All-Star Covid-19 / Varsity Response

[luv2cheer92]

In CT we got usual comp schedule but am I booking any accommodations? Nope! Plus now FL doing no masks?

Ehhh, they don't have to enforce masks, but most private companies (Disney, Universal, for example) are still requiring them.

Also, the state of Florida never had a mask requirement anyway.

 

[CLynn]

We don't have our schedule yet and we usually get it at the beginning of Sept. I'd be fine with virtual competition as well. But it was announced about a month ago that convention centers were open. Even directly naming the Dallas Convention Center has not having any restrictions and us being able to go. Does anyone in Texas have any insight on this?

But if our competitions do end up being virtual I'd have a hard time paying full price for comp fees. Is anyone else already paying comp fees and are you noticing any difference in how much they are for this season versus previous seasons?

I don't know anything about Texas but have seen a few convention centers around me (in northeast, NY/NJ/CT/RI) that are supposed to host competitions but are closed. From the convention center website you would think that all events through January are canceled yet Varsity website still has the events listed. I guess I favor more transparency than we are currently receiving. I don't think a virtual competition should be priced the same at all but I would pay that same price if I am not paying for hotels, missing work or incurring other travel expenses and inconveniences.

Plus now FL doing no masks?

In my area people wear masks walking alone outside so no mask requirement is surreal to me.

 

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

I don't know anything about Texas but have seen a few convention centers around me (in northeast, NY/NJ/CT/RI) that are supposed to host competitions but are closed. From the convention center website you would think that all events through January are canceled yet Varsity website still has the events listed. I guess I favor more transparency than we are currently receiving. I don't think a virtual competition should be priced the same at all but I would pay that same price if I am not paying for hotels, missing work or incurring other travel expenses and inconveniences.
In my area people wear masks walking alone outside so no mask requirement is surreal to me.

I totally get the benefit of all you mentioned. However, why pay the same if the only thing Varsity is paying for with the comp fees are judges? There's not convention center rental, no lights, no sound system and no staff. I just feel like if Varsity receives the benefit of NOT having to pay for those things then they should pass along the savings to the parents.

**Of course the idea of them only paying judges is hypothetical since we have no idea how comps will be run during this pandemic. **

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

I totally get the benefit of all you mentioned. However, why pay the same if the only thing Varsity is paying for with the comp fees are judges? There's not convention center rental, no lights, no sound system and no staff. I just feel like if Varsity receives the benefit of NOT having to pay for those things then they should pass along the savings to the parents.

**Of course the idea of them only paying judges is hypothetical since we have no idea how comps will be run during this pandemic. **

I know you have a disclaimer at the bottom but they may not be saving as much as we all think.

My brother works in sound/lighting for the theater district in NYC which is currently restricted from doing any shows in person. He's working on a few shows that are currently being done via Zoom. Theres a lot that goes into the tech side still, you still need staff to control lighting, sound, graphics, pre-recorded videos, and now screens. They still use stage managers, directors, etc. Theyre also making it very interactive for audience members, though one of the shows he's on relies on audience participation to move the show along. There is audience polling, questions, suggestions, etc that dictates the direction of the show. All the same people are doing their jobs, just differently. Even if there isn't a venue to run, there is now technical equipment to purchase, set up, etc, that still costs money.

Not trying to take Varsity's side here, just maybe trying to show what can go unseen with virtual events. I think the most savings for parents will be the gas, hotel rooms, dining out, comp-specific attire, etc that will no longer be needed, like listed above. I think also competition days could be more than just "team gets there to perform and then leaves" depending on what gyms and Varsity decides to do. I'd like to see some fun actitvities planned throughout the day/week leading up to so the kids can still have a fun experience, even if it's different.

 

[alpaca]

If virtual comp is as you described where teams actually go to a venue and perform then yes , a lot of the overhead/costs to put on the comp remain the same. The virtual aspect is really in relation to spectators.

However the Varsity virtual competition series is charging $39 per athlete, each performance. And crossovers pay that $39 for each team. That is for competitions where you literally perform in your own gym and send them a video submission. In that case then it is only judges time that is the overhead. And that is a ridiculous cost. Say a team has 20 kids. That is a cost of $780 for judges to score 2 1/2 minutes of a routine. 3 judges on a panel? How much do judges make? Are they paid hourly or per routine scored? How much is Varsity making per team when they do not even have to pay for the vast majority of the cost of running a comp.

Because this is what I would anticipate happening. If people are willing to pay $39 pp to perform in their own gym, then they will raise prices of comp participation astronomically when they are allowed to return to venues and they will blame it on the cost of the venue.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

If virtual comp is as you described where teams actually go to a venue and perform then yes , a lot of the overhead/costs to put on the comp remain the same. The virtual aspect is really in relation to spectators.

However the Varsity virtual competition series is charging $39 per athlete, each performance. And crossovers pay that $39 for each team. That is for competitions where you literally perform in your own gym and send them a video submission. In that case then it is only judges time that is the overhead. And that is a ridiculous cost. Say a team has 20 kids. That is a cost of $780 for judges to score 2 1/2 minutes of a routine. 3 judges on a panel? How much do judges make? Are they paid hourly or per routine scored? How much is Varsity making per team when they do not even have to pay for the vast majority of the cost of running a comp.

