My Experience with Rogue Cheer Athletics and Owner Becky Abbott…read more
I wanted to share my personal experience so that other parents can make informed decisions before enrolling their children at Rogue Cheer Athletics.
Long story short, my daughter chose not to participate in cheer this season due to several instances of condescending and inappropriate behavior from the owner, Becky Abbott. Some of these interactions took place directly with me through text and others face-to-face with my 11-year-old daughter, which I found completely inappropriate.
When I, as the parent, requested a meeting to address my concerns, Becky told me, "That's not how this works. Period."
After that, I asked for a refund and informed her that we would no longer be part of Rogue Cheer. She refused and claimed I was bound by a contract from the previous year, which was not valid for the current season.
After multiple back-and-forth conversations, she initially agreed to refund only $250 of the $2,500 owed, then raised it to $500, then $800, calling it "half", which it clearly was not. I declined those offers and asked for a full refund. She then proposed to repay $2,500 in $100 monthly installments over 25 months, which I also declined.
While I was still responding to her message, she sent me $100 via Venmo without agreement and then stopped communicating.
When no further payments came in, I was forced to file a small-claims case.
At court, the judge ruled in my favor, stating that her business practices were not legal, that her contract was invalid, and that she needed to get her business practices in order before continuing to operate. He emphasized that she was stealing, and what she was doing was considered theft. He even pointed out that her website emphasizes "doing the godly and right thing," which he reminded her she had failed to uphold.
Following the ruling, I sent her a formal demand for payment, generously allowing 30 days to comply. On the final night of that deadline, she sent the full payment, only after being contacted again.
I'm sharing this so that other families are aware before committing to Rogue Cheer Athletics. There are other cheer programs in the Rogue Valley that operate with integrity, transparency, and respect, I strongly recommend exploring those instead.
It's also worth noting that Becky Abbott is currently under investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice, which anyone can verify through public record.
If Becky Abbott (Rogue Cheer Athletics) owes you money, I strongly urge you to file a small claims case. She shouldn't be able to do this to people.