WAG Regarding Coaches Traveling to Meets

[gymdog]

It is industry standard for coaches who are working the same sessions of a meet to carpool. But it should not be expected for, say, a coach that is working an 8am to 12pm session and a coach that is working a 1pm to 5pm session to carpool and sit around while the other coach works.(my understanding of what op describes is happening) As coachp and others said, either both coaches should be paid for both sessions, or both should get mileage for driving separately.

I guess I'm confused because normally this isn't an issue for local meets since the carpooling doesn't matter so much. When you're traveling somewhere requiring a hotel stay, I guess maybe this is an issue if your gym books hotels really far from the meet venue, but the way we do it usually no one has a car, so we stay close to the venue. If the set up does require you to be at the meet venue the entire day, I do think that's different and just sounds like poor planning to me (not that the coaches can do anything about it if they don't plan the travel). We do drive and stay overnight sometimes within say four hours but we've never really had an issue with finding a way to make it so people with sessions near each other can get back if it's a "driving" venue. Someone from another gym would also offer to give us a ride or we'll use the hotel shuttle, etc.

 

[chalkbowl]

Our booster club booked all of our hotels in advance this year. It's just me and male HC this year, so I do have my own hotel room but in the past have shared and never had an issue with it. Although there are about 10 gyms within an hour drive of our gym, only two of them host state qualifiers each year so almost every competition we go to requires a hotel. Only one of our competitions this year has a hotel that is within walking distance of the venue, so yes, it would be a problem if I was asked to carpool with head coach as I only get paid for compulsory sessions and he gets paid for both compulsory and optional sessions. Not being required to carpool also means that I can run a practice on Friday evening or Saturday morning while HC is at the competition with a different level.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

We car pool when we can, but here in SoCal the coaches live 30 miles apart so it doesn't usually work.

 

[lhmom]

Our coaches share rooms as well as carpool together. However, the coaches that go to DD's meets coach optionals so they are working every session together. The compulsory and optional teams have different competition schedules (fall and winter) so we don't have compulsory coaches riding with optional coaches.

 

[AmandaLynn]

It is industry standard for coaches who are working the same sessions of a meet to carpool. But it should not be expected for, say, a coach that is working an 8am to 12pm session and a coach that is working a 1pm to 5pm session to carpool and sit around while the other coach works.(my understanding of what op describes is happening) As coachp and others said, either both coaches should be paid for both sessions, or both should get mileage for driving separately.

Agreed.

 

[mommyof1]

My husband travels for work a lot and most of the time he gets his own room, but when going to a large convention or a longer trip, they are expected to have roommates and carpool. It's not the most convenient, but he has some that he feels comfortable enough with to room with so he makes the best of it. He has worked for a company in the past that required them to all share three to a room, so with only two beds that meant that someone had to sleep on the couch. He also had a boss that liked to walk around au naturale after his shower, talk about uncomfortable! LOL! I can definitely see both sides to the story, I understand the inconvenience of having to carpool and room with someone, but I don't think t's completely outside of the norm even for businesses other than gymnastics.

This sounds like an episode of The Office! I am flabbergasted to hear that there are employers out there that would ask employees to share hotel rooms. I have spent my entire career in the nonprofit sector and have never once been asked to share a room, not even when working on government grants or contracts. The only time I ever hear of people sharing hotel rooms is when grad students share rooms at conferences, which is different because their travel is not funded the same way.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I think you had it really good in the past - too good. The way it was done previously at your gym doesn't make the most sense and the parents were paying a ton of money so you could each do your thing - at the expense of the them. I think a change in that was a good idea - but maybe the new coach went too far. There has got to be a middle ground that works.

Our coaches share rooms when it makes sense. Our gym really tries to keep the costs down. that being said someone else's breathing machine will cause you to likely not sleep and is an issue in and of itself. I think that coaches should carpool if at all possible. The assigned people should be arranged so that no one is sitting around all day waiting. So in your case - the 2 compulsory coaches can carpool together and the 2 optional coaches can carpool together. This sport is expensive and everyone needs to be willing to pitch in to reduce the cost.

 

[mariposa]

If you want to take your own car and get your own room for the big meet, couldn't you just say that's what you want and pay out of pocket for it? That's what I would do if I wanted to turn a work weekend into a mix of business and pleasure.

I do think for the close meets, either they should pay you for sessions you're stuck there, or pay you to drive yourself.

 

[gymdog]

Not being required to carpool also means that I can run a practice on Friday evening or Saturday morning while HC is at the competition with a different level.

This is the main issue for us. We carpool but when it's similar sessions, because we need to have people at the gym for practice. I guess most of you work for smaller gyms. We would never all carpool together because we simply wouldn't fit, but we'll have groups of two or three people. We go to a lot of local meets so it isn't really an issue for most of them. The carpooling would be a wash by the time one person picked the other up.

So, while I don't think carpooling is unusual, if the OP's gym is having everyone go at once no matter their session that doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[shelovestoflip]

Just a question on how your gym operates in regards to sending coaches to meets.

