Opinions

Not Family Friendly At All

2009-10-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

I wanted to add a new blog entry to even further illustrate the fact that this facility is only concerned about money and doesn't care at all about anything else.

A legal-type person contacted the upper management to ask why they offered "her" the fitness director's position even after knowing her husband had accepted a job in another state. The CEO wasn't available but the next person in line was. His response was that they knew it would keep her in West Virginia and they didn't want to lose Boot Camp (or the money it brought in). They offered her the position knowing full well it could destroy a family and it actually did.

I would say that's unbelievable but after everything else that went down, it's actually easy to believe -- sad but true.

Money Money Money

2009-06-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so now that people are experiencing things for themselves, instructors are starting to question lots of things. It has become harder to find subs for classes as well as fill all the class time slots. I was told that an instructor didn't show up for his or her morning class and a member stepped in to cover the class. Now I hear that there is a time slot open and no instructor to cover it. This member (again kindly offered his/her services to cover the classes. This person was told that he/she needed to be certified. Now, this is certainly a good idea (for a change). This person was told that he/she needed to pay for the certification and would be given a free membership at the facility. Sometimes the facility will pay for certification, sometimes not.

However, all instructors at that facility (in the past) never had to pay for any kind of membership. However, here's the kicker... He/she was told that he/she would NOT be paid for the classes taught... He/she would only have the membership fee waived... WTF? Are you serious? They want a certified person to teach classes but not get paid? Just when I think things couldn't get any more absurd...

Responsibility for your own actions???

2009-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

One thing to remember about all this (as I posted in a previous blog entry a while ago)...

Had things been allowed to play out normally when I put in my resignation, this blog probably would have never been created. I tried to do the right thing by meeting with the CEO and give plenty of notice when I resigned. I didn't want to cause any scheduling problems and just wanted to say goodbye to everyone and end of as much of a positive note as I could (and "get the hell out of dodge"). Instead, the coordinator decided the night before my early morning class to just take away all my classes and let me know via an email. They tried to keep things quiet and hide what was really going on but I'm not the type of person to let that happen when I'm wronged. I tried to contact the CEO and see if he really wanted things to go down like that but he never responded so I began the blog.

It's a shame things happened as they did and they certainly could have been prevented. I recently found out that the previous coordinator was given all kinds of hell for hiring me (4 years after the fact) because of this blog. I put in 4 years of teaching and brought in clients, helped keep clients, had well attended classes, and went out of my way to offer up special classes of all kinds. Never once was I told I was doing a bad job or needed to work on something. Then, after I felt I was treated wrong (after resigning) and spoke out about it, the former coordinator was reprimanded for ever hiring me... Uh, what the hell??? I wish people would take responsibility for their own actions and not blame others once in a while! Perhaps the management involved in all this should take a step back and look at how things were handled and realize that not everyone will be a passive quiet mouse!

Going their separate ways

2009-04-23T06:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought it was time for an update so here it goes... A while ago, there were lots of comments posted on my site concerning the immoral, unprofessional actions of the fitness director. Obviously, people had seen things and heard comments about her activities with her business clients and were upset about this.

First, let's go back a little further. I was given some information and permission to use it on the blog by the fitness director's husband. For those unaware, a while ago, the husband got a great opportunity for a job which was in another state. At this point, the fitness director was an aerobic instructor and personal trainer. Soon after his acceptance and the beginnings of moving, the facility decided to offer her a promotion, knowing that he had accepted this new job. Obviously, this illustrates the character (or lack thereof) of the people running this facility. Why in the world would they try to tempt her to stay and break up a family of many years? To me, this is the typical "shadiness" that goes on there.

Anyway, she was promoted to aerobics coordinator and then fitness director. Keep in mind that she accepted this position so that doesn't say much about her character with regard to family values as far as I'm concerned. Soon after this, people start talking for various reasons. Many people saw her going into her office with one of her male boot camp participants and closing her door. That definitely started to raise some eyebrows. Then, when people overheard the male bragging about his sexual adventures with her, that set off some alarms. This was all inside the facility - just imagine what went on outside of the facility... Uh, on second thought, don't do that! (I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.. hahaha) Actually, people did comment about seeing her "out on the town" and being very very "friendly" with someone...

So, that's when people started putting the comments on my blog. Obviously, people were angered about her actions and spoke out on it. I'm not married and I didn't know her husband but it bothered me as well and I could only feel bad for him. He didn't deserve this. As he told me, they had been together for nearly 20 years and he loved her very much. So, she was throwing all this away to stay in town with this promotion... Is this "The Love Of Money" or something (someone) else? Several people said that they didn't believe she would do anything like this but then in the same comment said that IF it was true, she should stop this immediately.

Well, the divorce proceedings have begun so the doubters can now be believers. It's very unfortunate but I wish the husband the best. I'm glad people stepped up for what is right and encourage anyone with any information to help the husband to feel free to email me or post something on the blog. I know he checks the blog from time to time as does the upper management at the facility in question.

