Hello,
I have not posted here before, but I need help. Hopefully some in this group will have ideas to share.
I'm a member of my local YMCA, which has a Masters Team. It's a really great group of people, and I would hate to see it go away. But our YMCA has decided to start treating us like an organized sport, rather than like a class (like aerobics or spinning). They're planning on charging us each $400 per year to be a memeber of the masters team, in addition to being a full program member ($55/month). Maybe it's just me, but this seems WAY out of line, especially since nearly every class is offered to full members for FREE (including spinning and aerobics). This expense could be justified if someone actually coached us, but our "coach" just writes the workouts on the board, and sits there watching to make sure nobody drowns. By the way, our pool is a 3-lane, 25-yard pool, that's generally kept at 88 degrees.
A fair number of people in the group have mentioned that they'll drop out before paying. And the YMCA will terminate the program if we don't have good membership.
Has anyone else dealt with a similar situation? Could someone from USMS or YMCA on the national level be of help? Am I going off for no reason?
Help!!!
Lou Savastani
Parents
Former Member
I am a coach at a Y, for both masters and non-USS age group in an inner city YMCA. We are going through a similiar situation. I'm a little distrubed by what I am reading.
When I became the masters coach this fall the fees were $9 a month for facility members and $35 for program members. We were paying their USMS reg. fee, they had a coach who just sat on the pool deck and did nothing, and a board member on the team. The coach was driven to bench sitting, I watched it happen. The coached before were driven away. We were losing a major amount of money.
The age groups kids pay $35 for fac. mem. and $45 for prog. mem. They pay their $40 reg. themselves. We were and still are barely breaking even...our goal.
Since I have gotten the team I am trying to turn it around. I am raising their fees to that of the age groupers and they will pay their own 2003 fees. They get two lanes (for about 3 to 4 swimmers). They have had web space on our web site and I have recently made them their own home page.
The YMCA's are not out to get money in general. We have to break even and if we make some money...it is used to help the program grow. The YMCA has a Share Program to help make it possibel for anyone who wants to join to do so. We believe firmly in the last past of our mission..."to provide programs to promote the healthly spirit, mind, and body FOR ALL!"
If your coach sits there... talk to them...if they dont change, demand a change in coaches. If someone needs help with the fees invite them to check out the Share Program. If you do your own workouts that's fine too, but unless you have a USMS on deck supervising each workout I believe that puts a void in your USMS insurance if something would happen.
I'm not saying you are wrong to be upset...if there isnt a coach there supervising you shouldnt pay that kind of fee, but you should try to get a coach, a real one. ANd trust me the fee can be well worth it.
I am a coach at a Y, for both masters and non-USS age group in an inner city YMCA. We are going through a similiar situation. I'm a little distrubed by what I am reading.
When I became the masters coach this fall the fees were $9 a month for facility members and $35 for program members. We were paying their USMS reg. fee, they had a coach who just sat on the pool deck and did nothing, and a board member on the team. The coach was driven to bench sitting, I watched it happen. The coached before were driven away. We were losing a major amount of money.
The age groups kids pay $35 for fac. mem. and $45 for prog. mem. They pay their $40 reg. themselves. We were and still are barely breaking even...our goal.
Since I have gotten the team I am trying to turn it around. I am raising their fees to that of the age groupers and they will pay their own 2003 fees. They get two lanes (for about 3 to 4 swimmers). They have had web space on our web site and I have recently made them their own home page.
The YMCA's are not out to get money in general. We have to break even and if we make some money...it is used to help the program grow. The YMCA has a Share Program to help make it possibel for anyone who wants to join to do so. We believe firmly in the last past of our mission..."to provide programs to promote the healthly spirit, mind, and body FOR ALL!"
If your coach sits there... talk to them...if they dont change, demand a change in coaches. If someone needs help with the fees invite them to check out the Share Program. If you do your own workouts that's fine too, but unless you have a USMS on deck supervising each workout I believe that puts a void in your USMS insurance if something would happen.
I'm not saying you are wrong to be upset...if there isnt a coach there supervising you shouldnt pay that kind of fee, but you should try to get a coach, a real one. ANd trust me the fee can be well worth it.
