All-Star It's Happening All Over; Not Just In Cheerleading

[tumbleyoda]

How did things end for them?

One when told they had to pay the gym B or else they could not be on the school cheer team paid them but did not attend the gym at all. Another group came against that coach so hard about the issue that the coach resigned and the parents chose the gym they wanted to attend. And the other group is still there and the parents are still mad that the other school teams around them who they compete against are getting better but they are not.

 

[Official OWECheer]

One when told they had to pay the gym B or else they could not be on the school cheer team paid them but did not attend the gym at all. Another group came against that coach so hard about the issue that the coach resigned and the parents chose the gym they wanted to attend. And the other group is still there and the parents are still mad that the pother school teams around them who they compete against are getting better but they are not.

That's frustrating.

 

[Natalia5]

I agree with the school cheer cost creep. My cp does middle school cheer and I was not expecting it to be as expensive as it was. The fee included multiple bloomers, warm up, shoes (my CP hated the mandatory Varsity shoe the coach made all girls wear regardless of comfort level, bows, tshirts, poms., etc.

I hear you honey, now I personally do not have a high school cheerleader but my friend does and it was $650 yes $650 for a 3 day overnight cheer camp 3 hours away and they still had to cover 2 meals. And that was after the non refundable $150 try out fee which was a week long and included the mandatory "try-out" gear then $450 cheer fee that did not include cheer shoes BTW then another $350 for practice gear, 2 spirit wear t-shirts, a warm up JACKET and 2 bows. $1600 for HIGH SCHOOL CHEER? I have already told my CP that she may have to choose between All Star and High School cheer when the time comes.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I hear you honey, now I personally do not have a high school cheerleader but my friend does and it was $650 yes $650 for a 3 day overnight cheer camp 3 hours away and they still had to cover 2 meals. And that was after the non refundable $150 try out fee which was a week long and included the mandatory "try-out" gear then $450 cheer fee that did not include cheer shoes BTW then another $350 for practice gear, 2 spirit wear t-shirts, a warm up JACKET and 2 bows. $1600 for HIGH SCHOOL CHEER? I have already told my CP that she may have to choose between All Star and High School cheer when the time comes.

How the heck does camp get to be $650? The highest figure I've heard quoted was $350 for resort camps.

 

[tumbleyoda]

I hear you honey, now I personally do not have a high school cheerleader but my friend does and it was $650 yes $650 for a 3 day overnight cheer camp 3 hours away and they still had to cover 2 meals. And that was after the non refundable $150 try out fee which was a week long and included the mandatory "try-out" gear then $450 cheer fee that did not include cheer shoes BTW then another $350 for practice gear, 2 spirit wear t-shirts, a warm up JACKET and 2 bows. $1600 for HIGH SCHOOL CHEER? I have already told my CP that she may have to choose between All Star and High School cheer when the time comes.

If many parents knew right up front BEFORE tryouts what the costs were, what the practices were, and would not have extra practices every week, the numbers that choose school cheer over All Star for these same reasons would drop dramatically. Especially with those that have prior cheering experience. It is not that one is better than the other but school definitely markets itself as less time consuming and lower cost, when in some cases it approaches similar costs and time commitment of some All Star programs. But once your son or daughter tries out and makes the school team, it is very hard to say no when those bills start rolling in.

 

[ScottyB]

Eventually something will have to give because at some point the money just runs out and if that happens enough, or we hit another major recession, this industry will fall. You can't build a stable economy off a parenting style that is likely going to change by the time these kiddos have kids. You can make a lot of money in the mean time, but I don't see the longevity.

You mean like in 2008? (the worst recession since the 1920's) Varsity saw some struggle that year because homes finally came before sports for many families. But it didn't get anywhere near hurting them.

The longevity is already in place though. We're all just now becoming aware and its frustrating for many.

 

[SL&AM]

You mean like in 2008? (the worst recession since the 1920's) Varsity saw some struggle that year because homes finally came before sports for many families. But it didn't get anywhere near hurting them.

The longevity is already in place though. We're all just now becoming aware and its frustrating for many.

I wasn't talking about Varsity, I think they've become too big to fail just because of a recession. A longer one perhaps, we were largely shielded from the 08 one living overseas as a military family. By the time we arrived statesude we were on the upswing.

But I was looking more at the massive amounts of families who have bought into travel sports. Their grasp in the market is much newer than Varsity who I'm pretty sure predates my birth. But I'll be watching the newer organizations 10 years from now.


