Anon High hours+cost

[Anonymous (6d7a)]

Anonymous because I don't want to give info about specific gyms, or location.

My family is looking at a new gym, and there is basically 1 option feasible for us, 25 minutes away. I'm not well versed in hours and tuition, but what they are offering seems ridiculous. It's around 500 a month for tuition plus "assessment fees" and another fee I cannot remember. It adds up just shy of 1000 a month. This is not including competition and attire fees. Gymnast is level 8/9, and for 8-10 hours are 25 a week. I might understand those numbers for elites in a big city or something like wcc, but for any regular athlete? I will add that this program is the best in our state and is highly esteemed. I just cannot justify those numbers but I'd hate for gymnast to stay at a gym that is no longer the right fit.

I could look around for something that is 40+ minutes away but for my family that probably just won't work. Am I asking for too much?

 

[Anonymous (9fc3)]

If you can't afford the fees I wouldn't make the move. $1000/month sounds crazy high to me, but maybe in a super HCOL area? What is the tuition like where you are coming from? $500 a month in tuition doesn't seem high for 25 hours a week, but I don't understand what the extra assessment fee each month would be. Are they also charging you for something else each month like a dance instructor or choreographer coming in?

 

[JBS]

$500/month for 25 hours doesn't seem that bad. If we did 25 hours... we would be $634. The fees are the part that seem crazy high. If you are paying $500/month in fees + competition fees... that would be $7,000+ per year in fees alone... that would be considered very high. I know clubs that are very expensive as far as tuition... $800+/month... just depends on what you are looking for and what you are willing to pay.

 

[Aussie_coach]

25 hours a week is a lot but not that unusual for level 8-10.

The level of skill they are doing is very high. In order to learn high level gymnastics skills safely you need many, many hours of strength and conditioning. Developing upper body strength, core strength, leg strength, pull strength, push strength, shoulder opening and closing strength, grip and wrist strength, handstand strength, shaping, speed work and plyometics, hip open and close strength, flexibility in most parts of the body, active, static and dynamic flexibility and injury prevention work.

Then there is all the skills on Bars, Beam, Vault and Floor and supplementary training in trampolines, sprint work, tumbling, dance.

In each apparatus there is skill practice, routine work, learning new skills, drills for higher skills.

In a larger group they need to wait for turns etc.

Many level 8-10 are also aspiring for College scholarships, Nationals and/or elite.

I find 20 hours is more common. But it’s hard to find low hours at that level.

 

[Aussie_coach]

$500 is very affordable for monthly fees for 25 hours. That is about $4.50 per hour.

Gyms are dealing with massive rents, extremely expensive equipment, rising overhead costs, coach wages, coach training etc.

The assessment fees etc probably include things like competition entry fees, paying coaches to work at competitions, judge fees and training, equipment upgrades etc

 

[JBS]

People really just don't like fees. $500/month tuition + $500/month in fees is like buying a $300 airline ticket and checking a bag for $300.

In my opinion... the gym would be better off charging $800 in tuition + $200 in fees.

However... what @Aussie_coach said is correct... think about if the club was only charging $10/hour... this would be $1,000/month in tuition alone.

 

[Aussie_coach]

People really just don't like fees. $500/month tuition + $500/month in fees is like buying a $300 airline ticket and checking a bag for $300.

In my opinion... the gym would be better off charging $800 in tuition + $200 in fees.

However... what @Aussie_coach said is correct... think about if the club was only charging $10/hour... this would be $1,000/month in tuition alone.

And $10 an hour is very cheap for high level gymnastics training in a very expensive facility, most likely under some of their top (and most expensive) coaches, in small groups.

 

[Anonymous (6d7a)]

Okay, new information that I glossed over that is pretty important.

The other fees DO include competition and attire fees, which imo is still expensive but makes it a lot more palatable. And there was a slight miscommunication about hours. Hours are 28 per week which is even more crazy for a level 8 considering gymnast has sat at 18 for 4 years now. I guess we'll just have to decide how important gymnastics is for our family.

 

[Anonymous (6d7a)]

Many level 8-10 are also aspiring for College scholarships, Nationals and/or elite.