For this facility to be aware of even the possibility of this unethical, unprofessional behavior and not to address it in some way really says something to me and I hope it says something to others too!

Safety Dance :)

2008-12-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

Since I left "the facility whose name shall not be spoken," I've been teaching at several facilities and having a blast. I've met some old familiar friends and quite a few new ones too. Sometimes, class members come in with something wrapped (knee, wrist, etc.) up or let us as instructors know of some kind of injury. That's great because it can help us provide a safer workout for them and give more options to continue to get an effective workout while that injury heals. One thing that several instructors have noticed is that many of these injuries have come from taking a Boot Camp class at the "nameless facility." As we look into how the injury was caused, most of the time it could/should have been prevented.

It still amazes me as to the unsafe/contraindicated exercises that are performed all over the place. When we as instructors teach classes, we are teaching to the general population which includes people of ALL fitness levels. Our classes should be designed to be safe and we should be able to give plenty of options during the class. This is much different from a sports-specific training. For someone doing training specific for basketball or soccer, perhaps running backward would be an excellent choice for those athletes. This is really not the case for a general group fitness class. Perhaps a slower, more controlled backward walking lunge would provide similar benefits without risking the safety of class members.

As the cold weather has arrived, some of us have heard nightmare stories about running up icy stairs outside. To risk a member's health and safety is beyond me, and this should set of some alarms as to how credible/knowledgeable an instructor really is. A certified/trained instructor should know better and the paying members rely on the instructor. As I've said before, I would suggest first and foremost, use common sense. If you're getting dizzy in class or members are getting some kind of injury, really consider the instruction and exercises going on in class. Ask other members and other instructors about exercises and certainly don't forget about the World Wide Web! (Google is your friend.)

Please keep in mind that there's always a chance of injury but with great instructors, that chance should be minimized!

Keep working out and Happy Holidays!

Point Made and Calming Down Period

2008-08-28T18:18:00.000-07:00

I recently had a talk with my lawyer buddy and he told me not to be worried about the comments. This is because others made the comments and that I did everything I could to remove them in a timely manner. Therefore, everyone can relax and evaluate the situation in their own way. I guess those that commented got their point across (at least for now). Having said that, if you missed all the drama, topics were raised that concerned various inappropriate personal and professional behaviors.

I do want to point out that there were one or two comments saying that they couldn't believe that the person in question would be doing such things. However, in the same comment they said that if this person was doing such things that she needed to stop. So, even then there is some doubt or they would have chosen one side.

Anyway, I really had no idea of all the people reading this blog. I never expected the fitness director to be following the blog but she has. I figured that I was getting away from her and out of her work life and that she wouldn't want any part of mine. I guess I was wrong about that in a big way! Don't you think that it's "sweet" that she still wants to be a part of my life?

Obviously when I left to get away from the "bad juju" and unprofessionalism and drama, I had no idea that it would continue to escalate to where MANY people felt the way I did (or even more so as evidenced by the numerous comments). Only time and actions will tell if things change but either way, be sure that someone will keep everyone up to date :)

Just remember these sayings: "The Truth Is Out There" and "People Are Watching"

A Little Bit Crazy

2008-08-26T12:08:00.001-07:00

Things seemed to be getting a little out of hand with posts. People have proof, they don't have proof and so on. At this point, I thought it best to disable any more comments and postings from the public until things get sorted out.

Obviously many people don't approve of certain actions and expressed it. As I said, I'm all for freedom of speech but maybe things shouldn't necessarily appear here when it concerns the personal aspect of someone's life. There are always consequences to deal with based on your actions especially when people don't approve. If evidence exists to support what was posted, those with that evidence should do what they feel is right and just.

Anyway, I want to apologize to anyone who may have been upset or offended by the posts...

I wanted to remove/disable comments until my lawyer friend goes over the information and tells me what I can post. Once that's done, be sure that this blog will get updated! :)

Others Are Finally Getting Involved!

2008-08-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well, so there are rumors she's staying and some say she's leaving. Regardless, it seems that others are getting involved for various reasons. Until recently, no one has had anything to say. Now, all of a sudden, many people have things to say. I just ask that no one attack each other with conjecture and here-say. The blog was started to give my opinions and the facts of how many things were (mis)handled. It was created so I could share what happened to me personally at the business/professional level without using names or attacking anyone directly -- simply a document of events that led myself and others to leave that place of business.

I certainly encourage free speech (even though the facility did not) so long as nothing illegal goes on. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion so please don't get offended if someone likes or does not like said person. I would ask that anyone who reads this blog to use their own judgment. If this person is your friend and you've never been wronged by her, that's great! Apparently, some people have been wronged or offended in some way as they are really speaking out.

So, if you want to post a comment, the blog is here for that. Just please be careful with your opinions and facts (and definitely no names). Stand up for what you believe is right but try not to hurt anyone in the process. (I'm done preaching now... haha)

Something Evil This Way Leaves?

