WAG Coaches Fees. Why?

[Deleted member 14190]

I wish it was only 10 hour days! 8 am to 9 pm is pretty common.

 

[sce]

So I've learned that coaches charge a coach's fee from the parents in addition to the registration fee for each meet. Can someone tell me why? How do I explain to my girls' parents what it is? I really don't know myself, and I want to be prepared when I tell them that they're going to need to pay another fee. Also, if this is something I should be doing, how much do I charge them? Feeling quite curious right now.

Our coaches are hourly. Our tuition pays for the class time, the coaches fee is to pay the coach for working during the meet. As it says above too, if the meet involved travel, then there is payingt hose costs as well.

 

[LucysMom]

Ditto everything everyone said, especially about the transparency.

Our fees are all written on one big printout. Costs are broken down cost by cost and (if traveling) by meet. So, as a parent, I can see EVERYTHING I am being charged for: from coach fees to driving milage.
I like that it's spelled out for me, especially since the "bill" is so darned big!

I wish our gym did this. I wonder why they don't...

 

[Seeker]

I wish our gym did this. I wonder why they don't...

Probably because it's a lot of work....it's different at every gym too regarding who would do this. Our booster club handles it and the data is very detailed, but our club treasurer is an accountant. Not all gyms have that bandwidth and/or capability.

 

[BachFlyer]

Our booster club includes the coaches expenses when they are calculating our fees. They have a very detailed breakdown in the budget for every meet which includes coaches fees/travel and meet entry fees, and then all of the expenses are added up for the whole team for the whole season. Then they subtract out the available booster funds that were raised from meets or other fundraisers. The balance is then broken out per gymnast. We pay around $500-$700 per kid for the entire season which includes everything required (except gymnast/family travel of course). We have a big team so the booster club covers USAG registration and airfare for all girls that make Easterns or JO Nationals.

 

[aerials]

Agree with the above....It took me a year to figure out that the increase in meet fees (they don't even call it a coach fee) was for the coaches transportation/hours/etc A short explanation in the beginning of the year to new parents would go a long way. Most other sports cover these fees in the monthly fees. I don't really care how the expense is covered just let us (the parents) know.

 

[Gymmomto2]

Bachflyer, sounds like you have a great deal. We pay $400-450 & that is just coaches & team fees. Meets are separate.

 

[curlymop]

I think it's weird that parents would get touchy about paying the coach for their time. We pay a team fee every year. Everything that's added into it is listed out for us, including coach fees, meals, and travel. It also includes USAG membership and uniform cost.

 

[raenndrops]

Since you are trying to get meets that are closer and you have an Xcel team, you might get lucky and not have to be there all day. Once you get the first meet schedule, you can figure out how long you expect to be there - open stretch through last awards for your team if they are split in different sessions... add in drive time and gas costs, a motel if it is overnight (unless it makes more sense for you to go back home between)... calculate how much you should be getting paid times the number of coaches attending (factor in carpooling)... then divide that by the number of your girls registered for the particular meet. Round that number up to the nearest $5 increment and that is how much you should charge each girl's family
I know one gym that figures it our for each meet and charges it to the appropriate girls accounts. Our gym doesn't have separate coaches fees because they DO get paid by the gym... and many of our coaches are also parents of gymnasts (so it is hard to determine what is parental and what is work on the transportation and hotels).

 

[Aussie_coach]

Rest assured that no sane parent would object in the slightest to having your travel and hard work at meets appropriately compensated! Coaches, I don't know how you manage those long days with multiple sessions, sometimes without much of a break in between sessions and sometimes with only concession-type food available. We parents are grateful, especially when we have that unlucky group with the 7:30 AM or the 6:00 PM report times! Frankly, I would be willing to pay more than what our gym tacks on . . .

Well, the truth is most of us coaches do love it and would happily give our time for the kids because we really do genuinely care about them. Coaching is not so,ething you do for the money, you do it because yiu love it. But of course we need money to survive.

The reason why there is often a lack of transparency when it comes to what you are paying for in the fees is that there really are parents out there who object. I have spoken to many gym owners who have actually been critisized by parents when they have bought a new car, or a new phone or a new anything to the tone of "its nice that us rents work so hard to line your pockets". So,e parents don't perceive what we do as a real job.

