Yes, I want anonymity because my daughter wanted to move away from contacting the management, but I was very conscious of how my grandchild was affected by cheering at National Stars (ACA). Although they moved up North, my granddaughter would come home upset, bullied by other kids, and daughter looked down on by the team moms and parents. The dialogue between the coaches and athletes was extremely condescending. I understand kids may stretch the truth, but I cannot move away from the reviews and my subconscious remembers some of the same statements. On one occasion, I recall the owner setting up clothing sales of children clothes and sending emails for parents to come and buy them. Another occasion, cards being charged for 2 months at a time, and told just to not pay the next month. My fondest memory was the owner stating in the 20 page contract she was raising a young child and should not be contacted. Later, my thoughts would be the owner was allowing her staff to run the business but then more things became apparent. Coaches were sitting on kids stretching them, coaches cursing and hollering during practice, parents working the desk and discussing other accounts with team moms in the open, and declining bids year after year while lying about the actual scores. We had friends in other gyms and there was constant discussion about those owners and how bad the other gyms were. Isolating the parents and athletes by use of a travel packet which basically keeps the parents away from the arena and other teams and parents. This was strategically done. This lack of professionalism was concerning, but being a relocation was coming sincerely passed the subtle but apparent actions away. When reviewing the names of some of the reviews and speaking with my daughter, the ones by those long supporting parents. My daughter would hear them complain and threatened not to return, but they went back fully aware and in some cases their kids were the worse role models in the facility. Often, exciting bullying, saying negative things when the performance went wrong, and simple acting unsportsmanlike. The facility lacks diversity and those who are diverse actions are very classless and give an appearance of having no tact and lack any ability to show class when at competitions while making derogatory comments about other parents and gym publicly. Sadly, the facility is below average and no matter how pretty the website appears and the building (which does not light up) looks, it harbors a dark side of bullying, abuse, and following of those who lack the perseverance and couth to get the problems plaguing for 8 years to be properly addressed. Simplicity sometimes makes sense. For Example, a facility charges $3000 per athletes and has 100 ($300,000 + in revenue annually) not including additional costs for classes, uniform, bows, mandatory shirts, make up, shoes. Duplicate this for 8 years (millions made) and there is no growth as one review as to levels increasing (nothing higher than a 3 or 4), decent age eligible coaches, and parents not paying (what about scholarships), the biggest concern no ability to attend Worlds most prestigious event in cheer. Food for Thought? read more
