All-Star Chasing The Ring

[Weezy]

I'm sure this has been discussed many times, but I don't get on the board often. If so, I apologize in advanced.

I want to ask a hypothetical question to parents. Your CP is at a good gym on a Worlds team. Next year (2014/2015) your child seriously wants to jump ship, move many hours away to cheer on a top team that has won worlds in past and continues to be in the running for the ring. If your CP somehow got on that team, would you let him/her go? Leave family, friends, and school their senior year to live with a host family? Everyone dreams of that ring, but how far would you go to let your CP chase it?

Yup.

 

[Cheer Dad]

@Dixie are you a coach or parent? Re read your last two posts and am confused.

 

[Dixie]

@Dixie are you a coach or parent? Re read your last two posts and am confused.

I'm a parent and team parent. my coaches prefer to have all communication go through me, so I hear a lot. Most is stuff I don't need to know. I'm not a person who wants or needs to know everything, but I'm stick in the middle. That's why I'm honest with the parents from the beginning. I'm trying to save off the conversation I've had too many times heading into comp season. And then I'm the one who has to give the coach the news.

And thank you and @quitthedrama for politely telling me to check my tone. Sometimes I type too quickly and forget how it might come across.


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[BlueCat]

Not everyone views extracurricular sports as purely a stepping stone to other "greater" things. (Major leagues, NFL, Olympics, etc.) Sometimes being in the sport itself IS the goal. I understand that different people have different levels of commitment to their or their child's activities. There is nothing at all wrong with that. If it isn't worth it to you or someone in your family, then don't do it.

I have seen many of the travel, move-in, or super-senior situations that are nothing at all like what is seemingly being assumed here. Not every athlete comes from a loving storybook suburban family prepping to send them off to an Ivy League school. Some of the athletes are essentially on their own, or worse. The structure, discipline, and relative safety of being in our (or TG, Cali, etc.) program can be a great thing for those specific kids.

Also, for some of the athletes that go to "cheer" schools, or go to schools near a gym - that is the main reason they are in college at all. Perhaps it isn't the loftiest reason to continue their education, but it is usually better than not going at all. We aren't talking about National Merit Scholars giving up their Harvard full-ride scholarship to go to a local junior college and be on a senior team.

Excuse me if I sound defensive about this. I have just seen some young athletes really benefit from being a part of the program (or others like it.)

 

[SparkleSpankies]

Not everyone views extracurricular sports as purely a stepping stone to other "greater" things. (Major leagues, NFL, Olympics, etc.) Sometimes being in the sport itself IS the goal. I understand that different people have different levels of commitment to their or their child's activities. There is nothing at all wrong with that. If it isn't worth it to you or someone in your family, then don't do it.

I have seen many of the travel, move-in, or super-senior situations that are nothing at all like what is seemingly being assumed here. Not every athlete comes from a loving storybook suburban family prepping to send them off to an Ivy League school. Some of the athletes are essentially on their own, or worse. The structure, discipline, and relative safety of being in our (or TG, Cali, etc.) program can be a great thing for those specific kids.

Also, for some of the athletes that go to "cheer" schools, or go to schools near a gym - that is the main reason they are in college at all. Perhaps it isn't the loftiest reason to continue their education, but it is usually better than not going at all. We aren't talking about National Merit Scholars giving up their Harvard full-ride scholarship to go to a local junior college and be on a senior team.

Excuse me if I sound defensive about this. I have just seen some young athletes really benefit from being a part of the program (or others like it.)

I totally agree. When I was writing, I was thinking about your average suburban middle class family :-) So I am so sorry to have stereotyped myself or anyone. Thanks for the perspective @BlueCat

 

[garretttt]

I have attended a handful of college preparation seminars as my company provides them for free. I can guarantee that being a "worlds champion" will have little to no affect on college admissions. They look at SAT/ACT scores, courses, grades, and class ranking. If the student meets the minimum requirements, at that point they will look at extra-curricular activities. Stating on your application that you are a Worlds Champion won't mean much to an admissions officer. Also, moving to a different high school your junior or senior year is discouraged by colleges.

that's what i was implying haha. assuming that the person meets the requirements to get into colleges. i've applied and been accepted to several colleges that have asked for academic and also athletic awards and have also asked what sports/extra curricular activities that i am involved in.

