All-Star An Article About Varsity Brands...

[Ashley]

So the rebate checks are only a fraction of what you contribute?

Well yeah, of course. They can't let all of these gyms compete for free. It's something like spend $X and get back 5% of what you spent. Spend $Y and get 10% back. I don't know the percentages, but yeah, it's effectively a slight discount.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Well yeah, of course. They can't let all of these gyms compete for free. It's something like spend $X and get back 5% of what you spent. Spend $Y and get 10% back. I don't know the percentages, but yeah, it's effectively a slight discount.

Thanks, I've never looked up how rebates work.

 

[gofriars610]

Don't forget Penn and Teller did an episode of Bulls--t about cheerleading that did not put Varsity in the best light and basically was all of the concerns raised in the piece in this thread. That episode is pretty widely available on YouTube.

 

[mamabear]

Don't forget Penn and Teller did an episode of Bulls--t about cheerleading that did not put Varsity in the best light and basically was all of the concerns raised in the piece in this thread. That episode is pretty widely available on YouTube.

That has been circling around a lot recently.

 

[King]

It is a loyalty program. Customer acquisition costs a lot more than customer retention. If you can guarantee money from the same customers it actually costs less. So the rebate program makes more sense. The gym owners like it because they get a check back from Varsity without having to 'jack up' the fees on the front end and look shady. There is a lot of discussion how it pisses gym owners off that some EPs put their prices on the web so the gym customers know how much a competition actually costs and that the gym is jacking up the fees.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

It is a loyalty program. Customer acquisition costs a lot more than customer retention. If you can guarantee money from the same customers it actually costs less. So the rebate program makes more sense. The gym owners like it because they get a check back from Varsity without having to 'jack up' the fees on the front end and look shady. There is a lot of discussion how it pisses gym owners off that some EPs put their prices on the web so the gym customers know how much a competition actually costs and that the gym is jacking up the fees.

If possible I always check on the web for the entry fee prices because I don't mind if they are hire so any reason for instance adding price on for coaches fee at that comp but I would want the gym to be transparent about it. I much rather have a higher membership fee or tuttion fee than not have the actual price of the entry fee.
So far haven't had too many issues but not too sure next season as this gym I am at is mega for profit than the tiny non profit teams but I now have oppuntunities and a proper facility to get better so don't mind paying extra

 

[Cheermom1969]

Speaking of Monopoly....
Instagram

Oh sweet Jesus! Best segue ever!

 

[SL&AM]

It is a loyalty program. Customer acquisition costs a lot more than customer retention. If you can guarantee money from the same customers it actually costs less. So the rebate program makes more sense. The gym owners like it because they get a check back from Varsity without having to 'jack up' the fees on the front end and look shady. There is a lot of discussion how it pisses gym owners off that some EPs put their prices on the web so the gym customers know how much a competition actually costs and that the gym is jacking up the fees.

With the way our gym does their pricing I actually have no clue how much they're charging for competitions. LOL Everything is all inclusive, including practice wears and uniforms, so I pay the flat fee a month and the only extra expenses I have are admission, travel, any speciality stuff I want throughout the year, and then if CP's team gets invited to their end of the year comp---the fee for that comp. Not that I'd really care if they jacked up the fee since coaches fees and travel have to be considered, but I wonder if gyms are switching to this model because of what you pointed out.

 

[123jump4!]

With the way our gym does their pricing I actually have no clue how much they're charging for competitions. LOL Everything is all inclusive, including practice wears and uniforms, so I pay the flat fee a month and the only extra expenses I have are admission, travel, any speciality stuff I want throughout the year, and then if CP's team gets invited to their end of the year comp---the fee for that comp. Not that I'd really care if they jacked up the fee since coaches fees and travel have to be considered, but I wonder if gyms are switching to this model because of what you pointed out.

We had all inclusive pricing at our former gym but we still got a breakdown of it so we could see how much they charged for everything. Their pricing was very fair I must say.

 

[King]

With the way our gym does their pricing I actually have no clue how much they're charging for competitions. LOL Everything is all inclusive, including practice wears and uniforms, so I pay the flat fee a month and the only extra expenses I have are admission, travel, any speciality stuff I want throughout the year, and then if CP's team gets invited to their end of the year comp---the fee for that comp. Not that I'd really care if they jacked up the fee since coaches fees and travel have to be considered, but I wonder if gyms are switching to this model because of what you pointed out.

that is the way a gym 'should' do it. All inclusive pricing, instead of line item by line item, means a gym can adjust costs to suit its needs AND be fair tot he consumer.

