All-Star Anyone Having Trouble Getting Released From Their Old Gym?

[east2westandbackagain]

Like I said not simple

Well I would think that if gym A's season is over your responsibility to them is also over so they need to release you.

 

[tdittmar]

But what if the reason Gym A's season is over is because you ( and maybe a couple of friends) left and they couldn't continue to compete?

 

[imrichhowboutu]

Also... you only need a waiver if someone says something...
if your old gym could care less. and you';re GracieLou Freebush, then no one will know that you need a waiver.

 

[icecheermom]

What if your former gym is not attending worlds at all (Gym A), and you competed with another gym mid season and received a bid (Gym B), and you have paid all fees and there is nothing owed, how do you feel if the gym (A) refuses to release athletes in this situation. Gym A's season is now over so..opinions

I say it sounds like someone is holding a grudge!!!!! Release the athlete!

 

[debbie]

Also... you only need a waiver if someone says something...
if your old gym could care less. and you';re GracieLou Freebush, then no one will know that you need a waiver.

Hold on.....this is very dangerous lets say you think your old gym doesn't care and you go to gym B and lets say gym B gets a paid bid and off to Worlds you go. Bam! your old gym then complains now gym B has to return the bid money and they lose their right to go to worlds the next year. Wayyyyyy to high of a risk.

 

[debbie]

Well I would think that if gym A's season is over your responsibility to them is also over so they need to release you.

but the point is they don't have to!

 

[debbie]

I agree that if a gym is owed money they are right not to release an athlete before all accounts are settled. I have done this with gymnasts in the past as it also brings it to the new gyms attention.
I do not agree with coaches & gyms who refuse to release athletes due to bitterness or in some cases laziness.
All situations differ though & I think we can be a bit quick to jump on the athletes side demanding they be released and condeming the first gym for not releasing them without hearing the full story. I know whenever I have refused to release an athlete there has always been a good reason. If they are just wanting to change I'm happy to sign their form & wave goodbye as there is nothing worse than coaching someone who doesn't want to be there.

what are the reasons you refused to release your athletes?

 

[kkinsley]

I do not release athletes just because they arrive in with a form and ask for it to be signed. I'm lucky that I get on very well with most of the other coaches near us so I speak to them and find out if they are planning on having that athlete compete for them soon. I will try to resolve any problems with parents and athletes long before it would come to this though.
I also have refused to release athletes immediately if they are competing within the next two weeks, this is clear to all athletes and parents from the beginning as it is part of our registration pack and all parents must sign to say they have read it.
I have been very lucky that in the last year I have only lost 2 athletes. 1 decided to concentrate on swimming so stopped in October before it became an issue for the rest of the team. The second girl announced she was leaving to go to another club as I had found out she had been lying to the 8 year old she was doing partner stunt with and being quite nasty to her. I separated the 2 of them and the flyers new partnership was ready to compete within 3 weeks and hers was not. Her mother and her then decided to leave and the first I have heard of this was when the release form for her insurance arrived. I sent the mother a message explaining I would not sign the release until she came down and spoke to me about the issues her daughter had had. The mother came down and I got everything sorted and once I had spoken to her I was happy to sign her form and wish her the best with her new club.
For my higher athletes they all sign a form stating that they understand this is a team sport and that if they have any issues it details the procedures they need to follow. I have found with these in place and a good welfare/childrens officer we rarely have problems.

The other side of it is that I would be very weary about taking in a cheerleader or gymnast from another club mid season. I always feel unsure of their motives for a while and believe that just because they may have competed at a certain level with another club does not mean they automatically walk in to a place on my competition squads. It drives me nuts to see any athlete walk away from their team mid season just because they think the grass is greener on the other side.

 

[debbie]

that is a fact....usasf.says NO exceptions...no matter what....even when no parent or guardian has signed waiver for club or said competition...your child can be bound with no parental concent....I understand the gym holding a release because of an unpaid balance but until there is a protection in place for a minor (ie..a club being able to hold a minor child when no parent has signed ANYTHING)....this rule is crazy!!!! USASF tells you to settle it with the club....period!

this rule needs to go!