2008-07-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well, word on the street is that the coordinator/director is actually going to be leaving town in the foreseeable future. Nothing is official but when hairdressers talk, it must be the truth! hahaha (Thanks to "you know who you are")

Anyway, if this does in fact happen, I seriously hope that the facility learns from this and makes an educated, informed decision to place a person with talent and qualifications in the position. If someone could take a step back and look at all of the instructors who quit, the members that left and all of the injuries that have come about during this coordinator's "reign," it would be obvious of what not to do!

We can all only hope that the dark cloud that has been hovering over this town will soon move on!

The Good and The Bad

2008-04-21T18:29:00.001-07:00

I understand that the cycling classes at my former fitness/rehab establishment are going to be FREE soon. At least there's something good coming out of the mess! That might encourage different people to try out another form of exercise and class attendance may grow!

Now for the bad... I've heard that at least one instructor (who just happens to be the "leader") has members doing the cycling classes and in the middle of the class, she has them getting off their bikes to do pushups on the floor. Now, if this was toward the end of class and a cool down was provided to get everyone's heart rate back to normal, this would be fine. However, immediately stopping cycling with elevated heart rates to do pushups can be quite dangerous. Any group fitness instructor should know better whether they are certified or not. Many members aren't aware of the dangers and even those that are could feel embarrassed not to do them with the rest of the group.

Keep in mind that this also applies to any group fitness class - you should NEVER immediately drop to the floor in a stationary position when your heart rate is elevated. Any up and down method like that should involve a period of time to drop the heart rate. Here's a little more detail:

Any sudden postural change during exercise when your head is below or level with your heart is a risk for orthostatic hypotension. Venous return to the heart is dependent upon several factors including body position, total blood volume, hydration status, etc. And, any time blood is shunted to the large muscle groups during aerobic exercise, a rapid change in posture can cause dizziness/passing out and puts you at risk for injury. This can happen in conditioned as well as deconditioned individuals.

If an instructor continues to do this, I would certainly think twice about following that instructor. Getting dizzy or passing out is NOT what a group fitness class is about. So, please use common sense and do not be pressured or feel guilty about not doing certain exercises in classes. Safety is quite important and MOST instructors that care don't want you to get hurt (or worse)!

Unfair, Unprofessional and Unethical Treatment

2008-03-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

Discrimination Anyone?

Well, the drama ensues with the Fitness Director singling out (discriminating against) yet another great fitness instructor. In order for the director to (what I believe) remove anyone she feels is a threat or in competition with her, a single instructor received an email that she was going to be removed from payroll because the director AND the Human Resources Department came to the conclusion that the instructor had not covered any aerobic or cycling classes in several months.

This has never been a policy at that facility to remove someone from payroll for this reason and if it had changed, some sort of memo would have been circulated (email, written document, etc). This was not the case. Regardless, the instructor had taught many classes and had the pay stubs to prove it. She had taught classes and/or given personal training sessions in 2007 in July, August, September, October, November, and as recently as January 2008. She also attended the aerobic staff meetings. Not only was she paid for all these classes, her name would be on each and every cycling and aerobic attendance sheet to be paid. Therefore, there is no way that the Human Resources Department could come to such a conclusion (and I do not believe that they were involved in this at all). Also, if the fitness director did in fact review the records for the entire year or even the last few months, there is no way she could have missed ALL of the classes, meetings, and sessions (well over 15 of them).

Now, keep in mind that there are other instructors who have been on the sub list for a long time and haven’t actually taught a class in well over a year – no one else received this email concerning the removal from payroll! It’s quite obvious of the still discriminatory, unfair and unprofessional treatment going on at that facility.

Once the supporting documentation was emailed to the director, she reviewed the information and agreed that there was “some kind of error.” She also conceded that she was not aware of the most recent class the instructor had taught. To further the insult, the fitness director then tried to redefine what a sub is and said that it only counts when a regularly scheduled instructor specifically asks for a class to be covered and that the director must be notified of this change for it “to count.” So, if I was an instructor already at the facility and another instructor didn’t show up to teach his/her class and I covered it, that wouldn’t count? What the hell? At the closing of the email, the director ended by saying that the “sub” status could be eliminated in the future. Brilliant! It’s hard enough to find good instructors but now, let’s just go ahead and eliminate all those who can’t teach on a regular basis. If they can provide support to the program but not regularly, apparently this fitness director doesn’t want to have any backup plan!

Obviously, this instructor wanted to talk to the CEO and did so toward the end of January 2008. She resigned because of all this drama and unfair treatment and because she believed that this would continue as long as the Fitness Director was around. Rather than trying to do something about this, the CEO agreed that she (as most of us had already experienced and resigned) would be subject to this treatment! Again, what the hell?

As I documented in a previous post concerning the letter I received from the facility to remove references/logos from my web site after my departure, this instructor asked that her name and image be removed from all marketing materials. She also indicated that she didn’t want paid for her last class in January and would consider it a volunteer contribution to the members. As of this posting, they are still using both her name and image.

It might be time to give that place a little of its own medicine… Can anyone say Law Suit?

Great Idea to get all the Rec Center Classes You Want!

