All-Star An Article About Varsity Brands...

[SL&AM]

Even though the Varsity hq is in the US, there are companies over here that - even though they have a different name - operate as subsidiaries (hope that's the right name) of Varsity.

ETA: And I honestly wouldn't be surprised if my gym owner gets a phone call (or I get an E-Mail) from them in the next couple of days over what I write here...

Makes sense.

 

[weheartcheer]

If everyone is stating that you need a sprung floor to do cheerleading then most UK teams are screwed as most I know train dead floor but just use gymnastic mats. So glad the varsity stranglehold hasn't made its way to the UK though but I fear for UK cheerleading as Varsity Europe has made an emergence and are sponsoring team uniforms for high profile UK teams. Either way I'm proud to say I am no where near varsity and will continue to boycott their products as a mark of rebellion to the beast.

Springs floors are the best, but a 4'' mat on a foam floor is okay too.

The Potential for Brain Injury on Selected Surfaces Used by Cheerleaders

 

[TealArmySparkle]

Makes sense.

Honestly Varsity is turning into a bigger cash cow than Minions and those things are freaking everywhere, so it wouldn't surprise me that they have done this.

 

[TealArmySparkle]

Springs floors are the best, but a 4'' mat on a foam floor is okay too.

The Potential for Brain Injury on Selected Surfaces Used by Cheerleaders

Thanks for clarifying! My old team would have been in trouble as they used wafer thin mats found in primary schools!

 

[p.o.k.]

So surprising that gyms from all over be country had to hurry up and tweet thier we choose varsity support. It's almost like they were afraid if they didn't it would be held against them...I'm sure Varsity wouldn't do anything crazy like that

Sort of reinforces some of the points in the article, now doesn't it. One year earlier than this I would have held my tongue - but now that my kid has retired all star it is a whole new ball game.

 

[Official OWECheer]

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.

Wow. I've never heard that before, and it's shocking. And true.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

ow. I've never heard that before, and it's shocking. And true.

There are mega gyms that have 5+ locations.

The way costs keep increasing, families will be priced out.

How are they going to sustain these facilities? It's going to become impossible. You heard it here first.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I know one of the gym owners for at least one of those gyms is a Varsity uniform rep. Probably not all of them, but if you're getting a paycheck from Varsity, it's not shocking.

I see this in scholastic cheer as well, lots of coaches are also Varsity reps.

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And I'm not trying to ignite a fire (if I do then hey, whatevs), but I see a SHTF moment coming for cheer within the next 5 years.

The saddest thing is that the consumers (families and especially gyms) have the power to stop it, but choose not to.

I wonder what would happen if everyone boycotted NCA, UCA, Cheersport and Worlds for just ONE season in protest of rising competition costs. Or, if for just ONE season, everbody competed in a $50 set of practice wear, in protest of rising uniform prices.

You can't tell me that the full top rule was created to improve the image of cheerleading in the public eye. If that's the case, then tell me, what outsider is okay with seeing an 8-year-old wearing a "full top" (read: crop top with a mesh stomach)?

Something's got to give. I wonder when enough will be enough for some people.

If my mouth gets me in trouble, then so be it. I have trouble keeping quiet when something pisses me off.

People need to stop being cowards.

There are mega gyms that have 5+ locations.

The way costs keep increasing, families will be priced out.

How are they going to sustain these facilities? It's going to become impossible. You heard it here first.

Maybe this will be the SHTF moment.

I'm waiting for the first big gym owner to step up and do something.

 

[Lisa Seye]

This already happens. The HS cheer coach in our district has made it clear that her cheerleaders are hers, they are not allowed to participate in AllStar too.

It's a rule in West Virginia. You cannot do both.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

It's a rule in West Virginia. You cannot do both.

I believe it is a rule in a few other states as well. Ex: AZ and IL.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Most schools & gyms in Texas still let you do both. My CP would be sad if she had to choose.

 

[Lisa Seye]

Most schools & gyms in Texas still let you do both. My CP would be sad if she had to choose.

Mine is sad. She wants to be a part of her school team and represent her school but all star is where she can compete and is her first love. She did school cheer last year and we had to provide "proof" that she wasn't doing any all star teams.

