Uniform? Check.
Sneakers? Check.
Cheer Bows? Check.
Pom Poms? Check.
Does this list look familiar? Anyone involved in cheerleading will know what it takes to be part of the squad. But what about warm-up apparel, shoes, ribbons, makeup, “spirit” fees, tuition/registration/competition fees, practice gear, tumbling classes, gym fees, and cheer camp?
The hidden costs of cheerleading can be staggering, but to those who are dedicated to the sport, they are just another cost of doing business. And if your child wants to cheer outside of school, there are All-Star gym fees, including coaching, travel, additional uniforms, and choreography.
It is well known that cheerleading is one of the more expensive extracurricular activities. Schools generally do not provide extra funding for cheer programs, unlike core sports such as football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. For these sports, there are few, if any, additional costs as the school supplies the uniforms for free. Cheer parents are on the hook for the cost of their child being a cheerleader, but many do it happily. The benefits of cheerleading to them often outweigh the high costs.
But where do you buy all the necessary equipment? Ask any cheerleader and they most likely will know the name Varsity and Varsity Brands. When it comes to cheerleading, Varsity Brands seems to be everywhere.
The Joseph Saveri Law Firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against Varsity Brands and the U.S. All Star Federation, Inc. (USASF), alleging that Varsity and USASF have taken advantage of Varsity’s rise to power by price-fixing and monopolizing competitive cheer.
Because Varsity is so large, our clients allege that Varsity has the clout to dictate prices and control the majority of the cheerleading industry and market. The key parts of the market are competitions, camps, and apparel. But with so many competitions with different names, it would seem as though they are all being held by different companies. But the truth is that Varsity Brands controls almost 90% of the competitive market as they own UCA, NCA, USA Cheer, the American Cheerleaders Association, JAMFest, and the Universal Dance Association. Varsity Brands controls all the major cheerleading competitions, and our clients allege the fees associated with the competitions have increased since their acquisition by Varsity. The USASF has a board of directors with 12 seats, seven of which belong to Varsity Brands. Additionally, Varsity manufactures and sells the apparel, accessories, and equipment that athletes are required to use. The result? Families have no choice but to pay the prices set by Varsity. They have indirectly paid higher prices for competitions, apparel, camps, and related goods and services.
Our legal team is here to help. Contact our team if you have paid for Varsity’s high competition fees, overpriced uniforms, camps, and inflated stay-to-play hotel charges. If you have family members or friends who participate or have participated in cheer with a gym, a club, or through their school, and have paid Varsity’s prices for cheer competitions, uniforms, camps, equipment, or other fees and charges, we may be able to help.
Any information provided will be kept in the strictest confidence provided by law.
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