Complaint Review: Charlotte Gators

I was brought on by Nicole Benson to help coach the Charlotte Gators.  Nichole recruited me and said she did not have anymore coaches on board at the time.  She also talked to me about how she is selective when choosing coaches.  She then went on to talk to me about how bad her coaches where last year and how they left the organization halfway through the year.  I no see why they left! Nicole Benson and the Charlotte Gators AAU Basketball team is manipulative and she uses the kids to get money from their family's.  She then takes the money herself!

She charges the families a registration fee of $350.  When she collected the money she did not have a plan on what was to happen with the money.  This came to be a large sum of money because she had 3 different teams.  She spent the money on renting expensive cars, multiple set of unneeded jerseys and herself.  When I began to realize this I removed myself from any type of decision making that went on in the company and decided to only be a coach.  I helped her out with a few expenses my self in which she has never paid me back.  I am in the middle of taking her to small claims court in an attempt to gather these funds. 

A few weeks into the AAU season I decided to stay on board for the sake of the children.  I did not feel it to be right to leave the players and families with the Nicole Benson and the Charlotte Gators on their own because they already paid the $350.  Nicole Benson then decided to change the schedule because she did not have the funds to pay for the tournaments and travel she promised the families at the beginning of the season.  She made this change and sent out the schedule with out talking to any of the parents.  The parents approached me about the change and I let them know that I have removed myself from any aspect of the company besides coaches the team. 

The parents then demanded a meeting with Nichole and they all came up with a schedule together.  Two days later she posted a schedule that was much different from the one they talked about in the meeting.  She said "I don't want to put the kids in any tournaments they can't win". She has to do this because she has spent the money on herself, and other things that are unknown to anyone.  The parents then asked to meet with her again and she refused, saying that "this is her company and she can do what she wants".

The parents decided to split from Nichole and the Gators after asking for the money back.  Of course she can not give them any type of refund because she does not have the money in the first place. 

The Charlotte Gators and Nicole Benson is the most unorganized and manipulative organization that I have even been associated with.  I am ashamed to say that I was ever involved with the organization.  Nichole has another coach working with the 9th grade team and those parents as well as the coach are ready to leave the organization.  The only reason they are staying right now is because they have paid the $350.  They are not traveling to any tournaments that get the kids any exposure, they are just playing in the cheapest local tournaments.

I am suing Nichole Benson and the Charlotte Gators because she owes me hundreds of dollars that I allowed her to borrow so we could have jerseys for our first few tournaments.  She is now refusing to pay me back and will no longer respond to my phone calls.

Do not involve yourself with Nicole Benson or the Charlotte Gators .  She is a scavenger that looks to manipulate others and use kids in order to get money for herself.