Unfortunately I have to agree with where CheerBank is coming from. I have seen it time and again. I was at a comp this year and an athlete had already competed three times and we knew she was going to compete again - against USASF rules. It was brought to the attention of the event producers prior to the fourth time she took the floor. Nothing was done and the gym received a monetary award. It has been posted on this board that a gym had an ineligible athlete at Worlds in 2011 and their only punishment was that they couldn't compete in that division in 2012 - a division that didn't even exist in 2012. How are we supposed to support an organization that doesn't support the gyms that follow the rules. I understand the frustration.
You know what I meant - at the end of the day, USASF and all companies running various comps need to do a way better job at making sure the athletes competing are within the regulated ages as of August 31st of that season. If they do not bother doing that, then what is the point of even changing the ages within the different groups? Aside from microchipping all cheerleaders at the start of their all-star cheer careers (which I think might be a great idea lol) how can it be prevented?
I know of a gym that had an athlete who was too young to compete on their International Level 5 Coed at the start of the 2010-2011 season however turned 14 in February 2011 and competed with them at Worlds in 2011. USASF was notified and did nothing. The same gym went back this year with a Small Senior 5 team and again had an athlete (a different one) who was not the right age at the start of the 2011-2012 season, turned 12 in February and competed with them at Worlds last month. Again USASF was notified and did nothing. So if the governing body who is making the rules does not enforce them, what is the point of having them? At the very least this gym should be banned from coming back to Worlds for at least 5 years in my humble opinion.
