We have a particular point of view about gymnastics gyms. This article is written from the point of view of gymnastics coaches, gym owners and sports researchers. While this is not a truly omnipotent point of view, we believe it is an important perspective for parents and others in the gym to understand. An understanding of the views and problems of the sport of gymnastics will give valuable information to parents who are interested in what they can do to improve their child’s gymnastics experience.

Many Hats To Wear
Coaching a team, managing a business and running a non-profit organization are all individually full-time jobs.  Any one of these jobs in the normal business sector are given full-time job status, time and attention.  In many small gyms and many large gyms, these tasks and a multiplicity of others are primarily handled by a single individual or shared by a small group.  If you look at your gym, you can probably easily analyze who is handling which functions. 

Can’t Do Everything
The fact is that when a single individual is required to handle two or more full-time jobs at once, it becomes very difficult to accomplish everything.  A normal full-time coach  teaches thirty-two hours of classes per week.  This, of course, doesn’t include outside preparation and planning, reviewing videos, gym and meet paperwork and a host of other tasks dedicated to improving the team.

At Least Three Full-Time Jobs
Managing a small business takes fifty to eighty hours per week.  This is typical of small service businesses, regardless of whether they are sport related or not.  Small non-profit organizations are usually volunteer work, but still require a minimum of five to ten hours per week.  This minimum of eighty-seven hours per week is the workload of any individual who owns their own gym and runs it alone.  This is a minimum and allows for no extras.  Full staffing, from a business point of view, would require at least three full-time staff members.

Lend A Hand
Look at your gym and evaluate who is handling each of these functions.  If you see one person handling more than one of these functions, you can rest assured that they can use any and all help in providing the best gymnastics experience for all the gymnasts in the gym.  Of the three functions, helping with the work of the non-profit organization is usually the most appropriate place to help, although contributions of time and effort may also be appropriate at certain times and for certain individuals.

Help To Enrich Each Child’s Gymnastics Experience
Volunteering to help at the gym frees up time for the professionals in the sport to spend more time working with your gymnast or planning and providing them with a more enriched gymnastics experience.  This is a win-win-win situation.
 
 

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