All-Star An Article About Varsity Brands...

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

If your mission is to grow the activity of cheerleading, stop pricing out the average families.

I keep telling people that in 10-15 years, the "building gyms" bubble is going to burst (like the housing bubble) because no one is going to be able to afford to participate anymore.

 

[quietmom]

How can you choose varsity if it is the only option?

 

[cheerjam3]

This article left a bad taste in my mouth about Varsity and amount of money they spent on lobbyist to fight cheer becoming a CIF sport here. Being in all star all these years I never thought s about it, now that my daughter cheers high school in california it means everything to these girls. When the athletic director and cheer coache announced it would take place fall 2017, the girls were literally crying.

In our school district it moves cheer from being a club to an actual sport (honestly what club do you know where you have to try out for. ..). It also makes Cheer the girls P.E, which means the girls will practice 5 days a week. Lastly the athletics will get to compete in sanctioned local , regional , and state competitions.

Varsity would so be able to make money if of camp gear, uniforms ,shoes, etc.... they let me know they don't care about the athletes , only money.

 

[catlady]

I shared this in the parent area so, I'll share over here. Back in the dark ages, many HS's had girls gymnastics teams, right up until it was deemed the most dangerous sport in HS. Right now, there are only 156 HS girls gymnastics teams left in the US, down from 2000+ in the late 1980's. We are only thinking about this from one side, which would be if cheer becomes a sport, it becomes more safe, and all is rainbows and unicorns. BUT, the more likely flipside, cheer doesn't generate income for HS's and by becoming a sport it will no longer fit into the budget of schools, nor parents, and it will become the sport for wealthy districts only. Using the gymnastics numbers, 92% less schools having cheerleading equates to a huge loss in uniforms, shoes, props and practice wear. This is, IMO, what Varsity fears.

High School Girls Gymnastics Teams - MaxPreps
Old but, related: Lawsuit raises liability issues | News | Spinal Cord Injury Zone

 

[randomactsofcheer]

Right on cue. Great job, Varsity! You tried deflecting this negativity to cheerleaders and coaches, used the words "in part," "truth," and "almost all" in a vague assertion of statistics, and called yourself a leader when, "in truth," you have no competition. You really won me back over!

 

[Michael White]

I constantly find myself having to explain to family and friends that All Star Cheerleading is worth it. They question the massive costs. Do the math. $100 comp fees, 700 teams. Even figuring 10 people per team, that's 700 grand. That's before tickets for family and merchandise/concessions. It's absolutely ridiculous.

 

[SL&AM]

I constantly find myself having to explain to family and friends that All Star Cheerleading is worth it. They question the massive costs. Do the math. $100 comp fees, 700 teams. Even figuring 10 people per team, that's 700 grand. That's before tickets for family and merchandise/concessions. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I agree with this thought; I find that I have to defend what we spend on cheer and it is only going to get worse as CP ages. To her, it's worth it and DH and I are able to make it work; but Varsity's response is more or less what I expected---a lot of deflection and nothing.

 

[MissCongeniality]

I agree with this thought; I find that I have to defend what we spend on cheer and it is only going to get worse as CP ages. To her, it's worth it and DH and I are able to make it work; but Varsity's response is more or less what I expected---a lot of deflection and nothing.

You'd think with all their money they would hire a decent publicist. I'm going to leave it at that. As a former reporter... I can't even begin to tell you how many "stories" I have written in my head during my CP's years in the sport. I learned to bite my tongue early on as I saw how exposing the truth could impact my child and I told myself "she loves this so you just need to shut down that part of your brain!" AKA "drink the Kool-Aid" (and we all know where that originated)

 

[SL&AM]

You'd think with all their money they would hire a decent publicist. I'm going to leave it at that. As a former reporter... I can't even begin to tell you how many "stories" I have written in my head during my CP's years in the sport. I learned to bite my tongue early on as I saw how exposing the truth could impact my child and I told myself "she loves this so you just need to shut down that part of your brain!" AKA "drink the Kool-Aid" (and we all know where that originated)

And that is exactly what gives Varsity the edge---no one wants to screw their kid over, but I agree. They need their own crisis management team/publicist for stuff like this. They make enough to employ one. The end.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I'll just say it again...

This hash tag on Twitter is just validating the article. Everyone is scrambling to make sure that varsity knows they're still drinking the kool-aid.

Sorry but it doesn't count as "choosing" if there's no other choice. That's like saying I choose ComEd to supply my electricity. I mean, I suppose technically I could create my own power source for my home... But I don't exactly have the resources to do that. So I choose to use the one and only company that provides that service. You're not choosing Varsity. You're choosing cheerleading, and ending up with Varsity by default.

My kids don't cheer. My kids won't cheer again. I signed one back up this season, spent ONE day trying to mess with Connections for NCA, and pulled her. She's back at dance.