Background: In previous years, most coaches drove up to meets separately (most of our meets are between 2 - 4 hours away) and we would all room separately. We would bring 4 coaches but 2 would stay for compulsories and 2 would stay for optionals. It was nice because we could bring up our significant other and we would make a weekend out of it. Obviously the significant other would pay for all their expenses, but we would share a hotel room and car.

However, we've had a head coach change since last year and things are different. Our fee per session is cut by $25 and we are required to carpool and room together (females in one, males in another). It's completely changed the meet experience for me altogether. Now if I have a 8am session and am done for the day, I have to sit around and wait at the meet because I don't have my car (other coach brings theirs). Also, while we are all close - sharing a room is a whole other type of closeness (showering, changing, sleeping - coach I share a room with has a breathing machine for sleep apnea).

In a couple weekends we are going to a pretty big meet about 3 hours away in a large city. I am bringing up the idea of being able to get my own room and drive up separately so that I can enjoy the city in between sessions with my significant other. Do you think this is unreasonable? How does your gym deal with this type of thing?

Our coaches get paid per session, not a per diem.
Our parent's association pays all coaches fees, so in theory it is paid by the gymnasts. The gymnasts pay meet fees up front and the parent's association then pays the coaches during the season. They pay for mileage/tolls. If a meet is out of state, they pay for flights, though we typically only do one meet a year that is a far travel meet.

As for hotel, it depends on how many coaches are going to a meet, if sessions overlap and if the coaches have spouses! Many of our coaches are married yet few spouses go to the meets.

That being said, we as parents want happy coaches so typically do whatever makes sense for the group of coaches. I think it's respectful and shows the parents care. If the difference is one or two rooms for one or two nights, we will swing for the rooms.

In terms of how many coaches we send, it depends on the level. Our 9/10s always have 2 coaches sometimes 3. Mostly because different coaches for Bars/Vault and Floor/Beam.

 

[2G1B]

OK, before I knew about the finances of all of this, I would totally have thought, "oh, they can each take their car. Or hey, get a hotel for any early morning session more than 45 minutes away. Oh, and give everyone their own room." But now... not so much.

You can "it is just $10, or $50, or how ever much per girl" things until you are looking at an extra several hundred dollars per family.

I'll be honest, I think that it is weird that it is the parents who pay for the travel (milage or air), hotel, coaches' fees, and per diems in this sport. When my kids did swim team, we didn't pay all of that. That was all paid by the swim club (the business, not a booster club).

All of this stuff adds up FAST. Milage for each coach to drive a car to a meet that is say, 1.5 hours away is about $104 per coach assuming driving there and back once. Now, say that 4 coaches go to that meet and drive their own cars. Instead of $104 for the booster club to cover for milage, you now have $418 for the booster club (THE PARENTS) to pay. Now, assume 6 meets with this being the average distance. If 4 people carpooled, it would be $624 for the booster club to cover. If each of the 4 coaches drove separately, it is now $2,508. Just for the milage. Hotels add up quickly the same way. It might only be $30 here per parent and $40 there; but it adds up to hundreds of extra dollars per parent over the cost of their kid's meet entries and uniforms. Remember, that $2,508 is only for 4 coaches MILAGE. Now add in the hotels (figure $130+ per night per room), per diems, coaches' fees, any air fare... it adds up fast.

When I traveled for work, if it was a drivable distance they generally made me drive a company car so that they didn't have to pay me milage (and the company car was NOT comfortable to drive!!). If more than one of us was going to the same meeting (talking like a 1-4 hour drive each way), then we all carpooled together. On the rare occasion where I drove my own car (say snow was expected and I had a 4x4 SUV vs the company car being a Ford Taurus), I was definitely expected to carpool if other people needed to be at the same meeting.

Oh, and we pay coaches per session that they work and then if it is a travel meet they also get a per diem. Basically, if it is more than 60 miles away, we pay milage/airfare, hotels, session fees, per diems, rental car if needed. If it is a local meet they do not get the per diem (or obviously hotel/air) as they can eat at home and at the meet (the provided food).

 

[CoachMeg]

Thanks for all the feedback. I really enjoyed reading all of them and hearing how other gyms work. Yesterday at our coaches meeting HC said how he already booked 2 rooms about 20 miles away from the meet venue because it's a large city and it's cheaper that way. I said "Oh, you already booked it?" and then proceeded to explain my idea of going up solo and getting my own room. He thought about it for a minute and then said "That's fine, (other female coach) needs the room anyway so it won't change anything". I thought about it later and now I'm thinking he means I have to pay out of pocket for my hotel room? I don't know how to bring it up without it being awkward, but I was more thinking that whatever the rate was that they spent on their rooms (let's say $105), that I would just get that and then have to pay the difference for whatever extra it costs. Now I'm not so sure, but I don't know how to bring it up again...(HC is still new and not so sociable).

As for the carpool situation, yes it has been quite annoying. HC has stated before that he would like all of us to be at every session regardless of getting paid as he is going to be doing that. Of course when we do bring 2 cars it is "our own choice" whether we stay or leave, but it's almost implied that we SHOULD stay. So now I feel as if it looks bad if I say I want to leave after my compulsory sessions are over since he stayed through all of them. However, sometimes to closer meets (45-50 minutes) we just take 1 car and we all have to stay all.day.long.

