All-Star After The Rings Globes And Titles Then What?

[AngelsMum24]

Of course winning is an important aspect of this sport, and i think if it wasnt we would not be competing at all. But what i think is most important is the journey, because no one was born a winner, Teams progress, athletes progress. And the real win lies in the progress and the journey, the experiences made along the journey, the friends made. No Ring, jacken or globe would be the same without the years of work and experience beforehand. Comgratulations to your Team for doing so well, it is great motivation for the future! We went to Worlds as an unknown Team, we have never been before. We came in 10th. Although to most this Sounds like a place not worth remembering, for us it was an unforgettable experience, and so much motivation for the future, to come back one day and place better. I hope what i am trying to say makes sense lol

Can I steal the first part of this? So well said! I'd love to share it!

 

[HeatUniqueJ]

Can I steal the first part of this? So well said! I'd love to share it!

Of course :)

 

[ipaysheflies]

@Fiercecheermom I cheer with a lot of F5 alums and being from the area I've always admired the team (in fact watching F5 at worlds on TV is what made me fall in love with AS Cheer). I was beyond excited to see them win.

I think in my older years I see cheer so much differently. I'm one of the 'normal athletes' I cheered competitively for three seasons and progressed to a level 3 athlete in that time frame, and in cheering HS i gained level 4 skills. I cheer at an AMAZING college program. I'm average but at the end of the day, in two years from now my cheer career won't matter in terms of skills and accomplishments. I was talking to a professional in my perspective job field and basically told me cheering won't mean anything. But what's important about cheer was the fact that it taught me how to be confident, how to set personal goals, teamwork. My standing tuck won't get me a job, no, but the drive I've learned from cheer will.

I think we put too much pressure on kids to do things with an immediate or tangible reward. That's not how life works. But the world is so much bigger than cheerleading and the rewards you get from them.

But I'm just a ringless, globeless cheerleader what do I know.

Yes, this is what I was trying to say with my earlier post. She wants to win, but the teamwork, dedication, bonding, blood, sweat, tears etc. that it takes to hit the routine and make the routine better throughout the season is what drives her. She likes to win, she's very competitive and has been known to flip a board game or two when she isn't. But I love the life skills she's learning in this sport that will help her focus that competitive energy and achieve success as an adult. It makes whatever sacrifices I have to make very worth it, even if she never wins a ring or jacket. This was her first week back in the gym in almost a year and she's so freaking happy.

 

[cheerisloving]

Yes, this is what I was trying to say with my earlier post. She wants to win, but the teamwork, dedication, bonding, blood, sweat, tears etc. that it takes to hit the routine and make the routine better throughout the season is what drives her. She likes to win, she's very competitive and has been known to flip a board game or two when she isn't. But I love the life skills she's learning in this sport that will help her focus that competitive energy and achieve success as an adult. It makes whatever sacrifices I have to make very worth it, even if she never wins a ring or jacket. This was her first week back in the gym in almost a year and she's so freaking happy.

I've dealt with a lot of disappointments in my life and I would be lying if I said cheerleading didn't give me the outlet, and the tools to overcome. Just like I spent hours in the gym at 10 years old trying to get a back handspring, I've spent hours studying for hard classes, going beyond the classroom to get help. Being a go-getter and taking defeat but knowing that life goes on is such an important skill. I can put all my effort in practicing and still fail. It's a hard truth about life.

I think higher-level athletes, who may not have too many other activities where they have to 'compete' or work towards something, have a hard time with defeat. They only know winning. Same with kids who get everything handed to them and lose it when they fail.

 

[calikaitlyn_]

Last night at our banquet the coaches had a special talk for the seniors that really showed just how much we take away from cheer. The outside world doesn't care about how hard practices are or our new uniform. But I've learned hard work, dedication and SO much more from this program. Truly this gym has taught me so much that I will take with me off of these nine panels. This gym has entirely changed my life and my views on it and none of it had to do with our wins. All of it came from our amazing coaches and owners and what they taught us.