 

[megaflipper]

This kind of helps explain it. Keep in mind, a large gym can do a few million with Varsity and get rebates in upwards of $300,000 that the parents pay for in inflated pricing. VARSITY CASE #9: Who are the LOSERS in the Varsity Plan? | Cheer Watch Dog

 

[Official OWECheer]

This kind of helps explain it. Keep in mind, a large gym can do a few million with Varsity and get rebates in upwards of $300,000 that the parents pay for in inflated pricing. VARSITY CASE #9: Who are the LOSERS in the Varsity Plan? | Cheer Watch Dog

A cheer conspiracy site. Wow. This is a first.

 

[CheerItFullOut]

when I read this article... It was like someone telling me a really nasty rumor about dear ol Gran Dad. Say what it will, but I live in California where they just voted to make cheer a sport and some of the regulations they want to put on CA squads are quite restricting (and they're not "safety guidelines". In fact, many are overly restrictive and superseded regulations beyond other athletics. (We can't attend a 3-4 day summer instruction but football can attend numerous camps/clinics and tournaments?) As for Varsity, they're a business I can't fault them for wanting to protect or progress their business and it seems they have just as much interest in keeping cheerleaders/coaches/(athletes) safe as anyone else... This is their core customer. Injury rate increases (regardless of who is liable) it threatens the infrastructure of participation. I feel Varsity is continuously increasing education for coaches, athletes and owners.... And to say Varsity "owns cheering"... Well darn right they do their tag line is Varsity, "WE ARE Cheerleading". Someone wants a part of the pie... Get in the kitchen and make it. What is the article calling for? Who exactly to they want to regulate everything? Sounds like a sideline coach article to me. While it made some valid points about Varsity's domination of the industry I also felt there were some kind of cheap shot claims as well. I don't know about you but... You know those parents that say tryouts are "rigged" every year when their kid doesn't make the squad. I liken that scenario/ comment to the validity of the "those who buy more varsity stuff and attend their camps tend to win their competitions" (who uses this as evidence in an educated argument for an article)...can't imagine judges have my Varsity purchase history attached to the back of my score sheet.

 

[Official OWECheer]

when I read this article... It was like someone telling me a really nasty rumor about dear ol Gran Dad. Say what it will, but I live in California where they just voted to make cheer a sport and some of the regulations they want to put on CA squads are quite restricting (and they're not "safety guidelines". In fact, many are overly restrictive and superseded regulations beyond other athletics. (We can't attend a 3-4 day summer instruction but football can attend numerous camps/clinics and tournaments?) As for Varsity, they're a business I can't fault them for wanting to protect or progress their business and it seems they have just as much interest in keeping cheerleaders/coaches/(athletes) safe as anyone else... This is their core customer. Injury rate increases (regardless of who is liable) it threatens the infrastructure of participation. I feel Varsity is continuously increasing education for coaches, athletes and owners.... And to say Varsity "owns cheering"... Well darn right they do their tag line is Varsity, "WE ARE Cheerleading". Someone wants a part of the pie... Get in the kitchen and make it. What is the article calling for? Who exactly to they want to regulate everything? Sounds like a sideline coach article to me. While it made some valid points about Varsity's domination of the industry I also felt there were some kind of cheap shot claims as well. I don't know about you but... You know those parents that say tryouts are "rigged" every year when their kid doesn't make the squad. I liken that scenario/ comment to the validity of the "those who buy more varsity stuff and attend their camps tend to win their competitions" (who uses this as evidence in an educated argument for an article)...can't imagine judges have my Varsity purchase history attached to the back of my score sheet.

That football/cheer double standard really pisses me off. Someone said in another thread that cheerleaders in their state can't compete twice on the same day, but basketball teams are allowed to play more than one game per day during tournaments.

This is why sport rulings make me nervous. What else have they restricted you guys from doing?

 

[CheerItFullOut]

That football/cheer double standard really pisses me off. Someone said in another thread that cheerleaders in their state can't compete twice on the same day, but basketball teams are allowed to play more than one game per day during tournaments.

This is why sport rulings make me nervous. What else have they restricted you guys from doing?

Well, nothing yet... Nothing is supposed to take movement until 2017 school year (academic calendar year) but there's all sorts of odd restrictions: limiting practice hours and days, no summer practice whatsoever, limiting travel, outside instruction from unapproved entities (iE private gyms)...the list goes on... Many under the "umbrella of safety" and some just to, well I don't quite know why. The way the "rules"are structured right now, it would essencialy blow out the competitive component of cheer for CA. :/