2007-11-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

I recently talked to a guy who has been taking fitness classes at the Rec Center for years. He said that each semester, he signs up to audit the exact same class. He pays his fees and gets to use the entire WVU Rec Center facility because of this class. He never attends the class and doesn't have to worry about grades.

So for those of you wondering, you can either do the daily guest fee of $7 or you can audit a WVU class and get a "membership" and come join in on all the fun! I'd love to see the people I haven't seen for a while now and miss very much! If anyone is interested and has more questions, please don't hesitate to email me!

That's The End? Of Course Not!

2007-10-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

Check back often because this isn't the end... I'll be posting some juicy details as they become available :)

Won't Leave Me Alone

2007-10-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

Ok so I thought I was done with that place but apparently, they were not done with me. I left to go on a little vacation with the family and had a blast -- especially knowing that I wouldn't have to deal with that facility or that coordinator again. However, I was wrong. It seems as though it was fine to have the facility's logo on my web site for over 4 years until now. The former coordinator even asked if it was okay when I started to list the facility and use the logo on my web site indicating that I was teaching there. So, I had permission to use it and all was well until now.

They actually went to the trouble of printing out the page on my web site containing the logo and having their legal department send me a letter telling me to immediately remove it or I could face some problems. Ok, I did change my site after I quit to say something to the effect of suggesting to avoid that facility as the coordinator didn't care about your fitness or safety. I probably should have just added that it was my opinion or "I believe" or something similar. Anyway, I was happy to delete the logo and remove that statement and start this blog.

In addition, the legal letter strongly suggested that I stop talking to members, instructors or potential clients and speaking in a negative way that could affect their business. Granted, I'm not a lawyer but I'm pretty sure I live in America and have the right to express myself through free speech. As long as I'm not doing any slandering (and all those other legal terms), I'm within my rights to speak or write my opinions and document what happened to me. This angered me very much so it just reinforced me to blog blog blog!

Whether or not they'll continue to bother me is still a question in my mind. They really should be concerned with their fitness program or what's left of it rather than with me!

There are still a few good instructors there and I hope the members appreciate them very much. To think about all the things that many of the instructors did to make classes fun and interesting and then how we and the members were treated is what I would call a disgrace. I can remember doing special classes for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and most recently, Cosmic Cycling. We decorated the room, made special music mixes, came up with creative classes and exercises without charging anything extra. I can also remember the coordinator offering up a class that involved cycling and then running outside. She charged everyone $8 to do so... Uh, so everyone pays for their cycling classes of course but then to pay the additional $8 to run outside was just insane in my opinion. Of course, the coordinator gets part of the money she collects from that as well as her boot camp classes. So, is she in it just for the money? A lot of people believe that from what I've gathered.

Regardless, I'm sure if you check the attendance for the classes (at 5:30pm) now, the numbers have dropped. From what I've heard, the 5:30 class attendance has all but disappeared. I can only hope that all the members are continuing to maintain or improve their fitness by whatever means necessary -- finding another facility, coming to the Rec Center, working out at home, or finding a group of friends to walk, run, cycle, or other form of exercise!

But Wait, There's More...

2007-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

After I quit to get away from all that negativity and all the problems, I felt as if a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. Soon after my meeting with the CEO, an instructor called me to tell me that she was being "called to the principal's office." The coordinator wanted her to come in and read something but wouldn't tell the instructor what it was... Passive aggressive much? The instructor already knew what it was; she had given me an email to present to the CEO and she stood by it! She went to see the coordinator and the coordinator handed her the email printout with some sentences highlighted and said something like "Please read this out loud." The instructor said that there was no need to read it as she had written it. She said it's nothing she wouldn't say to the coordinator's face and stood her ground. Good for her!

Of course, the coordinator tried to turn this instructor against me by saying that this email was the only one I presented and that I was trying to leave this instructor out to hang... Uh, apparently the coordinator thinks that no one ever communicates with each other. Well, at least the coordinator's efforts to make me (or anyone else) look bad failed again. It seems to be a pattern with the coordinator... I don't know if she's that insecure or if she just enjoys trying to make others look bad so she looks better... Whatever the reason, it certainly isn't right and luckily, it didn't work.

Last Ditch Effort

2007-10-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

I decided to try one last thing. Perhaps the CEO would at least listen and try to work out a solution. Regardless, I wanted him to understand my position as that last incident with the coordinator was when I decided to resign.

I asked members and instructors if they wanted anything presented to the CEO and to only give me something they felt comfortable with because they might be asked to meet in person. I received some responses telling me to feel free to use the letters/email as they were and put together a packet of information and ideas that I wanted to present. During my meeting, the CEO seemed less that concerned and even a bit cold in my opinion. I tried to explain my situation in general terms and even got a little "misty eyed" because I was so frustrated at how the program had fallen apart. During the entire meeting, I never got any hope that the situation would be addressed in any way. Therefore, I turned in my formal letter of resignation. I made my last day the last day of September because I wasn't out to screw anyone over and didn't want to create any additional problems with schedule substitutions. The CEO said he appreciated that and we shook hands and parted ways.

