Varsity Brands. Monopoly Of The Industry Or For The Better Good?

[CAhybrid]

Thoughts?

 

[CAhybrid]

no one has an opinion on this?

 

[lilmonstermaker]

That is a pretty loaded question for the newbie board...

I will say that my CP's gym is affiliated with Varsity so we do a lot of Varsity events. We do other events as well, but mostly Varsity. I don't mind that we do so many Varsity events because each of the brands under Varsity still has their own individual flair ( although I personally prefer the Jambrands scoresheet...). However some parents have voiced concern about being tied so closely with Varsity (practice shirts, cheer shoes, etc...)

Long story shortish...IMHO...Monopoly....

 

[CAhybrid]

That is a pretty loaded question for the newbie board...

I will say that my CP's gym is affiliated with Varsity so we do a lot of Varsity events. We do other events as well, but mostly Varsity. I don't mind that we do so many Varsity events because each of the brands under Varsity still has their own individual flair ( although I personally prefer the Jambrands scoresheet...). However some parents have voiced concern about being tied so closely with Varsity (practice shirts, cheer shoes, etc...)

Long story shortish...IMHO...Monopoly....

Yea I find there size to be quite a conflict of interest. The produce uniforms (required for competitions), they own gyms (required to attend varsity events), they own the "governing body" of cheerleading (USASF) as well as every other decision making body in the industry...

 

[lilmonstermaker]

Do you think that this system causes problems for the sport? If so, what problems? There are many gyms not afiliated with Varsity that aren't required to do anything with Varsity. I could be wrong, but I am under the impression that there are more gyms not under the umbrella of Varsity than are under the umbrella of Varsity. Plus even though my gym is under Varsity we do more than Varsity comps and our girls aren't required to wear Nfinities - but many do because they like them.

 

[MissBee]

I think it was pushing it when it owned everything cheer teams did (uniforms, camps, choreo, comps) but when they took on ownership of gyms I feel that's where it crossed the line. It's a flat out conflict of interest when a Varsity owned gym is competing in a Varsity owned competition.

 

[CAhybrid]

Do you think that this system causes problems for the sport? If so, what problems? There are many gyms not afiliated with Varsity that aren't required to do anything with Varsity. I could be wrong, but I am under the impression that there are more gyms not under the umbrella of Varsity than are under the umbrella of Varsity. Plus even though my gym is under Varsity we do more than Varsity comps and our girls aren't required to wear Nfinities - but many do because they like them.

I just feel that is a conflict of interest like having your son on your college basketball team... Or a Federal Judge presiding over his daughters trial... Varsity shouldn't be able to own cheer gyms and have them compete at their competitions. Why wouldn't those teams score better? That would be the worst advertising in the world to have varsity premier gyms that recieved varsity choreography not do well at a varsity competition. When it came down to legalities who do you think they would give a warning in the case of a close competition? A gym that they own and did the choreography for or a no name small gym...

 

[lilmonstermaker]

I just feel that is a conflict of interest like having your son on your college basketball team... Or a Federal Judge presiding over his daughters trial... Varsity shouldn't be able to own cheer gyms and have them compete at their competitions. Why wouldn't those teams score better? That would be the worst advertising in the world to have varsity premier gyms that recieved varsity choreography not do well at a varsity competition. When it came down to legalities who do you think they would give a warning in the case of a close competition? A gym that they own and did the choreography for or a no name small gym...

Why would they score better? What does Varsity have to gain by cheating non-Varsity gyms at competitions? If that were there would not be any non-Varsity teams at Varsity events. I would hazard a guess that Varsity isn't worried about having to "cheat" to make their choreographers look better than others. You don't have to be a Varsity gym to use Varsity choreographers so you (as a competing cheer team or a judge for that matter) wouldn't know who was or was not afiliated with Varsity brands. I am sure that the judges at Varsity events aren't given a list of gyms that are Varsity gyms or that used Varsity choreography, just as I am sure that judges at Jambrands events are not given a list of teams that use Jam choreographers or go to Jam camps.

 

[CAhybrid]

I don't think its a secret to anyone who the premier gyms are... There doesn't have to be a list proclaiming it for the judges. I have witnessed varsity's ability to write the rules and then choose when to enforce them. To them a Safety Legality is an option only if they are sure it won't hurt the customers feelings.

 

[INeverStopCheering]

I don't see them so much as a monopoly, but as the only ones to really really try to cover a market. There are others, such as GK, OmniCheer, Spirit Innovations, and of course the comp companies like JamBrands, IEPs, NLCC and numerous others. But all of those only have a few comps (With the exception of Jam) under their belts. Varsity has the whole package, competitions, uniforms, make up, camps, pins, bow, shoes... for Allstar AND school cheerleaders. I don't see that as a monopoly. That's taking the buisness advantage of an underdeveloped market.

As for owning programs... does Varsity really own programs? I mean fund the whole entire program? Or are they just sponsors. And if so what gyms do they sponsor? I know Rays are with Nfinity.

 

[droolbaby]

Well, let me ask this...is Varsity doing anything different then the Olympic Commission? It sounds like Varsity is marketing just like the Olympics has. There are sancitioned Olympic gyms, parks, areas, gear, coaches, ect and have been placed there to advance Olympic athletes and the sports/activities of the Olympics, and to compete, you have to attend these camps/gyms. Is there a major difference between Varsity and the Olympics?

 

[CAhybrid]

[quote="As for owning programs... does Varsity really own programs? I mean fund the whole entire program? Or are they just sponsors. And if so what gyms do they sponsor? I know Rays are with Nfinity.[/quote]

check out www.premierathletics.com those are all varsity owned premier gyms.

 

[CAhybrid]

Well, let me ask this...is Varsity doing anything different then the Olympic Commission? It sounds like Varsity is marketing just like the Olympics has. There are sancitioned Olympic gyms, parks, areas, gear, coaches, ect and have been placed there to advance Olympic athletes and the sports/activities of the Olympics, and to compete, you have to attend these camps/gyms. Is there a major difference between Varsity and the Olympics?

Not exactly, the olympic games themselves aren't for profit... this example doesn't really apply. Its not a for profit organization owning its customers...

 

[lilmonstermaker]

@CAhybrid can you clarify for me what you meant when you said that Varsity owns the USASF?

 

[droolbaby]

Not exactly, the olympic games themselves aren't for profit... this example doesn't really apply. Its not a for profit organization owning its customers...

Well would a NotForProfit organization help to start turning over the federal court ruling about cheer no longer being considered a sport? And would that advance the sport to the same level as the other organizations that promote and oversee various sports (NFL, NHL, NASCAR, MLB).