All-Star Gyms Releasing Athletes

[SthrnCheerMom]

I would think even if she flat out quit and re tried out for another gym she would still need a release? Yes or no?

Yes. And if this is what she did, I would most likely be on her side. But that's not how she went about it.

 

[SL&AM]

I would like to see this rule abolished OR have it added to where an athlete has to release a gym from replacing their spot on a roster. How many times have we heard of Athlete A being taken off World Team A and replaced the month before worlds. If gyms can do this, this should not be able to hold an athlete hostage.

If this teenager was being bullied and it was not being handled, then I side with her 100% of the time. WE needs to stop coming off as immature and petty and release her.

 

[SL&AM]

There’s a lot of gray area here, but what matters ultimately is: she signed an agreement. Mom and daughter knew the rules and didn’t live up to them. It sounds like this girl tried to cover all her bases and snuck over to PA to check out the scene before officially giving up her spot on WE first. Can’t do it, kid.

There’s been a lot of back and forth about “Oh she should just be happy” and “If they can win NCA without her why are they keeping her?” Not the point. The contact is there for a reason and she didn’t honour it. Strictly speaking, WE is not at fault here and is under no obligation to release her. In fact, if they did release her at this point it would set an extremely bad precedent for the future. It’ll teach anyone at that gym that if they complain loud enough, the rules can be tailored to their demands. Which you just can’t allow. It’d be akin to a coach demanding that a judge remove a tumbling deduction because “Can’t you just let the athlete be happy? Look how sad she is because of this. Just undo it.” Nope. Those are the rules. You agreed to them when you signed up. If you can’t afford the tumble bust, don’t throw the pass.

I don’t know about the other allegations of bullying. If they’re true, my heart goes out to her. I was bullied on my first HS cheer team. It blows and it’s not right. But it begs the question: if the bullying was that bad, why didn’t she just quit outright? Mom and daughter could’ve handled this in about a billion better ways.

And lastly, if she doesn’t get to compete at Worlds this year as a result of this, it’s not the end of the world. She’s young still. If she’s good enough for WE, then she’s got a bright future ahead of her wherever she goes and will have plenty of chances to win Worlds at the senior level with whatever team she chooses. She’ll be fine.

In our experience, the contract also included a section about athletes behavior and bullying. If she was being bullied and they did nothing to protect her, then they also breached their contract first.

I pulled my kids mid-season on this very issue and I did not pay the 'breaking contract' fee.

 

[CLynn]

I would like to see this rule abolished OR have it added to where an athlete has to release a gym from replacing their spot on a roster. How many times have we heard of Athlete A being taken off World Team A and replaced the month before worlds. If gyms can do this, this should not be able to hold an athlete hostage.

It is disappointing for the athlete but when we pay our registration fee it is pretty clear that team placements and decisions are are at the sole discretion of the program and they retain the right to make changes at any point. If their language is similar it does not seem like hostage taking to me. It would appear gracious to release her but I think that truly depends on the backstory.

If this teenager was being bullied and it was not being handled, then I side with her 100% of the time. WE needs to stop coming off as immature and petty and release her.

Agreed. If there was bullying or other factors to be considered then an arbitrator, board, or other independent party who can make that determination would seem necessary.

 

[UCFKnights07]

Yes. And if this is what she did, I would most likely be on her side. But that's not how she went about it.

I just dont believe in being forced to stay if the athlete is unhappy... Even if she was taken out of the air and replaced. If she decided she didnt like it anymore why should a gym have control over an athlete possibly looking into trying out for another team.
I guess I just dont agree with the rule thats in place. As an adult if I dont like what im getting out of a program I should be free to take my money elsewhere. Not be given the ultimatium of stay and be miserable or quit and your season is over.

 

[CLynn]

If she decided she didnt like it anymore why should a gym have control over an athlete possibly looking into trying out for another team.
I guess I just dont agree with the rule thats in place. As an adult if I dont like what im getting out of a program I should be free to take my money elsewhere. Not be given the ultimatium of stay and be miserable or quit and your season is over.

Because most athletes and families make a commitment at the beginning of the year? And it would be devastating to teams and programs if athletes could just hop all season long to find a better position? Nobody wants athletes or parents to be miserable but I understand why protections are in place.

 

[MomMomMamaMom]

In our experience, the contract also included a section about athletes behavior and bullying. If she was being bullied and they did nothing to protect her, then they also breached their contract first.

I pulled my kids mid-season on this very issue and I did not pay the 'breaking contract' fee.

I get this, but before people jump to the conclusion this had anything to do with bullying it should have actually been claimed. This girl wrote a 5 page note on why she quit, and even she did not claim to be bullied. Instead she said she had issues with someone, and the coaches. A majority of her stated reasoning was about how she felt about being taken out of the air, and about how they weren’t sensitive to her about it. They told her mom right before practice, they asked her to teach the new flyer the counts, they asked her if she was going to quit, instead of asking her if she was okay. A crappy thing to experience for sure, but not a reason to break a contract.

I get the concept that if teams can replace athletes, then athletes can replace teams. I also get the concept that cheer contracts aren’t athlete oriented. However, I disagree completely with the idea that an athlete can leave a team because they are mad, and expect to be entitled to go to Worlds a couple of months later automatically. The child, the parent, and the new gym needed to take the proper steps for this to happen, and they chose not to.

