All-Star Espn Article About All-star Cheer Anyone? :)

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I found parts of the article altogether creepy! The bit when she talks about a girl looking in the mirror and sucking in her tummy is just weird. A lot of little girls' natural stance is to arch their backs and therefore just standing up straight is sucking her tummy in lol!

I agree that it seems Ms Shapiro came in with preconceived ideas she was extremely unlikely to alter but I think that any team's practises right before competition may be a little much for someone coming in from the outside. What I mean by this is that it doesn't necessarily portray the level of work that goes into each element of the routine because by that point they can do it. As we all know, the sign of a great cheerleader is making something look easy. But in this case we wanted her to see that it is not easy. Had she gone into the gym around the time after tryouts she would have seen the hours these kids put into getting their skills ready for the new season.

Can I also add that I don't think CEA did anything wrong AT ALL. You guys took what seemed like a great opportunity for the sport and your good manners were exploited.
 
Interesting article and responses. I actually read this article and found it to be a great portrayal of the intensity that Glitter Stars is all about as well as the awesome leadership and guidance Lymarie and the other coaches provide to all teams at all our levels. I didn't agree with a lot of the descriptions either and all of you should know that Lymarie is a very unassuming and classy lady.

While the article includes a lot of caricatures we don't like, are their any examples that are unfortanately true and maybe we should take a look at changing if we really want to remove those sterotypes?
 
Thanks Lymarie.

Forget trying to remove sterotypes. What we need is for ESPN and the world to accept Allstar Cheerleading as a sport.
 
Thanks Lymarie.

Forget trying to remove sterotypes. What we need is for ESPN and the world to accept Allstar Cheerleading as a sport.

It's that easy, just tell the world to stop.

I made my point because people are angry about things the article pointed out. I know Lymarie and these kids pretty well and wish the article would have pointed out much more positive things as well, but we can't argue that they don't happen with teams all over.

If you don't want to change anything you can't complain about people pointing out the obvious.
 
Interesting article and responses. I actually read this article and found it to be a great portrayal of the intensity that Glitter Stars is all about as well as the awesome leadership and guidance Lymarie and the other coaches provide to all teams at all our levels. I didn't agree with a lot of the descriptions either and all of you should know that Lymarie is a very unassuming and classy lady.

While the article includes a lot of caricatures we don't like, are their any examples that are unfortanately true and maybe we should take a look at changing if we really want to remove those sterotypes?

I thank you sincerely for your compliments Fernando, but it wasn't a true portrayal. That's just it. The way I coach Glitter Stars is different from the way we coach SSX and SJX, for example. The atmosphere is disciplined but incredibly nurturing as well. Not that we aren't nurturing to the more advanced teams, LOL, but dealing with 6 year old athletes is different than dealing with teenagers. For example, if an athlete on SJX is not consistently throwing a skill, we would take them out of it. They would understand why and no explanation would be needed. The incident described in the article where I moved Hailey to the second row (not the "back of the group", mind you) because she was not throwing her backhandspring for the 4th week in a row did happen. But Ms. Shapiro failed to mention the conversation I had with Hailey, explaining why I was doing it and how it could help take pressure off of her, encouraging her and letting her know that I believed in her. And the conversation with Amelia who was hurt and couldn't tumble did happen, but the way she described it insinuated that I was trying to get the child to tumble against doctor's orders when in fact the conversation was based more on my trying to understand how she got hurt (By the way, her mother's car was rear-ended the week before. It was not a cheer related injury). Dealing with injuries with that age group is also tricky because they are still learning the difference between being injured to the point of not being able to participate and just being sore. At that age they will come up to us and say "my arm hurts" when they have a bruise but are perfectly ok to continue with practice in the same manner they would come to us with an injury where it would be wise for them to lay off of tumbling for a while. As coaches we have to talk to them and ask questions so that we can help them tell the difference between the two. I don't know, perhaps I am being overly sensitive, but it is my job to look out for the welfare of these athletes in conjunction to pushing them athletically and I take that seriously.

My problem with her perpetuating the sterotypes is that her job was to investigate the world of cheerleading. She never asked the questions to get answers as to why we do things the way we do and instead just printed observations she had made long before she set foot in our state. I went into that earlier in a post. ESPN is an institution based on athletes and the sports they play. She did not report on our sport and the athletic gifts of those who participate in it. Had she been writing for Glamour, I may have expected a piece on fashion, make-up and sexuality. From ESPN I expected the focus to be different.
 
I agree, the article should have been written much better.
 
I just knew that this was the case. Her slant was obvious from the beginning. You could tell by her overly "descriptive" narration. It was passed the "painting a visual picture for the audience" point. That much was obvious. I'm so sorry you and your daughter were portrayed with such journalistic dishonesty. The level of journalistic dishonesty in this day and age (from the newspaper to television news) is astonishing to me. I've checked verifiable facts in numerous articles throughout the years that have been relayed or portrayed inaccurate. It is completely irresponsible and shows a lack of integrity in the profession. I mean, if I can find it within a 30 second google check, how can a journalist not be able to verify it [it being facts]?