I find 20 hours is more common. But it’s hard to find low hours at that level.

See my post above. At this point there is no realistic shot at college scholarship as she is going into freshman year as a level 8 and is nothing special, and I don't think 28 hours could make her. We'll just have to decide how important this sport is to our family.

 

[Anonymous (6d7a)]

If you can't afford the fees I wouldn't make the move. $1000/month sounds crazy high to me, but maybe in a super HCOL area? What is the tuition like where you are coming from? $500 a month in tuition doesn't seem high for 25 hours a week, but I don't understand what the extra assessment fee each month would be. Are they also charging you for something else each month like a dance instructor or choreographer coming in?

We could afford it, but we're not sure if we want to spend that money for gymnastics when there are no real future opportunities, although she loves it. And sort of? We are in a HCOL state but we are out of the bad area. Our old tuition was around 300 a month for 18 hours weekly. Also I found out the fees DO include competition fees and leos so does make it sound a lot better.

 

[Anonymous (19bf)]

It's a lot of money, but this isn't a cheap sport. As others have said, if you divide it by the number of hours coached and then add on the cost of renting, lighting, heating, cooling etc the facility, maintaining and replacing equipment and so on it quickly stacks up. Based on hunch rather than data I'd say the hourly costs end up being not radically different to many other sports, but that gymnastics is unusual in the number of hours in which a young athlete is actively coached rather than practicing on their own time.

 

[Anonymous (6f5c)]

Our tuition is $450 for 20 hours a week for levels 8-10. The homeschool kids do more hours and pay more. This doesn't include comp or leo fees. We don't have any additional monthly fees though. Comp fees are about $1400 a year not including travel costs. If I had fees that high on top of tuition costs I would probably expect comp fees to be included. For our family $1000 a month would be outside our budget. I have tracked our annual costs for gym and its around $7K-$8K a year depending on travel and if the whole family goes to travel meets. But that includes every cost (tuitiuon comp fees choreo leos etc). At $1K a month you are well above that and you have additional costs on top of that so I would say it seems high.

No disrespect to the coaches and gym owners on here but I know if you break it down to the hourly costs for gym it seems like a great deal but keep in mind its not one on one training there are like 10+ kids in the group and there is more than one team group there during that time period. I would say every night at our gym there are at least 50 girls there paying that "hourly rate". Also many people have said that team (while hopefully financially solvent) is not necessarily the money maker for the gym. I think expecting parents to pay a "reasonable" hourly rate when 20+ hours a week are "required" isn't really a realistic outlook either. While $10 an hour sounds reasonable in my opinion $1000 a month does not I think breaking it down to an hourly rate is an oversimplification. Gyms should absolutely make money its a business but you will price yourselves out of customers if you arent careful.

From past surveys done on pricing around here I feel like Level 8-10 is usually in the $500-$800 range per month (20-25 hours). Meet fees are usually extra. The cost of living where you live is usually a big factor on where you find yourself in that range.

 

[Anonymous (27be)]

Is Xcel an option at your new gym? Should be less hours and cost and might be a good compromise.

 

[Anonymous (9aaa)]

Interesting topic. Yes the price per hour is fairly cheap as the hours rise. I also don't like all the extra fees. This is your monthly tuition and then you pay uniform and comp fees/expenses etc... What does the assessment fee actually cover if it is paid monthly like tuition?
I saw elsewhere recently that GAGE apparently looses some of their higher level athletes to nearby gyms as their fees are significantly more expensive. It's not surprising, the rent and utility costs of a venue like that would be significantly more than the typical building gyms often use.

I know in our area the gyms in the less desirable industrial areas are cheaper that those in the more convenient commercial spaces.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Our tuition is $450 for 20 hours a week for levels 8-10. The homeschool kids do more hours and pay more. This doesn't include comp or leo fees. We don't have any additional monthly fees though. Comp fees are about $1400 a year not including travel costs. If I had fees that high on top of tuition costs I would probably expect comp fees to be included. For our family $1000 a month would be outside our budget. I have tracked our annual costs for gym and its around $7K-$8K a year depending on travel and if the whole family goes to travel meets. But that includes every cost (tuitiuon comp fees choreo leos etc). At $1K a month you are well above that and you have additional costs on top of that so I would say it seems high.