 

[AngelsMum24]

Of course :)

Thanks!

 

[Onfire381]

The bottom line is what does an athlete get from cheer career and/or some titles in the end? Money award? Scholarships? Job? Yes a tiny tiny % of athletes.
But what they/we do get is a lot of debt [emoji1], forever friends, a 2nd "family" and the best memories that no $ can buy! It's not a sport for everyone but what my CP got from it is priceless!


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Thank you a 1,000,000 times over. My CP just finished yesterday her All Star journey as a Level 4 athlete. While she never got to go to Worlds or even Summit, I wouldn't of traded one single minute of it and neither would she. In the car on the way home from competition last night, she said "thank you Mom and Dad for paying for and driving me to cheer for the last 8 years and giving up your time and having to do without some things so I could do what I love".

 

[Fiercecheermom]

Thank you a 1,000,000 times over. My CP just finished yesterday her All Star journey as a Level 4 athlete. While she never got to go to Worlds or even Summit, I wouldn't of traded one single minute of it and neither would she. In the car on the way home from competition last night, she said "thank you Mom and Dad for paying for and driving me to cheer for the last 8 years and giving up your time and having to do without some things so I could do what I love".

And that's why we would do it all over again. Your CP realizes that she has had amazing experiences, knows that you helped along the way, and you made some great memories.

 

[CookieMomster]

Winning is great, I mean who doesn't like to win, but the question is "at what cost"? What's the price you're willing to make? What sacrifice are you willing to make? I'm thankful to be a part of a gym that values balance. Yes, we like to win BUT if the placement we get isn't first or top 3, but it's a team's personal best then that's just as celebrated and valued.

I don't pay for cheer, I pay for the experience and the life skills that CP is learning. She could learn them through any competitive team sport, but she chose cheer.

We also have girls on CP's team where cheer became their outlet from stress be it from school or home. A few of the kids had parents going through messy divorces and practices were times guaranteed to not have to deal with that stuff.

 

[catlady]

I think there are two very different definitions of what "winning" means to people going on in this thread but, ultimately I think we all agree. In my opinion the "all about the win" has nothing to do with "competitive winning", I guess here is how I define them:

"Competitive Winning": Great coaches that train well and condition hard. Athletes learn how to be successful through hard work, commitment, leadership, team work, attitude, heart and they have coaches that won't accept anything less. It doesn't mean they will always win the competition but, it does teach them how to strive for and achieve success. Best of all, it enlightens them on their importance, and it brings a life time of lessons and friendships.

"All About the Win": Mediocre coaches that don't train well or develop their athletes. They do things such as creating secondary teams to win bids, kick off original athletes they failed to coach, and hold tryouts for lower level teams that they will place higher level athletes on. This mentality provides no life lessons other than, the owner wants success at all cost and they have no faith in their coaching abilities nor, their athletes.

 

[MissCongeniality]

I think there are two very different definitions of what "winning" means to people going on in this thread but, ultimately I think we all agree. In my opinion the "all about the win" has nothing to do with "competitive winning", I guess here is how I define them:

"Competitive Winning": Great coaches that train well and condition hard. Athletes learn how to be successful through hard work, commitment, leadership, team work, attitude, heart and they have coaches that won't accept anything less. It doesn't mean they will always win the competition but, it does teach them how to strive for and achieve success. Best of all, it enlightens them on their importance, and it brings a life time of lessons and friendships.

"All About the Win": Mediocre coaches that don't train well or develop their athletes. They do things such as creating secondary teams to win bids, kick off original athletes they failed to coach, and hold tryouts for lower level teams that they will place higher level athletes on. This mentality provides no life lessons other than, the owner wants success at all cost and they have no faith in their coaching abilities nor, their athletes.

Shimmy x100. Thank you for so eloquently saying what I've been trying to get at in various threads. I guess, looking back, I have a definition of winning that doesn't necessarily include a big metalastic trophy. The values my daughter learned (and ones she had to avoid ;) ) during her years in cheer are so visible in the person she is today. She sold most of her jackets and gave away the trophies and medals to the young kiddos she works with ...but the person she is came from her experiences in cheer (good and bad) and she acknowledges it daily.

