Parents Pros and Cons of a Booster Club

[blueredzone]

What kind of assistance to families? If you are a 501c3 there are pretty specific rules on what you can and cannot do.

I'm not sure of the exact details. But I know there has been talk about the assistance program

 

[blueredzone]

@blueredzone... it's offensive to call someone "lazy" who chooses not to participate. I work a job to support my children's activities. That's 30 hours a week I devote specifically to them, and subsidizing their passion. That is what I am willing to give. On-the-flip-side I will never look to someone else, such as a booster club, neighbor, or co-worker to help subsidize my children.

Giving parents tools to help defray the costs is commendable, but don't make judgements about those who choose not to join in. And don't resent me if you feel I benefit from your work, I didn't ask for the handout.

If the difference between me standing at a carwash on a beautiful Sunday afternoon or not standing at a carwash is $50 off a meet fee, hand me a bill for $50. I'll happily pay the meet fee.

This was my point exactly. Lazy is expecting a handout even while you choose not to participate. Your view is taken out of context. Please re read and you will understand my point. It's offensive to not read someone's post before you reply.

 

[z2akids]

The Boosters at DD's gym is not mandatory. The annual fee is pretty low and the "mandatory" volunteer hours aren't too bad. Granted, if I were to work that many hours overtime instead of volunteering, I would actually be ahead. But, the boosters pay a majority of the meet fees, other events and a couple of parties, including the annual banquet. If you don't join, then you do not get the benefits. Your gymnast does not get to participate in the parties and other activities, nor do you receive a pro rata share off of your meet fees. The Boosters run 2 meets during the year withe sone smaller optional fundraising and ultimately the financial benefit to the girls is well over $500 depending on the year, level and meets.

So, while it is financially about a wash for my family (although OT isn't always easy to get), there are social aspects for DD and team building that she would miss out on if DH and I chose not to participate in the Booster club. Most of the families who do their hours seem to have at least a little fun. Dads bonding over putting together a spring floor and filling barrels to hold down equipment is great because they aren't always as visible and involved. Helping to run a meet also gives the parents a different perspective and can really be informative in learning about the sport and which meets we do and do not like.

I do think that not every Booster club does as much for the girls directly and we are fortunate there.

 

[B.Gold]

This was my point exactly. Lazy is expecting a handout even while you choose not to participate. Your view is taken out of context. Please re read and you will understand my point. It's offensive to not read someone's post before you reply.

So I've read and re-read your post and it sounds like you have one group of parents who are earning money for another group of parents who are unwilling or unable to raise their own money. That doesn't sound like boosters, that sounds more like welfare. And I'm really sorry about the position your in. That system sounds very flawed.

 

[tooootsie]

" Most of the families who do their hours seem to have at least a little fun. Dads bonding over putting together a spring floor and filling barrels to hold down equipment is great because they aren't always as visible and involved. Helping to run a meet also gives the parents a different perspective and can really be informative in learning about the sport and which meets we do and do not like."

Exactly ^^

We are teaching getting to help at meets, sitting at judges table, seeing how it all works. My daughters score run, my husband helps clean after the meet. It's an all day event for my family too. But we do it for a few reasons. 1. I actually enjoy helping out. 2.my kids enjoy helping out. 3. It's teaching my children more team building and that not only are they dedicated to the gym but that mommy and daddy care too.

I work 50 hours every week, often more... no ot *salaried* but I make the time because this sport is so important to my daughters. Our booster does not raise much because we are such a small gym, they really need parents to help out for the bigger meets they host.

Jmo...

 

[Gymmommy71]

While the above is true, asking parents to get overly involved goes against all the recommendations/advice to "let this be your child's sport, not yours", "don't watch practice", "don't get emotionally involved in your child's training". And there is a very fine line between "parental bonding" and the high school-ish power struggles/cliques/drama that a poster above alluded to. IMO I think booster clubs contribute to CGM syndrome, and the few dollars saved by them (which are negligible from all accounts I've experienced personally) aren't worth the drama. It's just hard for a gym to tell a parent "stop butting in and let the coaches do their jobs", when they are forcing that same parent to spend their Friday night rearranging the spring floor and cleaning up chalk residue for them! These gyms can't have their cake and eat it too.

 

[Committed]

While the above is true, asking parents to get overly involved goes against all the recommendations/advice to "let this be your child's sport, not yours", "don't watch practice", "don't get emotionally involved in your child's training". And there is a very fine line between "parental bonding" and the high school-ish power struggles/cliques/drama that a poster above alluded to. IMO I think booster clubs contribute to CGM syndrome, and the few dollars saved by them (which are negligible from all accounts I've experienced personally) aren't worth the drama. It's just hard for a gym to tell a parent "stop butting in and let the coaches do their jobs", when they are forcing that same parent to spend their Friday night rearranging the spring floor and cleaning up chalk residue for them! These gyms can't have their cake and eat it too.

