Learning new compulsory routines - who pays?

[gymmom-n-coach]

Talk has started at the gym already about sending the head coach, a second coach, and gym owner (who also coaches) to Congress next year (2013?) in order to learn the new compulsory routines. It has been insinuated that the booster club should pay for this. Our boosters are struggling as it is, with many parents complaining about the mandatory fundraisers (we cover coaches fees/travel/etc for meets, team entry fees, and 50% of the gymnasts entry fees). It is going to likely be VERY expensive to send three coaches to Congress (airfare, hotel, food, and of course registration fees). How are other gyms planning on doing this? Are the boosters paying for the training? Or are you having someone come in to teach the coaches the routines?

I know it is early, but wanted to get some ideas. Thanks!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i'm confused. everything will be in written text, picture & video format. an arabesque is an arabesque. a kip is a kip. you read the the routines, show the video to the kids and they learn the routines. and they will be having regional camps to accomplish the same thing for coaches that aren't really gymnastics/people/coaches, if you understand what i mean.

i can't remember at the moment...is Congress in Hawaii in 2013?

 

[wandrewsjr]

USAG puts on what they call a "Compulsory Master Workshop" at the beginning of a new cycle, maybe this is what they are refering to? One is first weekend of June 2013 in Orlando, other is second weekend of June 2013 in Reno. I believe coaches and judges will learn the routines from Tom Koll at the workshop. Like dunno said, everything will be in text and video so it isn't NECESSARY to go. BUT it is only every 8 years, and if your head coach and owner feel it is vaulable for the coaches, I probably wouldn't rock the boat.

The biggest benefit would be to learn the routines at the same time, from the same source, as the judges. So coaches are teaching the same techinique that the judges expect. One of the symposiums is very close to us(only 3 hour drive), so likely most of the judges from our state will be going, so we will likely attend, too. But if it involved travelling from Pennsylvania to Orlando, we likely wouldn't do it.

 

[MaryA]

I think our booster club will be paying for our HC to go.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Our gym pays for coaches to go to stuff like that--not our booster club. No idea who is going to this one, but I'm sure some will go as they always send some of the team coaches to congress.

 

[gym law mom]

I see that as something the coaches need to make sure their competitive teams are doing the routines correctly. To me that is a professional/business expense----gym should be paying.

 

[cher062]

That is a business expense. If there were no booster club the gym would still have to pay to have this done. Also Booster really by Irs rules can't pay for something like that for the gym anyway its like buying equipment for the gym - not allowed.

 

[gymcoach26]

Our gym will probably not be sending anyone to a specific workshop for new routines unless it happens to be close by. For congress though our owner pays not the booster.

 

[jago]

Who pays for Judges to attend?

I'm guessing that the Judges pay their own way.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

yes, they do.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

We were at old gym for the last "new" cycle, and even at a place where they asked the booster club to pay for everything, this was one expense the gym picked up as part if their business expense. There has not been any talk at new gym for the new routines.

 

[gymmom-n-coach]

Thanks for the feedback! I am going to make sure our boosters really look into all options before agreeing to pay for anything.

 

[BlairBob]

I've been in gyms where Booster or the Gym pays for Congress and these Master workshops. I've also seen Boosters by gym equipment or have to contribute gym equipment every year due to gym equipment usage. I'd have to look into tax code on it and no doubt it's a real pain.

Some options are to have coaches share a room. Buy your tickets way beforehand to get the cheapest rate or Priceline, etc.

Another option is just pay for the HeadCoach to go and have them disseminate the info to the other coaches.

It sounds nice that Boosters pays for half of the meet fees but that seems to be asking a lot on Boosters part as I have seen it where much of the time, parent's do that with Boosters maybe helping out if they can (especially for extra meets like States and Regionals that are more expensive due to travel).