 

[Cheer4U2]

So I created this thread last year around Summit time and again I find myself asking the same questions! So my gym is a D2 gym we have about 100 athletes last year was our first time going to the summit we had one team going. We made the top 5 in the wildcard round but didn't make it to sat or sun and a athlete on my team received a message from a athlete that use to be at our program and is now at a bigger D1 gym. The girl basically told the girl on my team I see you all didn't make it to the real day of Summit. So here we are a year later and this year we have several teams going to the D2 summit and one of my teams received a paid bid. But then again an athlete on the team had shared this information with a athlete who is at the same D1 gym and the athlete on my team was told on you all go the weekend after the REAL summit. I told my athlete to just let it go and don't feed into that and enjoy the amazing accomplishment her and her teammates had achieved, But it just goes back to my original question from a year ago. Why are things like this happening...like it's not good enough to have a bid unless you're getting it from some big name gym....I just feel each athlete puts their heart and soul into this sport they should be able to feel proud about it no matter if they have 10 athletes at their gym or 1000!

 

[luluscamom]

All Star is competitive cheerleading, winning is a huge part of it. No one wants to be on a crappy team that comes in last place all the time. If your child doesn't care if they win or lose than they should be doing rec or school cheer.

CP's previous gym lost all the time, even if they hit, coaches goofed off and played games during practice instead of actually practicing. CP didn't want that and asked to go to current gym. We pass 5 other all star gyms on the way to our current gym. Why? Because she wants to be the best that she can be, work hard, have fun and actually win once in a while. What is so wrong with that? It's not for everyone. We had a girl last year come down with us, she did one practice and said it was too hard and never returned.

As a parent, I don't want to pay $8K a year for a crappy product. I don't want or expect my kids teams to win every time, that would be boring. But for the amount of money I pay I expect for her to learn, progress, have fun and if they hit place somewhere decent (top 3/5/10 depending on how many teams in division).

What's wrong with having a goal to win NCA or globe at worlds?

OMG! THANK YOU! Finally, someone I agree with. I know my daughter didn't understand or care about winning but by 9 she did! Now, she's been coached by the best in the industry who've taught her WAY more than cheer skills and how to win. They coach the lower levels with the same work ethics, loyalty and care as the Worlds teams. Maybe not as many hours practicing but that made sense to us. And darn it, this is competition cheer. Idk about everyone else but when I compete I compete to WIN. If I don't win...I Cheer as the winner goes by but I sure as heck work for and WANT TO WIN.
All the things people say cheer "should be about" are true but who made the rule that winning shouldn't be pretty high on that list too? Believe me, being on a "winning Worlds team" shows your work ethic right on your college admission paperwork OR walk into a college tryout. That kid wouldn't be on that team if they didn't work for the skills required to get a spot on THAT team. SO YES, my $$$ is going to that winning gym as long as said gym has the whole package. Guess we're blessed to have found ours


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[IEA.Elizabeth]

Honestly I have never been to summit/worlds sure I would love to go but what Cheer has done for me is amazing I used to be to shy to even talk to people and wouldn't swim in a 2 piece because I was embarrassed well my only friend did Allstar cheer so I thought I'd try it out too it's the best thing that had ever happened to me it changed my whole world I can talk to anyone and wear whatever I want now in front of anyone with confidence I love cheering with all my heart no matter what place I get or level I'm on this sport is so much more than jackets,rings, and globes


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[cheermomforever]

Coming from a small gym who when my daughter started 12 years ago with 2 teams we would pray not to be last...here we r with 9 teams from SN to I5 we will never go to Worlds hoping to make finals. We can proudly say top 10 at both Summit and Worlds. Everyone has different goals for their programs Most important I feel is that each athlete is happy and proud of what he/she/they accomplish during their cheer career. Also gain confidence, new skills and forever friends/family.