amiandjim
Proud Parent
I particularly found interesting that they now state parents should have access to all training sessions. While our gym has open viewing, I know many, many do not.
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And how do these policies affect your gyms? Do any of your gyms not have the physical capacity for a viewing area, or have no way to make it possible for parents to have physical and verbal contact with their children.
Obviously we are not bound by these policies as we are in a different country. We have a viewing area and have always allowed (and believed in) parents to view any or all of their child's class. However, we have a very strict no parents in the gymnastics area rule. The coaches do not allow any parent to go through the door and enter the gymnastics area. Parents are not covered by the same insurance as the gymnasts, what if a parent trips over a mat (easy to do if they are not used to walking on them), and hurts themselves. Or a parent exersizing their right to have physical contact with their child wanders across the floor while a gymnast tumbles or the vault run etc. If I was in the US, I would struggle to implement the policy allowing parents physical and verbal contact at all times.
Do any of your gyms not have the physical capacity for a viewing area, or have no way to make it possible for parents to have physical and verbal contact with their children.
I would think that’s fine. They can see them and as long as no doors are locked they can walk out to them if needed.A considerable number of gyms I know have the viewing area on the second floor, which means no direct physical contact. More than just 1%, at least in my area. They do this mostly to maximize valuable real estate(usually main gym is essentially 2 story for necessary height, then office/dance rooms/preschool gym/bathrooms are 1 story with viewing area above). I am not sure how they will fix it.
How about , coach cannot date a gymnast when she turns 18. Talk about grooming ... and yet it happens often.
To USAG: Four modifications are needed:
1. ADD:
“An athlete must be able to leave a coach, or training facility, at any time without negative repercussions for the athlete or the parent.
No athlete or parent will be required to sign documents that take away this right.
Pre-existing financial obligations to the coach / training facility must still be honored by the parent / athlete."
I read it as, pre existing contracts, being those signed prior to the introduction of these new policies. Meaning that from now of gyms will not be allowed to put such contracts in place.
This one will be problematic either way. Of course if an athlete is in an abusive program, requiring them to stay or pay $500 per month until the end of the season is not appropriate. But each gym is a business, and like any business there are contracts. Many gyms run their teams with little to no profit. They will except the minimum number of gymnasts into the team each season to make it financially viable, if one leaves they often can’t be replaced until the new season.
Not saying the above scenario is acceptable. We do not expect a gymnast to pay out for the rest of the year if they leave mid season. But we do have a reasonable cancellation fee, of a few weeks of classes, if a gymnasts stops mid pay period.
I think that a 30 day notice is perfectly reasonable. It is generally accepted in the professional world, so I would think it should be fine for the gym world as well. Year long contracts are absurd- forcing a kid to pay when they are being abused is horrific IMO.
A year financial contract is horrific periodI think that a 30 day notice is perfectly reasonable. It is generally accepted in the professional world, so I would think it should be fine for the gym world as well. Year long contracts are absurd- forcing a kid to pay when they are being abused is horrific IMO.