re-open focus.

Date: Sun Nov 12 7:13 PM, 2006

RE: re-open focus.

Date: Mon Nov 13 9:53 PM, 2006

I dont get it why did focus go otu of buisness and the other cheer gyms . com teams didnt.

Date: Mon Nov 13 10:18 PM, 2006

i miss it sooo much!!!!!!!!
i seriously think about it every day and i miss it. i would definitely do it if anyone starts it up again

Date: Wed Nov 15 6:11 PM, 2006

i think that since so many ppl are expressing how much they miss focus, we could EASILY get the word out about it starting up again and being better than ever!

everyone interested, start a list .. we can bring them together at the focus reunion and talk about it

sounds like a plan to me!

Date: Wed Nov 15 9:33 PM, 2006

I think you need to ask yourselves what would be different than last year? If you re-opened, why do you think this time it will stay open? Haven't others moved on to different gyms by now? You'd have to have a guarantee those members would come back, and that you would have even more than you had last year. Just saying it's not easy to keep a gym open these days. Maybe if you had several investors so that the financial burden is spread out in the event things don't work out.

Date: Thu Nov 16 9:02 PM, 2006

omg omg i dont like negative nancy's this is about FOCUS re-opening so why would someone post something about it not!!

I MISS COMPETITIVE cheerleading every single day of my life, i wish there was something we could do and since it doenst seem like FOCUS is reopeing anytime soon, or at least by the time i graduate...the only thing we have to look forward to is the reunion, it is a shame FOCUS had to close and i am still so sad....but please dont close any more gyms or ruin the cheergyms experience that i have loved for other girls/boys!!

♥ an x FOCUS lady!!

Date: Sun Nov 19 11:59 AM, 2006

Please dont

Date: Sun Nov 19 12:25 PM, 2006

I think you have to understand the issues that cause gyms to close.

#1 is rent and regular monthly bills. To rent your own building in Northern California that has enough square footage for a full-sized cheer floor with a bit of office/lobby space, you are looking at around $3000/month. This doesn't include things like your first month/last month/security deposit, utilities (roughly $400-500/month for a gym this size), phone ($100-200/month) and liability insurance (through the roof lately, I don't even know what it's gone up to this year).

#2 is equipment. Floors are around $5500 new, sometimes you can find them used for a little less. Tumble track, other necessary mats, wedges, etc are not cheap. And without a spring floor, you will not attract many athletes.

#3 is athletes/families that DON'T PAY THEIR DUES. This is a dirty little secret in our world but you would be simply shocked to overhear a conversation in which gym owners discuss how much money they have to send to collections at the end of a season. I know of one very successful gym in Northern California that writes off upwards of $15000-20000 PER SEASON due to deadbeats that don't pay. I wish gym owners would get together to create some sort of cheer "credit bureau" and not allow kids to jump from a gym they owe money to a new gym without first clearing their debt.

It is extremely expensive to start up a gym and keep up with the monthly upkeep. I'm not trying to be negative but these are a lot of things a lot of people don't think of, and doesn't include things like paying and insuring your coaches and paying them for travel. Just in a very small building with the minimum space needed, you would need a minimum of 50-60 kids paying $200 in just tuition alone (not including competition fees, uniform, choreography, etc) just to clear the monthly bills. And those are the kids whose families are actually paying what they owe each month in a timely fashion.

Not trying to be a "negative nancy" or whatever you called it...but it's nice to have warm fuzzy feelings for your old gym and staff and have a list of people who are interested, but you need to see if it's even realistic monetarily. I would guess if it were, it would not have closed in the first place.

Date: Sun Nov 19 6:15 PM, 2006

i understand about the money issue. but is it more of an ego issue as well? if girls are that willing to get back in it because of the FAMILY feeling, and parents are willing to volunteer, is it really necessary to have a gym of their own. plenty of places rent out time in gymnastics facilities. honestly, i think its more of an ego issue. if the owners cant have their own gym they dont want to settle for anything less. going from having your own facility to practicing in a rented one that isn't your own isn't a problem.

open it for the girls.
even if you're renting out somewhere,
give them somewhere to cheer.

