All-Star ..

[yooolizzi]

I don't know if @amy1k will out the bid one; let me try and find the two options for the OP's gyms. I think one was Extreme All-Starz and not WC.

Here is the two it could be based on the details she gave:
AT LARGE-
Cheer Tyme
Extreme Allstarz

I know we have other Love parents on the board so if it really was outlandish like the OP suggested, I would have thought we would have seen more input from them. She also mentioned that this is not the first time the gym had gone to worlds. I don't know much about Extreme but I know Love has been to world's in the past (obvi).

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I feel badly - the OP had a valid concern and I didn't think he or she posted anything out of line.

Maybe the OP felt a bit nervous after the FBI got involved, from what I gathered she was concerned about her gym charging too much, she got some good advice from more than a few posters, I hope her gym isn't giving her a hard time about her post


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I agree - her concerns were totally valid.

I realize I am the one who sort of "outed" her. However, in my defense, I didn't say anything that wasn't already in the thread.

This is exactly the nonsense that makes me not want to put my daughter back in cheer. She had a valid concern/question, but can't leave her post because her gym will find out?

Dear cheer gyms: parents are your CUSTOMERS, not your employees. I sometimes wonder if people that run cheer gyms have ever been on Twitter... People complain about businesses they patronize on social media every day. Stop telling your customers what they can and can't say and do. I complain about Ulta every chance I get - but believe it or not, I've never worried once about getting in trouble with Ulta.

Don't want your customers to post things that make you look bad? Stop doing things that make you look bad.


Side note though... The topic may have been a valid concern, but the posts were a little dramatic with all the !!!!!!! exclamation points and some of the wording. Maybe tone it down if it's a business you plan to continue using...?

 

[crazzyeyesassypants]

I agree - her concerns were totally valid.

I realize I am the one who sort of "outed" her. However, in my defense, I didn't say anything that wasn't already in the thread.

This is exactly the nonsense that makes me not want to put my daughter back in cheer. She had a valid concern/question, but can't leave her post because her gym will find out?

Dear cheer gyms: parents are your CUSTOMERS, not your employees. I sometimes wonder if people that run cheer gyms have ever been on Twitter... People complain about businesses they patronize on social media every day. Stop telling your customers what they can and can't say and do. I complain about Ulta every chance I get - but believe it or not, I've never worried once about getting in trouble with Ulta.

Don't want your customers to post things that make you look bad? Stop doing things that make you look bad.


Side note though... The topic may have been a valid concern, but the posts were a little dramatic with all the !!!!!!! exclamation points and some of the wording. Maybe tone it down if it's a business you plan to continue using...?

YES!!! [emoji23] LOVE IT!!! Just had to, sorry!!!!!
In all seriousness, I do think it's sad that us customers don't feel that we can express our concerns freely.


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[Carriejoe]

I agree - her concerns were totally valid.

I realize I am the one who sort of "outed" her. However, in my defense, I didn't say anything that wasn't already in the thread.

This is exactly the nonsense that makes me not want to put my daughter back in cheer. She had a valid concern/question, but can't leave her post because her gym will find out?

Dear cheer gyms: parents are your CUSTOMERS, not your employees. I sometimes wonder if people that run cheer gyms have ever been on Twitter... People complain about businesses they patronize on social media every day. Stop telling your customers what they can and can't say and do. I complain about Ulta every chance I get - but believe it or not, I've never worried once about getting in trouble with Ulta.

Don't want your customers to post things that make you look bad? Stop doing things that make you look bad.


Side note though... The topic may have been a valid concern, but the posts were a little dramatic with all the !!!!!!! exclamation points and some of the wording. Maybe tone it down if it's a business you plan to continue using...?

AGREE.

 

[amy1k]

I think her questions were fair, but her approach was way off. And I agree that we should be able to speak openly about gym policies and fees. Information is power and cheer parents are very short on power. I'm not going to name the gym I spoke of, because I've been called out here previously for allegedly blasting them (people are confused about the amount of cheer competitiveness I have...because it's not a lot), but I live in a state where there are fewer than five worlds teams, I bet. Lol!

ALSO, I don't understand the venom she had about paying coach fees. Of course parents would fund those. Who better to pay than the children benefiting from the coach's time? Once I saw the amount coaches were given for per diem and I felt it was not a fair amount. It's been a couple of years, I hope we are paying them better.

