Parents What does your gym expect of you?

[bigtiny]

What does your gym expect of team parents each year? In our gym, team parents have to work a public Bingo game once a month, volunteer 30 hours working for the gym (working meets, etc.), and raise a certain amount of money in at least two fundraisers per year.

I'd love to hear what other gyms expect of their parents...

 

[xstitchcarina]

So, is that for every parent who has a child in the club?

We don't have to do anything. But helped is always appreciated. I mean like with us having to build up all apparatus every Thursday and Saturday, it goes quicker when there are some parents to help. So I do that. But besides that the trainer will ask if she needs some help. I usually help with receiving competition money, I receive and keep ahold of it, till I got it from everyone. And once a year there is a national club action thing. And you can participate as a club and get money for your club and I helped with that last year and will again this year. But it isn't compulsary.

 

[bigtiny]

Yes, those are the requirements for the parents of every team member.

 

[skfleming255]

We have a $500 team fee per family to pay once a year. This fee covers coach's expenses to meets, etc. They, also, ask that we volunteer during meets that we host. There is not a set amount of time for the volunteering (just whatever we can do and only if we can). What a great question!. Does anyone else pay team fees?

 

[hammy]

I'm not a parent so I don't know how much help I'll be for this one, but I believe the following is what my parents did.

-Helped pay coaches' expenses for each meet.
-Meet fees for each meet
-Tuition
-Leo, warm up suits, grips, etc
-When hosting a meet parents and gymnasts "work the meet"--flash scores, provide judges' and coaches' hospitaliy, enter scores into the computer, etc. We were paid for working, but it went into our account. I think we were paid a certain percentage, but I can't remember exactly.
-Fundraisers were available but participation was not required

 

[ZJsMom]

Bigtiny-- What do the parents get in exchange for that. Does that cover meet entry fees and coach's fees for meets? Anything else?

 

[bigtiny]

The bingo covers the meet fees and coaches fees (usually). If the bingo game is not making money, we will still have to pay meet fees. The fundraisers are supposed to go to buying new equipment for the gym. The required parent work hours help to host meets, etc. If you do not work them, you are fined $10/hour that you did not work for the year (though I heard this fee will go up this year).

Leotards ($175), warm-ups, team bags, USAG fees, and the $250 team fee is all additional.

I was wondering if our gym was "average" in its requirements of its team parents...

 

[gymnastmomof4]

My daughter is a 7 yr old level 5 and we pay $1000.00 a year team fee which covers USAG membership, coaches travel expenses and competition fees for the season. We then have leo and warm up's to buy every two years. In addition, $160 a month for tuition. Our gym is very good about doing fundraisers. The parents are not required to volunteer for anything.

 

[Alaska Mom]

Booster Club Expenses

Up here, we have the usual expenses (meet fees, comp. leos, etc.) but on top of that, we have a points system (the lower levels have less points). The parents can either buy out their points or work them off (working meets, housing out of town gymnasts, helping with fund raisers, putting together goody bags, etc.). Our booster club is great and like all organization, there are some parents who have more time and energy. Some parents really appreciate the ability to buy out their points and some really appreciate the ability to work them off. We have 15 points (Level 5 - 10) and they are worth 1 hour each or $20.00 a point.

We spend lots of money on travel. We have to fly to all meets that are not local, so those bills really add up. It would be nice to be able to drive to meets!!

 

[xstitchcarina]

Oh my gosh, how expensive is it all for you. Of course your kids train more, but man, that is a lot. We pay 28 Euro's a month, which probably is like 25 dollars or something. We provide their own leotards for the trainings, but we don't have to buy the comp. leo's. They are the clubs ownership and get worn when there is a comp. And that is it. If we have a fundraiser, which is the yearly clubaction thing, it is used to buy things, but because we aren't only gymnastics, it doesn't mean we get something new every year. Our club is also other things, rec. gym, jazz dance, steps, etc.

 

[bigtiny]

I really like the points system someone mentioned, where you have the option of paying or working off your fees. It seems like we do BOTH, at our gym!

Our gym has a good reputation, but it is expensive. With a level 5, a level 4, and a pre-team daughter, I am paying almost $700/month in tuition! Add to that all of the extra fees and requirements, it is very difficult to manage, particularly for a military family (and my husband is out to sea, so he cannot help with working the hours). My girls love their coaches, and that is what has kept us at the gym.

I appreciate knowing what others have to do at their gyms....

 

[Ingymmom]

Our gym has a good reputation, but it is expensive. With a level 5, a level 4, and a pre-team daughter, I am paying almost $700/month in tuition! ...

YIKES - So glad our gym has a family cap of $450 per month.

 

[Granny Smith]

Hi all! I here all of you in regards to all the fees.

At our gym we really don't have a booster club. This is nice in that you don't have to do a lot of extras, but it means more out of pocket expenses.

