All-Star Jam Brands Has Merged With Varsity

[quitthedrama]

Wow that is a lot of money... But your CP is on an elite level. Wouldn't prices for any travel sport at a top level be similar?

Our costs to the gym are about the same. We only have 2 travel comps that are not far away. Not more than $1000. It's level 1.

So I don't feel priced out of cheer at all at the moment, but I can see how it could get way more expensive if she moves up levels and to a bigger gym that travels more.

It isn't just the elite level, and I would say the type of gym dictates the expense more than the level of a team. Our gym has a similar travel schedule for all teams, and many gyms in my area attend at least 2 flight/STP competitions. When you attend the elite competitions, the price increases significantly. I would argue that most sports are not as expensive, particularly when it comes to competition fees and spectator admission fees and forced hotel stays. I have many friends who's kids are elite basketball (junior olympic) players, soccer players, etc and the costs are not nearly as high. I would say hockey is comparable but there are far more games involved - on average I am spending more than $1k per competition if you factor my total expense to the number of competitions we attend. I used to show horses, so at least cheer is a bargain compared to that, but really, those are the only sports/activities that I can think of that are equivalent or more expensive. I can confidently say that STP has added at least $1,500 to my annual expense. This is the nail in the coffin to those already struggling.
So bottom line, yes - all star cheer can be "affordable", but only if you go to a gym that only competes locally and has no interest in creating Worlds or Summit teams.
ETA: It really bothers me that the costs have increased so much, because my kids have loved all star cheer and it has done so much for them. I hate seeing people get priced out and something great be taken away from kids.

 

[uhhlyssa01]

Varsity's been around this long, I think they would be smart enough to know they don't need to skyrocket prices because that's only going to shrink our sport which is the opposite of what any corporation wants to do. I think part of the problem is no one wants to go to the $20 competition at the high school gymnasium down the street, because they don't have the flashy lights and the banners and the fancy jackets that say "National Champion" on them. People don't want to compete against the gym down the road, so they travel hours away to get away from them. Varsity is giving us the glitz and the glam events that we asked for, but all that stuff comes with a price. At the end of the day it's the program that decides to design that $500 uniform and fill their schedule with 8 expensive 2-day comps that require STP. Gyms need to find that balance when making their own competition schedule, designing uniforms, etc. and finding what suits their own customers (the parents) so that the gyms don't price out their parents. I don't think Varsity or anyone is the bad guy here, people just need to realize that each business, whether it be the gym owner or the EP, needs to do what they feel is necessary to ensure success and longevity.

 

[icame2WERQ]

,

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

Varsity's been around this long, I think they would be smart enough to know they don't need to skyrocket prices because that's only going to shrink our sport which is the opposite of what any corporation wants to do. I think part of the problem is no one wants to go to the $20 competition at the high school gymnasium down the street, because they don't have the flashy lights and the banners and the fancy jackets that say "National Champion" on them. People don't want to compete against the gym down the road, so they travel hours away to get away from them. Varsity is giving us the glitz and the glam events that we asked for, but all that stuff comes with a price. At the end of the day it's the program that decides to design that $500 uniform and fill their schedule with 8 expensive 2-day comps that require STP. Gyms need to find that balance when making their own competition schedule, designing uniforms, etc. and finding what suits their own customers (the parents) so that the gyms don't price out their parents. I don't think Varsity or anyone is the bad guy here, people just need to realize that each business, whether it be the gym owner or the EP, needs to do what they feel is necessary to ensure success and longevity.

The gym can only do so much. The gyms can control the prices of uniforms, practice wear, gym fees, etc.

Gyms cannot control anything that has to do with competition - STP, competition fees, etc. that's all varsity. I think it's been said that the gyms are not the biggest problem, it's varsity. Competitions are where the most money is spent. Gyms are trying to keep costs down as much as they can, but they still need to make money.

