All-Star Why Does This Continue To Happen?

[KikiD22]

Just for clarification, the other gyms he owns are NOT the two other GymTyme gyms. They're gyms under a different brand, one of which is Ultimate Athletics as @luv2cheer92 has stated.

That is incorrect. He is an owner of GymTyme IL, as well as Ultimate Athletics. They're both under the "Royal Family of Gyms" umbrella, along with GymTyme GA.
That's all I'm going to comment on this whole thing, as my CP stopped cheering a month ago, and this no longer involves us.

 

[luv2cheer92]

That is incorrect. He is an owner of GymTyme IL, as well as Ultimate Athletics. They're both under the "Royal Family of Gyms" umbrella, along with GymTyme GA.
That's all I'm going to comment on this whole thing, as my CP stopped cheering a month ago, and this no longer involves us.

Thanks for that. I thought he was there, but he wasn't listed as the owner on their website so I thought that had changed.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I am curious how that works. I haven't looked at the Cheersport schedule since we aren't going.

Here are the D2 eligibility rules from the Varsity site under D2 Summit FAQ's.

D2 Eligibility

NEW THIS YEAR- Single location D2 programs are the ONLY teams eligible for D2 Summit bids. Gyms must be of Division II size (125 athletes or less) when they receive a D2 Summit bid and MUST remain a D2 size gym when they arrive at the D2 Summit. Once a program goes above 125 athletes they will have to release their D2 bid, if they have one, and will not be eligible for D2 bids the remainder of the season.

Definition of multiple location
Share a tax ID
Share an owner
Have a franchising/liscending agreement with another gym
Have similar enough name OR branding it would confuse the consumer as to being part of a bigger gym
Share family plan or use multiple locations to meet family plan
If there is any possible confusion it is on the owners of the locations to prove to Varsity and the customers they are not a multi-location gym


Exception: The only multi location programs that are eligible to compete at the D2 Summit can not have more than 125 athletes total between all locations and meet the USASF requirement for a D2 program.



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Yea, I've seen that. But that really only mentions teams that are eligible for D2 bids, not who can compete D2 at other comps. It doesn't make any sense to me why a team would want to compete D2 when they can't get a bid though.

 

[NJ Coach]

I will withhold judgement until all the facts come out, BUT I do know that many times (many many many times) families don't pay or don't pay on time, and fees that have been collected for something else entirely will go towards what is due at that moment. By the time you get to the actual event the original fees were collected for, there's no more money left. I have no clue if this is what happened, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[RandomCheerMom]

It's the one in GA, I believe this is their first season under the GT umbrella (maybe second) , they took over from another, formerly shady, gym in the area. I believe it was called C4 Longhorns.

 

[RandomCheerMom]

This is so unfortunate, and I am honestly surprised this doesn't happen more since some gym owners have terrible business skills and are barely making ends meet to begin with. Paying huge sums of money in advance is a risk all parents take. If what the article is reporting is in fact true (I am willing to believe it is), I am guessing the main location can be held liable. I saw a screenshot of an email from this gym owner and he was trying to say the teams would go D2 at a different competition, but this wouldn't be possible given the new rules, so that would be a blatant lie. I feel so sad for the kids involved.

It happens a lot, it just usually doesn't get the press. Our old gym in Ohio went under due to very similar actions. We saw it coming, so only stayed one season.

 

[SL&AM]

I will withhold judgement until all the facts come out, BUT I do know that many times (many many many times) families don't pay or don't pay on time, and fees that have been collected for something else entirely will go towards what is due at that moment. By the time you get to the actual event the original fees were collected for, there's no more money left. I have no clue if this is what happened, but it wouldn't surprise me.

If we assume for a second that this actually happened, would it not have made more business sense to be up front about this or perhaps, actually kick out the families who don't pay? I genuinely don't understand why gyms allows non-paying families to stick around especially this late in the season.

 

[amy1k]

If parents aren't paying, why are their children allowed to continue to participate? Either way, it seems like a management issue. I understand it's difficult, but it's the job of the business to make sure people pay...in order to protect the investment of the people who honor their financial commitment. As a customer, it is very frustrating.

 

[NJ Coach]

If we assume for a second that this actually happened, would it not have made more business sense to be up front about this or perhaps, actually kick out the families who don't pay? I genuinely don't understand why gyms allows non-paying families to stick around especially this late in the season.

If you are at a smaller gym, it becomes more difficult to just kick the families out. There may not be anyone to take that child's spot on a team. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it happens. It happens at big gyms, medium gyms, small gyms. It happens to all of us. People would be surprised at the amount of non payment that goes on.

 

[amy1k]

Parents already know the answer to the non-payment question. Parents of talented kids, know they don't have to make payment a priority.

 

[RandomCheerMom]

Parents already know the answer to the non-payment question. Parents of talented kids, know they don't have to make payment a priority.

AMEN

 

[amy1k]

I've always been fortunate enough to be a paying parent, but I can also sympathize with non-paying parents. I've experienced not receiving the whole picture of the financial commitment at more than one gym. When a gym adds expensive travel competitions four or five months in to the season (this happened to us, but I don't know if it is common), it may become financially overwhelming for families. I wouldn't be surprised at all if families found themselves in a position where it was impossible to follow through with commitment. And disagreeing with the decision? I'll tell you that voicing disagreement can be devastating to a child's continued participation. Parents are afraid to speak up.

 

[quitthedrama]

If you are at a smaller gym, it becomes more difficult to just kick the families out. There may not be anyone to take that child's spot on a team. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying it happens. It happens at big gyms, medium gyms, small gyms. It happens to all of us. People would be surprised at the amount of non payment that goes on.

Yes to everything @amy1k said. I know my money pays for other athletes. In some cases I'm ok with it, in other cases it's a tough pill to swallow especially when certain parents brag about their free ride and they are sitting at the bar spending more than a month's tuition in one night while I'm working 12 hours at a fundraising event. Gym owners can say they "need" these kids all they want, but those kids don't pay the bills. I'd much rather see them take a stand and appreciate those who keep their business going.

 

[dat.jpp]

Just for clarification, he's NOT one of the owners of the KY gym. One of the gyms he owns is under a different brand, which is Ultimate Athletics as @luv2cheer92 has stated.

ETA: Corrected to reflect more accurate information.

oh ok ty!

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

His side is irrelevant.

http://gymtymega.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/GTGA_1617cheerpacket.pdf

According to the gym's own published handbook each family paid $850 upfront for competition fees with the final payments due in November. These teams should have been able to participate at Cheersport.

The gym owner's side doesn't matter. These families paid a lot of money and have been seriously screwed over.

Just because the packet says they are supposed to pay X-amount doesnt mean the families actually paid it.

My first gym was a very small gym and people not paying tuition happened constantly. They would pay for comp fees but "couldn't find money" for monthly tuition. When the owner started cancelling competitions those same people would be the most surprised. "But we paid our comp fees!" Thats great but you're 3 months behind on tuition and the money went to gym fees instead. You don't get to dictate what expenses are paid when you are behind.

No sense in kicking those people off the team because there was no one to replace them in the gym and the team would have to be disbanded. Those people were not allowed to come back the next season and debt collectors then took over.

IMO, the gym owners side to this story is completely relevant. There are a handful of scenarios like this that could happen that could make a gym owner decide to pull a team from a competition last minute. And instead of airing other people's business on the local news the gym owner replied with no comment. Obviously he could be totally scamming families, but I know that people don't always live up to their end of agreements and then play victim when they didn't get what they wanted.