We do have a used leotard sale every September, where as the parent you price you own leos and what sells goes into your acct and can be used for meet fees.

I think August is our worst month. We get hit with $47 USAG fee, $135 comp leo, don't have to buy warm up this yr, but last yr it was $160, team bag was $30. I pay tuition monthly $365, a monthly coaches fee $75 (this is what covers the coaches expenses for meets). I pay for all meets as they come up (range $60 - $100) per meet. This yr I had to pay for dd's floor routine ($300) and her music ($150) - level 7.

Yikes - when you add it up it is actually scary!!!!

Dd loves it though, so I continue to pay.

 

[gymgramma]

what does gym require of parents?

At my DGD's old gym, each family paid $70 annyal booster club fee. Each family had to earn 100 pts during the year or pay the booster club $200 at the end of the yr. We paid for comp leos, warm-ups, bags, etc as well as meet fees. The booster club pd ALL coaches fees.

At the new gym, we pay $60/month for the competition season which pays the coaches fees. Then we pay for the comp leo, etc as well as the meet fees. the booster club has fundraisers and when you participate in them, you get credit into your booster club acct.

 

[Megley]

As a brand new team parent, I just learned what we are required to do/pay. All team parents are required to work bingo once once every 5 weeks. If you don't want to work bingo, you can pay $60 instead. I think it works out to around $600 a year if you decide to pay instead of work. Right now, we don't have to volunteer at meets but it is strongly encouraged and they are thinking about changing to a mandatory volunteer requirement. We also pay booster club dues of $35, the $47 USAG membership fee and $100 towards team leos/warmups. The rest of the leos/warmups/bags costs are covered by the booster club, as are all meet fees and coaches fees. For one Level 4 gymnast (14 hours) we are currently paying $280 per month. I know that will go up as the hours go up. I cannot imagine paying $700 per month! No way could we afford that much. I had mixed feelings about my son deciding not to do team, but at least it is saving us $$$.

Meg

 

[bigtiny]

Meg,

We are at a gym near you, too!

 

[bogwoppit]

"mandatory volunteer requirement"

What is wrong with the above statement? Clubs really have to find a better desciption than that. Perhaps "required parental work commitment" would be a better fit. You cannot be volunteered to work, you either do it voluntarily or you don't do it.

Now that I have got that off my chest! Our club has no real commitments. We sell chocolate once a year, but the head coach does not enforce its sale. All profit goes to equipment. When we used a high school gym, parents were encouraged to put up/take down equipment, I did that three or four times a week for over six years.

We pay for comp suits and warm ups, about $150 CAD. Our tuition include fees for three required comps, extra comps are about $60 - $100 this includes also all coaches fees and their hotels etc. If the girls make it to Provincials, equivalent to States, there are other fees.


I help on in house comp days, selling club t shirts and suits etc, other parents help with scoring etc. We have not hosted any real meets ourselves as our gym is just too small, so who know's what would happen.

I like things the way that they are frankly, but I do see how these "parental work hours" can lower costs across the board. I just think that things could be worded better.

 

[Megley]

Bogwoppit, that is terrible wording isn't it? LOL!

Meg,

We are at a gym near you, too!

Cool! Are you in the Tidewater area too? We may see you at a few meets.

Meg

 

[bigtiny]

Yes, we are from Virginia Beach, too. Our gym goes to the Gymstrada meet every February! Maybe we'll see you there...

 

[gym law mom]

We are changing gyms, but I can tell you what the former gym required: blood, sweat and tears! We had 2 "requirements" to fullfill---those expected/demanded by the gym owner and those of the booster club. Its easier if I break them out for you.

Gym requirements:
all parents must be members of the booster club(actually not legally enforceable, but the gym owner doesn't seem to know that)
help set up/tear down at meets plus work a certain number of sessions(scorer, timer etc)

Booster club:
Volunteer hours based on daughter's competitive level. You don't get any volunteer hours from working meets as that is a gym requirement. Can get them doing fundraisers, serving on a committee etc., but it is hard to get them all. For every hour you are "short" at the end of the year, you owe $10/hour to the booster club.
Bingo is optional now. Almost ruined the booster club and gym with it being mandatory. If you participate, the money they make covers meet/coaches expenses assuming they make enough. Compulsory parents work 2 shifts/month, optionals do 3 and elites do 4. There are is a big financial penalty if you "quit" during the year.

This past year the booster club did pretty good. They were able to buy the new practice leo for all team girls. Comp leo and warm ups still come out of the parent's pockets.
Fees: USAG yearly, team(equipment fee)-$200 due by Sept 1. Tuition for a L8 is $325/month.

Meg--If they're "thinking" about making you work meets, it means they probably have already decided you will.
Ingy--That is an insane tuition. You dd is L5? Totally out of line with most other gyms. Did the owner offer an explanation for the increase? My guess is probably not.