Another thing to keep in mind: depending on you area, parents and gyms have no choice but to travel to comps. I cheered in upstate NY. If we kept it "local" (3ish hours) our biggest comp would be some low level NCA or Jamfest comp. There's also not a lot of competition to actual compete against. If you want to compete, you had to travel. And I'm not talking Cheersport, NCA, Jamfest Indy. I'm talking like normal 2 day comps or higher level 1 day comps. Wanna get a bid to worlds or the summit? Forget about staying local, you HAVE to travel 4+ hours. My senior year we had 4 or 5 comps in MA, a couple in PA, plus the small NY comps that we rarely saw any competition at. We all know that a gyms success is measured by their records at big comps. A lot of gyms don't have those big comps in their backyards. So if a gym wants to be successful, they absolutely have to travel. Gyms have no control over that either.

 

[uhhlyssa01]

The gym can only do so much. The gyms can control the prices of uniforms, practice wear, gym fees, etc.

Gyms cannot control anything that has to do with competition - STP, competition fees, etc. that's all varsity. I think it's been said that the gyms are not the biggest problem, it's varsity. Competitions are where the most money is spent. Gyms are trying to keep costs down as much as they can, but they still need to make money.

Another thing to keep in mind: depending on you area, parents and gyms have no choice but to travel to comps. I cheered in upstate NY. If we kept it "local" (3ish hours) our biggest comp would be some low level NCA or Jamfest comp. There's also not a lot of competition to actual compete against. If you want to compete, you had to travel. And I'm not talking Cheersport, NCA, Jamfest Indy. I'm talking like normal 2 day comps or higher level 1 day comps. Wanna get a bid to worlds or the summit? Forget about staying local, you HAVE to travel 4+ hours. My senior year we had 4 or 5 comps in MA, a couple in PA, plus the small NY comps that we rarely saw any competition at. We all know that a gyms success is measured by their records at big comps. A lot of gyms don't have those big comps in their backyards. So if a gym wants to be successful, they absolutely have to travel. Gyms have no control over that either.

That all entirely depends on how a gym measures success. If you base your success off your banners, you should probably rethink your business model. Most stable gyms will say their doors stay open because of classes or programs that don't even involve the all star teams. Any gym with a Worlds team will admit their worlds team is the least profitable team in their program. Again, with the competitions, no one is MAKING you choose comps with Stay to Play, no is making you pick a Summit bid competition. If you need to travel to get to a bigger nationals and you know it's going to cost your parents a lot of money, maybe you limit the amount you attend. If a gym is choosing to do all of that, they know they are going to pay more for it. Don't buy a Prada purse because it's pretty and then complain when you can't afford your rent.

 

[123jump4!]

The gym can only do so much. The gyms can control the prices of uniforms, practice wear, gym fees, etc.

Gyms cannot control anything that has to do with competition - STP, competition fees, etc. that's all varsity. I think it's been said that the gyms are not the biggest problem, it's varsity. Competitions are where the most money is spent. Gyms are trying to keep costs down as much as they can, but they still need to make money.

Another thing to keep in mind: depending on you area, parents and gyms have no choice but to travel to comps. I cheered in upstate NY. If we kept it "local" (3ish hours) our biggest comp would be some low level NCA or Jamfest comp. There's also not a lot of competition to actual compete against. If you want to compete, you had to travel. And I'm not talking Cheersport, NCA, Jamfest Indy. I'm talking like normal 2 day comps or higher level 1 day comps. Wanna get a bid to worlds or the summit? Forget about staying local, you HAVE to travel 4+ hours. My senior year we had 4 or 5 comps in MA, a couple in PA, plus the small NY comps that we rarely saw any competition at. We all know that a gyms success is measured by their records at big comps. A lot of gyms don't have those big comps in their backyards. So if a gym wants to be successful, they absolutely have to travel. Gyms have no control over that either.

I get what you're saying. But if a lot of families in your area would end up priced out of cheer, then maybe another gym would open where they don't travel much. And those families can go there. They are priced out of cheer-with-lots-of-travel but not necessarily priced out of cheer.

Example is 2 gyms near us. They are in the same business park. One is mega expensive and all their teams travel to 5 away comps, even tinys and minis. Their teams have won Summit.

