All-Star Gyms "owning" Athletes

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Cheer Dad

Cheer Parent
Dec 15, 2009
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Gym owners and Coaches,
Curiosity question here. Do you allow your athletes to train (tumbling only) at other competing programs facilities or do you have a feeling of 'ownership' over your athletes and don't want them going outside your program for additional help?

Does the age and skill level of the athlete make a difference?
 
I own a gym and we don't allow outside athletes who are with other all star programs to take tumbling or privates at our facility.
 
what about your member athlete tumbling elsewhere?


All our kids take tumbling at our facility. Not many kids take it anywhere else.

In regards to why, our staff feels that we shouldn't be training other all star athletes if they are not part of our program. If you have a strong rec program, you won't need those athletes to make up for the revenue lost. My personal feeling is if you are going to "cheer" somewhere else, then take tumbling there as well. There are also plenty of gymnastics gyms to take tumbling at, which won't conflict with a competitive cheer program.
 
I have some athletes who take stunting privates at a gym an hour away. I don't have any problem with is because I have a really good relationship with the coaches at that program. If I could offer the stunting privates, I would probably feel differently, but I don't have the available time right now.

We do not allow our athletes to tumble at other all-star facilities though. We have an in-house full time tumbling director who offers privates and $5 hour long classes so there is ample opportunity for those types of lessons.
 
No one owns kids. Or the cartwheels we teach them. We do, however, reserve the right to request you stick to training at our facility where we know you're getting quality instruction. There are some cheap, fly by night instructors in our area that teach poor technique and we have had to fix a lot of their students. Bad habits take a long time to correct.
Other than that, we offer plenty of classes and private lessons so most of our customers see no need to go elsewhere.
 
Thinking about this, it would depend on the situation for me. If there was a gym where the owner offered privates/classes for athletes and the athlete still decided to drive to another gym, that would just feel disrespectful to me.
I say if you are a part of a gym, you need to train with that gym. BUT if your gym doesn't offer any privates/classes, maybe just talk to your coaches and make sure it's okay with them.
But I feel like open gyms are a different story sometimes. I remember one time while I was still in allstar, I was visiting my uncle's family down in Florida and I found a gym where they live & they had an open gym. I decided that I would just go and tumble for a little and see what it's like. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it.
 
I can't imagine it being a problem with anyone, I think??? If you were on vacation somewhere, and you researched a gym just to take tumbling classes, as to not lose skills.. I however would feel a little different if it was a kid that i coached, that decided for whatever reason to take lessons at another competing gym in the same area........ I really would be bothered by that....:confused::fro:
 
If you offer your athletes quality instruction in all aspects of cheerleading, they shouldn't have a reason to go elsewhere. If you don't offer that then you don't have a right to restrict where they go.
 
If you offer your athletes quality instruction in all aspects of cheerleading, they shouldn't have a reason to go elsewhere. If you don't offer that then you don't have a right to restrict where they go.
Quality based on whose perception, the gyms or the athlete/parents?
 
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