I started saying goodbye to the members and apologizing for leaving at the end of the month. I even went so far as to plan out my last three classes - trying to pick the morning cycling favorite videos, favorite class music mixes, combinations, etc.

Apparently, members got very angry and started writing comments about how upset they were. The coordinator (as she has done in the past) thought that I told the members to write these comments (as if I have the power to make them do what I want). So, in what I would call her spiteful way, she decided to email me the evening (after 8pm) before my early morning class (6:15am) to tell me that she took my last 3 classes away from me and that my services were no longer needed. I was certainly confused as the CEO was fine with me finishing the month. Of course, I got no email response from the CEO when I questioned this decision. So, even though I was furious, I tried to let it go because ultimately, it's not worth the stress. (That's why I started this blog.) Obviously others felt that way too...

Many members and instructors have left the facility since this "hostile takeover." The 5:30 classes that used to have 10 or more members has dropped to 1 or NONE... That has to say something!

So, again to everyone, I apologize for leaving as I really enjoyed teaching but there's only so much a person can take. Anyone interested in taking classes at the Student Rec Center can do so. Anyone can be a guest for $7 a day which gives you full access to the entire facility (aerobics, spinning, weights, pool, climbing wall, etc.) Some have even suggested in signing up for a class at WVU which will give you access to the facility... Not a bad idea at all! It's still cheaper than the fitness and rehab facility!

The Final Month

2007-10-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

August passes and September rolls around. When the schedule comes out, I received not a single evening aerobics class! Why is this always a problem? I gave her EVERY evening and I got not a single class. I noticed that Zumba was on TWO nights a week now. Therefore, the members that like aerobics lost another class. Zumba is great and lots of people love it but to offer that specialty class two nights a week at this facility didn't make sense to the members.

I had to email the coordinator and ask why I didn't get a single class when I gave her so many days I could teach. I got a lame excuse that certain people can only teach on certain days. In essence, because of others' restricted schedules, I was being punished for my flexibility. Had I told her I could only teach on Tuesdays, I would have received all Tuesday evening classes... How in the world does this make a bit of sense and how in the world is this a fair schedule? I had to email her again telling her that I partially understood about the scheduling but that is seems like she's penalizing me for being flexible.

I did end up subbing for a few instructors so I did get an evening class or two. Right before one of my classes as myself and quite a few of the members were waiting, the coordinator walks up to me and says that she needs to talk to me. She asks me to meet with her after my class to get a few things resolved. I found this very unprofessional as did the members. Worse than that, she returns a few minutes later to tell me that she could not meet with me after my class because she was leaving. Instead, she wanted to meet with me after my Thursday morning class. Could she have handled this any worse???? I don't think so.

I went to her little meeting and it was the same old thing... "We need to get the issues between us resolved or move on..."

Promotion?

2007-10-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

In August, we had another aerobic meeting. Many of the instructors were hoping that the coordinator was going to announce that she was leaving to move South with her husband who had taken a new job. Many of us were sticking around for the members but also in hopes that the coordinator might be leaving. We believed that this could help eliminate many problems. Unfortunately, this was not the case. She announced that not only was she the coordinator but now she had been promoted to Fitness Director. So, I guess she was her own boss too! Wow!

Later, we found out that she got this position over two other people that had advanced degrees (Master's degree in Exercise Physiology, Sports Training, etc). According to the facility's web site, she only has an ACE personal trainer certification... Very suspicious if you ask me. Anyway, regardless, it was just horrible news for the program. I guess as she told me before, she didn't need to know about the job (in other words, she didn't need to be qualified) to do the job...

Well, despite everything, I continued to stick it out...

Back to Teaching... Kind Of

2007-10-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

August comes around and I give my availability to the coordinator - pretty much any morning, evening and weekend (except Sundays). She gave me ONE cycling class for the entire month. The aerobics scheduling was okay so I won't complain about that. In addition, Rochelle was left totally left off the schedule despite giving M, W, and Friday evenings as being available. Will this madness never end? Why is this such a problem? After 8 or more months of scheduling, could she not even come close to making a decent and fair schedule? It would probably help if she participated in the program and got to know the members or maybe even listened/read their comments and suggestions... You've probably heard the saying "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Well, no one can even lead this horse to the water :)

A member was frustrated that Rochelle wasn't on the schedule so she emailed the coordinator and asked about it. The response from the coordinator indicated that Rochelle wasn't available but the member knew better. This is because the member actually talks to the instructors (including Rochelle). Therefore, that member knew the coordinator was lying and got even more frustrated.

July July July

2007-10-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Of course, I caught all kinds of "hell" from the members in July. That made me feel good and let me know that the members appreciated my classes. I told them I was just taking the month off as I hadn't taken a break from teaching in a long long time. I promised I'd be back in full force on the August schedule.

