Parents Parents giving Financial Rewards for Young Atheletes

[Mom2Chickadee]

This might be better suited for the Off Topic forum so mods please feel free to move it. Over the weekend we were at a baseball tournament for our DS when one of the moms mentioned that she had negotiated a deal with her DS for every hit he got during the tournament she would pay him a $1, and another parent said that he pays his DS for every goal he gets in hockey and actually paid him $50 for his first. We were also at one of my DS' hockey games last winter when one of the dads was flashing a $20 at his son as incentive to get a goal. My DS is a pretty self-motivated kid when it comes to his sports so we've never even considered offering him any finacial rewards for his sports, and my DD is not at the competitive stage of gymnastics yet so I'm not sure if this type of system translates to gymnastics.

Do gym parents reward their gymnastics for new skills, placements at competitions, etc? I'd be curious to see what other parents thoughts are on paying your child for athletic accomplishments, as I was quite surprised at the number of parents who said they did this with their kids sports.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

No,

but I did say that if she got all her skills to move up to the next level (which has been a struggle with some fear issues on beam) I would buy her a new charm for her bracelet (think 20$ here).

Oh and I did say if she medalled at a regional competition we went to in the spring I would buy her a new leo (she has grown a lot recently), I though no chance, 60 girls and competing in a mixed age group which included girls 2 years older. ha, more fool me !

 

[Granny Smith]

No, I've never tied a new leo or anything to a competition. Yes, I have bought her new leos at meets, but I've bought on her worst days just as many times as I've bought on her best days.

I prefer for her to have intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic. I believe there is something seriously wrong when the thought of getting money (or some other reward) for placing top 3 (or whatever is the reward cut off) is what is driving the gymnast rather than wanting to place Top 3 because they worked hard and proved to themselves that they are capable of being in that spot.

My personal opinion, the extrinsic gymnast is more likely to quit the sport over time as they are doing the sport for someone else, while the intrinsic is driven by their own thoughts and behaviors.

 

[LoveMyGymmie]

We reward my daughter with boiled peanuts when she gets a big skill. It has to be a major one...like a kip or BHS on beam. I realize it isn't a huge incentive, but it has become a small celebration of an accomplishment in our house.

 

[momto2js]

I have offered rewards for leadership and behavior at the gym simular to rewards offered at school. In our house you earn screen time through activity (1 minute for every 2 minutes of excercise) so an hour at the gym get 30 minutes of minecraft. This is to encourage all members of the family to put it down and get moving.

I have never considered "pay for performance" or results. That isnt really in his control, however behavior is and at this young age, small rewards for exceptional leadership or focus seem like a good idea.

 

[UpsideDown]

Financial rewards, no. But my daughter was really close to her kip for a while, so I wrote her a coupon for a free ice cream at her favorite place with all the toppings she wants (I usually limit it to three)..... The cost was "one kip". And she got her kip that day! Her coaches joked that they would start doing that if that's all it takes for her to get her big skills!

 

[Noideaaboutgym]

We "sort" of reward them, however not for the gymnastics as they do that because they love it. Their weekly pocket money is based on their other sport, whether they listened to the coach and whether they tried (one of us stays to watch as the session is way shorter than gym). This came about as my younger child was messing around not listening and same day older one set off doing totally different to everyone else.
When I was younger in sport I was "paid" for personal best times. At the moment we can't afford to reward them for gym achievements though!!

 

[gymmutti]

We've done ice cream for celebration of big skills like the kip and giant but other than that, no. I would never tie a reward to an actual meet score/placement but I did once bargain with younger DD that good behavior at a meet (not moaning "I'm bored" all the time while older DD competed) could result in a purchase of a scrunchie or Dippin' Dots - her choice.

 

[profmom]

Not for scores and medals. Occasionally for really trying hard to deal with fear issues. And there's one meet for DD every year that has an extensive leo display . . .

One of the boys' coaches occasionally promises cookies if the boys can do some insane challenge. I'm not sure if it's the insanity of the challenge or the cookies, but my son will occasionally catch him on those.

 

[poodlemomma]

I did for my daughter this past year. It was because she was driving me nuts for an IPad. So this was in the fall, I finally caved and told her she could have one if she placed first at state. It was more like a statement.. "If we win the lotto, you can have whatever you want." Well, she didn't get first. She got second and by only a tenth of a point. I didn't get her an IPad, too expensive. She did get a tablet. I was pretty stunned...

