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Gabby Douglas, Ryan Lochte: Why Families of America’s Olympics Athletes Are Broke
Daily Beast ^ | 08/07/2012 | Kevin Fallon

Posted on 08/07/2012 5:51:59 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

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To: crosshairs
Someone help me out - the Fab 5 get 100,000 and each also gets 25,000 for their gold medals - AND endorsements. Lochte will make 200,000 this month, Phelps 1,000,000 - those are BIG nubmers, on top of that we have an Olympic committee that has training centers for the top people and the winners of events leading to the opmypics earn thousand too. Anyone think the folks on the "beach volleyball" circuit don't earn 100K a year plus endorsements?

My neighbors have kids in these pay to play soccer and volleyball leagues called "select" the fees are 2k a year+++. They hope the kids get a free ride in a college - end of story.

21 posted on 08/07/2012 6:53:43 PM PDT by q_an_a (the more laws the less justice)
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To: Veggie Todd

Gabby’s mom filed for Chapter 13 in which her debts were reorganized. She is paying the debt off.

Gabby was a star in her gym in Va Beach from an early age. USA Gymnastics has a program in place that identifies potential elite gymnasts at an early age. Gabby was identified by the time she was 8. She has been going to training camps every year since then along with a bunch of other gymnasts from her original gym. It is very expensive. That gym has had other gymnasts make the national team though none have made an Olympic team. They all earned college scholarships though. Some of them have NCAA championship rings. (one of them has 4 rings from being on the UGA team with Courtney Kupets. they were impressive and had a great time.)

Investing in Gabby’s training paid off. It could have easily been disastrous, and we would never have heard about it. It took a lot of faith, patience, sacrifice, and hard work to make it happen. God has blessed Gabby Douglas, and I hope she will continue to share her faith!


22 posted on 08/07/2012 7:09:53 PM PDT by petitfour
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To: suthener

Amen What can a person do that is not a gamble?


23 posted on 08/07/2012 7:13:23 PM PDT by Big Horn (Rebuild the GOP to a conservative party)
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To: MayflowerMadam

Do you know if Gabby plays the piano? I do not. But I would not be surprised though she has spent most of her days for the last 8 years in a gym training and being homeschooled. Homeschooled in the gymnastics world does not necessarily mean that a gymnast is taught in the home. A lot of gyms have school right there at the gym. A lot of elite gymnasts take correspondence courses but call it homeschooling.

I’m a big college gymnastics fan and have watched a lot of gymnasts earn degrees in many disciplines. The key word there is discipline. They make excellent college students due to their need to overachieve. I’m a Bama gymnastics fan, but I have followed the careers of a lot of UGA and Florida gymnasts. College gymnastics appears to be a lot of fun for these girls who have spent so many years training to be on the US team. All of these schools promote gymnastics.

I can’t think of any pianists from Bama, but it’s not exactly a music school. I can name a whole lot of gymnasts from UCLA to Utah to UGA to UArkansas and a few schools in between. I know a lot of football fans who can name SEC gymnasts off the tops of their heads. It’s kind of bizarre, but the SEC is a little crazy about sports.


24 posted on 08/07/2012 7:28:41 PM PDT by petitfour
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To: q_an_a
Lochte will make 200,000 this month

He can hawk a line of pool cleaners.
25 posted on 08/07/2012 7:37:12 PM PDT by Thrownatbirth (.....Iraq Invasion fan since '91.)
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To: Twink

Take your grammar issues elsewhere. Or call Google. It was their auto correct that used the wrong “hole”. When I post from my phone things like that happen. Most times I catch it. Sometimes I don’t.

I have no problem with her winning all that money. I have no problem with her paying the bills of her parents.

I simply said. If I had come in to some money, and my parents had that kind of problem with money. I’d pay the bill for them.


26 posted on 08/07/2012 7:37:20 PM PDT by cableguymn (For the first time in my life. I fear my country's government.)
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To: q_an_a

Then there is the other side of this.

