Parents When the monthly cost of gym equals a mortgage payment...

[kevchriswilli]

Hi, sorry haven't posted in a while!! But try to read when I can. just wanted to say congrats to your daughter Bookworm!!!!.. What college?

 

[LMV]

How we do it:
-I think we must be at a relatively inexpensive gym. We aren’t paying an amount that would have made a mortgage payment anywhere we’ve ever lived. Leotards and warmups are paid for by the parents' organization and our meet fees only consist of the actual cost of meet entry.
-We aren’t making mortgage payments. The house we’re living in currently my husband bought when he was twenty one and the mortgage has been paid off by now. Our second home is something we bought when I was about to start medical school, it was priced way below market and assessed value [our purchase price was what we had expected to use as a down payment] because the owners were trying to liquidate assets in a desperate frenzy for some reason that is probably none of our business.
-Our children are staggered. My husband’s son is twenty four. Our oldest daughter is fifteen. Our gymnastic child is eleven and our youngest daughter is one. So, even if our eleven year old convinces our youngest that gymnastics is cool, [and I think she’s really trying] we will probably really only have one on team at a time. [For the record, this is just how things worked out and isn’t really something we planned intentionally to better spread out disbursements from the child activity fund.]

Oh ok. Our gym has the "sponsors" make the check out to the gym, not to the child or parent. So would this be ok?

This is fine [our competition leotards and warmups are funded through corporate sponsors] as long as your booster club doesn't maintain individual accounts for fundraising/sponsors. If this happens then it can be argued that the money was indeed sponsoring an individual child as it went into their "account". An acquaintance of ours was always bragging about how her child had the most money in her softball booster fund because she was so charming [and thus she could afford to sign her up for all kinds of extra private pitching clinics or something] and my husband was always trying to diplomatically suggest she might want to look into that because it could be in violation of both IRS laws and NCAA compliance guidelines. Ultimately when said child did earn a partial scholarship this practice did come to light and she was ineligible which was very unfortunate.

 

[BlairBob]

Here in Norcal and the Bay area those parents seem to be upper middle class to upper class, especially if they are in optionals or L9/10.

Typically I very rarely here of parents doing long commutes to gym creating lots of mileage and gas to be bought. None of this 2-4hr cross state commutes like I hear in the landlocked states.

 

[Pickle's Mom]

Bookworm - I just wanted to say congrats for your daughter. That is so exciting!

 

[bookworm]

Thank you all..

Just wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes on my daughter's behalf..it has been a long road but it has definitely been worth it in the end. She is SO happy with her choice, loves the school, the girls on the team and the area ...we will be going out for her "official" visit (read: they pay for it!!! yea!) at the end of this month so that should be exciting. I'm not ready to out her yet but i will say that you'll be able to watch her on the Big Ten Network!!

 

[bogwoppit]

You can out her when it's her first meet and then we can all watch her and cheer, for you both!

 

[bribri514]

Congrats bookworm. College gym is the best thing ever, and I never even got to compete lol! It is that amazing. Your DD is soooo talented for achieving what she has and she deserves to have the amazing experience that's ahead of her!!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i 2nd that ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Bookworm, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOUR dd!!! I can't wait to hear about where she is and watch her compete.

 

[Optionals United]

Oh my gosh Bookworm!! That is amazing. i cant wait to watch her compete. You must be so proud of her, glad that all her hardwork payed off!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

^^^ wanted you to know that you have given me back my confidence in my eyesight. i'm no longer straining looking for that 2nd "O" in optionals.

 

[Optionals United]

^^BWhahahhahahahaha, that is too funny! glad to hear it.

 

[rgmom]

I have twin girls who are both going to compete level 6 this season. It is very expensive (a luxury car payment?), but they are both passionate about gymnastics and I can't imagine either one of them not competing. We are saving our pennies for next year when they both (hopefully!) move up to level 7 and need floor routines, beam routines, etc!! OYE.

 

[mommy_of_three]

Good timing! I took DD1 to gymnastics yesterday (just started three months ago), and the team schedules and tuition were posted on the wall. Pre-team is $250/month for about 7 hours a week. If she starts at Level 5 (the lowest our gym competes, it's $388/month for about 13 hours a week. I almost fell over.

From there it just goes up, up, up. Level 9/10 is almost $600/month.

I looked up an old thread, and everyone else's gym seems to be much less expensive. Is our gym unusual??