*What did we even do before the invention of Google?*

 

[CoachTamara]

How the heck does camp get to be $650? The highest figure I've heard quoted was $350 for resort camps.

The camp most local to us was $480 per girl, plus you had to pay for coaches which were nearly that much as well. I could see a smaller team with a few coaches getting up to that price, and it was NOT a resort or super long camp. I think it was 3 total days of instruction (2 full days and 2 half days) and took place at a college campus. Most of my team could have walked there, and we still didn't go due to the outrageous cost.

We went to a different company that was $330, free coaches and got a much better experience and shocker-we are actually USING the material we learned this year! The first time ever. I'm still in disbelief.

 

[Official OWECheer]

The camp most local to us was $480 per girl, plus you had to pay for coaches which were nearly that much as well. I could see a smaller team with a few coaches getting up to that price, and it was NOT a resort or super long camp. I think it was 3 total days of instruction (2 full days and 2 half days) and took place at a college campus. Most of my team could have walked there, and we still didn't go due to the outrageous cost.

We went to a different company that was $330, free coaches and got a much better experience and shocker-we are actually USING the material we learned this year! The first time ever. I'm still in disbelief.

It's unfortunate that getting your money's worth with something as expensive as camp doesn't happen all the time.

 

[Natalia5]

How the heck does camp get to be $650? The highest figure I've heard quoted was $350 for resort camps.

According to my friend it was 3 hours away on a college campus, a chartered bus and apparently there was some award winning choreographer who has not only coached cheer teams but have done some movie choreography too? Her daughter said everybody was jokingly referring to him as "Sparky" lol Although I just saw them at their Friday night game and they do look awesome not justifying the cost but those stunts were All Star quality both clean and creative but yes $650

 

[ErinS]

True. But often this type of information is kept close to the vest. In communities where everyone is friends with everyone else, people are not so quick to blast someone out, even if they know they are wrong. Usually it is if a disgruntled ex employee leaves, or someone gets drunk and runs their mouth do you find this info out. In the cases I know of they just were so lax with what they did that one price was posted via websites but the school kids were told to pay a totally different price. When parents wanted to switch gyms after seasons of no progress, injuries, etc the coach fought it so hard they began to press the issue and then found out why the coach did not want to change gyms.

My niece is a 7th grader on the JV competition squad at the HS her MS feeds in to. Their squad has "tumbling " at a cheer gym at 4:30 (across town, 21 out of 22 on the team are middle schoolers that get out of school at 3:45). I don't allow her to go. I'm a librarian in the district and I know district athletic and SCHSL rules like the back of my hand and I know they can't charge these kids to practice. I also know that the hs cheer coaches make between 3k-6k for competition season. Why am I going to pay for practice session when you all already only practice 3 days a week (including that gym visit), so that you can sit (or not show up) while the district pays you? I refuse. I was told by the head coach that it will be a strictly tumbling class----but I know in September (when it because "mandatory"... which they can't do) they're going to be running that routine

High school cheer nickel and dimes people and prices children out and I refuse to contribute to such practices.


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[ErinS]

I hear you honey, now I personally do not have a high school cheerleader but my friend does and it was $650 yes $650 for a 3 day overnight cheer camp 3 hours away and they still had to cover 2 meals. And that was after the non refundable $150 try out fee which was a week long and included the mandatory "try-out" gear then $450 cheer fee that did not include cheer shoes BTW then another $350 for practice gear, 2 spirit wear t-shirts, a warm up JACKET and 2 bows. $1600 for HIGH SCHOOL CHEER? I have already told my CP that she may have to choose between All Star and High School cheer when the time comes.

My niece had a $300 TWO DAY CAMP IN THE HIGH SCHOOL GYM, while varsity was supposed to go to a $450 overnight 4 day came at Myrtle Beach


How?!


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[Official OWECheer]

@Natalia5 lol was it Tony G?

 

[mamabear]

(shortened to save room)..

I know in Ontario (Canada) parents can claim youth activities under a tax shelter....

Is there any program like that in the USA? Not that it is a lot of savings- but every little bit contributes...

Just curious.

nope And you can't claim your cheer kids as your own either ;(

 

[ScottyB]

I learned a new word: Tourna-cation



That $9Bil Youth Sports Tourism Industry that is mentioned is a major contributing factor to why cities are requiring the major youth sports/cheer events to do a Stay to Play type program.