During my time off, I decided to take a bunch of classes and enjoy myself. I wanted to catch up on some of the other instructors' classes. During this time, a few new instructors were hired and put on the schedule. One was an experienced teacher and the other was brand new. Apparently, they weren't given any kind of orientation at all as they were unfamiliar with the audio equipment in the room and one wasn't exactly sure of the class format. This was very frustrating as not only does the coordinator hire instructors and can't evaluate them, but she also isn't giving them the orientation that they should have. I didn't mind helping out but it's just another responsibility that the coordinator pushed off to someone else.

During July, I did end up teaching a few classes to help out an instructor here and there. Since I wasn't going to the facility on a regular basis, I asked the coordinator if she could please change the cycling sign in sheets to indicate the classes I was teaching. I also asked her if she would update the schedule in the hallway outside the aerobics room so everyone would know that I was in fact teaching a few classes. After all, they did hire her because she could be at the facility for 40 hours a week. Again, she avoided doing anything and I had to drive across town to make the changes myself. Actually, here is the coordinator's response (I actually got one) to my request:

If you could, when you come in to teach, make the changes in the book that would be great.

Unbelievable!!!!!

Credit Where Credit Is Due

2007-10-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

A very unfortunate thing happened... A member of this fitness and rehab facility unfortunately passed away. One of our morning cycling members (Terri Cutright) had a wonderful idea to honor this former member. She mentioned the idea to me one morning before my class and I agreed with her that it was a great idea! She thought that some of our instructors could volunteer some time to teach a few cycling classes and have those that attended the class(es) to donate some money. Then, this money could be given to some charitable organization. This member said that she was going to talk to our coordinator and see if events could be put in motion to make this happen.

Soon after that, all the instructors received an email concerning Terri's idea. However, the email stated that it was the coordinator's idea (see excerpt from email below with member's name removed).

Instructors:

On Saturday, July 21, I would like to do a spin class/classes in memory of *** ****. My idea is to have members or nonmembers sign up to take a class and make a $20.00 donation in which we will give to the Special Olympics. Because of the limited number of bikes we have, I would like to offer more than one class on that Saturday.

I thought it was great that the coordinator was organizing this event but to take credit for it really made me upset! I emailed the coordinator telling her that I was glad she was executing this plan but that she should give Terri credit. Actually, I did a "reply all" so all the instructors knew as well. Of course, the coordinator was angry with me for doing this as I called her out. Part of her response was this:

When the final word goes out to members, and the class time and agenda have been finalized, credit will be given as I see fit. I don't appreciate you assuming that I would take all the credit for the class.

Hmmmm interesting -- She'll give credit as she sees fit... Not on my watch! I wanted to make sure Terri was given credit regardless. Anyway, I didn't assume anything. The email stated "my idea" coming from the coordinator... Simple as that!

It was at this point when I decided I wanted a break from this madness to rethink my position. I decided to take the month of July off from teaching all together. When I'm emotionally drained and at the point where I'm angry about going to that facility, I thought it was best to take a break. A part-time job that I do for fun because I really enjoy teaching had become a nightmare because of one single coordinator.

Hiring New Instructors

2007-10-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

A few new instructors were hired and put on the schedule. Knowing that the coordinator doesn't teach or take any aerobics classes, I asked how she evaluated the new instructors in hopes that she would recruit current instructors to help in this area. I wasn't attacking her but how would she know if the new hire could actually teach - break down combinations and cue them properly, balance left and right sides, be motivating, and so on? Unfortunately, this was understood by the coordinator that I was telling her how to do her job and in this case, she felt no response was necessary. Insecure much?

In addition, some brand new instructors were placed in the 5:30 (prime time) evening classes all by themselves. Generally, in most jobs, when you start from ground zero, you're not given a major critical task all on your own. As a former coordinator, I know that you ease in new instructors by placing them with an experienced instructor -- it's called team teaching. This gives the members time to get acclimated to the new instructor and vice versa. It's less stressful on the new instructor as well. In the prime time slot, mostly "regular" and hard-core members take class. That's why it's important to team teach with an experienced instructor -- this can ensure that the members still get their intense workout. The experienced instructor can also provide insight to the new instructor. It's a great way to learn and improve! Gradually, the new instructor gets more and more time until he or she is comfortable teaching an entire class alone. This was never the case. Even after many instructors made this suggestion, the coordinator ignored them.

I'm certainly not saying that new instructors aren't intense or can't do a good job (we all had to start somewhere) but that a more steady progression into teaching is advisable.

Comments? We don't need no stinkin' comments either!

2007-10-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

Members fill out comment cards for different reasons - to praise an instructor or class type, to comment on an instructor that's not quite top notch, to request different classes or instructors or for many other reasons. Some members preferred to approach the instructors they were comfortable with rather than approaching the coordinator. They mentioned that they rarely saw the coordinator and didn't feel that she was approachable. I was more than happy to take their comments to the coordinator because I felt she should be "in the know" and be able to address the comment if necessary. If the members could approach me or another instructor because they see us in class, wouldn't that be important to pass along the information?