A child of 7 has the unique ability to hit with a puck any spot in the net you tell him to hit. A coach watches him from the stands, comes down and asks how well he skates. The following week the kid has a private skating teacher at 75 bucks an hour, a spot on a travel hockey team for 3,000 bucks and 1,000 dollars in gear with a 500 dollar pair of skates. With this the coach says he hasn’t seen a kid play like this in years. He has a chance.

Move forward 7 years. 20,000 in league fees, 30,000 in skating lessons, another 10,000 in camps, and 20,000 in travel expenses and the kid is very good, but not going to the Olympics. The kid can pin point his shots from the blue line, thread passes, stick handle like a pro and sees the ice better then kids playing college D1 hockey. Only problem, the kid skates like his feet are encased in concrete.

Every year the coaches said he would grow into his feet, that he needs to mature and when he figures it out he will play pro.

Kid is now 16. He is a referee, he travels around North America with hockey camps, teaching hockey. All the kids try to be him and the parents adore him. When he is at the rink, parents come up to him and pay him to teach their kids. He still plays, but at the lowest level.

The day I took him to the airport to see him off to another camp and month away from home, he looked at me and simply said thank you Dad, I love you.

Was worth every penny.


27 posted on 08/07/2012 7:39:49 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (ABO 2012)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

good for you - he grew into a man, you gave him all he could ask for and more. Family like that rare. Bless your hosuehold and the one he builds.


28 posted on 08/07/2012 7:44:16 PM PDT by q_an_a (the more laws the less justice)
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To: SeekAndFind

#1 - Pick a realistic dream. One out of a million end up a gold medalist or a highly paid professional athlete. The rest end up injured, washed out, teaching gym, or doing gay porn.

#2 - The dream of birthing a truly gifted athlete and ending up on easy street is better described as a nightmare. I cannot tell you how many parents have wasted TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars trying to will their child into athletic success. If they had spent that same money, that same time teaching and nurturing their kid’s academics as they spent driving/watching/cheering sports, there kid would be 1000% more likely to succeed.

If you want to waste your time and money trying to push your kid down a 1 in a million path to olympic gold or pro-sports riches, that’s fine, that’s your choice, but honestly don’t come crying about it later.

My child can read
vs.
My child can jump

Pick your CD series carefully


29 posted on 08/07/2012 7:48:25 PM PDT by Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh (I cling to guns and religion.)
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To: Eaker
Thirty hour days are expensive.

and long and time-consuming. Whew!

30 posted on 08/07/2012 7:54:26 PM PDT by Uncle Chip
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To: EQAndyBuzz

Great story pops! We give what we have and hope it pays later, but when we look back...We had a ball and wouldn’t change a thing!

That’s why we call it living...Not dieing!


31 posted on 08/07/2012 8:25:00 PM PDT by Randy Larsen (Damned if I do, Damned if I don't. Damn it, I will!)
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To: Psycho_Bunny

If playing games reaches the point that government needs to step in and provide funding, then it’s time to pull the plug.

We can’t afford it.
______________________

Maybe if Obama stopped funneling billions into Muslim countries for jihad....


32 posted on 08/07/2012 8:55:05 PM PDT by patriot08 (TEXAS GAL- born and bred and proud of it!)
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To: Twink

In my mind, it’s “ignorant” to put a family’s financial security in jeopardy in order to pamper a kid. It’s cool what she has achieved, and she’s adorable, but the family couldn’t afford it. At least the medals will be lucrative for the family, and maybe they’ll find someone who can show them how to handle money.

As for the talent for God’s use... My husband knew a girl who was a “worship fairy” flitting around church services in a diaphanous gown. That might be be a good fit for someone with gymnastic talents.


33 posted on 08/08/2012 4:11:15 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: Veggie Todd

Mom’s bankruptcy is a Chapter 13 at least. She will pay everybody, just on a revised sked.


34 posted on 08/08/2012 4:44:55 AM PDT by jimfree (In Nov 2012 my 12 y/o granddaughter will have more relevant executive experience than Barack Obama)
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