All-Star Competing Teams Within The Same Gym

[catlady]

This year my cp is competing against a same level/size team with our sister gym. While the kids seem to be handling it just fine, the parents are struggling with how to handle cheering etiquette. Often our teams cheer back to back, so there are often grumblings about the viewing area. "They never back up so we can see our kids", "They leave and don't cheer our kids on", etc. For some of the larger gyms that have been handling this for awhile, do you have any suggestions on parent cheering etiquette for sister gym teams competing against each other?

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

This year my cp is competing against a same level/size team with our sister gym. While the kids seem to be handling it just fine, the parents are struggling with how to handle cheering etiquette. Often our teams cheer back to back, so there are often grumblings about the viewing area. "They never back up so we can see our kids", "They leave and don't cheer our kids on", etc. For some of the larger gyms that have been handling this for awhile, do you have any suggestions on parent cheering etiquette for sister gym teams competing against each other?

This is a leadership issue, and should be addressed by the owners & coaches. Clear expectations need to be put in place. This weekend our half-year program as well as our sister gym have their first competition this weekend. I sent out an email last night as a matter of fact (I'm team mom), and since this is almost everyone's first year, I passed along this little tidbit in the email:

Spirit: Please make sure you are loud & proud for our girls. Our youth 1 team, as well as our other location will be competing at this event. It is expected that you show the same amount of enthusiasm for these teams as you would your own child's team. Please be present in the gymnasium for each of these performances during our session. You do not have to stay for any of our teams that perform after our awards are done-though it would be GREAT if you did!

I look at it this way: they are all new and moldable. Like a little ball of clay. Sometimes the coaches need to actually physically intervene to get people to do what seems obvious. A couple competitions ago our mini team & youth team went back to back, minis first. The mini & youth parents were in the viewing area, and when minis were over their parents went to rush out to get them. The coaches told them at the exit they weren't releasing them and to go watch the youth team, and then kept the minis over on the side of the stage to cheer on youth. Sometimes people need, ummm... encouragement to do what is right.

 

[LabbyGirlMOM]

It is like an unwritten policy that we stay and cheer for every team from our gym and if you kids team is coming up you go as far in front as you can and if it is not let the other parents get as far up front as they can get.

 

[AliciaM]

We have 3 gyms under Cheer Sport Sharks and pretty much everyone cheers for every team within our program even within the same division.

 

[PullandPray23]

I think that's partially your jobs as parents to show both team's kids support. It teaches your kids to be good sports and of course whomever wins either way you're taking home a tittle for your gym and it may not be exactly what you want all the time, but its still a great day to be affiliated with your gym. : ) ...and tell them to move out of the 2nd teams way...if I had a child on the mat you best believe I will make you move okuuur