....and YES I did notice that too and I'm glad you brought it up because I forgot. It was obvious the "gay cheerleader" stereotype she was trying to portray. Have you written a letter to the editor? I think I'm about peeved off enough at this point to take an hour or two and do it myself. I'd love nothing more than to see her have to write a retraction at the very least.

I wish you would. My letter may be easily dismissed as having "sour grapes" but similar opinions coming from other sources may be helpful. I have finished my letter and out of respect have sent it to Courtney and Kelly before proceeding. I was mentioned in the article but CEA is their gym. If you want I can copy and paste it here, but largely it consists of points I have made in my previous posts (though edited for spelling and grammar. I can't believe the grammar snob in me let pass some of the mistakes I made on here! LOL).
 
Hey guys. I wrote the following letter to send to Samantha Shapiro and the editor that contacted me for information about the article. Out of respect I wanted to run it by you guys first. Let me know....

When Cheer Extreme was approached by ESPN about following one of our teams for an article in its magazine, it was proposed as a look into the youngest athletes in a sport growing in popularity and legitimacy. Because the publication was ESPN the Magazine we thought it would be a great opportunity to dispense with the tired, uneducated stereotypes of all star cheer to focus on the athleticism and dedication these athletes show day in day out and the positive life lessons they learn by participating in the sport. We were convinced that this team would be a good focal point because it includes first year athletes with seasoned veterans (Cailyn Jackson is only 8 years old but this is her second year competing with a level 5 team. Last year she was on Youth Elite out of Kernersville and this year she is on Raleigh's Small Jr 5. Because of her talent she is generally placed on teams with athletes that are far older than she is. As her mother, I wanted for her to compete with athletes her own age and younger, where she could be in a position to be a team leader and where she would learn to be a base rather than her traditional position as a flyer).

When Ms. Shapiro came to the gym over the course of a number of days, we worked hard to educate her on the sport. She had no background knowledge and we worked with her so that she would be equip to show the world why all star cheer deserves a spot among other youth sports in the country. It was clear when I read the article, however, that Ms. Shapiro came in with stereotypes in mind and plugged people's names into the ideas she had in her head about what cheerleading is. The situations and conversations were largely taken out of context and edited to pieces by her and perhaps her editors in order to paint a picture she wanted to describe, rather than taking the opportunity to focus on the real story of the athleticism and talent with which these kids have been gifted. She omitted information, descriptions and situations which would have contradicted her world view. The majority of the piece was sensationalized rather than strictly factual. I could go down the line, sentence by sentence and tear most of the piece to shreds.

Much of what was described was misrepresented at best or at worst intentionally colored in a way that was close enough to reality not to be slander but slanted enough not to be truth. For example, her descriptions of a team that was falling all over the floor only to miraculously hit a "passable" routine is dishonest. This team has consistently performed well in its competitions all year. Our training as coaches would not allow us to place anything on the competition floor that was wasn't consistent. Moreover, to describe me as having "mascara painted lids" is laughable. In reality I wear very little makeup and I have very little time to "shriek" during routines, especially a glitter stars routine, where I am busy shouting out reminders, counts and encouragement to the athletes. Am I loud during the routines? Yes. Do I celebrate when parts of the routine are hit? Absolutely. I celebrate with arms upraised or with fist pumps and loud "YEAH'S." I celebrate exactly the same way I do when my Carolina basketball team hits a crucial shot or when a member of my son's baseball team gets a base hit. Do I "shriek?" No. I am not the "girly-girl" that Ms. Shapiro described. Actually, the caricature she chose to portray me with is so unlike my actual values and personality that I can only hope that it creates suspicion about the entire article for those that know me. It was not a true picture of our gym and the values we teach through this sport. She was looking to paint the industry as "Toddlers and Tiaras" regardless of what she saw in front of her.

I don't argue that some of the practices in the sport can seem over the top to an outsider. The make-up on a 6-year-old CAN seem heavy when looked at "face to face" and the uniforms ARE glittery and small. I don't blame anyone for asking questions and looking for honest answers. And I can certainly agree to disagree on the legitimacy of those answers. But I resent the lack of balance in Ms. Shapiro's writing. I resent that she never asked the questions which would clarify our point of view and as a result she misinformed a public that is already largely uneducated about our sport. Had she asked we could have told her that yes, our athletes wear make-up, but so do any actors on a live stage. If we came across an actor about to set foot on stage for a performance we would see that her make-up, though over the top for day to day wear, was intended, not to exude sexuality, but instead to make facial features recognizable over distance and under harsh lights. Yes, our uniforms are form-fitting, but they show no more leg than a gymnast's leotard or an Olympic track star's uniform. Had Ms. Shapiro asked, we could have told her that the design of a skirt and top is a nod to traditional cheerleading, but that the styles must be form-fitting for a variety of reasons. Just as dancers wear leotards so that instructors can see body lines and correct form breaks, as cheerleading coaches we too have to see our athletes bodies to correct their technique in stunting and tumbling when necessary. Moreover, it would be difficult and dangerous to catch a spinning, flipping body with the excessive fabric from a skirt that was "mid-thigh" in length flapping around.

