December 27, 2008
Does paid coaching work make me a professional gymnast?
Can you answer florida's question about Coaching?:
Hi
Hi
I'm a level 2 trampolining coach. I do about 15 hours coaching per week which I get paid for. Does this in some way make me a professional and ineligible for the Olympics etc? I'm not planning on competing at that level, but it'd be interesting to know!
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Comments on Does paid coaching work make me a professional gymnast? »
It does not make you a profesional gymnast because you are getting paid for doing the COACHING, not the actual gymnastics. What makes the Olympic gymnasts able to do it is that they pay the coach for the lessons, not the other way around.
Not only that, but the ban on professional athletes was lifted in the 1970s, hence the inclusion of tennis, the 'Dream Team' in basketball, and professional soccer players. According to Wikipedia, the only sport in which professionals cannot still compete at the Olympics is boxing.
They are correct. Professional athletes as we know them can compete in the Olympics, just not in college sports.