All-Star Idea: Multi Location Gyms Must Have Different Colors At Each Gym Location

[SharkDad]

Different locations under a gym name has been discussed in various forms before and I have even seen rules regarding it and I thought it already had standard terminology: There are programs and teams. Programs might have multiple gym locations. I hope this makes sense and clarifies terms that are being used.

It seems to me that we should be encouraging everyone to participate in athlete registration, membership in the USASF, and supporting universal rules for crossovers at USASF sanctioned events. That would eventually provide for the tracking and enforcement of the perceived problems this idea would solve.

From any USASF staff members I have ever spoken with, it is very clear they want to focus on rules that further regulating necessary areas of the sport and stay out of telling businesses how they should run. I would hope that is what we all want.

 

[SarahS]

To me this isn't about cheering teams on, this is about being able to identify one team from another when they compete against each other. Your CEA identifies your gym first, your "X" or logo second, and then lastly, your color. For example, if you were to paint all of the McDonald golden arches "teal", I would still be able to identify it as McDonald's by their arches. If you put up a "golden" triangle instead, I've lost the ability to identify McDonald's. In other words, your gym logo trumps your gym's color when it comes to down to identification, so your brand is not lost in the process.

Pink and Obsidian athletes and parents cheered each other on and handled competing against each other very well, but again, there were times where it became awkward. The two teams were the same size, wore the exact same uniform, different bows, however, there were times when they competed back to back and people were cheering "Go Pink" or "Go Obsidian" when it was the opposite team on the floor. Teams, parents, friends didn't do this to be rude, it was just an honest mistake. I can think of two events where they announced a placement and began walking toward the wrong team at awards. And most important, if schedule timing is off or they switch the order of teams, I can see how this could be an issue with accidently judging the wrong team. I know I don't take the popular stance, but I do see how this could be very beneficial.

If it is a problem within your program that is noticed by athletes and parents and you think it could be alleviated by different uniforms, then perhaps the athletes and parents could talk to ownership and suggest something like different uniforms for different locations. It seems that a rule like this is kind of like putting a plaster cast on the left leg of everyone in the hospital - sure, it will fix those people with broken left legs, but will hamper those who are there for pneumonia or who are just visiting.

I don't think USASF should bother itself with rules like this that really boil down to decisions that individual programs need to make to meet the needs of their customers. If it doesn't affect the safety of athletes or the integrity of the sport/athletic activity, broad rules like this should not be made.


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[catlady]

@SarahS People were stating they could not see any benefits to this rule. I put my opinion out there only because I had seen firsthand how it could be beneficial. If a gym does not put its teams up against each other at a competition, you're right, why change the color of the uniform. If, however, a gym chooses to have their teams competing against each other then, I see the value in the rule by making identification easier.

 

[King]

I have a feeling identification of individual locations is going to become an issue. It will take one high profile instance. It is just a matter of when.

 

[12stepCheermom]

Thanks to @catlady for helping clarify some of where this came from. I totally see where the awkwardness can come from but it seems like something they could handle internally. Either with different location uniforms or flipped colors or heck, other colors if your own folks are good with it. Like you I spot a ray from their logo first so if your kids are good wearing other colors I say go for it!

The program uniform for CSPs gyms are black and Kelly's are white (basically the same design just flipped colors). Our level 5s all have different uniforms from each other (hence the reason I own four and this is our first season with the gym)

Yesterday, our crowd was back to back to back with medium coed, lady elite and small coed. I actually like the different uniforms for different teams because they are easy to define what team it is, but I also like the continuity in them, you know they're all CEA rather than your first thought being "Charlotte" or "Kville" etc.

It is annoying (and I totally get this because it annoys me too) when EPs put the wrong location on their performance order or don't bother announcing the team name. That happened just the other week with Salem and Charlotte and lake Norman. There were only three teams in the division, they were all ours and they didn't announce team names in awards. That was just stupid on the EPs part Changing a uniform color wouldn't have helped that situation.