 

[Deleted member 15795]

I agree - her concerns were totally valid.

I realize I am the one who sort of "outed" her. However, in my defense, I didn't say anything that wasn't already in the thread.

This is exactly the nonsense that makes me not want to put my daughter back in cheer. She had a valid concern/question, but can't leave her post because her gym will find out?

Dear cheer gyms: parents are your CUSTOMERS, not your employees. I sometimes wonder if people that run cheer gyms have ever been on Twitter... People complain about businesses they patronize on social media every day. Stop telling your customers what they can and can't say and do. I complain about Ulta every chance I get - but believe it or not, I've never worried once about getting in trouble with Ulta.

Don't want your customers to post things that make you look bad? Stop doing things that make you look bad.


Side note though... The topic may have been a valid concern, but the posts were a little dramatic with all the !!!!!!! exclamation points and some of the wording. Maybe tone it down if it's a business you plan to continue using...?

Seriously! I was actually learning something new from this entire thread. I usually have my collective cheer head buried in the sand… When i read something new and informative I'm so excited. Then it's gone and I think "what part do I take as genuine" and what part is "cheer heresy"

Plus I want to Twitter blast Abercrombie and Fitch for being such a crappy company after my visit there today. Not shocked but the older I get the more irritated I become with snippy/snarky/snotty companies who could use my money but instead ignore me and my credit card (omg it's like I'm Julia Roberts!) Big money. BIG! Back to online shopping I go...

 

[cupieqt]

Weellllll....all star cheer is a private club business. So it's not exactly like walking in to Ulta and buying some cellulite cream that the salesgirl promised would make you look like Jessica Rabbit.
It's part of our parent and athlete code of conduct that you don't post complaints on social media. So it's more like being a member of a country club where you pay dues and agree to follow club rules than it is a chain store with a "no shoes, no shirt, no service" sign.

I'm all for customers asking questions to determine if they're being treated fairly but you can do that without complaining publicly. And I also believe it is the customers responsibility to know what they're getting into. Questioning something you already agreed to isn't fair to the other party. It was spelled out for you and you signed on the dotted line...would you buy a car or take out a loan without understanding the costs and what you'd be responsible for and when? Probably not.


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[amy1k]

I agree with that, too! Lol!

We, as parents, are mutually vested in a gym for at least a season. If you start flipping out and threatening and complaining and accusing the gym of theft, you're risking MY investment. Read your contract. Ask questions of things you don't understand. There's no reason to run to the Internet to toss out accusations. Speaking from recent experience, it sucks when parents do that.

 

[cheermomof4]

I agree with that, too! Lol!

We, as parents, are mutually vested in a gym for at least a season. If you start flipping out and threatening and complaining and accusing the gym of theft, you're risking MY investment. Read your contract. Ask questions of things you don't understand. There's no reason to run to the Internet to toss out accusations. Speaking from recent experience, it sucks when parents do that.

I didn't know y'all had to sign a contract . Thankfully at cp's gym we don't have to

 

[dawgshow]

Weellllll....all star cheer is a private club business. So it's not exactly like walking in to Ulta and buying some cellulite cream that the salesgirl promised would make you look like Jessica Rabbit.
It's part of our parent and athlete code of conduct that you don't post complaints on social media. So it's more like being a member of a country club where you pay dues and agree to follow club rules than it is a chain store with a "no shoes, no shirt, no service" sign.

I'm all for customers asking questions to determine if they're being treated fairly but you can do that without complaining publicly. And I also believe it is the customers responsibility to know what they're getting into. Questioning something you already agreed to isn't fair to the other party. It was spelled out for you and you signed on the dotted line...would you buy a car or take out a loan without understanding the costs and what you'd be responsible for and when? Probably not.


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Not necessarily, though. It could be that a year ago when you signed the document you didn't know better and thought it was fair. As you learned more through the season, something could be sounding fishy. There is nothing wrong with questioning a policy that's sounding off, especially since contract renewal time is just around the corner.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Weellllll....all star cheer is a private club business. So it's not exactly like walking in to Ulta and buying some cellulite cream that the salesgirl promised would make you look like Jessica Rabbit.
It's part of our parent and athlete code of conduct that you don't post complaints on social media. So it's more like being a member of a country club where you pay dues and agree to follow club rules than it is a chain store with a "no shoes, no shirt, no service" sign.

