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The Elegant Balance of the Gymnastics Booster Club

Posted on 21. May, 2009 by Bob Wilson in Gyms & Coaches

Ahh, the Booster Club – the non-profit, separate entity that is the parent’s association at most gyms. They can either be a gym’s best friend or, in some cases, their worst nightmare.

So, how do you strike that delicate and elegant balance between a Booster Club that’s helpful and one that’s invasive?

Don’t Make it Mandatory

The Booster Club is a separate entity, there to raise money for the competitive team’s costs and their coach’s travel costs. If a parent wants to participate, fine, but making it mandatory can actually drive many of your parents away. Why? Because some people would rather spend an extra $400 a year on registration fees than have to work a Bingo night month after month.

They’re Not Your Employees

While parents helping on the floor at meets is great and it’s fantastic to get them involved, please remember that they’re not your employees and the Booster Club isn’t a reservoir of free labor. Making that distinction clear and keeping those boundaries firm protects you from parental backlash.

It also protects you from the mindset that “this is my gym, I do all the work and now I have a say in how it’s run.” And to be fair, if you’re leaving the running of your gym up to the parents, then why shouldn’t they have a say in how it’s run?

Keep a Seat on Your Booster Club’s Board

It’s important to remember that the Booster Club is a separate entity from the gym, but that doesn’t mean you should disassociate yourself completely – particularly if your Booster Club is making decisions that could affect your business.

A gym owner in California got a call recently from one of her Booster Club members saying they had obtained corporate sponsorship for the team, but would need to hang a massive corporate logo banner in the gym for the whole season. It was a messy and awkward situation that could have been avoided had the gym owner or manager stayed in touch and on top of Booster Club activities.

Sitting on your gym’s Booster Club board also lets you keep an eye on potential conflicts. They happen and they can cause massive rifts, rifts that end up with parents (and their students) leaving your gym.

Keep it Legal

Remember, if a Booster Club is fundraising, they should be registered independently as a 501(c)3. This isn’t your responsibility, but if they’re not registered and money isn’t handled correctly, you could be dinged for income. So, before you let a Booster Club start operating in your club, make sure they have their ducks in a row.

I don’t mean to scare gym owners. Booster Clubs are a great thing, if they’re managed correctly. But, a poorly operating Booster Club can be more of a drain than a support.

What do you think? Are most gymnastics Booster Clubs a help or a hindrance? How do you work with yours?

Photo: Rick McCharles

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Tags: booster club, gym owners, gymnastics parents