Insight and Ethics question mostly to coaches . . .

[Kiwi]

I'm thinking if someone has spare tickets to something, the gym club could raffle them to raise money for the club. There's no favouritism with a raffle draw.

 

[gymgal]

I'd like to think that a gift is a gift, and can be given and received as such with-out being subjected to "review" by an ad hoc commitee of parents and coaches. The true cost of the tickets at $22.00 each, rather than the market value, should be the basis for discussion, and I see nothing wrong with a gift that costs $66.00.

It really isn't the actual cost that needs to be looked at, it's the market value. Every company that has a corporate policy on gifts will agree with this - It is not how much the individual paid but how much the gift is worth. Regardless, in most of these policies, anything over $50 by one family to an individual is usually thought to be excessive.

But I agree that most people are well meaning and if I ran across this situation, I would view it as a family trying to help the owner. I have been in situations where I could do the same, but in thinking of it further, I have opted not to for the exact reason I stated before... I would be creating a conflict of interest for thecoach and I wouldn't want them to feel unduly obligated to act differently.

 

[Muddlethru]

It really isn't the actual cost that needs to be looked at, it's the market value. Every company that has a corporate policy on gifts will agree with this - It is not how much the individual paid but how much the gift is worth. Regardless, in most of these policies, anything over $50 by one family to an individual is usually thought to be excessive.

I agree with the above.

But I agree that most people are well meaning and if I ran across this situation, I would view it as a family trying to help the owner. I have been in situations where I could do the same, but in thinking of it further, I have opted not to for the exact reason I stated before... I would be creating a conflict of interest for thecoach and I wouldn't want them to feel unduly obligated to act differently.

I also agree that most people are well meaning. But I don't see how taking a coach and their daughter or niece to the Olympic Trials helps the coach or gym owner in any way. In fact, if the coach went, we would be without our head coach for maybe 4 days! That head coach pretty much dictates and leads all the practices in the higher levels. Without this head coach at our gym, practices for optionals are pretty much useless. Whenever our head coach is gone, all that is left are inexperienced young recreational coaches. And even if our other head coach is there, she pretty much is in charge of the compulory levels. As such, my daughter is not allowed to do any skills in her level; no acro on beam and not even giants on bars! They are only supposed to do basic skills and dance. This kind of gets me. When the coach returns, we will be on vacation for almost two weeks. So my daughter will not have practice for almost three weeks, half the summer, because our gym closes one week and summer vacation in our school district is only 2 months. She'll be going level 9 and has not even done any drills to learn her release. I honestly think it is in the best interest of the gym, the family, the coach if the offer is not accepted.