All-Star Tryouts And Financial Agreements

[TheVipersMom]

I just want to reiterate the 160$ tryout fee at our gym is a month tuition. So if you are staying at stars then in essence you weren't charged anything other then the tuition for the month. Current Stars people already pay that per month so there is technically no fee. This isn't in addition to the tuition, this is it. Ours is also going on for several weeks you come to every session so that's a little different as well.

Also I guess it's happened where a couple kids aren't happy where they are placed but generally I haven't known of people actually leaving that tried out.

Furthermore for instance I looked on like CA Austin since it's the closest known gym to us. They charge either 50$/or 60$ depending on registration and then once you make a team you pay tuition for that month.

So you are actually paying them more just to place you on a team so you can keep giving them money afterwards.

Pinnacle cheer on the opposite side of us ..which was big gym gone small after they lost a bunch of kids charge a 100 fee and that covers just tryouts no tuition, and it's only 1 day of tryouts not weeks. Then you still have to pay tuition also just for starting practice. Honestly with them being a smaller gym I thought it would be less but I think that's technically higher then all.

Ours covers you regardless and even if you don't stay at stars you got multiple practices and training out of it. Heck, I suppose you could keep going for 2 more weeks and then quit if you really wanted to get your money's worth although I think they want to know after placements if you are quitting. Lol


So what I'm saying is it's really hard just to compare amounts because it covers different things.

Technically ours is the cheapest because it's no additional fee that you are being charged just to be placed on a team, so if you actually stay then you are all set. The only people that would be negatively impacted by ours is people just trying out that don't stay.


Ok I'm probably making no sense but it does in my head!



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[AndrewSky]

If there is an actual tryout day, and newcomers are being charged anything more than $75-90 (unless there's a tuition/family package), I would say there's a need for the face in my Avi.
I understand businesses need to make money, but it would lead me to definitely questioning and being skeptical towards a dealership that won't let me test drive the car before I buy it.

 

[OnceUponACheerleader]

my old gym charged 10$ for tryouts, 20$ for tryout clinics leading up to tryouts (learn the basics of cheer etc..)
Then tuition/registration fees were paid after you were placed on a team (this was a non refundable payment i believe)

 

[SheCheers]

Does anyone know what Stingrays tryouts include? I'm pretty sure I saw that was $200+ to tryout.

 

[AlwaysLearning]

Now that I think about it, we did have to pay a lot for high school cheer, but it was an "athletic fee" and it was require all of the athletes (even basketball and football) to have to pay it before trying out for any team. It was $75 in middle school & junior high and $120 in high school.

Our high school sports fee is $325 & for middle school it's $275. The fee is due after you make the team. It's a yearly fee so you can play as many sports as you want, but you don't get a family discount. Club sports are included, but the parents have to cover all associated costs of each club sport the kid plays.

Our AS tryout fee is $25. If you choose to accept your team placement THEN you are charged the first month's tuition.

 

[AlwaysLearning]

Does anyone know what Stingrays tryouts include? I'm pretty sure I saw that was $200+ to tryout.

Their packet is online. Their tryout fee is $50 if you turn in your packet on time. $75 if you turn it in late. $200 if you choose to attend the early tryout date instead of the regular clinics they've setup.

 

[Pebbles49]

I didn't even know this was a thing until this thread. I've never heard of such foolery. I've paid a fee, but the most was $25. I think 50 and under I'd be ok - I mean I understand that people have to earn a living and get paid for their work, and I know tryouts are a lengthy ordeal. But wow on some of these.

You're a customer. This would be like walking onto the car lot:

Sales guy: "Our cars are $600 per month. Sign here."
You: "Um... can I drive one? Or at least sit in it? Look at it?"
Them: "Of course! As soon as you sign this contract and make your first payment"

No.

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I totally agree with this post and when I started reading the first 2 posts of this thread, I was saying to myself, "Self, why are people willing to pay such an exorbitant amount of money to get in an organization?",,, I believe, 'Tryout' is just what it means on both the organization and the participants... both sides are 'trying it out'... why the participants are asked to pay huge sums of money upfront, I understand the organization is worried about people 'trying it out' and deciding to tryout at other places but that is the nature of a capitalist society and why there are a variety of different all-star gyms... The idea of charging people to pay this much money (more than $50) regardless of whether it will be applied to your bill after the tryouts, only if you decide to stay, it still goes against our capitalist system and the organization that are doing this practice is actually breaking different tort laws and in simple english, this is illegal because they are forcing a contract on a participant, merely because they have an underage child begging to tryout and this gym is the closest facility in the area. For example, if you want to purchase some shoes and you go into the shoe store and ask for a size __ and the salesperson tells you in order to be fitted for the shoes, you must pay at least 50% upfront for the shoes or the store refuses to allow you be fitted for the shoes unless you pay upfront because they know there is a possibility that you may want to go to 'PayLess' down the road to buy the knockoff brand of the same shoes... this tactic is illegal, but this tactic is nothing different than what some of these all-star cheerleading gyms are doing?

 

[mamabear]

I decided to look at some of the other local NJ gyms out of curiosity, to see what the norm is. A few offered solutions that I like. They have a meet and greet meet the coaches kind of thing which ends with a 45 minute clinic. Most locals also offer a free tumble session and bring a friend to the team practice. If you are savvy enough to read their sites and use these options, you should feel secure enough to pay minimal amount for tryouts. A $200 fee is crazy, unless it is a month long process but I don't mind a smaller fee.

