Coach Refuses To Release Athlete

[Rudags]

Im so confused with all of this. Why would they put something new in the Worlds packet and not give anymore information on it??? I thought we just voted on this (despite, I know its in the Worlds packet) What will be the consequence competeing with a gym and then leaving to compete at another gym???

 

[Mclovin]

I would assume Kyle that if an athlete leaves Gym A to compete at worlds with Gym B and Gym A turns them in, they will be ineligible to compete with Gym B and if they do so anyway, I guess Gym B would be disqualified???

 

[Ashley]

It has nothing to do with being a registered USASF member athlete. All the first gym has to do is prove the girl competed with them once this year already and she'll be ineligible to compete with Gym B AT WORLDS until Gym A releases her.

Right, I understand that. The rule says either registered with the USASF with gym A or competed with gym A this season. What I'm saying is, the only way it's enforceable, unless USASF already has her registered with Team A, is if the first coach/owner brings it up. And is he or she really going to do that? When the girl wasn't even on a Worlds team to begin with?

 

[Mclovin]

Right, I understand that. The rule says either registered with the USASF with gym A or competed with gym A this season. What I'm saying is, the only way it's enforceable, unless USASF already has her registered with Team A, is if the first coach/owner brings it up. And is he or she really going to do that? When the girl wasn't even on a Worlds team to begin with?

If an athlete left my gym and I felt he/she did unjust harm to her squad, I would most definitely turn her in. I am 100% against gym hopping mid-season. I understand things get tough and gyms don't live up to their promises, etc., etc., but at that point you either decide to stick it out or quit and wait til the next season begins.

 

[ufomom]

Is there going to be some type of mediation process in the event of a dispute between a gym and an athlete to prevent abuse. I, too, am against gym hopping and would assume that by the time competition season rolls around, you should know whether you want to be there and stick it out. Not speaking of this case, but what if a coach did something unconscionable (eg. assaulted your kid as a worst case example and extreme!!) Most coaches are amazing, but there can be exceptions.

 

[Mclovin]

Is there going to be some type of mediation process in the event of a dispute between a gym and an athlete to prevent abuse. I, too, am against gym hopping and would assume that by the time competition season rolls around, you should know whether you want to be there and stick it out. Not speaking of this case, but what if a coach did something unconscionable (eg. assaulted your kid as a worst case example and extreme!!) Most coaches are amazing, but there can be exceptions.

I hear what you're saying. I'm just not sure how to find that compromise and keep from having loopholes in the rule.

 

[MissBee]

There's that "loophole" word again......

 

[Mclovin]

There's that "loophole" word again......

Bingo! As much as I understand circumstances like abuse, etc., how do we make the rule enforceable and give exceptions to certain people or certain circumstances? That's where all these loopholes come into play and before you know it, the rule is not enforced. I'm not sure what the answer is to that. What I do know is that I believe extreme incidents are very rare and more often than not kids are leaving gyms for selfish reasons.

 

[Rudags]

I put a call in to my USASF Regional Contact. She said she contacted the USASF for me and will be letting me know the response. I asked her about Level 5 Worlds Team hopping to Level 5 Worlds team, and also if this applied for all levels of cheer or just Worlds teams... Whenever i hear bacdk I will post the response.

 

[cheerccc]

Actually there is something in the Worlds packet. The gym that we want to go to called it to my attention that I would need to be "released" and I found it. Is it a new rule? I just don't want to cause problems for anyone at Worlds if our old owner wants to get vindictive.

I comment that other gym for bringing that up and not just saying sure come on over! It says a lot about them!

 

[cheerccc]

I comment that other gym for bringing that up and not just saying sure come on over! It says a lot about them!

meant commend

 

[Ashley]

I put a call in to my USASF Regional Contact. She said she contacted the USASF for me and will be letting me know the response. I asked her about Level 5 Worlds Team hopping to Level 5 Worlds team, and also if this applied for all levels of cheer or just Worlds teams... Whenever i hear bacdk I will post the response.

This was in the Worlds packet long before the results of the vote were announced. For this season, I'm fairly positive it only applies to Worlds teams - there's no way to enforce it otherwise. And even then, for this season, it doesn't seem very enforceable as it is. At least not until USASF requires all athletes to register with them.

 

[Ashley]

Bingo! As much as I understand circumstances like abuse, etc., how do we make the rule enforceable and give exceptions to certain people or certain circumstances? That's where all these loopholes come into play and before you know it, the rule is not enforced. I'm not sure what the answer is to that. What I do know is that I believe extreme incidents are very rare and more often than not kids are leaving gyms for selfish reasons.

I absolutely agree with you, and I hate gym hopping just as much as the next person. Actually probably more, because open teams tend to experience it a lot. I like the rule that was voted for, but it's not going into effect, if it gets passed, until next year. So I think that the rule for Worlds should only apply to Worlds teams for this season.

That being said (and I'm kind of rambling here), even if this rule goes into place, I think there needs to be some way of appealing to the USASF to be released from your gym. Maybe require statements from both parties or something, but the rare cases shouldn't be forced to stick around at a gym that made them promises they don't plan on keeping. And those cases are the ones where maybe it wasn't evident before comp season that things were not going to go as expected.

 

[Mclovin]

This year's rule DOES only apply to worlds teams. It only applies if you want to compete at worlds with a different gym than the one you initially competed with.

 

[MissCongeniality]

So if the original poster and her family are truly unhappy they CAN quit team A and go to the other gym, they just can't compete on the World's team (without the release). So I guess I just don't understand why they couldn't just go and compete on another squad especially since they weren't on a World's team to begin with this year anyway. Compete on a different level squad and then in about 4 months...it will be tryouts again and you could do the 5 team.