Parents Yearly team fees

[Tumblequeensmom]

Like Gymmonkeymomma said, Candygrams are sold at every meet... you do NOT have to buy them. They usually run from about 5.00 and up. It is hard, esp. for the little ones, to see all of your friends get one if you don't. It's definitely a peer pressure kind of thing we put on ourselves, and another way for the host gym to get more money out of us parents!

 

[Billy]

I haven't noticed candygrams at our meets but they do usually do good luck announcements. But we've never done that because they announce them during warm ups and half the time the girls don't hear them. We are guilty of buying souvenirs at the meets sometimes but only if there's something worth while.

 

[gym law mom]

In 3 yrs of gymmie doing meets, I've never seen candy grams at any meet. Maybe we're lucky? Usually an option to buy a small ad in the program wishing good luck, but that seems to be done by family at the home meet, not at other meets. This past year at our home meet, the booster club put an ad in wishing all the optional girls good luck and listed their names/levels and their compulsory "sisters" also put an ad in. I figured that covered it---no need for an ad from us.

 

[luv2watchgym]

You guys are so lucky! Our gym charges $125 a month for coaches' fees in addition to tuition. Team leos, warm-ups and bags usually run another $300 a year. USAG membership and competition fees are separate, and meets usually run about $100 per meet, with 8-10 meets a year. Then there's the $500 fee for choreography for floor, and usually another $150 for music, and those are usually only good for two years. Those are all mandatory, non-negotiable costs. On top of that, there are the leos, the grips, the tiger paws, the tape, and often medical costs. Finally, even when we don't have travel and hotel costs, we almost always have to go out to eat immediately after a meet since dd is STARVED by the end of a meet. And with gas prices the way they are, even in-state meets are looking really expensive. I'm looking for a job now so I can help support dd's gymnastics "habit"!

 

[Aussie_coach]

What are candygrams?

I have seen enough USA TV to know that Candy is what we call lollies, another word for confectionary. But I have never heard of a candygram. It sounds unhealthy, how do the coaches feel about seeing the kids eating 'junkfood' at meets?

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

A "Candygram" is a piece of candy, along w/some sort of bag/container and a handwritten message from the parents. The candygram is then given out at the end of the meet to each individual child. Quite a marketing gimmick, eh? Of course the host gym puts these together for pennies on the dollar and then charges anywhere from 5.00 and up. And course you can "upgrade" the candygram when you purchase them, y'know... add a bigger toy, stuffed animal, whatever. Is Virginia really the only state that does this?

Of course you can then purchase the program, pins, leotards, and all of the other things that are normally sold at a meet.

I'm lucky in that DD is older now and doesn't care so much about the Candygrams, the but young ones are heartbroken when the other girls get one and they don't! DD would rather save the money and spend it at Abercrombie - HA!!!

We're still waiting on the breakdown of our coaches fees for the year. They'll let us know in August, but I anticipate about another 1,500 for the year..... Hopefully our Booster club will come up w/some good fundraising ideas that don't always involve going door to door to sell items. I just can't do that to my neighbors anymore... with the school fundraising and sports fundraising, it's just too much to ask.