East Manatee Bulldogs Football and Cheer Pop Warner Football and Cheer Refusal of Refund BATE and SWITCH Bradenton Florida

 This is a chapter of Pop Warner sport youth organization run and operated by a board of directors that happen to be the coaches. The fees for sign up are 400 dollars. Why would anyone sign up with a fee of the amount if they were not sure they would be able to comitt to it? If you visit the website which I have printed out you will see that the rules that were being disputed have since been changed and the change actually dated. This indicates that they KNOW they were out of the contract that we and all other paticipants agreed upon. Further the assumption that the refund policy is in place because these spots are in SUCH HIGH DEMAND is absolutely ludicrice. They has a turn out of maybe 30 girls and were reduced to begging for referrals when the meeting took place after practice! The fees for registration are not for uniforms or shoes or anything else that would "belong" to the cheerleader as the rules the coache handed out informed parents that the uniforms needed to be returned at the end of the season. So I ask you what are all these fees for? Oh, I think I remember! The coach specifically and with great force stated that the cheerleaders go to regionals EVERY YEAR and that the competitions are expensive. This practice that these individuals use has nothing to do with kids, sports, integrity, community, or honesty. It has to to with that TITLE they so plainly state is the main priority. To address the writer of the rebuttal, lies of omission are still lies. I have the email from your cheer chiarperson and Im not sure how you dispute that when it is in writing.  I may have my request denied but I am a firm believer in doing whats right. This is a shameful action and not what any one would expect of a youth sports organization.

The East Manatee Bulldogs are a 100% community volunteer run organization and was founded in 1993. It is a 501©3 Not for Profit and part of the Pop Warner National Organization.   This is a competitive youth football and cheer organization with limited roster spots for participation.  Registrations are taken on a first come first serve basis to reserve a roster spot for the upcoming season.  Because of the limited spaces available for participation once a roster for a team is full, potential participants are directed to other organizations to play, thereby loosing potential revenue.  Because of the limited roster spots there is a strict and documented refund policy that parents sign with a physical or electronic signature which clearly outlines the refund policy of the organization.   As the beginning of the season gets closer to starting, the amount of any potential refunds declines and is clearly outlined in the refund policy.  This is due to the need to make commitments on the number of teams that will be participating up thru the National Organization, as well as the need to purchase uniform and/or equipment items the participants need for the upcoming season.   We make a commitment to them that they have a roster spot, they commit to us that their child will participate.  After certain dates, money has been spent based on those commitments.

Regarding this specific complaint,  unfortunately,  the poster of this report is/ was under the belief that our organization was there to accommodate her and her daughter’s personal schedule as opposed to participating in the organization with the other 150+ families who signed up.  The writer was provided with a schedule of practice days and time, as well as the expected time commitment to attend games on Saturday in preparation for competitive events at the time she registered her child (including signing the refund policy).  After showing up at the first practice they stated they couldn’t commit to being at the games on Saturdays because they needed to be at their farm (Saturdays are game days and a large portion of the leagues activities) and wanted a refund.  When we explained the refund policy she proceeded to come up with various other issues and complaints in an attempt to get a refund.  Because of her insistence, her specific refund request was brought before our Board of Directors and in a unanimous vote, voted not to give her a refund.   During her attempt to get a refund she has made threats to slander our organization with her “view”, including the posting on this website and anyone else who will listen, in an attempt to blackmail the organization into giving her a refund she wasn’t entitled.  

In closing, two questions….if our organization was as poorly run and unfair as she portrays wouldn’t the community we serve stop participating in our league?  Secondly, would we be preparing to celebrate our 20thAnniversary in that community?