WAG Question about coaches fees for TOPS and Development Camps

[MaineDad]

First post!

I have nowhere to turn to get any answers to a lot of the questions I have that go beyond JO questions because I'm from Maine and as far as I know we have no gymnasts that have ever made it past the JO program. Last year my daughter made the TOPS B team as an 8 year old and we got to go to the Ranch twice. So exciting!!! The reality from a financial perspective was overwhelming.

My question is about coaches fees while visiting the Ranch for TOPS camp or if we are lucky enough someday Development camps. I'm not referring to competitions or testing days, this is specifically about events at the Ranch where coaches are receiving training along with the gymnasts from USAG. I understand the fees owed to the camp for my gymnast and her coach and all travel and hotel and food are all our responsibility (Unless she makes the A team which USAG will start to cover). I have no problem with this.

To those of you who have had to bring your gymnast and a coach to camps at the Ranch, are you paying a $100 per day fee to your coach on top of expenses and everything else? It seems to me that the coaches are being trained by USAG at these camps with evening coaches sessions. The idea is to bring these coaching skills back to their gyms and implement the training into their programs. If the $100 per day coach fee on top of my annual tuition and covering all expenses is normal practice I will suck it up and try to make it work. It is what it is right?

What are your experiences with coaching fees on top of paying for all expenses? Are your gyms/coaches charging $100/day? The money stuff is so hard to talk about so I'm hoping to get some advice here.

 

[Mom2twingymnasts]

When my daughter made the B team several years ago, we split the travel costs with another gymnast who also made the B team. I don't remember receiving an itemized list of what was included in our share of the costs. So I don't know if we paid a coaches fee. I do know it wasn't cheap.

If the costs are going to be prohibitive to your daughter continuing on the elite track I would talk to the gym owner to see if the coaches fee can be waived for these type of camps where the coaches are being provided training.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

When our gymmies go to Texas, and the coach is raining as well, I believe the girls pay their own way, coach pays theirs as it is training for them. Couldn't swear to that though.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

If the coach is expecting to get paid I suggest you do it...... What's your time worth?

 

[stoshy40]

I would petition your gym to pay the coaches fee.

We had a fundraiser (hotel and airfare) for the coach to take 4 gymnasts to the Make it Right Camp in Vegas, paid for 90% of her expenses but the gym kicked in the coaches fee.

 

[glad2bgymmom]

When my daughter made b camp a few years ago, we just had to pay airfare and camp cost. The coach paid for 2 other coaches to take my daughter. He viewed it as training.

 

[bookworm]

I hear you on the financial aspect...I always figured every time she went to the Ranch, kiss 1500-2000 bucks good bye...between flights, hotels, meals etc, it was always better to overestimate than under. I don't think we were ever charged a coaching fee per se...the gym we were at at the time was really good about the gym supporting some of the financial burden ...they also saw it as advertisement for their gym. That said, it was still expensive as we always needed flights to get there.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I have not experienced it myself, but one mom whose daughter has been invited to development camp has indeed paid coach's fees, I believe, $500 for the week, which seems to go right along with the $100/day.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I am unsure of how it works but I think it must be considered whether or not the coach is required to attend.

If the camp makes it compulsory for each gymnast to have a personal coach attend, then I think it is reasonable to charge the gymnast/gymnasts coaching fees. The coach may gain the benefits from the training but they are attending in order for your daughter to be able to attend.

However, if the gymnast is not required by the camp for a coach to attend and the coach is choosing to attend then it does not seem appropriate for the gymnast to pay the coaching fees.

 

[bogwoppit]

I am unsure of how it works but I think it must be considered whether or not the coach is required to attend.

If the camp makes it compulsory for each gymnast to have a personal coach attend, then I think it is reasonable to charge the gymnast/gymnasts coaching fees. The coach may gain the benefits from the training but they are attending in order for your daughter to be able to attend.

However, if the gymnast is not required by the camp for a coach to attend and the coach is choosing to attend then it does not seem appropriate for the gymnast to pay the coaching fees.

This is exactly my feeling.

Maybe it is time to sit down and talk to the gym about the path your dd is on. It only gets pricier and the system they set in place now needs to be considered carefully. This is where booster clubs can be helpful.

 

[stoshy40]

I agree, you should sit down with the coach and the owner of the gym to come up with a plan.

My daughter is a 7 yr old tester and we have 2 8 year old testers (both made diamond last year). When our coach went to camp last year for having the diamond girls we fundraised for her. If the 8 year olds make national testing this year I believe our boosters club pays some of the costs (not sure how much).