I am also not saying that all of her observations were incorrect. Some were right on, though often described more salaciously than necessary. However, the details she chose to mention at the exclusion of others were indicative of slant she was trying to create. For example, with the one male coach she chose to mention she also included his sexual preferrence and his hairstylist boyfriend. She did not mention any of the heterosexual male coaches, including Ben Pope, co-owner of the gym and married to Courtney Smith-Pope the founder of Cheer Extreme. Just like the mention of the naked dolls and flat-chested girls in the article, the details were unnessesary but to perpetuate sterotypes and to color the sport with the crayons that she had already picked out.

This article could have broken new ground. Had the publication been, say, Glamour Magazine, I may have expected a piece about fashion, make-up and sexuality. I expected more from ESPN, an institution that is supposed to be about athletes and the sports that they play. I would have expected that anyone writing for such a publication would at the very least be well-versed in competitive sports, even if not all star cheer, and that they would "get it" when they saw the athletes in action. ESPN missed a terrific opportunity to report on the amazing athletisism and gravity-defying feats these athletes display while performing and the hard work and dedication it takes for them to get there. Ms. Shapiro made the "fluff" surrounding the sport the main focus of the article. Shame on ESPN for allowing that.

Lymarie Jackson
 
I wish you would. My letter may be easily dismissed as having "sour grapes" but similar opinions coming from other sources may be helpful. I have finished my letter and out of respect have sent it to Courtney and Kelly before proceeding. I was mentioned in the article but CEA is their gym. If you want I can copy and paste it here, but largely it consists of points I have made in my previous posts (though edited for spelling and grammar. I can't believe the grammar snob in me let pass some of the mistakes I made on here! LOL).

Don't worry, my late grandmother's genes got passed along to me and I quadruple proofread...lol. She was the editor of a newspaper for thirty years and her daughter (my aunt) was a press secretary for a congresswoman many years ago. And I am going to write a letter. When I'm done I will send it to you ok? I had been contemplating it bc I was fairly upset w/the article to begin with, but as soon as I saw your post it solidified my decision. When I'm finished I'll also include my real name (via pm). I'm from the Kernersville gym.
 
i opened this link hoping it was finally some appreciative recognition for the sport. instead it was all about a mini team with creepy & overexaggerated aspects of the appearance of all stars. if i were courtney i'd be insulted, her gym is much more than 6 year olds in little uniforms expected to be "sexy but not too sexy." i'm just kind of disgusted with the whole thing. how about the writer focus on an article about mini's starting out in the sport and what high skill level and opportunities are ahead of them if they stay committed to the sport. They talk about Erica in the article, but only how she is basically stalked, nothing about her or Senior Elite really besides the fact they won worlds 2010.

i wish this whole article took a different direction, one that wasn't so one-sided
 
Just in case anyone wondered, I've not gotten any response to my email to Ms. Shapiro.
 
I haven't either, AceDad. Neither has the editor who was in touch with me in the last few weeks contacted me.
 
Interesting article and responses. I actually read this article and found it to be a great portrayal of the intensity that Glitter Stars is all about as well as the awesome leadership and guidance Lymarie and the other coaches provide to all teams at all our levels. I didn't agree with a lot of the descriptions either and all of you should know that Lymarie is a very unassuming and classy lady.

While the article includes a lot of caricatures we don't like, are their any examples that are unfortanately true and maybe we should take a look at changing if we really want to remove those sterotypes?


+Yes, saying 'there' instead of 'their' ("are their any examples") in the cheerleading world. I'm jk!!seriously:)
With performances in young lives abounding, I don't think in ANY other performance we are as so demanding no stage makeup or less 'revealing' outfits. We aren't demanding gymnasts cover up their bodies more (or ice skaters, rythmic gymnasts or weight lifters or wrestlers, volley ball players, swimmers, etc) and we never say anything about anyone doing ballet on stage over-doing the makeup(it IS a performance)
 
If I wanted to write a story equating mini cheer to youth pageants, I would write the story that Ms. Shapiro wrote - a story that exaggerates the sensational, stereotypical aspects of all-star cheer and find equivalents to the characters one would see on Toddler & Tiaras. It's not a hard story to write, and there may be truth in it, but it's lazy. One of the traits of a good feature writer is to report on what they see, not on what they expect to see, and I think it's possible Shapiro fell into that trap.

There are many interesting, provocative stories you could write about all-star cheer. This wasn't one of them.
 

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