Regardless of shoe or not or any other reason.... something has got to give.... Something has to change.... I always refer back to my little league example... Teams have gotten trophies and medals taken away when it was proven that an over age athlete played on a younger team... it should be the same with cheer... Levels are the key point... Its not fair to have level 5 or level 5R athletes on a level 1 or 2 team.... Those level 5/5r athletes which I witnessed myself are throwing full and double full passes with other combinations as well as executing stunt difficulty which makes their level 2 stunting pretty much just doing basics.... if you can stunt one legged in full extensions and do other tricks at a level 5 difficulty then doing level 2/1 and even level 3 is like a walk in the park for you... that athlete is not a TRUE level 1 or 2 athlete.... Its not fair.... Its done too often at competitions were apparently EP's overlook this or just turn a blind eye.... How do we show our children/athletes good sportsmanship when they witness the sandbagging themselves and then its bragged about on social media... that stings and its stings bad....
I couldn't agree more. I feel sooooo strongly that this issue needs addressed NOW by the powers that be (whoever that may be). I've spent countless hours looking for a way that we can exact change in this area. I'm stumped and hate feeling powerless but I don't know what it is that we can do to address the problem.
The stacked team walks away with the win and leaves a wake of devastation for the honest team. Do we really want our kids to get the message that cheaters prosper. And that you don't have to work hard to achieve your goals, you just become dishonest. After all look at what cheating gets you.
The EP's know what goes on and they know what they can do to safeguard against it. So, why don't they implement the necessary changes? I don't have the answer to that. The only thing I can figure, is that economically it's in their best interest to leave it the way it is currently. If they make changes that prevent sandbagging maybe they will lose some teams. If the don't change things maybe they'll lose some teams. So, they must figure they have more to lose by making things honest than they will lose leaving things the way they are. I feel like with the EP"s it's all about the $$. For them it's not about the reputation of cheer, or the increasing prevelance of unscrupulous behavior. Teaching valuable life lessons to athletes is not their problem. Or so it would seem. But, I think that kind of thinking is short sighted and in time they will come to see the error of their ways. But the damage will be done.
WE MUST QUIT REWARDING BAD BEHAVIOR. Until then nothing will change. Realistically speaking, why should it?
For the sake of discussion I've spoken in generalities. I recognize how unfair it is to imply all EP's view things the same. I know they don't. Just like all coaches are not unscrupulous. As a matter of fact cheer is filled with intelligent, generous, kind, talented individuals. For the most part. And then there's those other few. Let's find a way to prevent the few from infecting the sport and changing it into something we no longer love. Cheer needs to be credible. An individualsshould be proud to be associated with cheer
