All-Star Cea Memphis

[SL&AM]

Is there a wiki or something that lists the multi-location gyms and their cities?

You should totally head that up ;p

 

[BlueCat]

You should totally head that up ;p

I'm not an admin, so I don't think I can.

 

[tumbleyoda]

They did buy Elite Cheer and Dance. We used to be pretty tight with them back in our Aviator days and when we saw them at a competition this season they said it was the same kids and same staff just a new name. Rockstar Gastonia bought out CAC West (or at least stepped into their space after the CAC West location folded after a year but that was originally the Aviator space before CAC bought them out).

I think Rockstar is just selling their name to existing gyms (at an alarming rate really, last season they seemed to announce a new location every week). I don't get the impression there's any cohesiveness between locations or one overriding coaching philosophy or common training etc. Frankly, with the sheer numbers of new locations they've opened I don't see how they possibly could be managing all those locations from the "mothership."

I know it sounds like kool aid talk (and I gave up kool aid drinking two gyms ago) but I can't imagine any of those rockstar locations (and having been in a satellite CEA location I know it's not that way there) has the same sortof connection to the home gym like CA Charlotte does with Plano. I'm genuinely amazed CA has made the Charlotte gym feel as much a part of Plano as the kids that go there. But I also see how much work they put into building that connection and that's with only one new expansion. I don't see how that's remotely possible with multiple locations opening in the same season.


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For EC and D going with Rockstar was probably the best option. When I was there we had at the height of the gym 16 teams, both small and large and all of them maxed out numerically. The last few years had been a struggle. While I was there they had many times said they would burn the place down to the ground than to ever merge with CEA, even though the CEA gym was only 3 miles away. Rockstar gave them a lifeline and another chance to keep the doors open.

Rockstar has openly advertised on Twitter asking anyone interested in becoming a franchise to contact them. CEA to my knowledge never has openly advertised in the same manner. CA has already established they have a different philosophy, which is why many people IMO favor the CA model.

Franchising just means you are buying the right to use the names, the colors and the BOD (benefit of doubt) points when it comes to your program. It accesses you to choreographers, music people, etc that you couldn't of even gotten with before. People that wouldn't answer your call before now will answer because of the brand name - sad but true. It also allows you to run your program pretty much as you did before you became a franchise, which is appealing to many. Especially since there is no way this movement will be stopped.

For many owners this is a great money making opportunity for them and their families that does not rely totally on how well a gym does at competitions. And those rebate checks will be pretty hefty as well.

 

[12stepCheermom]

For EC and D going with Rockstar was probably the best option. When I was there we had at the height of the gym 16 teams, both small and large and all of them maxed out numerically. The last few years had been a struggle. While I was there they had many times said they would burn the place down to the ground than to ever merge with CEA, even though the CEA gym was only 3 miles away. Rockstar gave them a lifeline and another chance to keep the doors open.

Rockstar has openly advertised on Twitter asking anyone interested in becoming a franchise to contact them. CEA to my knowledge never has openly advertised in the same manner. CA has already established they have a different philosophy, which is why many people IMO favor the CA model.

Franchising just means you are buying the right to use the names, the colors and the BOD (benefit of doubt) points when it comes to your program. It accesses you to choreographers, music people, etc that you couldn't of even gotten with before. People that wouldn't answer your call before now will answer because of the brand name - sad but true. It also allows you to run your program pretty much as you did before you became a franchise, which is appealing to many. Especially since there is no way this movement will be stopped.

For many owners this is a great money making opportunity for them and their families that does not rely totally on how well a gym does at competitions. And those rebate checks will be pretty hefty as well.

I was glad to see it for rockstar Raleigh and their kids/coaches there. They performed like the old ECD which was always such great competition in our area. That was a strong program we always enjoyed going head to head with. And it was extra nice they felt the same way about us and instead of it turning into a nasty thing we always ended up supporting each other from priority viewing whenever we were anywhere in small numbers. It was a great cheer friendship between gyms that had teams in most of the same divisions. Not sure that really happens much anymore.


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[BlueCat]

I'm not sure how it plays in to the argument, but I would estimate that we get close to 100 calls/emails a year from gyms wanting CA to purchase their facility and/or set up a franchise through us. I would assume the other "big" gyms get a similar amount, if not more. We haven't yet come across a franchise or purchase opportunity that works for us, but I can see how it would be appealing for others.

In and of itself, programs having multiple locations doesn't strike me as predatory or even bad for the industry - particularly because there are several different programs doing it. Also, several of those programs have starkly different styles and philosophies which give athletes a good variety of options to choose from, depending on what is important to them.

 

[dawgshow]

I know that Midwest Cheer Elite was advertising for gyms that wanted to assimilated.