Since I know Varsity people read this... Any interest in actually addressing anything in the article? Or anything that was commented on here?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[MissCongeniality]

And that is exactly what gives Varsity the edge---no one wants to screw their kid over, but I agree. They need their own crisis management team/publicist for stuff like this. They make enough to employ one. The end.

Not just Varsity...gyms too! Parents are cowered into silence, checkbooks ready..."protecting" our kids.

I'll just say it again...

This hash tag on Twitter is just validating the article. Everyone is scrambling to make sure that varsity knows they're still drinking the kool-aid.

Sorry but it doesn't count as "choosing" if there's no other choice. That's like saying I choose ComEd to supply my electricity. I mean, I suppose technically I could create my own power source for my home... But I don't exactly have the resources to do that. So I choose to use the one and only company that provides that service. You're not choosing Varsity. You're choosing cheerleading, and ending up with Varsity by default.

My kids don't cheer. My kids won't cheer again. I signed one back up this season, spent ONE day trying to mess with Connections for NCA, and pulled her. She's back at dance.

Since I know Varsity people read this... And interest in actually addressing anything in the article? Or anything that was commented on here?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

Spot on JAM!
Love ya Woodlands Elite. You did nothing wrong and there was nothing in the article that made it sound like you pointed any fingers at Varsity. Yet the letter from you, with a couple of minor edits, could have been a letter from a Susie's Mom to a gym owner...trying to distance herself from the other Susies' Moms...in an effort to "protect" Susie's spot.

There is little to no choice for many involved in this "sport"...at many levels!

 

[tumbleyoda]

Come on, anybody who has been around since the Pro X days can not be surprised by anything in that article!!! Does anybody not remember dinosaur? @tumbleyoda has been accurately unveiling the shenanegins for years! I've been watching Allstar cheer's transformation over the last 15 years as well as had a front row seat (as the person paying and having my children compete/perform) to every major competition there is, and none of what he wrote about is news to me. (Shrug)

Since I know they're reading here and I live to take every opportunity to give them good advice, I'll repeat what I've been saying for 6/7 years! Hi Varsity! Here's a little advice from a nobody cheer mom that doesn't know a thing. If your mission is to grow the activity of cheerleading, stop pricing out the average families. By making it more affordable to the masses, imagine how much revenue you could add to your already $1.8 BILLION you already control?!?! (Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Wizard of Oz)

$1.8 Billion y'all.........(shrug again)


WE, the article was amazing on y'all! Kudo's and Congratulations!

Thanks for the shout out @mstealtoyou. Dinosaur and a few others that were run from the boards as being conspiracy theorists, troublemakers, cheer ignorant, and my personal favorite if you haven't coached a winning Worlds team you have no need to speak on these types of things. Look at the things that were denied over again including by people who would of known they were lying/covering up/keeping mum when they were attacking people on previous board. Now these things are well known by most who have been in the industry.

Varsity/USASF is one in the same
Inadequate coaches safety registration
Bids regularly given to programs bringing more teams to a bid competition over a program only bringing one-two teams
Tracing the money circle: Varsity gives money to EP who gives money to bid winner, who gives money to USASF which is really Varsity.
Untrained and inexperienced judges being used in major competitions over the well trained judges - who all seemed to be more independent and not willing to alter/change scores
Major registration discounts given to major programs to attend EP events thereby making it very affordable as a program for them to travel and attend a marque event, where small gyms couldn't catch a break.
CheerSport owned by Varsity/USASF
Banning Crop Tops and shifting to one piece
Tumbling restrictions being placed and being blamed on small gyms that are never named but always blamed.
Being connected to Varsity/USASF typically gave more favorable competition results
Varsity owns/runs USA Cheer
The rise of mega gyms (some with Varsity backing) becoming like in gymnastics Regional Training Centers and pulling talent away from smaller gyms trying to survive.
Varsity/USASF Buying of independent EP's to give consumers less affordable and viable competitive options.
STUNT created to lock that market away from NCATA. There was no interest in this format until NCATA started getting traction
Athlete registration fees
The spies on the boards who never disclosed they worked with the EP's, vendors, regulating bodies, etc, so everything that was said was reported back to them - even without many of the previous board admins knowing who they were.
Cheer is a business First and Foremost. That will be protected at all costs.

So far the only thing we have been wrong on (and I still reserve judgement on this one) is USASF moving to a different location. It is still window dressing IMHO until the staffing is completely separate and are not run by Varsity.

The big question what is coming next?

 

[quietmom]

It would not shock me to see gyms now adding clauses in their social media policies barring parents and athletes from saying anything negative about anything related to Varsity.

 

[tumbleyoda]

It would not shock me to see gyms now adding clauses in their social media policies barring parents and athletes from saying anything negative about anything related to Varsity.

Don't be surprised. Anything to protect their brand and position, I would not put past being put in in place

 

[kristenthegreat]

It's a sad day where we know what we know and yet have a hard time doing anything about it. What about that action list for USASF/Varsity? (AND I EVEN AUTOMATICALLY PUT THEM TOGETHER STILL BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE TRUTH!)