Advice Needed! (cheer Contracts)

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May 28, 2015
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So I have made the decision to switch gyms. Reason being is that our gym does not offer a strong tumbling program and a new gym does. My mother and I informed my coach about my decision and would have to pay six months of tuition if I quit. Should I finish the season out at my current gym with my goals unfulfilled or should I go to the new gym and suffer financially? PLEASE HELP!
 
They can't force you to pay. The fact that they would expect you to pay half the season when it has just started makes no sense to me. That is not a place that I would want to cheer at. Change your credit card that is on file and move on. The only athletes that can not switch gyms are athletes that have already competed for the season and plan on competing for a worlds team. In that situation you would need a release. Good luck!
 
6 months of tuition for no services rendered? That is wrong. There really is no way for them to enforce that, most cheer contracts are not really enforceable, so you could just walk away. It is possible they would try to take you to small claims court but that would cost them time and money.




**nothing cordial to say right now**
 
6 months of tuition for no services rendered? That is wrong. There really is no way for them to enforce that, most cheer contracts are not really enforceable, so you could just walk away. It is possible they would try to take you to small claims court but that would cost them time and money.




**nothing cordial to say right now**

Even if they did, I would be shocked if they won. Was the contract notarized? Did you and both of your parents sign it? Do you feel safe tumbling and cheering in this environment?
 
You could always argue that the services outlined in the contract were not provided in the manner that the contract stated.

(Provided that this is the case and you have data/evidence to support it, not just making it up to get out of a contract.)
 
In an earlier post you mentioned this is a small gym. I am surprised parents are willing to sign a contract thats states if you don't finish the season, you will still pay half of the season.
 
In an earlier post you mentioned this is a small gym. I am surprised parents are willing to sign a contract thats states if you don't finish the season, you will still pay half of the season.


We have a 30 day notice policy. So, if you let them know today you would still be obligated for July. I think 6 months is excessive. It depends on how your gym is set up for tuition payments. Are you on a draft or does your parents write a check to the gym every month?
 
It is very common for competitive cheer, dance and gymnastics contracts to have language like that in them in my area - having to pay for the entire season if you leave (and some even tack on an additional penalty fee of $200-500!). I know of one gym around me that HAS went after parents who's kids try to leave for the full amount - whether or not they won and actually were able to collect, I don't know (these are friends of friends I heard about second hand).

CPs gym had many girls leave mid season, and I'm almost positive they did not collect the full amount and the fee from them over it even though our contracts said they could - a few of them are even back this season, and I'm sure had the gym forced them to pay for months of class and comp fees the kid didn't come to they never would have come back. However, all these kids just didn't do all star cheer at all after they left - I'm sure attitudes would change a lot if someone left and went to another gym, so it could go either way if your gym would try and enforce it.
 
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So I have made the decision to switch gyms. Reason being is that our gym does not offer a strong tumbling program and a new gym does. My mother and I informed my coach about my decision and would have to pay six months of tuition if I quit. Should I finish the season out at my current gym with my goals unfulfilled or should I go to the new gym and suffer financially? PLEASE HELP!
How can they force you to pay? Did your parents sign a contract? Sounds like a good idea to look for a more reputable gym.
 
In my area (NW Florida) contracts like that mentioned are common. You know about it up front, during registration and cannot register unless you give a credit or debit card on file. You have the option to pay cash or check but you still need a card on file. You also get a schedule when payments are due. There is a clause about owing the balance of the year but I don't know if they actually hold to it. I think it depends on how far into the season you choose to leave.

I can almost understand it. A gym has to register and pay for uniforms, comp fees, practice wear, warm up suits in advance. Many times a parent will not pay on time and it holds up everyone's order or the comp fees are late adding more money. Therefore, the need to have access to funds.

Another case of a few bad apples........
 
In my area (NW Florida) contracts like that mentioned are common. You know about it up front, during registration and cannot register unless you give a credit or debit card on file. You have the option to pay cash or check but you still need a card on file. You also get a schedule when payments are due. There is a clause about owing the balance of the year but I don't know if they actually hold to it. I think it depends on how far into the season you choose to leave.

I can almost understand it. A gym has to register and pay for uniforms, comp fees, practice wear, warm up suits in advance. Many times a parent will not pay on time and it holds up everyone's order or the comp fees are late adding more money. Therefore, the need to have access to funds.

Another case of a few bad apples........
Competitions and uniforms are not paid for this early in the season. I doubt warm up suits are either unless a collected separate as a lot of times those can be optional or not needed if you still have one that fits.


**Did someone say MORE puppy dog pictures?**
 
In my area (NW Florida) contracts like that mentioned are common. You know about it up front, during registration and cannot register unless you give a credit or debit card on file. You have the option to pay cash or check but you still need a card on file. You also get a schedule when payments are due. There is a clause about owing the balance of the year but I don't know if they actually hold to it. I think it depends on how far into the season you choose to leave.

I can almost understand it. A gym has to register and pay for uniforms, comp fees, practice wear, warm up suits in advance. Many times a parent will not pay on time and it holds up everyone's order or the comp fees are late adding more money. Therefore, the need to have access to funds.

Another case of a few bad apples........

None of those reasons would be valid this early in the season. I would allow my CP to leave and the gym could take me to small claims court.
 
In my knowledge of contracts, a business cannot force you to pay upfront 6 or more months for services not rendered...I can see paying for services 30 days after given notice, particularly this early in the season...But in most cases, a gym have not given out competition schedules and have not suffer a financial loss, if you walk away at this point...If a gym dare threaten to take you to court, please plea with them to do it!
The gym will be the Plaintiff in this case and they have the burden to prove they have suffer any loss and a judge may throw the case out and yell at the gym for wasting the court's time...
 
I agree. Not sure they could actually hold you to it, especially this early in the year (new season just started for petes sake!). They may charge a early with drawl fee. My girls gym did this last year, but I think you need to decide,is it worth $500? Because in the end its YOUR happiness, cheer career, and sanit . We didn't leave early on and now my girl straight quit bc she tried to push through thinking shed be ok. She wasn't. Don't make yourself hate it love.
 
Competitions and uniforms are not paid for this early in the season. I doubt warm up suits are either unless a collected separate as a lot of times those can be optional or not needed if you still have one that fits.


**Did someone say MORE puppy dog pictures?**
Cheer Dad, I'm speaking only of the gym I'm involved with. We DO order uniforms this early in the season since it is a well known fact that it takes umpteen months to get them. Also, we compete as early as October and spread the comp fees for the first few months.
 
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