 

[Official OWECheer]

For EC and D going with Rockstar was probably the best option. When I was there we had at the height of the gym 16 teams, both small and large and all of them maxed out numerically. The last few years had been a struggle. While I was there they had many times said they would burn the place down to the ground than to ever merge with CEA, even though the CEA gym was only 3 miles away. Rockstar gave them a lifeline and another chance to keep the doors open.

Rockstar has openly advertised on Twitter asking anyone interested in becoming a franchise to contact them. CEA to my knowledge never has openly advertised in the same manner. CA has already established they have a different philosophy, which is why many people IMO favor the CA model.

Franchising just means you are buying the right to use the names, the colors and the BOD (benefit of doubt) points when it comes to your program. It accesses you to choreographers, music people, etc that you couldn't of even gotten with before. People that wouldn't answer your call before now will answer because of the brand name - sad but true. It also allows you to run your program pretty much as you did before you became a franchise, which is appealing to many. Especially since there is no way this movement will be stopped.

For many owners this is a great money making opportunity for them and their families that does not rely totally on how well a gym does at competitions. And those rebate checks will be pretty hefty as well.

SMH. Wow.

 

[acecheermom]

We love that ACE branched off into our area. Before they came we had no big name gyms, not even within driving distance. Not dissing small gyms but we did try the small programs in our area and it just didn't work for us. Different philosophies and goals as far as this cheer thing I guess you could say. We've been very happy since coming to ACE. I don't really care if they have 101 locations we love ours and that is all that really matters for us.

We think it is kinda cool to go up against other Ace teams. It's neat to compete with friends and still support each other.

 

[CheerPassion12]

Rockstar is opening a location in Atlanta. Wow.

 

[Lisa Seye]

Rockstar is opening a location in Atlanta. Wow.

Wow

 

[5-6-7-8]

...

Franchising just means you are buying the right to use the names, the colors and the BOD (benefit of doubt) points when it comes to your program. It accesses you to choreographers, music people, etc that you couldn't of even gotten with before. People that wouldn't answer your call before now will answer because of the brand name - sad but true. It also allows you to run your program pretty much as you did before you became a franchise, which is appealing to many. Especially since there is no way this movement will be stopped.

This is why I dislike small location "big name" gyms competing small gym / D2.

 

[icequeen]

Honestly I had no idea Rockstar had more than two locations. Where have I been?

 

[tumbleyoda]

This is why I dislike small location "big name" gyms competing small gym / D2.

I agree. We were warned this would happen and it is. What we see happening is something that we predicted would happen years ago on the ProX boards. Cheer gyms would become like regional training centers like in gymnastics. Where basically you get your skills at a mom and pop type gym and then when you got "good" you left mom and pop gym and head to the big name gym because they were the ones with the connections to get you in the big competitions and get noticed. This does not mean that you could not stay at mom and pop gyms and compete, even at higher levels, but the overwhelming pressure would be such as to make it way easier to leave than to stay. Plus it would make it harder to field a competitive team at the higher levels, which we see occurring.

The issue IMO is when we were first discussing the concept of D1/D2 many many years ago it was both an acknowledgement that there were impact differences that adversely affected how gyms could competitively put teams together and the realization that no matter how much we want to believe it is all equal on the blue mat, it often is not. That flaws within the system, whether right or wrong, would always tend to favor the bigger gym, the gym with more money to spend, the owner/coach that complained or threatened more, the better marketed brand, the mega gym or however you want to classify it. That even if a smaller gym beat a bigger gym, it would always be branded as lucky, a fluke, judging error, the "better" gym had a higher raw score so if they would of hit they would of won, etc.

All many of the original D2 proponents wanted was the chance to build their brand and compete against like competition UNTIL they could move up in division. It was never meant as a stay here isolation forever type concept. However IMO as a business move that is bad for the larger gym because it allows a competitor to get stronger. it also lessens the possibility of those mom and pop gyms being feeder gyms.

The way D2 is set up now is a money grab. It gives the illusion of this is what you wanted, when in reality it is a way to keep people from seeking other competitive options. A shrewd business move. Very smart. And by planting larger, mega, brand name gyms anywhere you can, it keeps the balance of power just as it always has been.

As it has been correctly said many smaller gyms have just resigned themselves that they cant fight this anymore and are calling these gyms now trying to make deals or closing down. The calls and texts I get from gym owners seeing their passion and livelihood under attack is heartbreaking. So many are just choosing who they can work with rather than being taken over or closed down by someone they don't like at all. This has become our new normal. And I don't like it one bit.

 

[SL&AM]

Honestly I had no idea Rockstar had more than two locations. Where have I been?

I'm in the dark with ya!

 

[RandomCheerMom]

Rockstar is opening a location in Atlanta. Wow.

It's the North Metro Elite gym.