I'm all for customers asking questions to determine if they're being treated fairly but you can do that without complaining publicly. And I also believe it is the customers responsibility to know what they're getting into. Questioning something you already agreed to isn't fair to the other party. It was spelled out for you and you signed on the dotted line...would you buy a car or take out a loan without understanding the costs and what you'd be responsible for and when? Probably not.

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(Loooooooong answer. Sorry. But you have to remember, you run one of probably less than TEN gyms in the entire country that is run like you like your customers.)

Well first, I spend about as much at Ulta as people spend on cheer, so I ought to be in their private club... [emoji15] [emoji15] [emoji15]

Now, someone at a country club may not complain on social media, but that's because they're not using social media. I assure you - if they thought they were being ripped off, their complaints would be loud and everywhere, not just at the club (#UsedToWorkAtAPrivateClub #TrustMeTheyComplained).

I just don't get the whole culture of cheer. It is literally the only industry where people are terrified to voice their opinion. Should she have asked the gym first? Probably. But that's the whole problem with cheer in general - why should the CUSTOMER feel like they can't ask the gym a legitimate question? ("Why is this so much? What is this money for? Why do I need to pay for the coaches fees?" <----- reasonable questions.) *Disclaimer - I definitely think parents should pay coaches fees, but it's still a reasonable question to ask. I've been in enough gyms to know that the answer to these types of questions is often, "Because that's how much it is. If you don't like it, you don't have to be on the team, because there are 20 other girls here that are dying to go to worlds."

However, to your last paragraph: it doesn't sound like this was something she agreed to. It sounds like she agreed to pay for Worlds, and then just got hit with the amount this week.

It's more like she bought a car and was told she'd be responsible for the annual tune-up, but when she got to the dealership the tune-up was $5,000. It's one thing to "know what you'll be responsible for and when" - it's entirely another thing to find out the amount. And LOTS of gyms will absolutely not give you that information when you sign up.

I know I'm responsible for paying for idp's nationals. I've paid for the travel part of it already, but nationals aren't until June. I WORK at the studio, and I still don't have the foggiest idea of how much that's going to be. If they hit me with some number like $1000, there's gonna be some words. Not words on social media, because I actually am an employee, but there will be words.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

For what it's worth, there have been parent questions that rubbed me the wrong way. This wasn't one of them.

She did suggest "going in with guns blazing" and I don't think that's the way to handle a request for more info, but the request itself is not out of line.

I do think we have a responsibility to keep costs down for families as well (as much as you can with something like Disney that is already expensive.)

 

[Just-a-Mom]

She did suggest "going in with guns blazing" and I don't think that's the way to handle a request for more info, but the request itself is not out of line

Totally agree, her approach probably needed toning down if it's a business she plans to patronize further - which if her cp is on a large senior team, I think she probably is planning on.

 

[CheerBank]

I think she got the answers she was looking for, and did not wish the chance of being further outed. The cheer world is very small as proven time and time again by the FBI.

 

[cupieqt]

Not necessarily, though. It could be that a year ago when you signed the document you didn't know better and thought it was fair. As you learned more through the season, something could be sounding fishy. There is nothing wrong with questioning a policy that's sounding off, especially since contract renewal time is just around the corner.

Nothing wrong with questioning at all! The huffing and puffing about it on a cheer message board is the problem.
I do think it's excessive. My knee jerk reaction is to just be fair and ask the gym these questions straight up. If they don't give good answers then try to find out in a way that's not smearing the gyms name while you do. No need to be all "guns blazing" about it. It's just me going back to my open and direct communication policy. I think people should always go directly to the person who can help them with their problem.

And there is definitely nothing wrong with coming here and asking "hey is this a lot to pay for Worlds?" And leave it at that. Lots of great info and answers in here. I learned a lot myself!

Questions are never a problem

Being disrespectful (even in disagreement) is more of the problem I was pointing out.

ETA: Meant to tag @Just-a-Mom too bc her quote would've been too damn long to include also. Love you Jam [emoji8]


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