I'm with @mstealtoyou on how I view competing against ourselves. I yelled just as loud for SSX and SE at the majors and yesterday medium coeds goal was to be best of level 5. Well we had one deduction and lady elite smashed their routine (like 97.2! The best I've ever seen them) and won it. Yeah, I was bummed my kid's team didn't get it BUT I was very happy lady elite did. In all honesty having more of is there just gives me more people to root for. It's a little odd when only 1-2 of our teams are aomewhere, regardless of location I like having more of our teams than less.

I guess I say all that to say what I did before, if private gyms businesses want to address internal issues with uniforms or colors, go for it. I think they already do really. I just can't fathom a situation where those dictates would be necessary across the entire industry. Let gyms do what they need to in terms of their colors and branding to satisfy their individual situation. It doesn't seem like a USASF issue to me.
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[SarahS]

@SarahS People were stating they could not see any benefits to this rule. I put my opinion out there only because I had seen firsthand how it could be beneficial. If a gym does not put its teams up against each other at a competition, you're right, why change the color of the uniform. If, however, a gym chooses to have their teams competing against each other then, I see the value in the rule by making identification easier.

Oh, I definitely see your reasoning for your opinion, and I don't think it is a bad idea. I just think that it shouldn't be a rule that all gyms are forced to follow, but if your gym think it would make things easier, then there is nothing preventing them from doing so.

 

[MissCongeniality]

I guess what I have such a hard time wrapping my head around is WHY is it so horrible for teams to compete against each other? Or why we need to differentiate by color? I mean I know it isn't ideal and doesn't promote warm fuzzies in our "trophies for everyone" world, but look at the level 5 teams--- When there are two paid bids and you have multiple worlds teams, aren't they, in effect, competing against each other for that $? Doesn't competition often raise the level of performance? I was a swimmer. I regularly competed against teammates to win, to earn a coveted relay spot, to advance to a higher competition. Often our relay teams competed against each other (to use a more team view like cheer) and yes, we all wore the same "team" warmups. My son's lacrosse teams compete against other lacrosse programs and, because theirs is so large, against teams within their own program (though they typically wear a pinny over their uniform to differentiate on the field in this situation).

 

[King]

I guess what I have such a hard time wrapping my head around is WHY is it so horrible for teams to compete against each other? Or why we need to differentiate by color? I mean I know it isn't ideal and doesn't promote warm fuzzies in our "trophies for everyone" world, but look at the level 5 teams--- When there are two paid bids and you have multiple worlds teams, aren't they, in effect, competing against each other for that $? Doesn't competition often raise the level of performance? I was a swimmer. I regularly competed against teammates to win, to earn a coveted relay spot, to advance to a higher competition. Often our relay teams competed against each other (to use a more team view like cheer) and yes, we all wore the same "team" warmups. My son's lacrosse teams compete against other lacrosse programs and, because theirs is so large, against teams within their own program (though they typically wear a pinny over their uniform to differentiate on the field in this situation).

With the takeover of mega gyms and expanding and franchising it is actually eating up a lot of local competition. A certain mega gym owns an area (which is fine). But what allows a mega gym to grow and succeed locally is having local competition to compete against. One positive thing for mega gyms is if they were forced to all have separate colors (but same logo brand) they could always compete against themselves and always have guaranteed competition. The X-Evolution competitions are decent ideas but they can't replace competing against someone else. They are showcases, not competitions. If you were to grow a mega gym to own an entire region so much that it choked out all competition it would eventually hurt business and the growth of cheer.

In gymnastics its always nice because people can compete inner gym just fine. Cheer with different gyms with the same uniforms that is a hard sell to parents. 'Why are we always just competing against ourselves?'. This creates competition.

I don't think there needs to be unity from branded gym to branded gym. Besides helping start up a gym once going what does it provide?

