Specifically if you are considering the cheer program, some things to ask about-
1. Coach and athlete turnover rate
2. The breakdown in allocation of tuition if competitions or practices are cancelled
3. If it is important to you-the specific COVID protocols for when an athlete or staff member tests positive, contact tracing procedures, how soon impacted individuals are notified, how many athletes must be quarantined before deciding to cancel practices and who is responsible for making sure these protocols are followed
For some background in the business practices of Carolina Flipz as a whole:
In my daughters 5th year as an athlete in the Carolina Flipz cheer program, My wife privately raised a safety concern with the owner, Angi Davis, via email regarding compliance with the county mask mandate after seeing no employees and no family members in the lobby wearing masks one Sunday afternoon. Instead of inquiring further as to why she was asking the question, she responded with the line of the mandate that states you are not required to ask people why they are not wearing masks. My wife replied that she felt her response said a lot about her regard for family and athlete safety and thanked her for her time. In response, my daughters enrollment was quickly terminated. After her calling my wife, apologizing, and admitting that the situation was mishandled, Flipz then charged our account an early withdrawal fee and demanded we fill out and sign an early withdrawal form.
As this was a termination of enrollment to protect Carolina Flipz and not a request on our part for withdrawal or a dismissal for failure to follow policies, we disputed being responsible for this fee. At this point, their office manager called and stated "if you don't sign the form and pay the fee what we would do is calculate tuition for the remainder of the season through May and send that total to collections." This was clearly a threat to intimidate us into paying the withdrawal fee that the owner has never acknowledged occurring. Later, the owner stated she would hold on to practice wear items we had already paid for until the fee, which was already sent to collections, had been paid. The cheer director, Carissa Sawyers, sent my wife an email to pick up the practice wear a few days later that coincidentally arrived the same day we received notification that my complaint to the NC State Attorney Generals Office was sent to Carolina Flipz.
Whether the gym followed through with their threats or not, the fact that they were made speaks volumes to their business practices.
And although we were told our family was dismissed for "not inspiring a positive atmosphere," in further communications from the gym my wife was called strong-headed, not solution oriented (although no alternative solutions were offered by Carolina Flipz either), and accused of just wanting to stir up drama.
After these repeated attacks on her character and paying the fee to prevent any damage to her credit, she offered Carolina Flipz a compromise for a solution since they appeared to suggest they were open to one but have not heard from them since the fee was paid. Again, it has been made clear what the priority was.
I'm sure the owner will respond with something along the lines of, "we were just following the handbook," however, doing something you feel you have the right to do and actually doing the right thing are not always one in the same and the owner has repeatedly shown were her priorities lie and which choice she will make if given the option between the two.
It is up to you where you'd like to spend your money, but with so many other options, I'd suggest paying the several hundred dollars per month to a business that will consistently do the right thing even if it isn't the option that is to their financial benefit. read more