 

[L5cheermom]

Not everyone views extracurricular sports as purely a stepping stone to other "greater" things. (Major leagues, NFL, Olympics, etc.) Sometimes being in the sport itself IS the goal. I understand that different people have different levels of commitment to their or their child's activities. There is nothing at all wrong with that. If it isn't worth it to you or someone in your family, then don't do it.

I have seen many of the travel, move-in, or super-senior situations that are nothing at all like what is seemingly being assumed here. Not every athlete comes from a loving storybook suburban family prepping to send them off to an Ivy League school. Some of the athletes are essentially on their own, or worse. The structure, discipline, and relative safety of being in our (or TG, Cali, etc.) program can be a great thing for those specific kids.

Also, for some of the athletes that go to "cheer" schools, or go to schools near a gym - that is the main reason they are in college at all. Perhaps it isn't the loftiest reason to continue their education, but it is usually better than not going at all. We aren't talking about National Merit Scholars giving up their Harvard full-ride scholarship to go to a local junior college and be on a senior team.

Excuse me if I sound defensive about this. I have just seen some young athletes really benefit from being a part of the program (or others like it.)

Amen to that. Cheer is my kid's passion. I expect that he will be involved in some way for a very long time. He gets very good grades and is a great kid from a good family (if I may say so myself - although his mom can be a little mommabearish at times LOL). In my 50+ years I have learned that life comes in stages. Although I am insisting that he get a marketable bachelors degree after high school, if he decides to cheer along the way and dedicate himself to coaching or something like that afterwards then good for him. I'll support that decision. That decision would not be irrevocable. If sometime later he decides to change careers and become a tinker, tailor, soldier or spy I will support that also. He is currently in a place that is teaching him the discipline and skills and he is making connections that will serve him well if cheer becomes a lifetime career. I certainly wish he was closer to home, but I've always felt my job was to give him roots and wings. Denying him this opportunity as we are able to make it work would be selfish on my part.


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[Just-a-Mom]

Not everyone views extracurricular sports as purely a stepping stone to other "greater" things. (Major leagues, NFL, Olympics, etc.) Sometimes being in the sport itself IS the goal. I understand that different people have different levels of commitment to their or their child's activities. There is nothing at all wrong with that. If it isn't worth it to you or someone in your family, then don't do it.

I have seen many of the travel, move-in, or super-senior situations that are nothing at all like what is seemingly being assumed here. Not every athlete comes from a loving storybook suburban family prepping to send them off to an Ivy League school. Some of the athletes are essentially on their own, or worse. The structure, discipline, and relative safety of being in our (or TG, Cali, etc.) program can be a great thing for those specific kids.

Also, for some of the athletes that go to "cheer" schools, or go to schools near a gym - that is the main reason they are in college at all. Perhaps it isn't the loftiest reason to continue their education, but it is usually better than not going at all. We aren't talking about National Merit Scholars giving up their Harvard full-ride scholarship to go to a local junior college and be on a senior team.

Excuse me if I sound defensive about this. I have just seen some young athletes really benefit from being a part of the program (or others like it.)

My daughter (and her friends) definitely fit more in this category. She's not heading off to worlds and she's not heading to the olympics. If she goes to college at all (fingers crossed for starting in January) it will be because cheer got her through high school (I could go on for days about the rough path she took to her diploma). She has many friends from cheer that don't come from "good" or loving, supportive families. Cheer is their family. And I've seen it set some of them on some paths no one saw in their futures. If super senioring keeps them on those paths then I'm all for helping them.

Thanks for putting this perspective out there.

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[Cheer Dad]

I'm a parent and team parent. my coaches prefer to have all communication go through me, so I hear a lot. Most is stuff I don't need to know. I'm not a person who wants or needs to know everything, but I'm stick in the middle. That's why I'm honest with the parents from the beginning. I'm trying to save off the conversation I've had too many times heading into comp season. And then I'm the one who has to give the coach the news.

And thank you and @quitthedrama for politely telling me to check my tone. Sometimes I type too quickly and forget how it might come across.


