All-Star D2 Summit Headed To Disney

[catlady]

@catlady It's a cool, innovative concept and a great possibility for execution if Varsity feels it's profitable.

We are all missing a major concept in the business incentives: competition. No company can compete on the scale that Varsity operates and Varsity continues to put barriers in place for companies to try. They effectively have a monopoly on providing this industry to parents who will pay to keep Suzy happy in an activity she loves.

I guess I think of EP's more in terms of sport leagues, which makes me think of something like the AFL /NFL merger versus a monopoly. The way I see it is, prior to the NFL merge the leagues were in direct competition with each other and getting into bidding wars. While AS doesn't have bid wars on athletes, they do have to compete for prime venues, schedules, and locations in a very narrow window. If AS had two major EP's, they would be in direct competition for prime schedule dates and venues. One is going to lose the battle while both are paying big dollars in attempt to win the war. Ultimately, popular opinion says coming under one umbrella made the NFL more healthy as a league and for football as a sport. Unpopular opinion.... mine.....tends to see Varsity and these EP mergers doing the same thing for AS.
I live for these types of conversations SharkDad and @MomMomMamaMom, thank you.

 

[MissCongeniality]

I guess I think of EP's more in terms of sport leagues, which makes me think of something like the AFL /NFL merger versus a monopoly. The way I see it is, prior to the NFL merge the leagues were in direct competition with each other and getting into bidding wars. While AS doesn't have bid wars on athletes, they do have to compete for prime venues, schedules, and locations in a very narrow window. If AS had two major EP's, they would be in direct competition for prime schedule dates and venues. One is going to lose the battle while both are paying big dollars in attempt to win the war. Ultimately, popular opinion says coming under one umbrella made the NFL more healthy as a league and for football as a sport. Unpopular opinion.... mine.....tends to see Varsity and these EP mergers doing the same thing for AS.
I live for these types of conversations SharkDad and @MomMomMamaMom, thank you.

Here's to hoping our athletes get paid like those in the nfl.

 

[SharkDad]

I guess I think of EP's more in terms of sport leagues, which makes me think of something like the AFL /NFL merger versus a monopoly. The way I see it is, prior to the NFL merge the leagues were in direct competition with each other and getting into bidding wars. While AS doesn't have bid wars on athletes, they do have to compete for prime venues, schedules, and locations in a very narrow window. If AS had two major EP's, they would be in direct competition for prime schedule dates and venues. One is going to lose the battle while both are paying big dollars in attempt to win the war. Ultimately, popular opinion says coming under one umbrella made the NFL more healthy as a league and for football as a sport. Unpopular opinion.... mine.....tends to see Varsity and these EP mergers doing the same thing for AS.
I live for these types of conversations SharkDad and @MomMomMamaMom, thank you.

Varsity has never seen the level of competition of AFL/NFL. Everytime someone remotely sounds competitive they buy them or freeze them out.

Sadly, this isn't a sport, it's an industry that runs a youth activity. Very different motivations otherwise the safety in the sport would be much better than it is.

 

[SharkDad]

If you look at the bigger picture at all forms of Cheerleading this is what you have:

Cheer camps (both UCA and NCA and both required to get a bid to nationals) - HS - Varsity
Cheer camps (both UCA and NCA and both required to get a bid to nationals) - college - Varsity
"All American" awards at said cheer camps that require travel to Hawaii or London (more kickbacks)- Varsity
STUNT - Varsity run (copied from NCATA the week after they announced there format) at HS and college level
USA Cheer - created by Varsity and self-proclaimed "Authority on all things cheer" (entire board is current or previous Varsity executives which by the way was never appointed by anyone)
AACCA - sub entity of Varsity with half-booty safety rules
NACCC - Coaches group started independently and sucked up by Varsity and now not so independent
Uniforms - Varsity
NCA - Varsity
UCA - Varsity
CHEERSPORT - Varsity
Jamfest - Varsity
Summit - Varsity
D2 Summit - Varsity
Worlds - USASF (with elements of Varsity participating)

Varsity Family plan to entice gyms to use their uniforms and competitions and by default not give many other competitions or other uniform a chance to get their business

Varsity sponsoring programs to get them uniforms, shoes, etc.

Don't get me wrong, there is competition out there but at the level Microsoft had before getting their antitrust lawsuit.

 

[catlady]

Here's to hoping our athletes get paid like those in the nfl.

HAHAHAHA *snort* time to go all Suzie Mom on my level 2.

@SharkDad I don't disagree that the AFL/NFL and Varsity are on vastly different levels. I only likened the motivation for mergers (on both sides) to be that of a league mentality, and it being much cheaper to merge than compete for the same venues and schedules.

As far as the bigger picture example you gave, Varsity has been around since the 70's. We have a 40+ year old successful corporation that has led the cheerleading industry. I see individuals wanting to start a business (or have a voice) but, upset they can't play on the same level and don't have the same power as a corp that took the risk and years to develop.....and, the sky is blue. It's not that I don't have sympathy for the small guy, I do, and I cheer them on. But, if they don't realize they're competing with a much higher production cost with lower quantity orders and still have to spend money to acquire new customers, neither of which have anything to do with Varsity, then they don't need to be in business. People tend to look beyond the subsidiaries and focus on the mothership. If we are going to look at apparel then, I'm going to applaud Rebel and GK for taking an edgier approach to uniforms, that is what got them noticed and their foot in the door. But, the whole David taking on Goliath? No. More like a 4 year old taking on a 45 year old Grandpa. They're either going to get away with it or get a whoopin' in the shed.