In another face-to-face meeting, I was told that this "passing along of information" to the coordinator was one of my downfalls! I asked why the coordinator and director didn't think this was important. I was told that if the member couldn't or wouldn't come directly to them, then the comment really wasn't valid. Yes, I had to pick my mouth up off the floor when I heard this. I was told that I shouldn't be discussing anything like that with the members. This goes against my aerobic-friendly personality. I suppose they just wanted me to go in and teach class and leave without talking to anyone. That would be just rude and uncaring in my opinion.

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Responses (or Equipment)

2007-10-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

On more than one occasion and by more than one instructor, emails were sent to the coordinator with questions or ideas trying to keep the lines of communication open and everyone on the same page. However, more often than not, responses were not given. I believe someone said, "At least she ignores all of us equally!"

Anyway, at one point I wanted to be sure I understood her explanation of a particular cycling class that I had never taught before. It was explained by the coordinator that during this class, she made everyone count their foot revolutions for a particular time to ensure they were at the proper RPM. I thought it would be more efficient to use the BPM of the music to help guide a class rather than constantly breaking up the class with this counting method. I created an Excel spreadsheet to illustrate my idea to ensure that I understood her explanation. After the original email and at least two follow ups asking if this made sense and was correct, I received absolutely no response. It wasn't until I had another face-to-face meeting with her that she basically said I could teach class using that idea if I wanted. When asked why she didn't respond, she said it would be easier to tell me verbally. All she had to do was send an email saying so. How can I learn and improve if I get no feedback at all?

Various equipment from the aerobics room began to disappear. At one point, several steps were missing and about half the body bars were gone too. Why was this happening? It was so frustrating to come to teach class with lots of members just to find out that they couldn't use the equipment that used to be available. A couple of us went running all over the facility to find that most of the equipment had been taken to the gym and never returned. Maybe I'm a bit anal but couldn't that stuff be returned to where it was needed the most? Frustration continues to rise!

We Don't Need No Consistent Schedule & Setup

2007-10-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

For me, the schedule continued to seem inconsistent in that if an instructor taught a certain new class in one month and began to build the attendance, the following month that instructor got absolutely none of those classes - here today, gone tomorrow. When members made comments or brought up issues, the coordinator believed that I was simply telling everyone to fill out comment cards to give her grief. Why are the comment cards there in the first place? Secondly, how is she to know if there is a problem or not if the members did not speak up?

Regarding cycling (morning and weekend classes), class setup issues were everywhere! It was the responsibility (I verified this on several occasions) of the evening fitness staff to set up the room the night before the morning cycling classes. This was especially important because on Saturday, the gym opened at 8am and class began at 8:15am. Instructors need to meet and greet members, get the audio equipment ready, and help everyone get set up properly on the bikes. With only 15 minutes, it was nearly impossible to begin class on time when the instructor needed to grab all the mats and bikes and set everything up. Problems like this became more and more frequent. Was it a coincidence that our coordinator's classes were always set up but it was a free-for-all for the other instructors? In fact, the coordinator was working the floor one evening and "forgot" to set up the bikes for my early morning Saturday class. Hmmmmm. She did at least email me to let me know that she "forgot." (It's a good thing I check email frequently). That didn't magically give me any more time to set up class though. Perhaps no one was informing the fitness staff of this responsibility or maybe the employees were not being given the proper training they needed to do their jobs. Nevertheless, the set up issues were much more abundant than they were with the previous coordinator.

Going Down Down Down

2007-10-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

Soon after the coordinator change, two instructors didn't feel it was worth all the stress and decided to leave. Most of us who had grown attached to the members continued to debate but wanted to stick it out for the members. Their fitness and fun was important to us so we decided to endure more.

Soon after, the schedules became a nightmare - for both the instructors and the members. The current instructors who the members enjoyed were slowly being taken out of the picture with brand new instructors. It was so much of an issue that members began filling out comment cards and several wrote letters to express their opinions and desires. After all, they are the paying clients and they should be heard. It also bothered me so I even scheduled a face to face with the coordinator. I asked if the following month I could have a few more classes especially since the members wanted that as well. I thought that things would begin to look up after our meeting. However, the next month, she actually gave me TWO FEWER classes. Apparently, my requests and all of the members comments and letters fell on deaf ears. I could go into tons more detail but suffice it to say that things were still not looking good at all.

Problems Most of Us Didn't See

2007-10-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Well, despite the problem with the one particular instructor, the other instructors thought that, for the most part, things were going okay. However, we were very wrong. Our incredible coordinator was apparently catching all kinds of hell and grief from this problem instructor and those above her in the chain of command. She protected all of us from this and for that, we are extremely grateful! However, after while, it became an unhealthy situation for the coordinator and she resigned from her position.

I believe this was the beginning of a terrible downward spiral of the group fitness program. Despite the facts that a large number of our group fitness instructors were highly qualified for this now open coordinator position (at least 8 with the certifications, teaching abilities and former coordinator experience), not a single one of us was offered the chance to apply for the job. Instead, someone was simply GIVEN the job that many of us felt wasn't qualified... Who got the job, you ask? Yup, you guessed it - that one problem instructor. I needed to understand why this happened so I simply asked the question. The answer was this: "We hired her as the coordinator because we wanted someone who could be at this facility 40 hours a week and someone that could jump into a class and cover it in an emergency." Okay, I'll give them the 40 hours a week thing - I'm not there full time so I can neither confirm nor deny this claim. However, since this instructor (and she admits it herself) cannot teach any choreography style classes, the latter part of the justification/answer did not follow.