That does not mean its right, and I do firmly beleive that clear communication with parents is one of the most important keys to success. But you can understand why some gym owners are reluctant to disclose, once bitten twice shy.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Our gym gives us a lump sum number called "meet fees" at the beginning of the school year. You can choose to pay it up front or have it taken out over several months with your tuition auto deduct. We aren't really told more than this covers all the expenses of attending meets. We aren't asked for any additional fees (Leo's and warmups are separate) and I have never heard a parent complain about it being done this way. I feel if they started telling us all the many things this pays for there would be a lot more people concerned about why they were paying for this and that. Cost of participation, period. No biggie.

 

[Gymbee06]

Our coaches are all volunteers they only get reimbursed for travel no one gets paid for the hours worked per week and we don't for them tobgobto completions either.
Their reimbursement comes out of what we pay per month year round everyone pays the same amount ($100) per month and trains the same hours on team per week (15) doesn't matter what level or how many comps I'm guessing they are reimbursed for travel to and from comps but I don't know for sure we don't pay any extra just meet fee and Leo hire usually $40-50) per comp

 

[3rd_time_around]

Our coaches' fees are included in our lump sum meet fees. Each coach gets paid per session, they get an allowance for fuel and for food. They don't turn in receipts, they are given a set amount. Ask around what other gyms pay their coaches per session to help you come up with an amount. And include it in the team handbook or payment information you hand out at the beginning of each competition season so that there are no surprises for the parents.

 

[Chalky]

It's not uncommon to have an 8 hour work day for 1 session when you factor in travel time, warm up and awards. At $50-$60 per session, that equates to a very low amount per hour. I have never been reimbursed for food unless the meet required excessive travel and an overnight stay (4+ hours each way). Likewise, gas has often only been paid for long distance meets. Sometimes in season, I have gone almost 2 months without a day off. So coaches are not always getting rich off meet fees!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Rest assured that no sane parent would object in the slightest to having your travel and hard work at meets appropriately compensated! Coaches, I don't know how you manage those long days with multiple sessions, sometimes without much of a break in between sessions and sometimes with only concession-type food available. We parents are grateful, especially when we have that unlucky group with the 7:30 AM or the 6:00 PM report times! Frankly, I would be willing to pay more than what our gym tacks on . . .

Thank You for that considerate post!

 

[Deleted member 14190]

What chalky said! most absolutely do not equal the hourly rate when working meets. We sacrifice a lot. For me this past season was 21 weekends... Factor in Saturday workouts and we get very few days off.

 

[smidgie]

Ours (for usag only, usaigc does it differently) is called an assessment fee. The higher you're dd's level the higher the fee. It is outlined when you join the team. The fee covers travel expenses, coach meet fees, yearly certifications and education. Our regular monthly fee just cover training time in the gym. I hate paying the assessment fee, but I understand it. Assessment fees in our area are pretty standardized from gym to gym.

 

[Gymsanity]

For those that want transparency (which I believe there should be), here it is. $75.00/session for coaching, $30.00/day per diem, $.50/mile, and all other associated expenses (planes, trains, autos, hotels, etc.). I make no bones about it, that's what it is. Had a parent question that a few years back, so I stayed home and had a great weekend with friends and family, and sent 3 junior coaches instead. Heard it didn't go so swell. None the less, I always leave that as an option for the parents. If they want to save a few bucks, I have no hard feelings in staying home with my family.

 

[Gymmomto2]

Yikes!^^^^. As a parent, I would have had a cardiac if our coach wasn't there for a non-emergency reason. I don't fuss about the fees, I am just hoping our extra fees actually ALL goes to our coaches. We don't get a breakdown so I'll trust that they do. Our coaches have been around for a long time & I want them to stay!

 

[Popcorn]

For those that want transparency (which I believe there should be), here it is. $75.00/session for coaching, $30.00/day per diem, $.50/mile, and all other associated expenses (planes, trains, autos, hotels, etc.). I make no bones about it, that's what it is. Had a parent question that a few years back, so I stayed home and had a great weekend with friends and family, and sent 3 junior coaches instead. Heard it didn't go so swell. None the less, I always leave that as an option for the parents. If they want to save a few bucks, I have no hard feelings in staying home with my family.

Thank you for that. I don't think we've been charged at our gym and I was hoping our coach didn't have to miss his other work for meets. My fear is that our amazing coach will have to leave for a better-paying job (he's highly educated but seems to love the sport of gymnastics so he balances two jobs). Hopefully the gym is paying him, or it's included in our fees. Like previous people, I would rather contribute and have a great coach than have him stay home