As a side note, this girl hasn’t been simply exited from cheer. She got to go and compete at, and win NCA. She’s made connections with a gym that seems to appreciate her. She is very likely to get opportunities there next year.

And as another side note, the new gym has to be aware this child was associated with another program.. she knew several people there. They definitely knew the rules about releases, they advertised for some one not associated with another program.

 

[coacha]

I am not a fan of the rule at all.

I understand the making a commitment to a team and sticking that out, and I fully stand behind that BUT

1. These are not professional athletes, they are children.
2. All star gyms are essentially providing a service that you pay to be a part of, thus, you should be allowed to take your money elsewhere if the service is not meeting your needs for whatever reason.

Holding someone hostage on a team or in a program is only going to be a cancer. Why force the issue?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I commented on this in the other thread and I'm coming from a high school coaching background so I only understand the rule from reading it (high school athletes can't really switch schools midseason to cheer.)

My thoughts:

The door swings both ways.

You cannot pull kids from positions and expect them to want to stay, then also not allow them to go elsewhere. Or not allow a parent to take money elsewhere.

Also I've had to make some tough decisions before to benefit teams. I always tried to do it in such a way that a kid or parent did not feel blindsided.

Here's the thing: If you are constantly having to pull/threaten/have parents wanting to pull kids midseason or saying they won't come back, the problem is you.

Either you are making poor team selections/placement decisions from jumpstreet or you are a toxic coach.

If you are making good decisions from May, you won't be pulling, moving, threatening in February.

Yes, I know there are parents out there who can and do freak out when Suzy is the slightest bit unhappy. But those usually a small percentage.

If people are constantly upset at coaching decisions - they're not being entitled, dramatic, or uncommitted, you are the issue.

 

[njallday]

You do not own athletes. Period. The end.


"Honoring commitments" and "finishing what you started" is a parenting lesson, not one that concerns anyone else, especially not the emotional and often egotistical ADULTS in the cheer world. She's a kid. If the debts to the gym are paid, let them go. Even if there are debts, let them go and take them to collections. Life is freaking short. Sticking it out if you're miserable is just as bad as holding an athlete hostage who doesn't want to be there. Let. them. go.

 

[MomMomMamaMom]

You do not own athletes. Period. The end.


"Honoring commitments" and "finishing what you started" is a parenting lesson, not one that concerns anyone else, especially not the emotional and often egotistical ADULTS in the cheer world. She's a kid. If the debts to the gym are paid, let them go. Even if there are debts, let them go and take them to collections. Life is freaking short. Sticking it out if you're miserable is just as bad as holding an athlete hostage who doesn't want to be there. Let. them. go.

But you can go, and take your money elsewhere, and train, and compete at any competition but Worlds. That’s better than what school athletes in my state get. Here they have to sit out a season if they switch schools.

 

[luv2cheer92]

But you can go, and take your money elsewhere, and train, and compete at any competition but Worlds. That’s better than what school athletes in my state get. Here they have to sit out a season if they switch schools.

This. It's definitely much stricter at the school level, also where athletes are usually paying to play.

I understand that Worlds is a big deal to some, but it's just one competition. And that is the only competition this limits. If you're cheering just to go to Worlds, you're cheering for the wrong reason.

Obviously there are exceptions, but I feel like most of the time if you leave on good terms, you will get the release. But doing it in a shady manner leaves me less sympathy and leads me to side with the gym.

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[njallday]

But you can go, and take your money elsewhere, and train, and compete at any competition but Worlds. That’s better than what school athletes in my state get. Here they have to sit out a season if they switch schools.

Years ago I probably would have agreed with you.

I do agree that Worlds is just one competition of many that you'd be barred from... maybe I'm just jaded after decades in the industry, but the egos and power trips of coaches stomping their feet and saying "if you aren't happy with us, you can't be happy with anyone" is tiring. It's not worth it. It is freaking EXPENSIVE. I will pay to cheer and compete where I d@mn well please, thank you very much. It's just cheerleading. At the club level. With no collegiate scholarship or Olympic opportunity. Seriously.

 

[UCFKnights07]

This. It's definitely much stricter at the school level, also where athletes are usually paying to play.

I understand that Worlds is a big deal to some, but it's just one competition. And that is the only competition this limits. If you're cheering just to go to Worlds, you're cheering for the wrong reason.

Obviously there are exceptions, but I feel like most of the time if you leave on good terms, you will get the release. But doing it in a shady manner leaves me less sympathy and leads me to side with the gym.

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But not everyone is going to leave the gym on good terms, so should the athletes be penalized if they didnt leave on good graces... Some places just arent a right fit for people.

 

[cheermomforever]

I agree there needs to be a rule, or gyms would and do promise the World to an athlete if they come to them. Athletes would skip and jump from gym to gym because they are not happy with decisions made about them and their spot, or team especially before Worlds. Some athletes go to a gym depending on what they are offered. But if a gym chooses to let someone go from the team, spot, they put them on at the start and mid season it changes, then that athlete should be released. but as said above there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Tough rule sometimes.