 

[Natasha]

Good timing! I took DD1 to gymnastics yesterday (just started three months ago), and the team schedules and tuition were posted on the wall. Pre-team is $250/month for about 7 hours a week. If she starts at Level 5 (the lowest our gym competes, it's $388/month for about 13 hours a week. I almost fell over.

From there it just goes up, up, up. Level 9/10 is almost $600/month.

Very difficult to play the comparison game. First you have to know the area of the country and if you are looking at urban/rural area. Just like the cost of day care would vary in geographical areas, the cost of gym will as well. Then you have to know what is paid in addition to tuition. Some gyms have expensive tuition, but it may include coaches fees and possibly even coaches travel expenses for meets. Some gyms with less expensive tuition end up charging you more in competition and travel fees. Then there is coach to student ratios, experience level of coaches, quality and quantity of equipment, and even things like whether the building is air conditioned.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

Well we have become very savvy craiglisters. If we can find something and we don't need it we sell it. The down side is my husband has become addicted to it. I came home one day and my computer was gone I am a little afraid I might come home one day and find our youngest child on craigslist

 

[Deleted member D3987]

my wife had me placed there several months ago. they called just the other day saying that they would pay HER to take me down...

 

[Mom2twingymnasts]

I'm so happy to see this post because I'm so stressed about our finances. Not that I'm happy that others are suffering through this too but misery does love company. I'm really concerned that we won't be able to keep our kids in the sport that they love. I have 9 year old twins (boy and girl). We put each in a 1 hour per week class when they were 6.5. Was just giving them something to do between spring and fall soccer. Well that was it; both fell in love with this sport. Both kids competed level 5 last year and both will be moving to level 7 this year. Our monthly tuition is crazy and then the meet assessments on top of that is insane! My daughter is going to TOPs national testing and the expense to get her and coaches there is another crazy amount of money. My daughter's meets are all over the place and my son's meets are all over the place but never in the same place. I don't know if we can afford that additional expense (flights/hotels) to get to the meets. But at level 7 our gym requires participation in all meets. Our gym doesn't have a booster club (coach won't allow it) but they do arrange for fund raisers (selling things like pizza kits, candles, cookie dough). I tried selling the stuff last year but it wasn't worth the effort. OK - enough venting - I just hope I can keep both my kids in the sport they truely love. Wish everyone luck getting through this!!

 

[bookworm]

I'm so happy to see this post because I'm so stressed about our finances. Not that I'm happy that others are suffering through this too but misery does love company. I'm really concerned that we won't be able to keep our kids in the sport that they love. I have 9 year old twins (boy and girl). We put each in a 1 hour per week class when they were 6.5. Was just giving them something to do between spring and fall soccer. Well that was it; both fell in love with this sport. Both kids competed level 5 last year and both will be moving to level 7 this year. Our monthly tuition is crazy and then the meet assessments on top of that is insane! My daughter is going to TOPs national testing and the expense to get her and coaches there is another crazy amount of money. My daughter's meets are all over the place and my son's meets are all over the place but never in the same place. I don't know if we can afford that additional expense (flights/hotels) to get to the meets. But at level 7 our gym requires participation in all meets. Our gym doesn't have a booster club (coach won't allow it) but they do arrange for fund raisers (selling things like pizza kits, candles, cookie dough). I tried selling the stuff last year but it wasn't worth the effort. OK - enough venting - I just hope I can keep both my kids in the sport they truely love. Wish everyone luck getting through this!!

I can sympathize with you , as can we all....as far as the booster club issue, it looks like your fundraisers at the gym are doing what most booster clubs do (fundraise) . I found it too labor intensive to fundraise (and I hated to hit up the same people al the time , so I don't) so I work extra shifts here and there and make up what the fundraisers would defray. It all works out in the end though and if they love it, well you're good...they're happy and occupied!

And I do I agree on the TOPS costs, they're a lot on top of everything else...there should be a better way to manage all that but I never figured that one out...And as far as your gym "making" you go to all meets...well they can't make you go into hock just for a meet. We had a family in our gym and the parent had lost his job and the family told the HC/owner that they could only do the local meets due to financial issues...and they were never forced to do them. I think if you're frank with them and tell them that it's beyond your financial means, they'll come around.

 

[cathiann]

I agree with bookworm--at our gym all meets are also "mandatory" however people do skip them--due to finances. If you talk to the HC, then you might be able to work something out.