COMPETITION AND FINANCES

It’s no secret that fitness athletes go to great financial expenditure to make the contest stage.

Competing athletes have to pay for gym memberships, personal trainers, food and supplementation. We also can’t forget about federation posing workshops, stage outfits, for some multi class registration, stage photos, spray tanning, hotel costs, transportation, baby-sitting, federation membership, etc.

Federations need to look at helping the athlete who is trying to make it on stage. Federation membership fees are mandatory, if you wish to compete with any federation, and considering the federation membership states one year, the contest season runs only from March to November; which actually means you’re only getting eight months of use at best…not 12. This needs to be changed A.S.A.P!

Secondly, these federations need to compensate the athletes in some way. After all, the athletes are the entertainment for the audience.

Here are some suggestions on what could be done for the athlete:

1.  why not give the athletes who attend posing workshops discounts on class registration or maybe for those athletes who compete in multi classes, receiving the second class at half price;
2. maybe even discount the membership cost by 50%. In truth, the federation membership gives you nothing in return…unlike the gym membership;
3. suit designers can possibly give those who attend the workshop some sort of discount to on their stage outfit. In return, the federation can give the suit designer a break on the sponsorship/booth fee;
4. the spray tan company can do the same for the attending athletes…give athletes discounts on their spray tans and receive a break on their sponsorship/booth fee.

Lastly, the top 5 in each class should receive some sort of monetary award. Maybe even the top 8 should receive some sort of retribution. How about the top 10 all receiving awards with the top 5 receiving payment along with Trophies or Medallions.

Fitness federations make money from several areas of a competition/contest. There is the contest entry fee, sponsors, athlete memberships, backstage coach passes, athlete registration, audience fees, etc. Some of the points listed above should be easy to do with so much money coming in.

For example, I’m the owner of Bodies 2 Envy Fitness. All who personal train here two or more days per week receive the gym membership as a courtesy. Giving back only makes sense.

These federations like to state that those who compete with them are all a part of one big family. It’s time to stop saying it and start doing it!