Date: Sun Nov 19 10:02 PM, 2006

ya! do it for the girls

ps. its been done baby

Date: Sun Nov 19 10:10 PM, 2006

Sadly, I think you'd be surprised at how few gymnastics facilities will rent out their space. It's often in direct competition with their services - if a child is cheering, they probably aren't taking recreational gymnastics classes. Believe me, I feel for you guys and am empathetic, but it's very very expensive to run a gym even under the best of real estate circumstances. A good idea might be to see how many kids you can get together to carpool to another gym - maybe Gold Star or even Motions. I know it won't be the same but it's as good as you make it!

Date: Sun Nov 19 11:06 PM, 2006

From what I've been reading on this board other members from gyms that have closed seem happy with the gyms they are now part of. New families, new friends. Cherish the memories you had and remember the past, but don't dwell on it. Life is too short.

Date: Mon Nov 20 1:16 PM, 2006

we all did move on to other gyms and none of us were having a good time because it wasnt a family like focus. now none of us are cheering at that gym.

Date: Mon Nov 20 2:45 PM, 2006

Apparently that gym was not the right gym... keep trying. Believe me there are plenty out there that have many dedicated members who feel like they are part of a family, just like cheergyms. Sounds like you've already given up and/or are not willing to travel very far. But you would have more luck finding another gym than trying to reopen one that has closed, unless you and the others are willing to go into business together.

Date: Mon Nov 20 10:50 PM, 2006

speak for everyone .. speak for yourself

you dont know what its like having the best thing of your life end. seriously, unless this actually happened to you

and not ALL of us have moved on, and actually over half of us were stuck not cheering anywhere

Date: Mon Nov 20 11:24 PM, 2006

There is a saying, Misery Is Optional. In any situation, you can decide to dwell and mope for hours, days, years... or you can try to make the best of it and make some changes. Sometimes things happen for a reason. You're not "stuck" not cheering anywhere, it's your choice.

Date: Tue Nov 21 12:55 AM, 2006

I've read through all these posts about re-opening Focus and I have some questions/observations:

1. Does anyone here really think closing a gym was about an ego trip?

2. Anyone remember the saying, "you can't go home again?" That doesn't mean one can't visit a place, but that nothing is ever the SAME. It may be better, worse or just different, but it will never be the same.

3. If there is so much demand for the gym to reopen, why doesn't someone else open a replacement? Probably can't be called Focus for legal reasons, but I be Disperse or Dissipate are available. I'm sure that hundreds of families eager to pay would beat down the door.

The fact is that businesses close because there isn't enough demand. Doesn't mean that someone else can't make changes to a plan and make it work. Happens in the restaurant business all the time. But unless a miracle occurs, a reopening isn't going to happen.

Hope everyone finds a new cheer home to create a new set of memories.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Date: Tue Nov 21 11:31 AM, 2006

a new gym opening because theres a very talented coach in the area that is nice enough to give us all focus' environment.

and its not moping around.. its not wanting to settle for anything that doesnt feel like a family.

when i went to practice at the other gym.. honestly, paying more than $100 a month tuition more than focus, being stuck in commute traffic for two hours, and then getting to the gym and STILL not feeling like a part of the team after SIX MONTHS is not something that anybody would enjoy.

so i dont think its fair for anyone to say taht its our own fault were miserable.

thank u to that coach who cared enough about our family at focus to open up a team.

Date: Tue Nov 21 8:44 PM, 2006

thank you

i agree. and we didnt put ourselves there, we were STUCK in that horrible situation

thank you to the most kind-hearted person ive ever met for changing so many of our lives and took the step in opening a new gym for us. i can not wait until it starts... im litterally counting the days!

i hope everything works out better than before
and thank u to this message board for starting the idea of it "comming back"
and an even bigger thank u to the person that made our dreams reality
your sooooo loved!

Date: Tue Nov 21 9:34 PM, 2006

So someone was able to pull this off in 3 weeks? (1st post Nov 2). Wow! Hope it works out for you guys.