- Feb 5, 2011
- 3,431
- 5,767
Yes technically we run a tryout clinic. Common for a lot of gyms in our area. I think the word tryout is the confusing word in this thread since all different areas and gyms may interpret this word differently. In your case "tryout" is the one actual day where she goes in to be evaluated for a team. For us "tryouts" are a month long process where we work with your kid, followed by a day where we evaluate her on specific things for a team placement. For a month we try them out and they try us out. Ideally this helps with those that choose to leave after team selections. Obviously there will always be those that leave bc they don't like their team placement, but the ones that leave because they don't like how the gym is ran or the coaches coach is minimized. They have a feel for the gym and coaches during the tryout process, not after. Forcing to sign contracts though is ridiculous and should be a red flag in my opinion.I guess I am stuck on why would anybody coach children 2 nights a week for that duration of time without asking for payment... What you are providing is a service and/or clinics, which you should charge for those clinics? Why would any gym disguise a service and/or clinics as tryouts? In my thinking, tryout should be 1 time only...participants come in show their best stuff and then comeback to find out where they place in your organization and then given a little time to decide if you agree to the terms presented...nice, if not, move on to the next gym and pay to tryout somewhere else... Yes, a shoe store will look at you, like you crazy if asked to wear the merchandise without paying once leaving the store... but we are making an error in clarification - when you purchase shoes you are making a transaction and this is not a service...Tryouts at my daughter's gym is in early May and the 1st week, they provide the expected participants an opportunity to go to Tryout Clinics, they have about 5 0r 6 clinics, which you are charged $25 for each session, and in these clinics the participants are taught the dances, motions, stunts and given tumbling classes... There is a clear distinction to a service (tryout clinics) and tryout ... There is a flat fee of $40.00 for tryout and the actual tryout last 20 minutes and this year they included a second day to evaluate stunting and then the third day-team placement, which takes all but 30 minutes, the participants are called in by levels and the coaches for those prospective teams will call out their team roster, somewhat like a draft pick,,, the draft pick is good for those who make those coveted teams, but last year, I felt so bad for those who did not get called, but all these things happened without a contract! So, when you show up in June and pay for June, that is when a semi-contract comes into existence...and actually, it is in July when you find out about competition schedule, cheer camp payment, etc and first payment for competitions fee:cheering:
By your post, your daughters tryout technically costs $190 (assuming she attends all days and the additional $40 fee.) Posting that number would cause similar reactions to other posts in this thread of high prices. How dare a gym charge $190 for tryouts, but that isn't what it seems and gyms shouldn't be considered ripping people off or shady for charging such. I'm assuming most people in this thread who have a high tryout price are similar, it's just all in how the gym presents itself.
). It's awesome. Actually, it was great cross-training for cheer because of the amount of jumping and conditioning we did. I did both school and 'AAU' (allstar volleyball). Team of maybe 7-8. We kicked butt.
