Coaches Do you pay to go to meets your gym hosts

[Linsul]

I'm asking out of curiosity. I've never paid to get into a meet hosted where I work. I've had my I.D. and my USAG pro member card checked, and been waved through. This has been for international meets, mens teams, womens teams, compulsory, optionals, you name it we've hosted it. So today there's a compulsory meet, and I'm down the street at the mall. I finish shopping and decide to stop by and wish the team luck on my way home. I got totally owned by the admissions people! I don't know who was doing admissions (volunteers? booster club? no idea), but is this normal? Do you guys get charged as employees and USAG pro members to go into your own gym? No sarcasm, I'm honestly asking because walking in is the only way things have gone down in my world. Maybe I was coasting on a good thing and am now being brought back to reality!

 

[Rec Coach]

that seems a little ridiculous. I think I would have just lied and said I forgot something in the gym....

 

[bogwoppit]

No, because in Quebec clubs are not allowed to charge for entry, the girls pay an entry fee and a membership to the federation each year.

 

[Linsul]

Ahhh I should have thought of the 'forgot something' excuse! I wasn't thinking clearly >< I had my daughter with me, they seriously wouldn't let me in without handing over $16. I let it go and just left. I wasn't going to pay just to say 'hi, good luck!' I had to get to the store and home in time to make food for the fight tonight! GO PACMAN!

I'll probably ask the owner next time I'm in just to clarify, but our admission being free has come out of his mouth before at staff meetings from last season. If nothing has changed then next time it's gonna be 'Hi, I work here, here's my I.D. and USAG card...if there's a problem here's a number you can call byyyyyyyyyee!'

 

[gymdog]

I mean, I wouldn't even walk in through that set of doors, but I guess that depends on the set up. With the USAG card and a team jacket and a general coach/athlete look, you can usually just walk right by admissions anyway.

We don't even charge for meets held in gyms anyway, although that's changing, but that kind of renders the whole thing moot.

 

[gymnut1]

I usually do pay but it is a small amount. About $5 each kids free. The gym keeps the entrance money. The gymnasts entry money goes to British Gymnastics I think. That is also not much - about $15. If you are the coach accompanying the gymnasts onto the floor you dont pay.

 

[bookworm]

I guess it depends on who is running the meet....If it is the Parents Group or Booster Club, I'm surprised that they didn't know you in your own gym.

I've been in gyms where I was never charged for a home meet if I worked it(any session) , but if just a spectator (and not working at all in ANY session) , I would be charged. The gym we are at now charges parents to watch their own kid regardless of whether you work the meet or not.

 

[Linsul]

I was at work tonight and told the sad sad story to the owner and some coworkers. Hilarity ensued.

Me: Yeah so I couldn't get in to wish a compulsory team and coaches good luck, but the international invitationals are free?

Owner: Excuse me, what?!

Coworkers: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!

Me: LOL I KNEW IT! I GOT PUNK'D!

Owner: Of course you should've gotten in, you and your family are always free

Me: Well, I got referred around to a bunch of different people, and ultimately I didn't want to make a big deal out of it so I just left. I thought about going to a different door, but they were stationed everywhere!

Owner: Well it was booster parents from another gym, but still...

Coworkers: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA! OWNED!

Me: I figured, I just want to get the rules straight so I can tell it how it is next time. I GOT OWNT.

Owner: Well by virtue of being an employee you get access to the gym free of charge at all times regardless of what's going on. Had you forgotten your wallet, or keys, or phone, anything of your daughters, you should be able to get in without a problem.

Compulsory Coach of the team that competed that day: Forget all that, we could have used the luck! We had a fall on bars, luck is serious business! Plus she's coached the girls, it would have been a nice gesture.

Owner: Agreed...collaboration is good, support of the team is good, really there shouldn't have been a problem.

Then the ALLMIGHTY IPHONE was broken out in the name of employee justice. I joke about the iphone all the time, that thing is ridiculous in how many uses it has! Like a communication swiss army knife.

 

[BlairBob]

Hmm, considering for home meets, I'm one of the people doing the heavy lifting, they better not ask me to pay.

Then again, using my key to get into the gym through a non standard entry door works as well.

 

[gymcoach26]

I've been paid to be there and I don't even coach team!