 

[Cheermom1969]

I guess what I have such a hard time wrapping my head around is WHY is it so horrible for teams to compete against each other? Or why we need to differentiate by color? I mean I know it isn't ideal and doesn't promote warm fuzzies in our "trophies for everyone" world, but look at the level 5 teams--- When there are two paid bids and you have multiple worlds teams, aren't they, in effect, competing against each other for that $? Doesn't competition often raise the level of performance? I was a swimmer. I regularly competed against teammates to win, to earn a coveted relay spot, to advance to a higher competition. Often our relay teams competed against each other (to use a more team view like cheer) and yes, we all wore the same "team" warmups. My son's lacrosse teams compete against other lacrosse programs and, because theirs is so large, against teams within their own program (though they typically wear a pinny over their uniform to differentiate on the field in this situation).

Don't take away my warm fuzzy!

 

[5-6-7-8]

With the takeover of mega gyms and expanding and franchising it is actually eating up a lot of local competition. A certain mega gym owns an area (which is fine). But what allows a mega gym to grow and succeed locally is having local competition to compete against. One positive thing for mega gyms is if they were forced to all have separate colors (but same logo brand) they could always compete against themselves and always have guaranteed competition. The X-Evolution competitions are decent ideas but they can't replace competing against someone else. They are showcases, not competitions. If you were to grow a mega gym to own an entire region so much that it choked out all competition it would eventually hurt business and the growth of cheer.

In gymnastics its always nice because people can compete inner gym just fine. Cheer with different gyms with the same uniforms that is a hard sell to parents. 'Why are we always just competing against ourselves?'. This creates competition.

I don't think there needs to be unity from branded gym to branded gym. Besides helping start up a gym once going what does it provide?

I don't think USASF should be in the business of providing regulations to make it easier for mega-gyms to choke out local competition.

 

[King]

I don't think USASF should be in the business of providing regulations to make it easier for mega-gyms to choke out local competition.

It is happening regardless. This will just help continue growth as a whole.

 

[5-6-7-8]

It is happening regardless. This will just help continue growth as a whole.

True on the first part, though I still think at some point the brand of the "multi-gym" program becomes diluted anyway so not sure how much it helps overall growth (in the long term.) I think there are other barriers to growth in our industry that could be addressed.

ETA: I do love when you post these sorts of thinking questions though. I have probably learned more about the industry from these discussions than anything else.

 

[King]

True on the first part, though I still think at some point the brand of the "multi-gym" program becomes diluted anyway so not sure how much it helps overall growth (in the long term.) I think there are other barriers to growth in our industry that could be addressed.

ETA: I do love when you post these sorts of thinking questions though. I have probably learned more about the industry from these discussions than anything else.

It is always a fun discussion. And I think about 40% of them end up actually happening. Last example was making all legality deductions the same a fall.

 

[MyDaughterCheers]

I have a question for the people who are saying that having different colors would be like being on lower teams... If you chose not to go to the "main" location, are you not already choosing to be on a lower team, if indeed they are lower? I guess what I'm asking is if you made the choice to go to location B, C, or D instead of A, what would be the difference what color your uniform is?

 

[mstealtoyou]

To me this isn't about cheering teams on, this is about being able to identify one team from another when they compete against each other. Your CEA identifies your gym first, your "X" or logo second, and then lastly, your color. For example, if you were to paint all of the McDonald golden arches "teal", I would still be able to identify it as McDonald's by their arches. If you put up a "golden" triangle instead, I've lost the ability to identify McDonald's. In other words, your gym logo trumps your gym's color when it comes to down to identification, so your brand is not lost in the process.

Pink and Obsidian athletes and parents cheered each other on and handled competing against each other very well, but again, there were times where it became awkward. The two teams were the same size, wore the exact same uniform, different bows, however, there were times when they competed back to back and people were cheering "Go Pink" or "Go Obsidian" when it was the opposite team on the floor. Teams, parents, friends didn't do this to be rude, it was just an honest mistake. I can think of two events where they announced a placement and began walking toward the wrong team at awards. And most important, if schedule timing is off or they switch the order of teams, I can see how this could be an issue with accidently judging the wrong team. I know I don't take the popular stance, but I do see how this could be very beneficial.

Good points that I will definitely consider. Which I why I love reading here. I always take somethine new away from most topics I read. LOL Thank you for taking time to help me understand.