Surrey Gymnastic Society has a strict no-pay, no-play policy, and all families are expected to keep their account balances current.
We would also however like to allow for all families to be able to access the sport of Gymnastics, and sometimes life has friction. We are here for your family and in the case where money becomes a barrier to an athlete’s continued participation in the sport, we have a program in place where assistance is available to those in need.
In the case where cyclical friction happens in a family’s life (for example, a family emergency), the office can make the decision to allow the family to go into temporary arrears in order to allow the athlete to continue training. These arrears should not exceed three months. To exceed three months places the family in 90-day+ arrears and special permission from the board is needed.
In the case of a more permanent inability to fund training, special circumstances may be arranged for a rate reduction but must be reviewed on a case by case basis.
Conditions for acceptance into the reduced fee family assistance program:
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Funding. This program only applies to training fees themselves. Uniform, meet fees, and travel are all exempt from this program and must be paid in full prior to going to any meet; fundraising opportunities can be set up to assist.
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Difficulty of means needs to be demonstrated. Jumpstart and/or KidSport funding must be applied for and successfully obtained for a portion of your fees. The organization will not approve financial assistance if they are not applied for. We are not experts in analyzing your ability to pay, however, these organizations are very good at it. Both programs must be applied for, and if both disapprove it can be appealed to the board.
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Parents must apply to the board for assistance. The office can advise the athlete’s family on these terms and can provide tentative training while the board reviews the matter. We do not wish to have an interruption in an athlete’s training.
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Volunteer requirements. A volunteer plan will need to be put in place. This may come in the form of cleaning the gym or it may come in the form of a fundraiser. A volunteer program will need to be put in place and progress will be reported to the board. Failure to meet the volunteer program could result in membership in bad standing.
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Coaching. If your child is of appropriate age to coach, they will coach at the discretion of the organization, and the volunteer schedule will be altered to include a minimum volunteer hours for coaching.
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Non zero. Coaches do not work for free. This program will not be free. There will be an agreed-upon cost, and that cost will be paid by the athlete’s family. The account must not be in arrears.
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Meet Fees. Meet fees will not be subsidized and must be paid in full, however, we can establish a payment plan or fundraising opportunities to assist in covering meet fees.
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Uniforms. Uniforms will need to be paid for in full, however, we can establish a payment plan if need be.
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Travel. An assistance plan is already in place to cover up to 50% of an athlete’s travel for those in need. That plan is not guaranteed and will be applied for and decided by the board based on adherence to the principles in this document. Fundraising opportunities also exist within the organization and could be utilized for the other 50%.
In short, we are here to help and are happy to work out a plan with families, but they must work with us in order to help the athlete. Competitive gymnastics is expensive. That’s a fact. Surrey Gymnastic Society wants all athletes to have the opportunity to excel in their sport.