Because this is what I would anticipate happening. If people are willing to pay $39 pp to perform in their own gym, then they will raise prices of comp participation astronomically when they are allowed to return to venues and they will blame it on the cost of the venue.

Where do you think spectator fees go that Varsity is not collecting when comps are virtual? NCA All Star Nationals attracted 38,000 spectators over the course of the weekend, per their website. I can't find how much spectator fees cost. If it was $50 for the weekend (cost of 2 tickets for the 2 days of competition), 38,000 x 5$0 is almost $2 million. Surely enough to help cover the cost of the venue, contracted venue staff, parking, local government participation, insurance, and all other related fees to accomodate 50,000 people in two days.

A competition is a product the Varsity offers. There is nowhere in all of business where the cost of the product relies solely on what you get. A hamburger from McDonalds is not the cost of the bun, patty, and toppings. It is all of that plus workers salaries and property tax and water bills and equipment maintenance and electricity and insurance for the store. And its the cost of marketing/advertising, research and innovation, transport of supplies, etc at the corporate level.

So it is not "$39 to perform in your own gym". You can go perform in your own gym for free, no one is stopping you. It is $39 to participate in Varsity's product that pays for all of Varsity's costs. Same arguement could be said for participating in marathons and a variety of other events.

ETA: I don't see how Varsity's expenses have drastically been cut due to COVID. The costs of employee salaries, property taxes, bulding rent, utilities, equipment maintence, event planning, communication, insurance, marketing, etc still exist whether competitions are virtual or not. The business is still running.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

If virtual comp is as you described where teams actually go to a venue and perform then yes , a lot of the overhead/costs to put on the comp remain the same. The virtual aspect is really in relation to spectators.

However the Varsity virtual competition series is charging $39 per athlete, each performance. And crossovers pay that $39 for each team. That is for competitions where you literally perform in your own gym and send them a video submission. In that case then it is only judges time that is the overhead. And that is a ridiculous cost. Say a team has 20 kids. That is a cost of $780 for judges to score 2 1/2 minutes of a routine. 3 judges on a panel? How much do judges make? Are they paid hourly or per routine scored? How much is Varsity making per team when they do not even have to pay for the vast majority of the cost of running a comp.

Because this is what I would anticipate happening. If people are willing to pay $39 pp to perform in their own gym, then they will raise prices of comp participation astronomically when they are allowed to return to venues and they will blame it on the cost of the venue.

A lot of these fees also go toward your "Paid Summit Bids". The money comes from somwhere...

 

[CLynn]

If virtual comp is as you described where teams actually go to a venue and perform then yes , a lot of the overhead/costs to put on the comp remain the same. The virtual aspect is really in relation to spectators.

BTW, that is my nightmare scenario. Travel to large comp (say NCA), pay entrance fee to watch your kid for 2:30 then have to leave and go back to your room? A whole weekend that way would just not work for me and I would imagine would be difficult for convention centers to make money without concessions.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

BTW, that is my nightmare scenario. Travel to large comp (say NCA), pay entrance fee to watch your kid for 2:30 then have to leave and go back to your room? A whole weekend that way would just not work for me and I would imagine would be difficult for convention centers to make money without concessions.

I don't see it being a "compete & go back to your room" situation but I don't see it being "compete & do the free-roaming walk around and go to vendor booths and get chicken tenders" experience it has been before either.

I could see gyms booking airbnbs or condos outside the convention center type areas and having teams go back to their rentals and relax, play games, swim, etc. Or booking team dinner at a restaurant due to there being limited options for people to travel to to get food (restaurants are low capacity and venues won't have food.)

 

[Keep_Believing]

Do y'all think the NCA & UCA College Nationals will be able to take place?

 

[Kentucky Girl]

Do y'all think the NCA & UCA College Nationals will be able to take place?

I certainly hope so. We shall see.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I certainly hope so. We shall see.

Me too!

 

[quitthedrama]

Do y'all think the NCA & UCA College Nationals will be able to take place?

UCA highly unlikely unless they change the date to the spring which I have heard is a possibility. Many big schools are not even able to stunt at official practices yet. We haven't heard anything on NCA yet but that seems very doable at this point especially since half of the competition is outdoors.

 

[CLynn]

I don't see it being a "compete & go back to your room" situation but I don't see it being "compete & do the free-roaming walk around and go to vendor booths and get chicken tenders" experience it has been before either.

I could see gyms booking airbnbs or condos outside the convention center type areas and having teams go back to their rentals and relax, play games, swim, etc. Or booking team dinner at a restaurant due to there being limited options for people to travel to to get food (restaurants are low capacity and venues won't have food.)

We have not traveled by air since NCA last year and assuming we can travel freely between states without a quarantine, I would still be really bummed to travel for that type of experience. If you live nearby and it is a drive that is different, or perhaps you are a sr. or it is your last year on a worlds team. But for the y1 kids who have a decade to do this and their parents? It seems an unreasonable ask to me.

 

[Cheermom1979]

I’m just assuming most comps will end up being virtual, if any happen in person, great but I’m not optimistic. I’m in NJ and CP still hasn’t gotten a comp schedule yet, I’ve seen a tentative version but nothing official. At this point I’m just happy she’s in the gym and getting to do what she loves, I’m just considering it to be a learning year really.

So interesting. I’m in NJ also and have a full schedule and this week booked hotels for Jan comps. All with the understanding that we have no insight into the future and things may change. I am interested how these comps will work with all the capacity issues.