The other gym goes to 1 or 2 drive away comps and their costs are probably about a quarter of the other gym's. The cheaper gym still does pretty good at the local comps!

(We are with neither of these gyms but our gym is more like the cheaper one.)

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

The only one I've been to that charged admission was Super Nationals. All the other Jamfest I've been to are still free.

We go primarily to Jam events and last year none of ours were free. The year prior maybe 1.

 

[randomactsofcheer]

There are costs to fundraising that might not be apparent to a lot of people. Like time. Lots of people have demanding jobs, multiple children, and errands to run. Fundraising really only works up until a certain point. If you have to fund raise several thousand dollars each season just for your child to be able to cheer, it's a lot easier to fall short of your goal.

I agree with this whole-heartedly. I don't have time to fundraise for cheer. And because CP is 8, she needs myself or my husband to help her fundraise. In addition, most kids are asked to fundraise for their school several times throughout the school year. I have found it much easier to get friends, family, and neighbors to donate to CP's school rather than to CP's extra-curricular activity. I usually just ask the owner of CP's gym how much they hope each child will raise and then hand over some cash in that ballpark so I don't have to worry about ticket books, chocolates, wrapping paper, whatever. Some parents aren't financially able to do this AND don't have the free time to raise money. If the cost of cheer continues to climb as quickly as it has in the past, these parents will be priced out of cheer.

 

[quitthedrama]

That all entirely depends on how a gym measures success. If you base your success off your banners, you should probably rethink your business model. Most stable gyms will say their doors stay open because of classes or programs that don't even involve the all star teams. Any gym with a Worlds team will admit their worlds team is the least profitable team in their program. Again, with the competitions, no one is MAKING you choose comps with Stay to Play, no is making you pick a Summit bid competition. If you need to travel to get to a bigger nationals and you know it's going to cost your parents a lot of money, maybe you limit the amount you attend. If a gym is choosing to do all of that, they know they are going to pay more for it. Don't buy a Prada purse because it's pretty and then complain when you can't afford your rent.

This all sounds great in theory, but how long is a kid going to want to cheer for a program that doesn't go to Worlds or Summit? And it isn't just about not traveling. Even 2 years ago (same gym, same level), my costs were not this high. An increase of about $1,500 to attend the exact same competitions is concerning.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

I get what you're saying. But if a lot of families in your area would end up priced out of cheer, then maybe another gym would open where they don't travel much. And those families can go there. They are priced out of cheer-with-lots-of-travel but not necessarily priced out of cheer.

Example is 2 gyms near us. They are in the same business park. One is mega expensive and all their teams travel to 5 away comps, even tinys and minis. Their teams have won Summit.

The other gym goes to 1 or 2 drive away comps and their fees are probably about a quarter of the other gym's. The cheaper gym still does pretty good at the local comps!

(We are with neither of these gyms but our gym is more like the cheaper one.)

You're right but that's not always an option for everyone in cheer. You assume that upstate NY families had a plethora of gyms to chose from. We didn't. And sometimes what you have is what you're stuck with. (Not saying I was stuck with my gym, I enjoyed my time there, I had great coaches, and we were very successful). We had two gyms in the area - one was good, the other had no qualified coaches. It wasn't a matter of "how many comps we compete at". It was the quality of the training and the safety of the athletes. The next nearest gym was probably a little over an hour away which people weren't willing to travel to - especially in the winter.

I would bet that there are a few other places in the country that have this same problem. Not all areas of the country have some of these options that others have.

 

[tumbleyoda]

I get what you're saying. But if a lot of families in your area would end up priced out of cheer, then maybe another gym would open where they don't travel much. And those families can go there. They are priced out of cheer-with-lots-of-travel but not necessarily priced out of cheer.

Example is 2 gyms near us. They are in the same business park. One is mega expensive and all their teams travel to 5 away comps, even tinys and minis. Their teams have won Summit.

The other gym goes to 1 or 2 drive away comps and their costs are probably about a quarter of the other gym's. The cheaper gym still does pretty good at the local comps!

