Meet spectator and coach/handler fees?

[Cody]

So who gets my annual USAPL dues and the money I paid for the meet? NOT the people hosting and running the meet? Who then?

Mostly WADA.

[Root]

So who gets my annual USAPL dues and the money I paid for the meet? NOT the people hosting and running the meet? Who then?

Mostly WADA.

WADA is that?

[Cody]

So who gets my annual USAPL dues and the money I paid for the meet? NOT the people hosting and running the meet? Who then?

Mostly WADA.

WADA is that?

World anti doping agency. Drug testing is expensive.

[ChrisMcCarthy1979]

Yup...just think how much better that money could be spent, too....

[LexAnderson]

From my understanding a lot of the meets use the door money to pay the loaders and spotters for the meet as well as the judges.

What? You mean they're not just spending all day helping grumpy lifters who complain about the place and never thank them for free?! They probably want lunch, too. Selfish bastards!

Can you believe that some meets actually give them free meet shirts too?! How dare they, us lifters have to pay for those!

[ChrisMcCarthy1979]

From my understanding a lot of the meets use the door money to pay the loaders and spotters for the meet as well as the judges.

What? You mean they're not just spending all day helping grumpy lifters who complain about the place and never thank them for free?! They probably want lunch, too. Selfish bastards!

Can you believe that some meets actually give them free meet shirts too?! How dare they, us lifters have to pay for those!

When you are lying pinned under your third bench..."So, Fellas, about that T-Shirt..."

[Root]

From my understanding a lot of the meets use the door money to pay the loaders and spotters for the meet as well as the judges.

What? You mean they're not just spending all day helping grumpy lifters who complain about the place and never thank them for free?! They probably want lunch, too. Selfish bastards!

Can you believe that some meets actually give them free meet shirts too?! How dare they, us lifters have to pay for those!

I think the spotters, judges, and loaders ought to get paid, get lunch, and get a shirt if they really want one. 86 lifters already paid $80 a piece for the meet, so I don't see why they shouldn't.

[TimK]

As far as I can tell this has

From my understanding a lot of the meets use the door money to pay the loaders and spotters for the meet as well as the judges.

What? You mean they're not just spending all day helping grumpy lifters who complain about the place and never thank them for free?! They probably want lunch, too. Selfish bastards!

Can you believe that some meets actually give them free meet shirts too?! How dare they, us lifters have to pay for those!

I think the spotters, judges, and loaders ought to get paid, get lunch, and get a shirt if they really want one. 86 lifters already paid $80 a piece for the meet, so I don't see why they shouldn't.

I think most of the replies here are missing the point. From the email they sent it sounds like it's just *the venue* charging a fee, trying to get extra money on top of what the meet directors presumably already paid them. I don't think a dime of it is going to compensate the loaders, spotters, or judges. And if that's part of the agreement they made with the venue, fine, but it should have been specified up front for people when registering rather than casually dropped in the last paragraph of the final email they sent out to lifters before the meet.

[Root]

Plus, after re-reading the email, there is a $5 fee for a coach or handler, PLUS a $6 fee for just anyone. Including your coach.

[Chebass88]

At the USAPL meet I did back in February, it was $10/spectator, with one coach allowed per lifter (no charge for coach). (Plus parking in Philly)

[Allentown]

Plus, after re-reading the email, there is a $5 fee for a coach or handler, PLUS a $6 fee for just anyone. Including your coach.

So the venue presumably is charging everyone $6. The meet organizers are charging lifters $80 (and keeping $74, since I assume lifters don't also have to pay $6 to get it) and coaches $5. So coaches/handlers pay $11, mom and pop pay $6 each.

[DirtyRed]

$5-10 is normal.

No it isn't. I've been to several meets, and only USAPL Nationals charged spectators. I don't think the local meet even charged coaches, which itself is a ludicrous concept. What other sport would make such fools of themselves by charging coaches for admission?

[Manveer]

$5-10 is normal.

No it isn't. I've been to several meets, and only USAPL Nationals charged spectators. I don't think the local meet even charged coaches, which itself is a ludicrous concept. What other sport would make such fools of themselves by charging coaches for admission?

Went to a 100% Raw meet in Louisville or something. Was charged $8
Went to several meets in Chicago - maybe no charge, I dunno
Went to a USAPL meet in WV - $5 charge for spectators
USAPL CA State Champs - $5 charge for spectators

[LexAnderson]

I mean are we really complaining about entrance fees? Look, powerlifting isn't a cheap sport to participate in if you want to compete in meets. I've done 4 meets, and I have three more planned for this year and in none of them have I used my coach or a handler. Just roll with it, adapt and lift the weights.

[DirtyRed]

I mean are we really complaining about entrance fees? Look, powerlifting isn't a cheap sport to participate in if you want to compete in meets. I've done 4 meets, and I have three more planned for this year and in none of them have I used my coach or a handler. Just roll with it, adapt and lift the weights.

Or don't, because it's stupid nonsense run by absolute morons.

[KyleSchuant]

FIVE BUCKS, man! FIVE BUCKS?! Can't they see we're struggling here?!

[LexAnderson]

FIVE BUCKS, man! FIVE BUCKS?! Can't they see we're struggling here?!

For you its gonna be ....$5.03. Pay up sucka.

[tdood]

It’s pretty common practice to charge spectators for sporting events. $6 isn’t too bad. I’ve never been to a meet that didn’t charge.
Most of that stuff (T-shirt fees, coaches fee, spectator fee) is up to the meet director.. directing meets can be pretty lucrative. One local meet director near me is pretty generous to the volunteers.. buys you lunch, gives you a shirt, pays you a few bucks per session, and if you work 2 sessions you get to enter one of his meets for free.

[Sumo]

It is at GPC meets here, but only really in the last 12 months. I don't know about other feds.

As more lifters participate in meets, more spectators go. It's natural to charge them. I was surprised the first time I was asked to pay as I was coaching people, but I was told that a certain gym claimed to have 3 handlers for every lifter, so... but hey, it was $5, who cares.

For real? where, which GPC meet?

Where the hell does the money from the signup fees go if not to pay for hiring chairs, spotters and refs....

[KyleSchuant]

I don't remember which was the first one I was asked to pay at, probably some time last year. But most recently for me I paid $5 to watch and coach a lifter at GPC States at PTC HQ in Victoria in April this year.

I don't know where the money goes or how it's spent, I presume that comes up at the AGM, but I'm not actually a GPC member (I don't compete, and you don't have to be a member to coach on the day) so I don't go and look. Since membership fees are sent to a "GPC Australia" account, and meet fees in Victoria go to a "ProRaw" account, the finances are probably such that their tax accountant earns his fees.