Gymnastics badges

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DD started gymnastics in February. £30 a month which I thought was reasonable.

However, what I wasn't told about was that there would be frequent badges awarded that require payment if you want the badge/certificate.

They seem to be assessed for one a month and I think they all achieve the badge.

DD definitely is not an exceptional gymnast

Its the club's own scheme so there's not a framework for what they mean, just that she's got 'level 1 beam' sort of thing. No info as to what is required to earn it.

I'm wondering if all parents just go with it and get the badges. If you do, what do you do with the badges? Do you sew them onto something or do they gather dust on a shelf?

I don't think DD is bothered about having the badge and keeping it but would be bothered if everyone else was presented with one and she wasn't, if that makes sense. So I'm paying £5 for a fleeting moment in class when the badges are handed out rather than because she's going to proudly enjoy her badge once it's home (which even SHE doesn't know what she did to earn).

Do I just accept it's another income stream for the club and see it as part of the fee?

I can see it’s lovely for them to see they’ve made progress but a bit pointless if there’s no syllabus for anything. Our gym did same but it was according to a defined syllabus and certificates only so just cost 50 p a time or something.

I usually just accept these things, seems to make the kids happy.

My DS’s karate class did this, it was actually really good for his confidence.

I used to sew my badges onto my leotard (this was many years ago).

It's like with swimming, level 1 will be very easy to pass but it'll ramp up and space out. . She only started last month. I wonder if they are catching your daughter up on her peers who started in Sept. Talk to them, ask them how many badges are usual per term.

Ours did a max of one a term but they didn't have separate ones for all the different disciplines.