Parents Is it customary to give coaches a gift?

[Muffinsmom]

DD is wrapping up her Level 1 season and there is an awards "banquet", for lack of a better word, at the end of May. Is it customary/ expected to take up a collection from the parents and give the coaches (4 of them) a thank you gift? If so, how much per family is normal and what do you buy them?

 

[cbifoja]

At our gym usually the whole team gives their particular coach a present. So all the level threes pool their money and buy a present for the level III coach. And then each level does that.

 

[Anna's_Mom]

Our team collects funds for coach's gifts at the end of the season and the usual request is $20 per family to cover three gifts. It's one of those other expenses that add up with the sport and make me feel crazy occasionally. And I don't buy the team yearbook, the parent t-shirt or the other stuff that always seems to crop up.

I have noticed that some families also give individual gifts to coaches and that sort of bothers me since it isn't possible for all of us to do that.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

At Christmas, yes. Dd's gym has event coaches so she has 8 coaches! So, no, not at the end of the season.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

What do you buy them?

It's customary to buy your coach a new car, preferably a Tesla or a Lamborgini.

....

Barring that, most of us love steak and most of us love wine, and most of us can't afford to have either in the quality or quantity we might like. A bottle of nice wine or a gift card for a local steakhouse is a surefire way to make a coach very happy.

 

[ZJsMom]

Our booster club funds the end of the year coaches' gifts. Our family, and I suspect a lot of others, gives them gift cards around the holidays.

 

[IreneKa]

Yes, the boosters collect the money ($10 per family I think), and buy the gifts for all the coaches to present at the end of the season banquet. It's usually a gift card, or a gift basket, or something like that.

 

[mobeans]

We do gifts on our own at Christmastime.

 

[Muddlethru]

The booster collects $50/gymnast for end of the year gifts for 4 coaches. An individual mom also collects "donations" of $50/gymnast for Christmas gifts to the same coaches. The same mom last year collected $30/gymnast for our HC's birthday and she collected also collected $20/gymnast for each birthday of the other 3 coaches. The booster club makes it clear the other collections are not booster related. Without conpletely giving myself away, the HC got a $1,200 gift item and the rest was used for a party at the gym. The other female coaches got coach purses or jewelry. The mom who collects money says she is merely making a suggestion on the amount to give and we can give whatever we can afford.

I don't advocate the above. Many of the parents are complaining.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Wow. That's a LOT of money. I'm trying to not sound like a complete jerk but I would not be OK with handing over $50 for a coaches' gift, twice a year... And also Bdays gifts etc. I DO appreciate our coaches and try to give them small gifts for special occasions so they know they are appreciated but $50..? Around Xmas time? No way, sorry coaches, I have 3-4coaches, 5 dance teachers and school teachers to show appreciation for, not to mention other family & friends...

In answer to the OP, I do try to give something small to the coaches both around the holidays and at the end of the year. I make handcrafted artisan body care items and I sew, so usually my go-to gifts are handmade and didn't cost me a fortune. I'd like to do gift cards etc, but being on a tight budget and having quite a few teachers/coaches to buy for, that would put me in the $100 range if I bought them each a measly $10 Starbucks card...
Some people did give coaches small gifts at the end of year banquet, but not all and it was all done fairly casual.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

We do it. At Christmas, everyone is on their own, but end of season, yes... From the team. But we stipulate, give what you can. There's no set dollar amount, and everyone is included and encouraged to sign the card. We celebrate their birth dates, too with a balloon bouquet and maybe cookies and a card.

 

[GymCMLA]

At Christmas it is individual gifts from families. At banquet, the boosters pay for the gifts. Always gift cards. Last year I had all the girls write a note to each coach on squares and compiled them on a ribbon with hand made thank you notes. This year, we are doing flowers in a "pop bottle" vase and gift cards with hand made thank you notes.

 

[munchkin3]

I always give money.....we will see how this year goes though......we just went from 3 coaches to 6!!!!

 

[blueredzone]

I don't understand how some people can complain about asking for money for coaches gifts. I think $20 per family is totally okay. These ppl spend more time with our kids than we do in some circumstances.

Don't give me the I can't afford it crap either. These ppl have kids in gymnastics it's an expensive sport. If they can't afford a $20 bill going towards a coaches gift. Then how they heck do they afford the $20-$40 increase in monthly payment when the kids move up a level?

Sorry if I come out as rude or difficult. But we have an issue with parents not wanting to give the $20 for a gift for coaches.

 

[blueredzone]

Double post

 

[sce]

I don't understand how some people can complain about asking for money for coaches gifts. I think $20 per family is totally okay. These ppl spend more time with our kids than we do in some circumstances.

Don't give me the I can't afford it crap either. These ppl have kids in gymnastics it's an expensive sport. If they can't afford a $20 bill going towards a coaches gift. Then how they heck do they afford the $20-$40 increase in monthly payment when the kids move up a level?

Sorry if I come out as rude or difficult. But we have an issue with parents not wanting to give the $20 for a gift for coaches.

Can you come across as any more rude and opinionated. I mean, I get what you're saying but really? There are people that truly struggle for their child to do the activity, extras add up. Is one $20 payment a hardship? Probably not, but if it's one of many extras it adds up. Also, some people carefully budget, and budget out the tuition fees etc, extras can end up being just that extras beyond their budget.

As well the OP asked a general question to understand what might be normal/expected, presumably to plan ahead. Second, some of the above posters are asked to pay far more than $20/year for a gifts. Where is the limit on it not being okay?

 

[gymbeam]

blueredzone, consider these two scenarios before assumung every family pays their own gym expenditures and therefore can afford your $20 request:

1)some gyms have "scholarship" programs for families who struggle and, naturally, they don't make it public knowledge which gymnasts are recipients.
2)some gymnasts fess are paid by other family members such as grandparents.

 

[gymbeam]

oh, and also, some people prefer to make their own gift choices. i'm one of those a lot of times. i prefer to bargain shop throughout the year for things like this versus having to buy for everyone all at one time right at christmas.

 

[bogwoppit]

I always bought our coaches wine and chocolate. I figured they deserved both after dealing with kids all day.

 

[sce]

II figured they deserved both after dealing with kids all day.

True that