Firstly, I am grown, but that doesn't mean I don't understand why kids wouldn't move across the country to do something they love when they have their parents' support. I doubt that any of these parents are oblivious to the cheer world and simply let their kids run wild and do what they feel like on a whim. I moved to NYC alone when I was barely 21, I travelled Europe when I was 19. I spent summers in HK and throughout South East Asia through high school. Why is change such a bad thing? Why is experiencing new cultures, including gym cultures, such a bad thing? If a family has the means and desire to do so, why not?
I agree that the announcements are a bit trite, however those kids probably get bombarded with questions about what's going on in their lives (just glance at any of their instagrams or twitters, unless you're one of those pure individuals who only follows people they personally know in real life ;)).
As for me, my life changed from being at CA. Even my partner of five years (who supported me going without hesitation) noticed the difference. Sure, there are level 6 teams in Australia. I had a choice of being on a team going to worlds for the experience, or to try out for the best gym in the world, and both opportunities would have cost about the same (and I finished my season in Aus before I tried out for Claw6). To be a part of CA was a dream come true. I could not thank my coaches, my teammates, the entire CA family enough for all that they did for me. And I imagine many athletes, whether they are senior or international aged, would say the same about moving to a new gym. Half my team was from all over America, transferring for college or just for CA. We were a truly international team, with an Aussiekat and a Costa Rican casanova ;)
Y'know, even if you are at a gym on a team that is seen as a contender for the globe, sometimes it's not about the globe but wanting to find something within yourself that you believe another gym can help bring out of you. I didn't come home with a ring. My jacket doesn't represent a massive win for me. But I came home with more love in my heart than I thought possible, and a desire to help as many people achieve their own personal CA, whatever that may be. I came home with a second family in Dallas that I miss dearly, and I know that some may drift away but others will be friends for life. I came home with a better sense of who I was and the person I wanted to be for those whose lives met with mine. So I apologise for getting a little ruffled when other people question the decision of others, underage or not, because it's not your life or your athlete.
Judge all you want, I'd do it again in a heartbeat and I would encourage any kid who wanted to do something similar to run towards their dreams without hesitation. There is a lifetime to get a degree, to do freshman year, to wear a suit and go to work, to pay off student loans and mortgages and insurance. But you're only able to be an athlete for a finite period. Your body can only do what it does for a limited amount of time. We all agree that cheer teaches life lessons beyond the mat; life lessons don't stop when high school ends, and life lessons don't have a geographical boundary. Live and let live, a good heart wins.
