WAG Politics in the gym

[bogwoppit]

I'm very politically active, but I don't ever even let my kids or their parents know which candidates I support; I keep my politics out of the gym. I'm kind of floored that Chow would deliberately do the exact opposite.

This is my feeling too. Politics have no place in any gym no matter if you asked parents or not. It just is not the place.

 

[coachmolly]

The HC at my gym is very politically active and I am not completely comfortable with it, though she has toned it down some since finding out her last mixing of gym and politics stepped on some toes. Though we would never be in a situation where a politician would want an endorsement from our gym so I haven't given it much thought.
Chow is a business owner and a notable member of his community, so if he wants to support Jeb from those positions, go for it. But I don't think there is any reason for the kids to be involved.

 

[NutterButter]

Well, that's solves that....DH and I were wondering about his views when we were in Iowa for one of his meets. One of us was right about him (pun intended).

It's an Iowa thing. They take their first caucus status very seriously. Politics is such a part of their culture that I think they are more easily able to express their views without fear of offending the person next to them. There is a base tolerance level there that I don't see in other parts of the country. (I have lived in other parts of the country that are deep red and deep blue.) With that said, I would not want my child appearing in a political ad regardless if I supported the candidate or not. (And I am very politically active, grew up in an active family and my kids know exactly how I feel about certain candidates).

 

[Faith]

The ad says it's paid for by the candidate.

If the HC was open with the parents and said look, we're getting mucho money from this, it will buy us new stuff and help pay for x trip, I think I'd be OK with it. I wouldn't want my child involved, but it's up to the other parents and their own ethics.

Fortunately the UK is mostly too apathetic to get involved with politics

 

[profmom]

The payment was most likely just what was paid to the news media running the ad, not to Chow himself.

 

[emorymom]

I'm very politically active, but I don't ever even let my kids or their parents know which candidates I support; I keep my politics out of the gym. I'm kind of floored that Chow would deliberately do the exact opposite.

It would, however, be nice to return to earlier generations' approach to politics where one's political leanings could be known without being socially divisive. Nowadays, it's like, do you like rye or sourdough? Oh you like rye bread? You can't be my friend.

I'm quite certain all the parents signed releases.

 

[twinmomma]

All the kids would have to have releases.

Chow can support who ever he wants as can our coaches, don't care as long as they do their jobs as coaches. Our coaches has some strong life choices that I don't agree with. My daughter knows what her coaches are, what ours are. And she ultimately will make her own choices.

Watching that ad, I don't see how any one would think those kids were supporting any one. No names. So if it were my kid and she wanted to I would be fine with it.


Now Gabby and Shawn are adults and if I were them I would be ticked if they didn't ask. But my guess is he has a blanket release from way back.

To be clear, if your daughter is aware that you do not support her coach's "life choices" then you can be sure she does not feel empowered to make her own choices - because you've already given her the message that her coach's choices are unacceptable.

I have a hard time believing that an old release from Gabby or Shawn would cover something like this. I would be LIVID if our gym did something like this this publicly. Gym owners can support whomever they choose, but the gym is a vehicle for educating my child, not political endorsements.

 

[twinmomma]

All the kids would have to have releases.

Chow can support who ever he wants as can our coaches, don't care as long as they do their jobs as coaches. Our coaches has some strong life choices that I don't agree with. My daughter knows what her coaches are, what ours are. And she ultimately will make her own choices.

Watching that ad, I don't see how any one would think those kids were supporting any one. No names. So if it were my kid and she wanted to I would be fine with it.


Now Gabby and Shawn are adults and if I were them I would be ticked if they didn't ask. But my guess is he has a blanket release from way back.

To be clear, if your daughter is aware that you do not support her coach's "life choices" then you can be sure she does not feel empowered to make her own choices - because you've already given her the message that her coach's choices are unacceptable.

I have a hard time believing that an old release from Gabby or Shawn would cover something like this. I would be LIVID if our gym did something like this this publicly. Gym owners can support whomever they choose, but the gym is a vehicle for educating my child, not political endorsements.

 

[beachgirl]

Is this being shown somewhere that my 10 year old daughter could have seen it? This morning while studying for her states test when we got to Iowa she told me that Liang Chow had some guy running for president at his gym. I got distracted by something else and never found out how she knew.

 

[chalkbowl]

Is this being shown somewhere that my 10 year old daughter could have seen it? This morning while studying for her states test when we got to Iowa she told me that Liang Chow had some guy running for president at his gym. I got distracted by something else and never found out how she knew.