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Okay, had to check because at one point you sounded like a parent then sounded like a coach/owner whose responsibility it would be to advise kids/parents the potential downfall of a long commute.

Would your perspective change if the commuters were just that good and even having them just one day a week dramatically increased the teams and your CP's chances of winning gold?

 

[cheermommaRN]

Back in the day I would have said yes but now it would be a "no". Maybe if she was attending a college close to her "dream team" and the pieces fell into place I would even pay for it. As much as we love this crazy sport of ours, the rest of the world could care less. Read some of the freshman profiles for A&T...Baylor mentioned Kiara's World Championship as an afterthought but loved the fact she was a Olympic level power tumbler. Even cp has decided that she will do high school cheer because that will mean more on her college app than all star.
Once they graduate and leave all star no one cares if they were a "cheerlebrity" or won Worlds 3x in a row.
In fact I'm imagining some of those kids will be nightmares their first semester (at least to their roommates).

 

[Cheermom1969]

Okay, had to check because at one point you sounded like a parent then sounded like a coach/owner whose responsibility it would be to advise kids/parents the potential downfall of a long commute.

Would your perspective change if the commuters were just that good and even having them just one day a week dramatically increased the teams and your CP's chances of winning gold?

I'm going to jump in here and say hell to the no! I tell both my kid athletes that the team is about the whole team, not just one person on it. They aren't any more special than the next kid when it comes to commitment and honoring the team and being there for each other to practice and compete. If a child can't be at every practice, and I was a gym owner, then I would say, sorry, but we need you at every practice unless there's an illness or a school function that you HAVE to be at.

 

[gymcatmomx2]

Back in the day I would have said yes but now it would be a "no". Maybe if she was attending a college close to her "dream team" and the pieces fell into place I would even pay for it. As much as we love this crazy sport of ours, the rest of the world could care less. Read some of the freshman profiles for A&T...Baylor mentioned Kiara's World Championship as an afterthought but loved the fact she was a Olympic level power tumbler. Even cp has decided that she will do high school cheer because that will mean more on her college app than all star.
Once they graduate and leave all star no one cares if they were a "cheerlebrity" or won Worlds 3x in a row.
In fact I'm imagining some of those kids will be nightmares their first semester (at least to their roommates).

Your daughter is making the right choice in cheering for her high school. I have noticed more and more colleges requiring explanations/waivers if a cheerleader wants to cheer in college but didn't cheer on their high school squad their senior year.

 

[MissCongeniality]

Your daughter is making the right choice in cheering for her high school. I have noticed more and more colleges requiring explanations/waivers if a cheerleader wants to cheer in college but didn't cheer on their high school squad their senior year.

I'm actually worried about this because we are moving next year (CP's senior year). I know she has the skillstomake the team, but also know HS squads can be hugely political > skills.

 

[Cheer Dad]

Back in the day I would have said yes but now it would be a "no". Maybe if she was attending a college close to her "dream team" and the pieces fell into place I would even pay for it. As much as we love this crazy sport of ours, the rest of the world could care less. Read some of the freshman profiles for A&T...Baylor mentioned Kiara's World Championship as an afterthought but loved the fact she was a Olympic level power tumbler. Even cp has decided that she will do high school cheer because that will mean more on her college app than all star.
Once they graduate and leave all star no one cares if they were a "cheerlebrity" or won Worlds 3x in a row.
In fact I'm imagining some of those kids will be nightmares their first semester (at least to their roommates).

I'm actually worried about this because we are moving next year (CP's senior year). I know she has the skillstomake the team, but also know HS squads can be hugely political > skills.

CP will be screwed then for college cheer since we will not allow him to do HS because of where they practice.

 

[CheerMom69]

Once they graduate and leave all star no one cares if they were a "cheerlebrity" or won Worlds 3x in a row.
In fact I'm imagining some of those kids will be nightmares their first semester (at least to their roommates).[/quote]

I can say, however, if my daughter won worlds 3x in a row, she would care till her dying day, just like she still treasures that NCA jacket she won several years ago. She doesn't care at all that her school friends "don't get it". It doesn't tame her passion in the least. That's the hard part - the "real world" may not value all star cheer at all, but if all star is the world to your CP, then part of me thinks they should be living THEIR dream, even if its not the American dream...