the thing i love about our gym is that were all a family. i also love how our coaches are not just coaches there like older borthers or sisters. we can talk to them about anything, not just cheer stuff.

Anonymous wrote:

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Im looking to start a new cheer gym here in cali next season and i was just wondering if any coaches or gym owners have any tips or suggestions. And cheerleaders i was just wondering if you guys have anything you love about your gym or anything you wish you were getting out of your guy that your not.

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Someone needs to open up a gym in the Antelope Valley. There are so many cheerleaders out here but no where good to cheer. lol

Good luck to you, just be positive, love your girls, have patience, and don't forget about the girls when they grow taller, they can still fly and look beautiful in the air, they don't need to be 12 and under, lol! Don't forget about the Special needs teams either, they will bring so much joy to your gym

be upfront about cost. No hidden cost. If your contract says all inclusive be sure that it is all inclusive.  If you have to add a fee because your over looked cost, just state the reason why and not just bill the parents. That leads me tothe next suggestion... great communication is the key. Be sure the parents and cheerleaders know and understand your policies at the gym. Don't say you will have a parent information meeting and it never happens or you throw it in right before you compete at a all squad practice day etc... keep that seperate so that parents can ask pertinent questions.
what i mss at my gym that i see at other gyms at comps, is the spirt and team unity amongstthe fans and spectators. This builds the squads confidence, no matter how big or small the gym is.
Having tumbling classes but also including tumbling at practice.
Coaches who are able to coach at the appropriate levels.  Squiads who can compete well at the appropriate levels.
I love seeing other teams who are completely uniformed at cheer comps. Be it full uniform or tshirts and shorts exactly the same. it is a sense of pride.
Make sure to include team bonding. especially before the season gets started. this allows for the squad to bond and leads to them not wanting to let their team members down once the seasin gets in full swing. 
flashy uniforms and sensible makeup. big bows.
coaches who love kids and are certified and knowledgeable
coaches/owners with backbones
gym owners who are involved
This right here will go a long way. Hire someone to work your front dest/reception area and that is there only job. They should be friendly and caring. The person at the front desk will sell your gym.  It should never be a gym owner or coach who rarely has time to answer phones or address questions by the kids or parents. tons of people will volunteer for this job.
hire a seperate bookkeeper or do it yourself. this shouldn't be the receptionist.
plan out your season in full
squad retreats are so much fun
get rid of the trouble makers or else they will taint your gym. it is better to lose one than a whole bunch. have a back bone
communication communication communication

good luck with your gym

be very organized.
don't let girls mouth off to you.
make them respect you.
don't let the stress get to you.
take it one day at a time.
try to make a connectioon with the cheerleaders, and parents.
they parents are paying money for you to teach their sons/daughters how to cheer, tumble, dance, stunt.

Do NOT start it in an area where there are already gyms / youth / HS programs.  People consistantly try to open gyms in my area where we have 2 youth organizations, 3 HS programs and 3 All Star Gyms.  And almost of all of the cheerleaders in my area only cheer for 1 program!

RUN YOU BUSINESS HOW YOU WANT IT!!!  Don't let parents or cheerleaders tell you how they think it should be done or where they should be in routines etc.  Take advice and remember you need happy customers but remember IT IS YOUR GYM AND YOUR BUSINESS and the customer is not always right.

HAVE FUN!!!

Dont let your higher level teams out shine your lower level teams, level 1 champs are just as important as level 4 & 5.  DONT PLAY FAVORITES.  Dont get lazy at practices.   It can be hard to remember all the rules / streching / work out programs that you put in place, but try try try not to forget them.  The first time you let a rule slide or an exercise slide the kids will remember and it will become a hard to fix problem.

Dont be afraid of costs / rules / policies etc that you want to put in place.  Dont "beat around the bush"  If you act like its alot then the parents will think its alot.

take ALOT of time to do your budget!!!!  I always run into extra costs here and there I did not plan for.  Make a list and keep it for a long time, continue to add to it as you remember things.  Money is the 1 thing that will keep you from growing!

HAVE APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT, mirrors, spring floor, tumble tracks etc.

Hope I helped!

where is this gym going to open at?

First of all I run a gym and these comments are all great in a perfect world, but remember its your dream and passion.

Always stay true to your goals and standards
Run it your way, not someone else's or you will never be completley happy
Have a strong DEDICATED staff
Talk to parents, not at them
Communication is the biggest thing, let parents and athletes know. Especially in California, people can't do anything last minute, which sucks but its the reality.
Put money into equipment, athletes, and staff before anything else
Set up your teams based on the USASF skills they have, not the ones YOU want them to have
Last, just take it easy. It is very stressful, regardless of what all these kids and parents try to say. They will try and run you, but just stick to your rules and you should be fine.


Good Luck

This is what I would like to see as a parent
POSTED PRICES listed out whether it is all inclusive or not.  If there are addiitonal costs that may or may not be added please let us know.  It is better to know that the cost is 3 thousand dollars plus competition fees, uniforms, travel and choreography.  We live on a tight budget and it is hard to plan when we also have to consider travel etc for the family.
Another good idea is having a list of contacts who do we call for certain items.
Coaches, not only have certified coaches have coaches who show they care.  I prefer to have a Owner run the gym and deal with parents and allow the coaches coach since the majority of coaches are college or young (18 to 30).  It is better to have someone who has experience working with parents talking to them.  Some of the younger coaches dont get it.
If you are starting a new gym make sure you have a place to practice and enough money to carry your gym for at least the first 6 months to a year.  This will prevent any problems in cost and paying for things.
Do have plenty of practice space. Not shared space when the teams are practicing it is difficult for my daughter when there are two teams practicing at the same time.  They seem to watch eachother.
I think the #1 thing to consider is cost.  How much will you charge.  Dont short your gym.  Charge what you feel is necessary and cover all the costs and ensure you are making a profit.  Not that this is all about profit but it is important that the gym is thriving and making enough money for those unexpected expenses.