All-Star Cheer Athletics (questions/rumors)

[a_cheer_leaderxo]

What was the error with Charlotte? Was the growth there more than you expected when you initially found a space to call "home"?

I thought he was saying the errors were made in Austin and Frisco and they avoided that error in Charlotte by picking a space that had a lot of room to grow into?

 

[BlueCat]

Thanks for the extensive response!

What was the error with Charlotte? Was the growth there more than you expected when you initially found a space to call "home"?

When scouting for new locations for your already established gyms (like Frisco and Austin) do you use realtors or do you put on your Scoutkatz hat and do it yourself (maybe not you, yourself, but do you do it internally?)

At some point you might have to start looking at abandoned airplane hangers. Your own private airstrip would be a plus for potential fly-ins

Sorry, the "error" I was talking about was that we have almost immediately out-grown the spaces we move t0. (A good problem to have, but still a problem.) With Charlotte, we found a space BIGGER than we thought we would need initially to give ourselves room to grow. Charlotte could handle around 500 or so team athletes. The growth there is right on track with our projections, but it is a bigger gym that we technically "need" at the moment, even with close to 300 team athletes.

We have an expansion coordinator (Chad) who does most of the leg work in finding new locations. Typical process is that he narrows it down to a few spots and we all decide together (owners, Chad, new gym director) which one will work best. That is a difficult job - much harder than it sounds - but Chad is great.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

I thought he was saying the errors were made in Austin and Frisco and they avoided that error in Charlotte by picking a space that had a lot of room to grow into?

Oops you're right. Totally read that wrong!

 

[chyeeaaa69]

Sorry, the "error" I was talking about was that we have almost immediately out-grown the spaces we move t0. (A good problem to have, but still a problem.) With Charlotte, we found a space BIGGER than we thought we would need initially to give ourselves room to grow. Charlotte could handle around 500 or so team athletes. The growth there is right on track with our projections, but it is a bigger gym that we technically "need" at the moment, even with close to 300 team athletes.

We have an expansion coordinator (Chad) who does most of the leg work in finding new locations. Typical process is that he narrows it down to a few spots and we all decide together (owners, Chad, new gym director) which one will work best. That is a difficult job - much harder than it sounds - but Chad is great.

Just wondering, why not build your own facility?

 

[BlueCat]

Just wondering, why not build your own facility?

(from earlier post)
You always have the option of building it yourself, but that basically requires a very long-term time commitment to that exact size/floor plan/part of town/etc. That route also ties up a huge amount of capital. Leasing allows you to be more agile.

 

[BlueCat]

@BlueCat, have you ever taught a business course? I know that you probably don't have any time for something like that, but your honesty and teaching style make me think that you would be great at it.

I have no time & very little formal business training. (I have read and researched a ton, but haven't sat through many business classes.) Also, I don't particularly enjoy public speaking.

 

[Cheermom1969]

I have a question... at what point in the season do you not allow an athlete to join the team? If a child moved to your area, would be my example, and wanted to tryout?
@BlueCat

 

[astaley22]

We aren't always excited about team videos getting out - particularly early in the season. However, it is basically impossible to stop. We try to stop people from videoing practices, but performances/competitions are basically free to video.

Since you know videos will get out, is that why you don't perform the whole routine at Blue Debut?

 

[BlueCat]

I have a question... at what point in the season do you not allow an athlete to join the team? If a child moved to your area, would be my example, and wanted to tryout?
@BlueCat

They can try out whenever they want. Actually getting put on a team, however, depends on availability of spots. You may be a Level 4 flyer, but we may only have spots on level 3.

 

[BlueCat]

Since you know videos will get out, is that why you don't perform the whole routine at Blue Debut?

That is part of it, but some teams simply aren't ready to safely do their whole routine full out.

 

[getsum]

have you found your california location, for the '16-'17 season, yet?

 

[Cheermom1969]

have you found your california location, for the '16-'17 season, yet?

Well didn't you just drop a bomb...

 

[Cheermom1969]

They can try out whenever they want. Actually getting put on a team, however, depends on availability of spots. You may be a Level 4 flyer, but we may only have spots on level 3.

Thanks. One of these days we may end up in the greater Dallas area and your gym will be the first place my little darling will want to visit.

 

[BlueCat]

have you found your california location, for the '16-'17 season, yet?

The city/state for our next location has not been determined. We have a short list, but I am obviously not going to share that for multiple reasons. I can't start denying some guesses people make because when I DON'T deny one, that will be a big clue. We likely won't announce new facilities until after we have a building secured and we are a LONG way away from that at this point.

On a related point, I will say that we get approached rather often by people/programs wanting us to either:

1. Give them a large sum of money for their existing business (beyond the value of their equipment/fixtures)
2. Have them open a "Cheer Athletics" location, but they own it

Both of those scenarios are extremely unlikely for us in the near future.

 

[astaley22]

have you found your california location, for the '16-'17 season, yet?

I feel like a better way to ask this would have been "are you planning on opening a California location for the '16-'17 season?" but maybe that's just me.