 

[mobeans]

We do not. DD is extremely self-motivated and works 100% at every meet and practice. She won 1st on each event and AA at the State Meet and we gave her a big hug and told her how proud we were of her hard work all season. She has said a few times "because I won xx can I get...." I remind her that her medal/trophy IS her award

 

[COz]

I have certainly bribed (with lollies or icecream) for good behaviour, given treats or toys as celebration of good behaviour, hard work or special achievement. I am not against monetary rewards for chores, I can imagine the possibility of giving some money as a treat for good performance in exams or something when they are older but the pay for performance that you've described isn't something that I'd ever heard of and I can't imagine considering doing this myself.

 

[Faith]

Umm. We do

Bearing in mind she has very little free time to earn pocket money. Dh set it up. Not bribes, but more of a way to earn doing something she loves. I could pay her to do chores, but she's always at training!

She gets £1 for each point above her PB in comps, and I think about £2.50 for a new training achievement. We do normally buy a small gift or treat for comps too- but as a reward for hard work rather than placement or results.

She's very intrinsically motivated anyway so I don't really think it's necessary. But I do kind of think it's better she earns her pocket money, rather than me just paying. She saved enough for a small furry pet this year, do now needs to keep earning for food, bedding etc!

 

[Faith]

We reward my daughter with boiled peanuts when she gets a big skill. It has to be a major one...like a kip or BHS on beam. I realize it isn't a huge incentive, but it has become a small celebration of an accomplishment in our house.

Sorry? Boiled peanuts? Am I missing something- like not knowing what s'mores were?!

Are boiled peanuts a good thing? I am imagining some sort of circus monkey or elephant training, rewarding with peanuts

 

[Mom2littlebit]

Yes my husband pays our son for touchdowns, and two point conversions so he had to make it fair for dd in the gym. She is give $10 for each 9.0 and she got 20$ when she got her first 36.0 she has been promised $40 for 9.5 or greater. I don't necessarily agree with this, but it is a monster my husband created.
On and up note though, she usually buys all her own Leo's (like the last 4) and t-shirts with the money she has earned at meets.

 

[skschlag]

I don't reward for places in a meet, mainly because that is so dependant on so many things. I also don't reward for scoring, because again, that can be dependant on many things. He gets a high five regardless of placement. (but I also don't pay for grades, much to the dismay of my kiddos!)

 

[Learning Parent GB]

No. To me that's like the parents that pay their children for how many As they get on their end of year report. I don't understand it at all.

When DD finally gets her upstart (kip) I will be as excited as she is - and the fact that I get what a big deal it is means more to her than money.

But DS's football team mates have parents that do it. He'd have made a fortune if he'd had different parents

 

[Mom2Chickadee]

Thanks for your replies. Thinking back we did agree to buy my DD a new leo when she finally made it to the top of the rope for the first time. She was trying so freaking hard for so long that we wanted to give her that little push and it worked. She climbed to the top the very next practice. That was the one and only time. I don't think I'm against rewards for individual accomplishments, we give both our kids allowance for doing their chores and they get a gift at the end of the school year for working hard all year and making it to the next grade. I have a harder time rewarding individual glory with team sports. I'm always worried that a kid who gets money for a goal is going to be less likely to pass to a teammate, putting their own personal gain ahead of what's best for the team. I've participated in team sports my entire life and have never liked playing with, or watching that player that is all about themselves.

 

[aerials]

No. However I did get her a stuffed animal when she got her kip. I was just so excited for her.

However I do know of others who pay $ for skills and placements. One mom paid her daughter $75 for her FHC. I have a friend who paid her kids for each soccer goal they scored and pays $50 for straight A's. I don't like the $ aspect of it, but that's just me. When my dd gets straight A's I will take her out to dinner to celebrate but that's about it.

 

[LoveMyGymmie]

Sorry? Boiled peanuts? Am I missing something- like not knowing what s'mores were?!

Are boiled peanuts a good thing? I am imagining some sort of circus monkey or elephant training, rewarding with peanuts

Boiled peanuts are a southern thing. They are green (unroasted) peanuts boiled in salted water until the shell and peanut inside become soft. They are an acquired taste for sure. We love them in my house, but don't eat them often so they are a good treat. The best ones are sold by old men in overalls on the side of a country road .... You can also find them in gas stations and farmer's markets.