This and a few other posts make me confused. Why on earth would parents be cleaning the gym? I have never seen a member of the booster display any type of CGM tendencies due to membership.
I thought booster clubs were supposed to be separate entities. When I do my volunteer hours, it is for the booster club - not the gym itself. The booster club runs the meets. They're the meet directors, coordinators, workers, etc. Sure, the club owner gives input and will help with logistics - it is their business reputation on the line. However, all fundraising goes to the booster club and back to the families, not to the gym.

 

[skschlag]

This and a few other posts make me confused. Why on earth would parents be cleaning the gym? I have never seen a member of the booster display any type of CGM tendencies due to membership.
I thought booster clubs were supposed to be separate entities. When I do my volunteer hours, it is for the booster club - not the gym itself. The booster club runs the meets. They're the meet directors, coordinators, workers, etc. Sure, the club owner gives input and will help with logistics - it is their business reputation on the line. However, all fundraising goes to the booster club and back to the families, not to the gym.

I agree. Any thing we have done for the gym has been exclusive of the booster club. Our gym runs the meets, and they ask for volunteers. It is totally optional. I always help because it is fun But it has nothing to do with our booster club. Our booster club does the concessions, but that is it. We never do any gym cleaning, although we might help move chairs for a meet.

 

[Gymmommy71]

I've been at gyms where the booster club hosts meets and fundraising events at the gym and the members are required (as in only way they can get out of it is when both parents have a medical excuse) to clean and move equipment around at the gym ahead of time and when over.

 

[kayjaybe]

I've been at gyms where the booster club hosts meets and fundraising events at the gym and the members are required (as in only way they can get out of it is when both parents have a medical excuse) to clean and move equipment around at the gym ahead of time and when over.

We do this. We clean before and after the meet as part of the booster club. But the gym owner doesn't charge us a fee to use the gym. I would assume he could easily charge a nice rental fee for the facility and then hire people to move equipment, set up chairs, and clean the facility before/after the meet, but that would reduce the profit of the booster club. Instead, the parents do all that and in turn we don't pay any fees to use the gym. (I see this no different than borrowing someone's car --- you *hopefully* don't return it dirty with fast food wrappers and a tank on "E.")

 

[Gymmommy71]

The gym in question did charge a rental fee to use the facility on top of the manual cleaning and rearranging work - 4 to 5 times a year this had to be done (meets, recreational showcases, craft show). Parents who couldn't do the physical work for health or professional reasons had to deal w/ judgement and attitude from those who did work. On top of all this, booster assessments (what parents had to pay per gymnast on top of what was fundraised) were the highest in the area for a similar set of meets. Like I said - a lot of drama and didn't make sense. A lot of these events barely broke even once all the expenses were paid and this led to a lot of drama w/ people blaming those in charge for poor management of the event (and rightfully so, but still, imagine the infighting and power struggles).

I just really think they are not worth it. Club gymnastics is expensive - I know this going in, give me some candy bars to sell or other ways I can make money for my kids account if I want to, but anything mandatory, I think is a bad idea.

 

[Committed]

The gym in question did charge a rental fee to use the facility on top of the manual cleaning and rearranging work - 4 to 5 times a year this had to be done (meets, recreational showcases, craft show). Parents who couldn't do the physical work for health or professional reasons had to deal w/ judgement and attitude from those who did work. On top of all this, booster assessments (what parents had to pay per gymnast on top of what was fundraised) were the highest in the area for a similar set of meets. Like I said - a lot of drama and didn't make sense. A lot of these events barely broke even once all the expenses were paid and this led to a lot of drama w/ people blaming those in charge for poor management of the event (and rightfully so, but still, imagine the infighting and power struggles).

I just really think they are not worth it. Club gymnastics is expensive - I know this going in, give me some candy bars to sell or other ways I can make money for my kids account if I want to, but anything mandatory, I think is a bad idea.

In this case, I wouldn't see it as worth it, either. Luckily, our booster is run NOTHING like this. I guess it's just another reason I appreciate DDs gym.
I would loathe to sell anything; that, I think, would have negligible profits.

 

[z2akids]

We don't clean the gym or otherwise do labor for the gym. DD's gym's boosters are a separate entity and they host their large meet at an outside facility (her gym couldn't come close to accomodating a meet that size). The large meet nets in the 5 figures, well over what we could make selling candy bars.

While the gym allows the Boosters to use space for things like meetings, the two are fairly separate. We have our fair share of CGM and weird interpersonal drama, but little of that would go away without the boosters. The Boosters have nothing to do with coaching, team assignments, or other gym decisions. While they pay a portion of meet Leo costs, the HC chooses that and just tells the Boosters what they will cost.