 

[Drkilluzionz]

Through reading some usasf articles and info why do I feel that I remember something along the lines of this:

Worlds athletes for this season only need be released from their previous gym if they received a form of bid with their previous gym...

And there's someone whose already been appointed to deal with "special" cases and appeals when it comes to not being released...

I know each gym is different but since our bid acceptance we've lost a few athletes here and there some due to being cut and some for personal reasons...I know a few of them will be at worlds with new teams and we haven't been asked to sign anything but in that same respect I don't think it matters bc for w/e reason we wouldn't really want them to be back with us lol

I do however have mixed feelings about this rule trickling down into the lower levels which is where I think it can do some of the greatest good but also create some of the seasons craziest drama lol

 

[MissCongeniality]

Through reading some usasf articles and info why do I feel that I remember something along the lines of this:

Worlds athletes for this season only need be released from their previous gym if they received a form of bid with their previous gym...

And there's someone whose already been appointed to deal with "special" cases and appeals when it comes to not being released...

I know each gym is different but since our bid acceptance we've lost a few athletes here and there some due to being cut and some for personal reasons...I know a few of them will be at worlds with new teams and we haven't been asked to sign anything but in that same respect I don't think it matters bc for w/e reason we wouldn't really want them to be back with us lol

I do however have mixed feelings about this rule trickling down into the lower levels which is where I think it can do some of the greatest good but also create some of the seasons craziest drama lol

http://usasf.net.ismmedia.com/ISM2/Forms/Worlds/USASF_Gym_Release_Waiver.pdf
It doesn't matter whether the athlete was on Gym A or not when the bid was rec'd. It doesn't matter if Gym A's team was Level 2 and Gym B wants the athlete on the 5. All that matters is that the athlete competed with Gym A at some point in the season. If that athlete then wants to go to Gym B and compete at Worlds, a release needs to be signed by Gym A. That athlete can go to Gym B (this year at least) and compete on any other team that doesn't go to Worlds, but to go to Worlds, needs the release.

 

[ztaprincess]

I have posted it several times and since opinions were asked for I will post my opinion again. I don't hate the rule but I do not like the way it is currently written. I feel that if used the correct way it is a good way to teach athletes commitment and responsibility. BUT if something is going on in the gym that makes an athlete or that athlete's family feel like they are unsafe or things are just going down in a shady manner the rule can become a problem.

The example I have used several times I will use again. If I were a parent and my athlete was at a gym and I found out the coaches or owner were partaking in drinking with underage athletes (which happens a lot more then people might want to admit) then I would leave that gym in a heart beat. What if that owner or coach refused to release my athlete? that is no fair and is putting myself or my child in danger. In situations like this I believe the USASF needs to have an appeal process that the athlete can go through. This process may overrule the owner of the gym and release the athlete.

I know that most coaches will not abuse this rule because it really is a good idea, but the problem is the loop holes in it that make abuse of it possible. If an appeal process can be set up it makes it more fair for the athlete and their parents who feel they no longer need to be at that gym.

I do not believe an athlete should walk away from their gym for some silly reason, but if something major happens and there is a big conflict with the athlete, parent, coaches, and owner it would be best to just release the athlete and move along.

I do not agree with the theory of it is so far into the season you should have figured it out earlier because things can happen at any point during the season. Just because it wasn't happening back in August doesn't mean it isn't happening in January. I guess in all my opinion is that the rule is a good start but modifications need made in order to make the process fair on both ends and help eliminate the abuse that can and already possibly has been happening.

One thing that I noticed and read in the thread about the ICE/Hollywood issue is that those athletes were allowed to practice and compete with the team at ICE even without being released by their previous gym. Those athletes should never have been allowed to practice and participate in a event where a bid was won until their release form was signed. I do not believe in being partially released. You are either part of Gym A or Gym B not both. So the rule needs to state that not only can they not go and compete at worlds but they cannot practice or compete at any other event as well.