She was not allowed to go anywhere and stunt either. The only thing she could do outside school cheer practices was tumbling. As soon as the last basketball game was played, she was headed to a stunt clinic. She lost a lot of skills by not being able to stunt for 7 months.

We couldn't afford all star last season so she did school cheer but as I said earlier she had to get a letter from her all star gym that she was no longer on a team.

and in my town the school cheer teams are not that competitive but it's fun being able to represent your school. So when school starts back she is gonna be sad but she had to choose and all star is more challenging for her.

 

[tumbleyoda]

I see this in scholastic cheer as well, lots of coaches are also Varsity reps.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And I'm not trying to ignite a fire (if I do then hey, whatevs), but I see a SHTF moment coming for cheer within the next 5 years.

The saddest thing is that the consumers (families and especially gyms) have the power to stop it, but choose not to.

I wonder what would happen if everyone boycotted NCA, UCA, Cheersport and Worlds for just ONE season in protest of rising competition costs. Or, if for just ONE season, everbody competed in a $50 set of practice wear, in protest of rising uniform prices.

You can't tell me that the full top rule was created to improve the image of cheerleading in the public eye. If that's the case, then tell me, what outsider is okay with seeing an 8-year-old wearing a "full top" (read: crop top with a mesh stomach)?

Something's got to give. I wonder when enough will be enough for some people.

If my mouth gets me in trouble, then so be it. I have trouble keeping quiet when something pisses me off.

People need to stop being cowards.



Maybe this will be the SHTF moment.

I'm waiting for the first big gym owner to step up and do something.

It has felt for years that the majority of medium and smaller gyms were simply waiting for the large gyms to say walk away and they would gladly follow. That hasn't happened.

In talking with some coaches today the consensus was with many of the small gyms is that they are tired of hearing talk of a revolution year after year and nothing happens. So many of them are throwing in the towel, not because they agree or support Varsity but because they see no other option and they are tired of the talk but no action.

Another point was made that if as a small gym owner you are reluctant to turn away from a 4000.00 rebate check what makes you think the mega gyms that are getting really really big rebate checks are willing to walk away from that just to prove a point

If we had done something years ago, we would not be at this point. We didn't listen. We were so worried about drinking the teal kool aid that no one paid close attention to what was flowing in gallons out of Memphis. People sounded the alarm and it was summarily ignored. We been had. We were hoodwinked. Bamboozled. Led astray. Run amok.

Varsity is a monopoly. Anyone and anything that rises against them, they crush it or buy it. With athlete registrations they can now market their services directly to the athlete and parent and as a coach you have no control over it. They can place a gym (or be the silent partner in a gym) in your town and pull an instant mailing list from every gym in your area with a few clicks of a mouse. Put in a couple of high profile celebrities that they also help build up and a couple of name coaches and what do you think is their intention for your gym? All because you gave them the info. They didn't steal it. I am glad I just teach tumbling and am branching out away from USASF so I can speak clearly on some of these issues without having their sword over my head.

You gave them the power that they have. And now you are too scared to do anything about it.

 

[King]

How long before the NY Times picks up on this? TBH the article hasn't been taken down and none of it is being called slander. It is blanket statements about it being misleading or false, which any journalist will tell you it probably has a lot of truth to it. So what happens if this becomes the next major news story?

 

[NJ Coach]

Varsity is a monopoly. Anyone and anything that rises against them, they crush it or buy it. With athlete registrations they can now market their services directly to the athlete and parent and as a coach you have no control over it. They can place a gym (or be the silent partner in a gym) in your town and pull an instant mailing list from every gym in your area with a few clicks of a mouse. Put in a couple of high profile celebrities that they also help build up and a couple of name coaches and what do you think is their intention for your gym? All because you gave them the info. They didn't steal it. I am glad I just teach tumbling and am branching out away from USASF so I can speak clearly on some of these issues without having their sword over my head.

While I agree with your entire post and we all know those things and more have happened, I separated this part out in particular because not all that long ago (think tryout season) a scenario pretty close to this description is rumored to have taken place. Wasn't a new gym that moved in, but an existing gym given a mailing list and contacts.