Does she have instagram? There is a photo on IG with Chow, some of the gymnasts holding Jeb signs, and Jeb himself. She may have seen it there...

 

[wandrewsjr]

Photo's are on Chows instagram - chows_gym. That is not Jeb in these pictures, though Chow's comments read like he thinks it's him? I am assuming it's some guy from the Jeb campaign or a local Iowa politician that supports Bush. It's all just weird.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBGqiTenr42/?taken-by=chows_gym

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBGp_TYHr4B/?taken-by=chows_gym

 

[ZJsMom]

Gabby and Shawn's names seemed to be used in that ad as well - I hope he got their okay in addition to the parents of those gymnasts who appeared.

Ad aside, I guess he is a business owner just like any other business or organization who endorses a particular candidate or political cause - the risk when you do that is you could lose customers who are strongly on the opposing side.

I wonder about using Shawn. I remember after the 2008 Olympics, she went to the Democratic Convention. I wonder how she feels about her name being used in a Bush ad.

I think it's fine for a person who becomes famous to use their platform to support a politician or cause. Being a dyed in the wool Democrat myself, I wouldn't let my kids be in a Jeb ad, but I assume the parents of those kids knew what they we're doing and made their own choice.

 

[Sasha]

Personally, I think it is a poor and unwise business decision for a gym owner. Although I would not be "outraged" ( assuming the parents of the kids in the video signed some kind of agreement), as it is technically the right of the owner, I would find it uncomfortable to be part of the gym if an owner was using the gym as a political vehicle.

Where I live, in a major US city, I regularly socialize and do business with people with quite extreme political views (on both ends). If an ad got out that our gym owner supports Candidate X, especially if she/he uses the gym or athletes in promotions, that pretty much seals the community impression that "Gym is Republican" or "Gym is Democrat" or even “Gym is Fundamentalist Christian”, or "Gym is Socialist”, “Gym is Anti-Israel”, “Gym is Homophobic”, "Gym is pro-life/choice".. etc, etc, depending on the platform of the Candidate in question. People are quick to associate labels with any information about a person or business’s known affiliations.

As a parent, if I then mention that my children attend this Gym, it might be assumed that we support this Affiliation & Candidate. Potential new customers may wonder if their child will fit into a “Republican” gym, etc., or outright refuse to associate. I might find myself in conversations like "Sure, Owner is a strong Socialist Democrat, but there are plenty of moderate and right-leaning families, too, and politics don't really get in the way of our gymnastics - I don't think your child would be discriminated against..blah blah argh I hate this conversation....."

 

[ZJsMom]

I guess there are two ways to look at it. As a celebrity, I think it's fine to use your fame to support what you believe in. I do agree, however, that as a business owner, you don't want to alienate your employees and potential customers by associating your personal beliefs with the business.

 

[NutterButter]

I wonder about using Shawn. I remember after the 2008 Olympics, she went to the Democratic Convention. I wonder how she feels about her name being used in a Bush ad.

Wasn't Gabby there too? I would NOT be happy if my name was used and I didn't support the politics.

As odd as this all is...it could be worse!

 

[ZJsMom]

Wasn't Gabby there too? I would NOT be happy if my name was used and I didn't support the politics.

As odd as this all is...it could be worse!

Now that you mention it, I do have some memory of Gabby hanging out with Michelle Obama.

 

[profmom]

All politics aside, I have to kind of love how simultaneously awkward and cute Chow is in the ad.

 

[twocurlygirlz]

That is...odd. I have never seen anything like that before, so I've never really thought about it. Much as I respect Liang Chow, I'm frankly surprised that this would an endorsement of interest to a major campaign...

its Iowa...

 

[Gymmomto2]

I'm very politically active, but I don't ever even let my kids or their parents know which candidates I support; I keep my politics out of the gym. I'm kind of floored that Chow would deliberately do the exact opposite.

I think that's the best way. Keep it out of the gym. I don't even tell my girls who I vote for. My husband & I discuss & usually agree but that's as far as it goes. On occasion, I'll know which way one of our coaches leans only because my ODD hears & sees everything.

 

[txgymfan]

I would hate for any of their coaches to share strong political views. They are little sponges and would likely repeat it.

My girl's dad has very strong political views and I hate that they use it as an excuse to insult people they have never met over issues they are far to young to understand. I lean in the same direction that he believes and even I don't discuss some of my views with him.