It really hasn't been an enjoyable meet experience so far because of this. But because he's new, I don't know how to bring it up without looking like the bad guy.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Have you spoken with the other coaches. Really if you are not getting paid for the session you shouldn't have to be there.

I'm curious though. We don't have a booster club or a flat seasonal rate for meets. We pay as we go. Per meet. Session fee, team fee, travel expenses (mileage and tolls), hotel for overnights, per coach divided by gymmies attending a meet. All expenses are listed. And our coaches are very reasonable. So if they can take one car they do, if they need to take 2 cars it happens.

So this makes me curious, if the gym has a flat rate for meets and this HC spends less, who gets the leftover????

 

[CoachMeg]

And so I guess that is why I'm posting. I wanted to know if I was being unreasonable and this is just how most gyms operate. It wouldn't be bad if all of us coaches were really close, but truthfully we see each other at the gym and that's it. We don't socialize outside of work. We get a long and I'm glad I work with them but there's a pretty big age gap between all of us and we really don't have anything in common besides gymnastics.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Do you have to go? Seriously, I do not require my coaches to attend all meets. In fact we take turns for our own sanity. Obviously we all want to go to state but taking a meet off during the season is WORTH IT. I usually take 4 a year off. But we also have a two season a year and accumulate an average of 21 meets a year between all levels.

 

[skschlag]

So, Ldw, ours is similar. NOt everyone is BC, but the majority do join. So the gym determines the fees, and each parent pays, whether oop or by booster club. WE jsut really try to keep the costs down.....

so...for the boys..1 coach goes, works all sessions. If the travel is 2+ hours, hotel room and per diem is provided in addition to the session fees and mileage that he gets at all sessions. For long distance, air fare, transportation, per diem, session fees, parking, mileage, hotel are all divided. If you are sending more than one coach, it adds up. Our BC just asks the gym to take into consideration the cost to the parents when sending coaches.....

 

[CoachMeg]

Have you spoken with the other coaches. Really if you are not getting paid for the session you shouldn't have to be there.

I'm curious though. We don't have a booster club or a flat seasonal rate for meets. We pay as we go. Per meet. Session fee, team fee, travel expenses (mileage and tolls), hotel for overnights, per coach divided by gymmies attending a meet. All expenses are listed. And our coaches are very reasonable. So if they can take one car they do, if they need to take 2 cars it happens.

So this makes me curious, if the gym has a flat rate for meets and this HC spends less, who gets the leftover????

Good question. Our gym has a flat rate up front that they calculate between each gymnast. It's due well before the first meet even begins. Last year there was an issue because we almost ran out, but that was because we had horrible snowstorms from where I'm from, so several meets (I think 3) we actually had to stay overnight an extra night because of the terrible road conditions. Because of this, they charged a little extra this year to have a little cushion incase that happened again.

So, we charged MORE and we're using waaaaay less because we've carpooled to every meet and room together when needed. AND, we've only needed a hotel once this season. Last year when we had 8 am sessions and the meet was over 2 hours away, we would get a room for the night before. This year I've had to wake up at the butt crack of dawn...4 am....and get ready to carpool by 5 am to make a 8am session. As if meets are draining enough.

Nothings been said about the leftover money, which we most definitely will have, but I'm assuming it will just either be divided and given back to the parents or rolled over to the next competition season.

 

[CoachMeg]

Do you have to go? Seriously, I do not require my coaches to attend all meets. In fact we take turns for our own sanity. Obviously we all want to go to state but taking a meet off during the season is WORTH IT. I usually take 4 a year off. But we also have a two season a year and accumulate an average of 21 meets a year between all levels.

Honestly, I'm not sure if this is even an option. It's never been discussed but always implied that we all go. I love meets but they are extremely draining especially with all of these changes this season. I do remember one time about 2 years ago one of our coaches wasn't able to make it because they came down with the flu right before the meet. Some of the kids fell on that coach's event and we never heard the end of it from parents. "If she was there, I bet my Susie would have been at least 6 tenths higher!" "Susie could have had first place I bet if her beam coach was there helping her!"

 

[sce]

It does not sound like you clearly worked out who is paying for your room etc. I would being u the whole issue with head coach, not just this meet but how it's done in general m. Also, are the gymnasts paying the sabe ant in meet fees as before? If so, then is the gym pocketing the extra that is being saved by carpooling and sharing rooms?

That being said, a job cannot legally require you to be somewhere for work and not pay you. So if you are expected to be at all session then you should get paid for being there.

 

[skschlag]

Do you have to go? Seriously, I do not require my coaches to attend all meets. In fact we take turns for our own sanity. Obviously we all want to go to state but taking a meet off during the season is WORTH IT. I usually take 4 a year off. But we also have a two season a year and accumulate an average of 21 meets a year between all levels.

Exactly. I still question why 3 coaches wtih 13 girls? But not my circus, not my monkeys....just my money