so sick of booster club!

[dmytv]

ok, so my dd is only 1 of 2 optionals left at gym. So their season is over for them, but my dd's is just begining. The board is made up of one parent whose 2 children are teenage coaches and 1 level 5 and the other board member just had her younger child go to the bigger gym because she did not feel her younger dd was getting the coaching she needed.There are 2 other board members but they really don't have a say. My problem is this board is very negative toward any changes. The gym went through a buy out 2 years ago and these people, I guess, were there through that. I was not, and only joined 6 months ago. Joined the gym based on the coaches reputation. The 2 mentioned though, do not feel the coaches know what they are doing. They have assessed me coaches fees above what I think I should pay. Never tellling me the cost until after the fact. They also act like, because there are only 2, I should realise I should have to pay more. Also a level 2/3 coach did my dd's beam routine them quit our gym and went to work for the big gym and is now demanding money out of the account for choreography. They feel I should pay. My point is, I have been at 2 other gyms and have never been so mistreated by the booster club. I am fed up with parents who don't run these things with honesty! I am thinking of running to another gym because the booster club is so hostile. I am not the only one who thinks so because some have already left. How do you get a president to step down?

 

[wallinbl]

How do you get a president to step down?

Annual elections.

If the booster club is potentially causing the gym's customers to leave, then the gym owner would want to know that. The booster club exists to promote the sport of gymnastics, not to serve a handful of members or anything else.

I guess I'm not understanding why coach/meet fees have anything to do with the booster club.

 

[Esoteric]

Our booster club is pretty straightforward. The budget is drawn up over the summer for the coming season, and parents are assessed a monthly fee for August-May. We pay a set fee/month which covers coaches meet expenses, coaches training, end of year banquets, and other misc. items. This year it is $70/month. Our meet fees, leos, warm ups, athlete registration is on top of that. After our last home meet- February- the budget is reassessed and if we took in more than expected, and gymnast accounts are up to date, we pay less for the remaining months. Most families opt to pay the full 12 months to help defer the expenses of these other items when they show up. Every competing gymnast pays the same amount regardless of level. (4-10) The fees are per family, not per gymnast. The coaches are paid by the gym for the training that takes place in the gym. Any Coaching that goes on at meets as well as their travel fees and per diem fees come out of the booster club fund.

We offer several annual fundraisers to offset dues. (Last year the dues were $55/month/family after all was said and done so many families did not have to pay last couple months of cycle or opted to continue paying and carry over balance to this year.) We have an annual garage sale, pancake breakfast, casino night as well as annual wreath, cookie dough, and entertainment book sales. The proceeds from the breakfast and casino night are equally distributed into gymnast accounts. The other fundraisers are funded into individual accounts based on individual participation and profit.

We host 2 in house meets annually, and typically host the Northern Sectional meet, as well. Gym families are required to volunteer a minimum # of hours per season at the meets. This year it is 22 hours/family. No one other than gymnast family members over age 18 staff our meets- from beam timers to announcers to snack bar to score inputs as well as meet set-up and tear down. If any family does not meet their required volunteer hour quota, they are assessed a $75/hour fee. The cost is so high because we rely on families to allow us to host successful meets, and if the "buy out" was reasonable our meets would not be so successful. Each family is also required to contribute an item valued at about $15 by September 1st that are used toward the raffle baskets. We have raffles at the compulsory meets and are known for our wonderful baskets. We typically have 3 items in each one and the items range from Jamba Juice, Itunes, and pro-shop gift cards to accessories and stuffed animals. One woman complies all of the items and arranges themed baskets which she then brings in, about 3-4 per compulsory session, to be raffled off. That counts as her yearly volunteer hours.

There is an annual election for board members, although there is transparency with elections, so I could see where it could get uncomfortable to stage a coup. Due to the fact that the parents who were not at the booster/parent club meetings tended to be the ones who had constant complaints/issues- it is now required that every family attend the monthly meeting just prior to all home meets.

New optional gymnasts arrange privates with the optional HC to work out their new routines. This money is paid directly to the coach, so the gym and booster accounts are not involved. (I would say that if you got choreography that you should pay for the service, regardless of whether the choreographer switched gyms, though.) Our coaches are able to do privates for any team at a rate of $50/hour -$10 for an additional child- and they keep the money themselves as opposed to the gym taking a cut. The gymnasts work this out with the coach directly and do not go through the gym.

We have a policy that when any family's account is $200 or more in arrears that their gymnast(s) will NOT be registered for any meets. The deadline for paying meet fees is typically at the beginning of each season. Compulsories pay for 6-8 meets in August and 3-4 more in December. Optionals pay for their meet fees in December. There are no refunds for meet fees unless there is an injury AND notice is given at least 1 week prior to the meet. No refunds for illness or gymnasts the change plans or quit.