(We are with neither of these gyms but our gym is more like the cheaper one.)

This works in theory.

Sadly so much more goes on behind the scenes that it rarely is this simple any more. I miss those days when it was,

 

[123jump4!]

You're right but that's not always an option for everyone in cheer. You assume that upstate NY families had a plethora of gyms to chose from. We didn't. And sometimes what you have is what you're stuck with. (Not saying I was stuck with my gym, I enjoyed my time there, I had great coaches, and we were very successful). We had two gyms in the area - one was good, the other had no qualified coaches. It wasn't a matter of "how many comps we compete at". It was the quality of the training and the safety of the athletes. The next nearest gym was probably a little over an hour away which people weren't willing to travel to - especially in the winter.

I would bet that there are a few other places in the country that have this same problem. Not all areas of the country have some of these options that others have.

I understand. I guess I'm thinking if more and more families are getting priced out of cheer then either gyms will have to travel less or new "lower budget" gyms will open. Kids will still want to cheer and someone will take advantage of it. But of course it won't happen in every town.

 

[tumbleyoda]

This all sounds great in theory, but how long is a kid going to want to cheer for a program that doesn't go to Worlds or Summit? And it isn't just about not traveling. Even 2 years ago (same gym, same level), my costs were not this high. An increase of about $1,500 to attend the exact same competitions is concerning.

Especially when the the major player in the industry is promoting that in order to be successful gym you must go to Worlds or Summit? And with them now having athlete and parent info they have the means to market that message around those coaches/programs that don't want that push.

 

[uhhlyssa01]

This all sounds great in theory, but how long is a kid going to want to cheer for a program that doesn't go to Worlds or Summit? And it isn't just about not traveling. Even 2 years ago (same gym, same level), my costs were not this high. An increase of about $1,500 to attend the exact same competitions is concerning.

I'm not saying don't go to Worlds or the Summit, but expect that it's going to cost more if you do. At that point you decide if it's worth it to spend the extra money on it. I always wanted to attend a big college out of state, but I knew it was going to cost an extra $10k plus a year for out of state. I had to decide if it was worth the extra $40k in student loans. If you want to attend some World's bids or Summit bid comps, maybe fill the rest of your schedule with cheaper, less production comps to offset the costs. Our economy has improved so much in the last few years, so prices are going up everywhere from venues, to hotels etc because the economy can sustain it.

 

[randomactsofcheer]

It isn't just the elite level, and I would say the type of gym dictates the expense more than the level of a team. Our gym has a similar travel schedule for all teams, and many gyms in my area attend at least 2 flight/STP competitions. When you attend the elite competitions, the price increases significantly. I would argue that most sports are not as expensive, particularly when it comes to competition fees and spectator admission fees and forced hotel stays. I have many friends who's kids are elite basketball (junior olympic) players, soccer players, etc and the costs are not nearly as high. I would say hockey is comparable but there are far more games involved - on average I am spending more than $1k per competition if you factor my total expense to the number of competitions we attend. I used to show horses, so at least cheer is a bargain compared to that, but really, those are the only sports/activities that I can think of that are equivalent or more expensive. I can confidently say that STP has added at least $1,500 to my annual expense. This is the nail in the coffin to those already struggling.
So bottom line, yes - all star cheer can be "affordable", but only if you go to a gym that only competes locally and has no interest in creating Worlds or Summit teams.
ETA: It really bothers me that the costs have increased so much, because my kids have loved all star cheer and it has done so much for them. I hate seeing people get priced out and something great be taken away from kids.

My mom was a horse trainer and I showed horses growing up. As an adult, I had my own training facility and riding program until my husband's job was transferred to an area where it wasn't feasible for me to move my business with us. "At least she isn't showing horses" has been a common phrase in our household... If I thought CP could take lessons from me, we could probably save ourselves some money. Alas, there is a reason why my mother always sent me to an outside trainer... But we are getting very close to spending the equivalent to leasing a horse and having private lessons 2-3 times a week.