@Misscongeniality Let me expand on your post so maybe more people can understand my perspective. I'm hesitant to even say it because I don't want to be misunderstood as not wanting to be the best of the best but here goes:
After starting my coaching career many many years ago, I have been the director and head coach of three different all star programs. Since 2006 I have wanted to field a Worlds team. Unfortunately, the gym I worked for when Worlds began was a "hobby" gym run by two moms that eventually closed the program once their daughters aged out. I was a full time school teacher and I didn't have the money or resources to save the gym by myself. Since then, I have been working hard on building a new program in my community that is far better all around (business and skill-wise) than any that has ever been offered in our area. But we are years behind other gyms that have been building since even before Worlds was an idea.
Louisiana Cheer Force is a neighboring gym that has fielded at least one Worlds team since the early days of Worlds. At this point, I am playing catch up with them to offer higher level teams. I would probably be OK with feeding my L5 athletes to LACF if those were the ONLY athletes that would go (but honestly when I get an athlete to that level, then hell yes I want them to stay with us so we can fulfill all our wildest cheer dreams together). If ONLY my L5 athletes went to this other gym then I wouldn't have to worry about scratching and clawing our way to Worlds--only to be probably be ridiculed and mocked as one of "those no name" gyms that are just going for the experience and you have to suffer through watching.
But I won't lose just my L5's. Once those kids walk, then my L4's want to go too and then the L3's are headed out the door after them. Because of the "Worlds dream". I'd be lucky to hang onto my L2's and limp along with 30 kids total. I need to have Worlds dreams in my gym in order to stay in business. Winning NCA or Cheersport or the Summit doesn't compare to the Worlds dream. It's the cross I have to bear and so be it and I'd love to eventually be as elite as the current cheer elite, but we all know that ain't gonna happen overnight. And it won't happen at all if I can't get some sort of foothold to even begin the journey. D1/D2 feels like a possible foothold.
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