No disrespect to the coaches and gym owners on here but I know if you break it down to the hourly costs for gym it seems like a great deal but keep in mind its not one on one training there are like 10+ kids in the group and there is more than one team group there during that time period. I would say every night at our gym there are at least 50 girls there paying that "hourly rate". Also many people have said that team (while hopefully financially solvent) is not necessarily the money maker for the gym. I think expecting parents to pay a "reasonable" hourly rate when 20+ hours a week are "required" isn't really a realistic outlook either. While $10 an hour sounds reasonable in my opinion $1000 a month does not I think breaking it down to an hourly rate is an oversimplification. Gyms should absolutely make money its a business but you will price yourselves out of customers if you arent careful.

From past surveys done on pricing around here I feel like Level 8-10 is usually in the $500-$800 range per month (20-25 hours). Meet fees are usually extra. The cost of living where you live is usually a big factor on where you find yourself in that range.

On one one training usually costs at least $100 per hour, we charge $110 per hour.

The average team has around 8 or less kids per coach. $10 is a very good deal.

Yes, most revenue comes from recreational once a week kids but ideally gyms should not be running teams that just break even or run at a loss.

Gyms and gymnastics coaches have an incredibly difficult job. They work long hours, often for far less money than they would get if they worked elsewhere. They work late night, holidays and weekends. They put their bodies on the line every day.

They need to have expert knowledge of the body, physics, child development, psychology etc.

They are responsible for the health, safety and well being of so many young people.

Most gyms are unlikely to price themselves out of the business. They know what the demographics of their area is and what is reasonable to charge.

Due to the nature of the sport, gymnastics has to be an expensive sport. The only way around that would be if the government were to subsidise it, they way it’s done on many countries. But in these countries only the select few with high levels of talent have access to the programs.

 

[Dahlialover]

Are you sure that the assessment fees ar charged 12 months per year? Ours are only charged August-December. I would definitely ask what the annual total for assessments is and exactly what is included. Also, find out what meets they go to so you can estimate travel costs. Our gym is doing an optional meet in Mexico and people have higher assessments if they opt to attend that meet.

And definitely consider xcel. It is a program that is designed to be fewer hours and less money.

 

[Anonymous (abcd)]

For compulsory, we are paying $475/month for 12 hours, plus $2500 in fees that cover everything for the competitive season except for athlete travel and hotels.

 

[Madden3]

Are you sure that the assessment fees ar charged 12 months per year? Ours are only charged August-December. I would definitely ask what the annual total for assessments is and exactly what is included. Also, find out what meets they go to so you can estimate travel costs. Our gym is doing an optional meet in Mexico and people have higher assessments if they opt to attend that meet.

And definitely consider xcel. It is a program that is designed to be fewer hours and less money.

I was wondering the same thing. Our gym has a monthly tuition and the amount depends on hours of practice, and a single annual competition assessment (paid to a separate non profit booster club) that must be paid a few months before competition season starts.

 

[Carabistouille]

Due to the nature of the sport, gymnastics has to be an expensive sport. The only way around that would be if the government were to subsidise it, they way it’s done on many countries. But in these countries only the select few with high levels of talent have access to the programs.

Just a clarification, as someone from a country in which sport is heavily subsidise. It is true that only a select few have access to elite training (i.e. 25-30hrs/week). However, there are a lot of gymnasts who train around 15hrs/week for 400€ a year (with not extra fee for competition and what not). It subsidised for everyone because sport is healthy for everyone and should be accessible for everyone.

 

[Anonymous (5c2a)]

I was looking at information from another gym about 40 minutes away.

As of LAST season, Team girls paid tuition ranged from 1 hour = $107 up to 21 hours for $409.
Their assessments cover meet fees, coaches fees, and end of year banquet fees. The amount depends on the number of mandatory meets for the level (7-8 required meets depending on level). There are 1-2 optional meets depending on level too. It didn't give any numbers for that, but JUST the meet fees would be about $95 to $180 each.
Apparel is about $420 per year because they purchase NEW every year.