactly why she was or was not placed in certain groups. You need to accept it and trust that the coach has your daughter in the group where she will be most successful.

 

[gymgal]

are you paying the same tuition for 16hrs as the more advanced group is for 20+hours? That would not be right. As for the special training and the change in the number of hours year to year, this can happen as the gym evolves. They may have determined that they can do more with less training hours, saving the unnecessary repetition on the gymnast bodies. And the special training may be evolving to help the coach learn better coaching techniques from other gyms and/or utilize pits, etc that your gym doesn't have. Could just be a numbers issue or the staff decided that it really didn't benefit the lower level girls as much as they had hoped. You really won't know until/unless these begin to be offered to a lower level when they are not being offered to your group. From the outside, it looks like playing favorites but from the inside, it really is just logistical decision making. It happened several times with my dd, on both sides of favorability and I get the frustration but try not to take it personally - unless, as I asked in the beginning, you are paying the same amount of tuition for significantly less hours.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Thats a good point about the payment, I'd be mad if I was paying the same amount of money for less hours.

 

[Carly]

If you are actually paying the same hourly rate for 16 hours as the group that is doing 20 hours, I would be happy about that. They are paying more for more practice hours. At both gyms my dd went to, we paid more per hour for less hours than other groups that did more hours. They still paid more but not per hour. The coaches were the same.

So, this is for girls in higher levels that are getting different opportunities? It's not some level 8s are and some are not? That seems to be normal to me. We often have only certain levels go to some great travel meets and rarely a special training session but they pay for it and it is not worth the time/cost for the other levels. Maybe the current level 8 group is just not ready for these training sessions yet or maybe they are trying to save you some money and waiting until your group moves up to level 9.

I helped out the owner of a dance studio where my kid went and people would often complain about stuff to me. If I knew why something was done that they were complaining about, I would explain the reason and they were usually satisfied and didn't realize that there was a good reason why something was changed. Maybe this is the case here.

 

[owwibfma]

Life ain’t fair. Unless you want life to get even less fair, keep your mouth shut.

Yes, I get that - we live it every day in the gym! . I guess I just wish the privileged squad could get a taste of that life lesson at some point too. Thanks for your advice.

 

[owwibfma]

While not the norm, it's definitely not unusual that there is a training group that is treated differently (ie, TOPS, HOPES, number of hours, homeschool kids only, etc). My concern would be if you are paying the same flat amount as the group with more hours. It makes sense that the hourly rate would be the same but I would assume you are paying for 16 hrs/week instead of 20.

If you are happy with the quality of training, I wouldn't say anything - mostly because it sounds like you don't have any other gym options anyways. If your daughter would like to be in that other group, then it doesn't hurt to ask if she can move over. 16 hours for L8 is appropriate assuming the gym knows how to be efficient with training. Do hours go up for L9/L10?

Thanks. I appreciate your thoughts. And yes, hours go up to 20 for Level 9/10.

 

[owwibfma]

Totally normal at our gym, training hours and groups aren't set by level necessarily, coaches put the girls who can handle the extra training in the special groups. Its hard as parents to come to the realization that our own kid may not belong in the group when of course we think they deserve the world. I've been on both sides of this with my daughter, and in hindsight I can look back and see exactly why she was or was not placed in certain groups. You need to accept it and trust that the coach has your daughter in the group where she will be most successful.

Thanks! I appreciate your perspective very much!

 

[owwibfma]

are you paying the same tuition for 16hrs as the more advanced group is for 20+hours? That would not be right. As for the special training and the change in the number of hours year to year, this can happen as the gym evolves. They may have determined that they can do more with less training hours, saving the unnecessary repetition on the gymnast bodies. And the special training may be evolving to help the coach learn better coaching techniques from other gyms and/or utilize pits, etc that your gym doesn't have. Could just be a numbers issue or the staff decided that it really didn't benefit the lower level girls as much as they had hoped. You really won't know until/unless these begin to be offered to a lower level when they are not being offered to your group. From the outside, it looks like playing favorites but from the inside, it really is just logistical decision making. It happened several times with my dd, on both sides of favorability and I get the frustration but try not to take it personally - unless, as I asked in the beginning, you are paying the same amount of tuition for significantly less hours.

Thanks! I appreciate that perspective. We are paying the same hourly rate, not the same flat rate - thank goodness! ha

 

[owwibfma]

If you are actually paying the same hourly rate for 16 hours as the group that is doing 20 hours, I would be happy about that. They are paying more for more practice hours. At both gyms my dd went to, we paid more per hour for less hours than other groups that did more hours. They still paid more but not per hour. The coaches were the same.

So, this is for girls in higher levels that are getting different opportunities? It's not some level 8s are and some are not? That seems to be normal to me. We often have only certain levels go to some great travel meets and rarely a special training session but they pay for it and it is not worth the time/cost for the other levels. Maybe the current level 8 group is just not ready for these training sessions yet or maybe they are trying to save you some money and waiting until your group moves up to level 9.

I helped out the owner of a dance studio where my kid went and people would often complain about stuff to me. If I knew why something was done that they were complaining about, I would explain the reason and they were usually satisfied and didn't realize that there was a good reason why something was changed. Maybe this is the case here.

Thanks for your reply. There are some athletes in another squad at level 8 that are getting 18 hours / week when my daughter is getting 16 / week as a level 8. Not much of it makes sense, but there's a lot in this sport I don't understand - or like. However, my daughter is 100% passionate and eager and dedicated to this sport and so that's why it feels like she's getting the short end of the stick when she would do ANYTHING to get more hours. She would train for 30 hours per week if she could. ha (of course as a parent I fully appreciate not having to pay more for the extra training and opportunities). It's kind of a win-win (or lose-lose) situation!