 

[kkinsley]

I agree with a lot of the points being made about the rule needing to be clarified with the loop holes sewn up and procedures put in place for it being broken. I am lucky that as I do not have a level 5 team, and am not in the US so not entirely sure if or how the rule would apply if I did. I do have to sign a release for any gymnasts (I coach acrobatic gymnastics as well) who are wishing to move gym. This means their insurance gets transferred to their new club and they are not allowed to compete for the new club for 2 months if they have already competed with us that season.
The key is though that an appeal can be made to the governing body by either a coach, athlete or their parents. They then look into it on a case by case basis and decide if the gymnast will be allowed to compete for the new club that season. Thankfully I have never had to go down this route as I always get the athlete and their parents in for a chat when I receive a release form and try and straighten everything out that way. I sign the release form as I think if someone wants to leave it is better for them and the squad as a whole to go rather than having them there unhappy, but do believe it is better to clear everything up before they move as I would hate for any of my gymnasts to be worrying about meeting us at competition that there would be friction.
I don't see how it can work unless people can appeal to USASF. As stated there are many reasons why someone wants to leave and many reasons why a gym will resist signing a release form, a lot of them petty I know. Without someone to step in and be able to make the call on each case that is disputed though there will end up being a lot of conflict and in some cases athletes remaining at unfit and unsafe gyms because they can not be released.

 

[Rudags]

I really try to look at rules and others opinions to help shape my opinions about this rule. Normally I can AT LEAST see the other side, whether or not I agree with it, at least I see it. I truely dont see the negative side of this rule.

I AM TELLING YOU PEOPLE: IF YOU HANDLE THE SITUATION MATURELY AND PROFESSIONALY - YOU WILL GET RELEASED!!! Someone PLEASE TELL ME an example where you handled it professional and have a balance of ZERO and the gym owner is just being a D-bag.

We had an athlete released to our gym to compete on our 5's from a RIVAL GYM! When I say RIVAL - I mean RIVAL! The child went in with a parent. Explained the issues they were having with their current gym which were issues that could not be resolved. Said they wanted to explore other gym options and that they had sat in on a few of our practices and liked what our program offered. They explained that they would like to be released to finish out the season at my gym, but if they didnt want to release her, they understood and would wait until the season ended to come try out. It was a professional talk and the athlete was released with no problems.

Im telling you - how the situation is handled is the big issue here. Out of all the 'release horror stories' I have heard - IMO - it all comes back to how it was handled. Kids trashing the program, owners or team. Kids just stop showing up and then ask for a release months later. Kids demanding being released. Parents not willing to talk to the owner about issues.

I can tell you from a GYM STAND POINT! I truely think COACHES AND OWNERS need to put something in their handbook a head of time that is SIGNED BY THE PARENT AND ATHLETE about PROCEDURES for wanting to leave MID-SEASON. I know we will. We will state what our policy is to be released. My gym doesnt have the best relationship status with our area gyms - but I am hoping I can get a meeting put together of all three gym owners and coaches and maybe we can all agree on policies so every gym is the same. That will make our area have a common 'rule' and 'understanding' and at the same time - I dont think we will have to worry about 'will this kid get released' if they come through our doors. We will all know up front!!! I think if every area did this - it would resolve issues a head of time!

 

[CDRCoach17]

I understand all point. Before you join any gym with a financial obligation, read all the fine print. Secondly, make sure that is where you want to be. If you feel that your child's skills would be better suited elsewhere, that decision should have been made prior to signing a contract. I signed a national letter of intent in 1998. I couldn't just back out of it a few months down the road. In order to transfer you have to be granted a release. ( I didn't transfer, just using it as an example) There has to be a process to it all otherwise cheer would be chaos.