Tying people to a contract before placement just seems so unfair. Why would you want to force someone to stay with your gym that does not want to be there from the get go? It seems like a recipe for disaster.


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[MomOf2ThatsMe]

I pay $0 each season for tryout for my girls, as does everyone else. We do pay whatever the USASF fee is, but I think that is drafted in August.

Making people sign a contract before placements sounds desperate.

 

[AScheer]

I totally agree with this post and when I started reading the first 2 posts of this thread, I was saying to myself, "Self, why are people willing to pay such an exorbitant amount of money to get in an organization?",,, I believe, 'Tryout' is just what it means on both the organization and the participants... both sides are 'trying it out'... why the participants are asked to pay huge sums of money upfront, I understand the organization is worried about people 'trying it out' and deciding to tryout at other places but that is the nature of a capitalist society and why there are a variety of different all-star gyms... The idea of charging people to pay this much money (more than $50) regardless of whether it will be applied to your bill after the tryouts, only if you decide to stay, it still goes against our capitalist system and the organization that are doing this practice is actually breaking different tort laws and in simple english, this is illegal because they are forcing a contract on a participant, merely because they have an underage child begging to tryout and this gym is the closest facility in the area. For example, if you want to purchase some shoes and you go into the shoe store and ask for a size __ and the salesperson tells you in order to be fitted for the shoes, you must pay at least 50% upfront for the shoes or the store refuses to allow you be fitted for the shoes unless you pay upfront because they know there is a possibility that you may want to go to 'PayLess' down the road to buy the knockoff brand of the same shoes... this tactic is illegal, but this tactic is nothing different than what some of these all-star cheerleading gyms are doing?

Agree with this to an extent... most gyms (at least in my experience) aren't just a tryout though. Its a month long process.

If I'm going to coach your kid 2 nights a week for 3 - 4 weeks, and then I'm going to spend an entire sleepless weekend of my life to decide what team they're best on, shouldn't that be compensated? I've just worked 16 + hours minimum for your child, but they're just trying it out, so I shouldn't be paid? That would be like going to the shoe store, and telling the sales person you want to wear the shoes for a month before you decide you want to purchase them. You may change your mind, they may not match your outfit, they may give you blisters. You want to be able to back out a month later and not have to pay for what you've already used. They would look at you like you're all sorts of crazy.

 

[BlueCat]

I totally agree with this post and when I started reading the first 2 posts of this thread, I was saying to myself, "Self, why are people willing to pay such an exorbitant amount of money to get in an organization?",,, I believe, 'Tryout' is just what it means on both the organization and the participants... both sides are 'trying it out'... why the participants are asked to pay huge sums of money upfront, I understand the organization is worried about people 'trying it out' and deciding to tryout at other places but that is the nature of a capitalist society and why there are a variety of different all-star gyms... The idea of charging people to pay this much money (more than $50) regardless of whether it will be applied to your bill after the tryouts, only if you decide to stay, it still goes against our capitalist system and the organization that are doing this practice is actually breaking different tort laws and in simple english, this is illegal because they are forcing a contract on a participant, merely because they have an underage child begging to tryout and this gym is the closest facility in the area. For example, if you want to purchase some shoes and you go into the shoe store and ask for a size __ and the salesperson tells you in order to be fitted for the shoes, you must pay at least 50% upfront for the shoes or the store refuses to allow you be fitted for the shoes unless you pay upfront because they know there is a possibility that you may want to go to 'PayLess' down the road to buy the knockoff brand of the same shoes... this tactic is illegal, but this tactic is nothing different than what some of these all-star cheerleading gyms are doing?

Capitalism would suggest that businesses have the freedom to charge what they wish and customers have the freedom to go somewhere else. I don't see how capitalism is being violated here. Please point out the laws that are being broken.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Our high school sports fee is $325 & for middle school it's $275. The fee is due after you make the team. It's a yearly fee so you can play as many sports as you want, but you don't get a family discount. Club sports are included, but the parents have to cover all associated costs of each club sport the kid plays.

Our AS tryout fee is $25. If you choose to accept your team placement THEN you are charged the first month's tuition.

$325?! Yikes, and I thought $120 was high. Ours was a yearly one too and I think we got a family discount but I can't remember.

 

[MyGirlCheers]

$250 for a tryout?! That's more than half of my rent! I totally understand having a tryout fee, but anything over $100 is just way too much money.

$250 just to tryout?! That's crazy. I thought $50 was a lot...


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That's misleading. The fee for the tryout $25/$50 depending on if you're a new or returning athlete. The rest of the fee is for practice clothes. If you don't make a team or choose not to accept team placement, then the practice clothing $$ is returned.

 

[L5cheermom]

I, being a conspiracy theorist, would be very suspicious of a team charging $200 tryout fees. This tells me they have had Big problem with athletes leaving after team placements or mid season. I get a token fee to prevent people who have no intention of sticking around from wasting your time, but anything over $100 would raise my suspicions.


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[dawgshow]

I pay $0 each season for tryout for my girls, as does everyone else. We do pay whatever the USASF fee is, but I think that is drafted in August.

Making people sign a contract before placements sounds desperate.

Do you pay the gym fee for that month, though?


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