I guess the most important thing is that there is complete disclosure prior to joining the team. A meeting is conducted where you go through the handbook and address each point so that you fully understand the commitment of time and money that will be required.

 

[dmytv]

I did not recieve a schedule or breakdown of payments. My dd is now only 1 of 2 optional gymnasts they have. The compulsory gymnasts only go to meets in the fall(they do only 1 in the spring). The booster club sets up an account for every gymnast and takes out their meet entry fees from there. Compulsory is around 60 bucks and optionals are around 100(depending on the meet). Coaches fees are 100 bucks per session plus per diem and milage. The problem with me is I get sacked with the whole coaches fees because at 2 (state and another meet the other girl can't go to) there is no one to split it with.The 1 meet in the spring that everyone is going to, even though the sessions overlap(1 in gym a 1 in gym b) I still have to pay the charges per session. I am always told after the fact. Like by the way, you owe this money. As far as choreography goes. I payed head coach in privates 300 dollars and she did the floor and has been finishing the beam. This other coach and one of the board members' girls left for the big gym. She did not arrange with me to pay for beam routine. Nor did she discuss that she was charging because it was done during class where she got a paycheck. She left and did not call me. She only asked said board member if, after she left mind you, if she could have her fee(100) out of my booster club account. I think said board member is in conflict because she took her little dd to the big gym because she didn't like the coaching,(new gym moved her up a level), she felt that communication is poor, and she does not think the head coaches know what they are doing. Her oldest dd(15) level 5 is happy here and will do prep op next year which the other gym does not do. Now that her dd goes to the big gym, she keeps saying well this is how they do it over there. I do not care how they do it over there. That gym costs more in tuition and goes to meets out of state. There are also like 25 optionals. I came to this gym because of cost, and the 2 head coaches. She should disclose up front what the costs are to me. Coach that left only asked for money after she found out that new gym does chor. this way,- 100 for beam 100 for floor. Payed to coach who does it regardless of when. They don't disclose a set fee to the parents. It is always an estimate because the coaches turn in reciepts for food, hotel and miliage and that gets split between everyone in the session. So parents pay an amount and then are asked for more to cover the other stuff. Now state will be far away and my dd will propbably be on her own because of age group thing and I am going to get sacked for the whole amount.

 

[Esoteric]

I am sympathetic to your situation, however, I stand behind the opinion that is was/is your responsibility as a consumer to have found out about what was expected prior to joining a team. Gymnastics is an investment- which you know because you'd stated you'd been at 2 other gyms. Look at it like any other investment- what do you need to put out and what is the return.

You refer to the "big gym." I assume that your owners have 2 gyms. You opted to go with the smaller because you perceived the fees would be less and the coaches were better, correct? Now that you know your assumptions were incorrect you might want to look into how the "big gym" operates. If they have a larger competitive program than perhaps the fees are more equitably distributed and would actually end up costing you less. It also sounds like you're saying that your booster club parent is changing the way things operate financially mid-season to be more like the "big gym." If they are a non-profit, there has to be a vote to change any policies. If your dd received her beam choreography during regular practice time- which if she is only one of 2 gymnasts with a coach that seems perfectly reasonable- then you should take it up with the gym owner/accountant as to how the choreography was paid for. That sounds like a legitimate complaint. If there is a separate booster club fund for optionals than there is for compulsories, and there are only two optional girls, it seems reasonable to assume that all costs incurred by that program would be the responsibility of the two families. If the other optional girls has not registered for a meet, and your dd is the only one going, it makes perfect sense that you would pay for all fees. It sounds to me like you need to do some research and weigh your options.

Good luck to you.

 

[dmytv]

As far as elections go, the president and treasurer have been in those positions since the booster club has been around. They were at the gym when the buy out ocurred 2 1/2 years ago. As far as I know they have always been on the board. The other 2 members were appointed by the the other 2 members where there was a verbal "everyone say I" agreement to who is secratary and volunteer hours cordinator. There were not formal elections. President says "does anyone else want to be president?"( pretty much shouted it at the last meeting) and then that is that. No elections.

 

[dmytv]

the big gym is a competing gym in the area. Not owned by the same people.

 

[SuperGirlmlm]

At my gym, the booster club is awful. We pay $1,800 a year. Plus, leotards, meet fees, training fees, ect.

 

[bookworm]

If there are only 2 optionals at your gym, I would go to a bigger gym for that reason alone...never mind the booster club stuff..

 

[dmytv]

well there weren't in sept. They have all quit or became injured or moved to the bigger gym in the past couple of months. We have just moved to this gym 6 months ago and feel it is too late to move mid season. Just wish this gym was more organized and communicated things better.