So many of the instructors were caught in this dilemma now -- teaching group fitness at a facility that has its leader who in most of our opinions, shouldn't be there. We loved teaching there because of the members - the members made the teaching experience fun an enjoyable. The members actually made me look forward to driving across town to "yell" at them even when I didn't feel like it! So, rather than abruptly quitting, the instructors thought we'd stick it out and give this new coordinator a chance.

We thought she'd be willing to start taking classes and learning about the aerobics side of things to help her grasp the job of an aerobic/group fitness coordinator. Once again, we were wrong. After more than 9 months, no instructor I talked to had seen her take a single class... (I'm not saying she didn't but I couldn't find any supporting evidence...)

Let the Problems Begin

2007-10-09T10:26:00.000-07:00

The video issue subsided as the complaints must have died down. However, now several instructors were informed through at least 2 (maybe it was 3) members that one instructor was telling her class that you couldn't get a good workout in a cycling class that used videos and to not take those classes. These members were ones that took both the 5:15 am and the 6:15 am classes. Of course, the instructors that used videos were shocked to hear this as were many of the members. It was an unfortunate lack of teamwork. Luckily, most of the members didn't fall for this. All I could do was tell the members to try each instructor's class and determine on their own if they could get a good workout or not.

The teamwork issue came up again (with the same instructor) concerning transitions between two morning classes. The coordinator put in place a good plan to make the transition smooth and to evenly divide up the responsibility of the two instructors. However, things didn't run smoothly because one instructor dodged most, if not all, of her responsibilities leaving the second instructor to do everything. Normally, when something like this happens, it would just be easier for the 2nd instructor to just handle everything and avoid any conflicts. However, there was a time constraint (as most instructors had to race to get to work) and since both instructors were being paid an additional 15 minutes of time (for setup and take down), it became a big issue. One morning, after this problem had occurred many times, I was quite upset and raised my voice. Only at that point was some help provided and then, it was reluctant and short-lived.

Luckily, this particular instructor only taught cycling classes so she didn't interfere with the aerobics classes.

Cycling Videos

2007-10-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

Things were going pretty great with the program for the most part (once in a while there was a problem but we all worked through it to come up with a solution). We even had the capability to use videos in cycling classes. Most of the morning members loved this and looked forward to seeing what interesting (or disturbing... haha) videos we would have. One member made the comment that she loved the videos and the morning instructors especially since she was getting out of bed early in the morning to get on a bike that went nowhere!

The videos were sometimes suggestive but they were all clean lyrics and no nudity - these videos were those shown on regular TV so I had no worries about them. Those instructors that used any videos they thought might be a little out of the ordinary would even go so far as to make a "warning" announcement. Of course, the videos were there if anyone wanted to watch them. Many of the members said the classes were so challenging that they missed most of the videos because they were looking down at the floor trying to keep up :)

However, someone did complain about a video. This female was not a paying member but took classes for free because of her relationship to a current employee. She did not issue her complaint to the particular instructor that used the video in question, nor did she complain to the coordinator. She went over everyone's head to the top. This was done on several occasions but as the message was passed back down the chain of command, no one knew exactly which video was a problem and therefore could not address the situation appropriately. In addition, this person had the option of not watching the video or not taking that instructor's class. No one was forcing her to take that class or watch that video... It is a free country isn't it?

First Days at the Fitness and Rehab Facility

2007-10-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

I started teaching various classes in July 2003. Of course I didn't know many of the members but began learning names and becoming friends. At the time, we had a great coordinator too! Kimberly was very knowledgeable and personable too. She made herself available to the members and tried to meet everyone's requests as much as possible.

I began taking other instructor classes to get an idea of how each person taught his or her classes and to make myself visible so the members and I could meet and chat and become familiar with each other.

As time went on, both members and instructors grew and most instructors began to challenge the members even more. The members went so far as to ask for extended classes. One such request was to create an Endurance Cycling class that was twice as long as the normal class. I offered to start teaching the class and Kimberly happily put it on the schedule. We had some die-hard members and they loved this class. Other instructors began teaching the class too!

We would mix in some special classes from time to time to keep members interested and motivated. Hip Hop, Stability Ball, and multi-step classes were just a few of the offerings. This facility, in my opinion, had a really great program and group of instructors! I was happy to be a part of this team!

Getting Started

2007-10-07T06:25:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone,

I've started this blog so that we can all share our thoughts and opinions and keep each other informed. Free speech is a wonderful thing and when a person or organization tries to stifle that, we need to stand up for ourselves! Anyway, feel free to post your opinions but try to avoid any malicious attacks on people or organizations. We want to avoid any kind of libel or defamation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slander_and_libel).

thanks and enjoy!