All-Star Gym Loyalty- Does That Exist?

[WinstonsGirl]

I have come to see cheer as a business. I've switched gyms in the past and it was always a good decision for me. If I'm paying my money for cheer, I will go where it is the best fit for me. Doesn't mean I don't like the other gyms, but sometimes one is a better fit at the time than others. That said, I only switch at the end of a season when my commitment to the team is done, so I guess my loyalty is a season by season thing. I have no problem with people who switch at the end of a season, though I'm often sad to see some go.

 

[AnotherCheerMom]

At the end of the day my loyalty is to my child. If she is unhappy or wants something different that’s what we do. I’m not sticking around anywhere that I don’t feel is a good use of my money/time or where the cons outweigh the pros. It’s a business and I’m entitled to shop around withbout my character being questioned.

This times one million!

 

[5monkeysjumping]

I agree so much. I'm quite loyal to our gym, and we're very happy there, but if things don't work out and my daughter is unhappy, I have no problem looking elsewhere (either another cheer gym or another sport). CP was asked to tryout for competitive dance team this year, and she is intrigued. She can't do both, but she is going to go to tryout prep classes to see what it's all about. Who knows. She adores cheer, but she is concerned about where she will be placed this year, so I honestly do not know what she will choose to do.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

I feel like there is a level of loyalty that goes both ways. What I truly do not like is if a gym loses an athlete but it's b/c they honest;y don't have a level appropriate team for an age and the athlete is being held back. I know it happens, but you can't be upset if you lose a obvious junior aged Level 4 or 5 athlete and all you can field is a level 2 or 3 especially if said athlete was on that level/team more then 2 years. With that being said, All-Star cheer is a business, the customer must decide what is right for them. Things change, and sometimes change is good. Grass is Always Greener Gym Hoppers, well they are a category of their own and don't even seem to have loyalty to themselves... or just don't know what they want.

 

[icequeen]

We have this conversation every year and after it happens, coaches primarily from a particular gym shows their colors and then you realize why kids jump ship from there.

ETA: it’s quite embarrassing to see how coaches treat kids who move on over social media.

 

[MightyGirl'sMom]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I have my answer and realized I may have drank too much of the "we are family" cool aid.

We are at a D1 gym with an excellent reputation and seemingly happy athletes. My daughter is trying out for her first year of all star after completing a year of prep. By D1 standards, the program is a small and only fields 1 xs Worlds team though it is growing. I guess I was imagining that if my daughter ever got to level 5, the gym's program would have grown by then into a larger worlds teams. But with a world "famous" mega gym only 30 mins away, I am learning that often the xs athletes from our gym go there next. Since my daughter is only level 1, it's not something we have to think about but I was bummed that our gym becomes a farm team for another gym.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I have my answer and realized I may have drank too much of the "we are family" cool aid.

We are at a D1 gym with an excellent reputation and seemingly happy athletes. My daughter is trying out for her first year of all star after completing a year of prep. By D1 standards, the program is a small and only fields 1 xs Worlds team though it is growing. I guess I was imagining that if my daughter ever got to level 5, the gym's program would have grown by then into a larger worlds teams. But with a world "famous" mega gym only 30 mins away, I am learning that often the xs athletes from our gym go there next. Since my daughter is only level 1, it's not something we have to think about but I was bummed that our gym becomes a farm team for another gym.

It happens, and although gym owners and coaches hate it, I'm not terribly opposed to the "farm team" style or something similar. There are SO many regions across the US with multiple weak to average Worlds teams that, if combined, could be REALLY good. Why provide a watered-down experience when you could collaborate?

Obviously it's not feasible within the current USASF rules (with releases and such), but it could be interesting to see what would happen if XYZ Elite and ABC All Stars grew their own athletes in-house, and then combined higher level teams and shared coaching responsibilities.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I have my answer and realized I may have drank too much of the "we are family" cool aid.

We are at a D1 gym with an excellent reputation and seemingly happy athletes. My daughter is trying out for her first year of all star after completing a year of prep. By D1 standards, the program is a small and only fields 1 xs Worlds team though it is growing. I guess I was imagining that if my daughter ever got to level 5, the gym's program would have grown by then into a larger worlds teams. But with a world "famous" mega gym only 30 mins away, I am learning that often the xs athletes from our gym go there next. Since my daughter is only level 1, it's not something we have to think about but I was bummed that our gym becomes a farm team for another gym.

Sometimes I have noticed - NOT ALL THE TIME - some of the stronger worlds gyms tend to have not as strong lower levels with the exception of a small handful of their teams. Just an observation.

 

[MightyGirl'sMom]

It happens, and although gym owners and coaches hate it, I'm not terribly opposed to the "farm team" style or something similar. There are SO many regions across the US with multiple weak to average Worlds teams that, if combined, could be REALLY good. Why provide a watered-down experience when you could collaborate?

Obviously it's not feasible within the current USASF rules (with releases and such), but it could be interesting to see what would happen if XYZ Elite and ABC All Stars grew their own athletes in-house, and then combined higher level teams and shared coaching responsibilities.

Not just the gym owners and coaches, I'm sure some parents hate it too. I don't like the idea of our gym being a farm team. If my daughter continues to be happy at this gym and works her way to level 5, it's unfortunate that the only possibility for her to be on a large worlds team would be to leave and try out for the famous gym. Remember, I drank the cool aid and I really do want my daughter to feel like this gym is her family.

I'm not familiar with USASF rules enough to comment but if it's regarding gyms merging together, I'm not a fan of that either.

 

[336Teal]

Parents of athletes are paying customers. I will continue to pay as long as I’m getting a return on that investment. The ‘return’ doesn’t have to be gold medals, jackets, rings and trophies, and the ‘return’ can mean different things to different people.

My loyalty as a customer extends for the 1 year contract for which I sign up for in May. After that, I have fulfilled my commitment for loyalty and am free to take my money and my athlete wherever I please. Even that 1 year commitment should be broken during extenuating circumstances (verbal/mental abuse, bullying, etc).

My money, I’ll spend it however I want.

 

[311cheermom]

When my cp left a smallish D1 gym to join a so-called "mega gym" at the beginning of a new season it was for different reasons, none that I felt I had to justify to anyone. The parents and coaches of the gym we left were straight up ugly to me and cp over it. I felt like I had committed some kind of crime. But like so many are chiming in, my money (and quite a bit of it) and I'm gonna make sure my cp gets the best experience possible for that money.

 

[CheerBank]

When my cp left a smallish D1 gym to join a so-called "mega gym" at the beginning of a new season it was for different reasons, none that I felt I had to justify to anyone. The parents and coaches of the gym we left were straight up ugly to me and cp over it. I felt like I had committed some kind of crime. But like so many are chiming in, my money (and quite a bit of it) and I'm gonna make sure my cp gets the best experience possible for that money.

I found the best thing to do after leaving a gym is to unfollow everyone on all forms of social media and if you can, insist that cp does the same. True friends y’all will remain friends with. Everyone else can go suck it.

 

[GlitterPlz]

I found the best thing to do after leaving a gym is to unfollow everyone on all forms of social media and if you can, insist that cp does the same. True friends y’all will remain friends with. Everyone else can go suck it.

The cream will rise to the top.