We also went to the TOPs camp in Vegas in June and we, once again, fundraised for our coach to attend with our girls...so we paid for her flights, hotel, food and rental. I believe our boosters was going to give her a per diem for each day of training.

 

[gymdog]

Do you know if the coach is salaried or not? If not, then it may be necessary for them to get the coaching fee to pay their bills if they aren't working, even if they aren't receiving training. Personally, I think the gym should pay them, but sometimes that doesn't happen.

 

[MaineDad]

Do you know if the coach is salaried or not? If not, then it may be necessary for them to get the coaching fee to pay their bills if they aren't working, even if they aren't receiving training. Personally, I think the gym should pay them, but sometimes that doesn't happen.

I'm with you on this gymdog. I believe she is salaried as she is the owners daughter and she's got many responsibilities there on top of being the head coach and overseeing all other coaches. I would never even consider questioning the $100 a day if it mean the coach was not getting paid for their time. Someone above posted a comment about this and asking me "what's my time worth". That's kind of ridiculous... I would never want the coach to not get paid. It's 100% my responsibility if the gym isn't paying them. I'm going off the assumption that they are getting their paycheck whether she's with us at the Ranch or not. I'll have to think this over carefully and have the conversation with the gym ownership and coach.

It's really hard to get a perspective on this because most advice or examples I'm given are about team competitions or camps which definitely warrant a coaches fee. In my case I'm specifically asking about 1:1 coach/gymnast travel to the Ranch where the national team coaches are spending time training our coaches and not just training our gymnasts.

 

[MaineDad]

If the coach is expecting to get paid I suggest you do it...... What's your time worth?

I would never expect a coach not to get paid. Ever. If it would be the case that they aren't getting paid if they are with us then my question would be off the table... we pay them...end of story. I want teamwork here between the gym and us but I would never take advantage of a coach like that. This is a partnership...hopefully a long term one.

 

[bookworm]

It's really hard to get a perspective on this because most advice or examples I'm given are about team competitions or camps which definitely warrant a coaches fee. In my case I'm specifically asking about 1:1 coach/gymnast travel to the Ranch where the national team coaches are spending time training our coaches and not just training our gymnasts.

I think what I referenced in my prior post was similar to what you are asking about....when my daughters went to the Ranch for specific camps (TOPS, developmental), their club coaches spent time with the National staff learning stuff and that's why I think our gym never charged us a coaching fee for those type of things...I think they saw it as part of their education funding from the gym that supported that. You could approach your gym with it that way...

 

[GymDad9.9]

I think what I referenced in my prior post was similar to what you are asking about....when my daughters went to the Ranch for specific camps (TOPS, developmental), their club coaches spent time with the National staff learning stuff and that's why I think our gym never charged us a coaching fee for those type of things...I think they saw it as part of their education funding from the gym that supported that. You could approach your gym with it that way...

One may also need to consider whether this coach's absence from the gym creates a hardship not only for the gym but for the coach. The per diem may be a response to that.

 

[Bess]

One may also need to consider whether this coach's absence from the gym creates a hardship not only for the gym but for the coach. The per diem may be a response to that.

It's like you read my mind! I was just getting ready to post something along these lines. Chances are if the "head coach" is out they are having to schedule additional coaches to cover her responsibilities while she is with your child at camp.

 

[2G1B]

My kids don't do tops, so I have no dog in this fight; but as someone from the outside looking in, it seems to me that the gym should pay for the coach. The coach is there for his/her training. S/he isn't there to coach your kid. The gym is gaining a lot by the coach being there. I don't care if back home the gym is having to cover for the coach being gone. The same happens when the coaches go to Congress, doesn't mean that it falls on the parents to pay to co er the expenses. (In reality, if it is an expense picked up by the gym the cost will be passed onto the customer; but it is much more affordable to pass it on divided amongst all of the rec and team kids than to have a single family pay all of it.)

 

[GymDad9.9]

It's like you read my mind! I was just getting ready to post something along these lines. Chances are if the "head coach" is out they are having to schedule additional coaches to cover her responsibilities while she is with your child at camp.

I'm like a Svenjolly!

 

[bogwoppit]

One may also need to consider whether this coach's absence from the gym creates a hardship not only for the gym but for the coach. The per diem may be a response to that.

This only makes a difference if they hire a coach to replace the coach at the ranch. I know many gyms send coaches and the kids back in the gym just suffer without their coach.