All-Star Ex-cheer Coach In Boca Raton, Fl Arrested

[CheerDadof2]

:cow: :enjoyshow:
Per your request . . . .

Thank you!!! I can never get these on my phone :-)

 

[Just-a-Mom]

So, when the gym says they are closing practices what do you say to that???

Practices are full of kids and other coaches. We're talking about privates. In the incidents in Illinois the coach and the athlete were in the gym completely alone, and the gym was closed.

 

[CheerDadof2]

Cost, I assume?!

It's like $30 per employee for a legit fingerprint background check and I'm sure if cost is an issue a local PD could work something out with the gyms.

Honestly I don't know that this would help since most (from what I can tell) never get reported and it might be there first offense.

One disturbing thought. Since from what I can tell - the gym that fired him never reported to authorities why he was fired, he was free to go on to other gyms and coach there, possibly doing the same thing.

I found the other thread and someone said he cheered for one of TG's IO teams, does anyone know if he coached there too. Not trying to bring a big name gym into this. Just curious since if he was, even if they did a background check on him this wouldn't have come up.

 

[Mamarazzi]

If we could get a fraction of the action and attention that a recruiting thread got, which by comparison is quite silly IMHO, then how much better could we safeguard our children from this type of abuse? I guess I am just a parent, who takes this type of thing seriously and would like to draw awareness to such abuses to keep this kind of thing from happening to other children. Bottom line.

My advice, focus on things that matter, like what we can all do to keep our children safe. How about everyone that focuses their energies on gossiping gets together and demands accountability for the gym in Boca that fired their coach in 2011, but did nothing to report his crimes against children?

But those of us ON THE BOARDS have said time and time again, that we don't leave our children alone in the company of coaches, for this reason exactly, regardless how much we trust them. So maybe a more effective approach would be to figure out how you can go outside this forum to bring attention to an issue that gym owners, for one, don't really want to talk about, because it may negatively impact their business, and the USASF, for two, doesn't want to talk about, because it may negatively impact the sport, and random cheer parents, for three, don't want to talk about because it involves the possible thought of sexualization of their minor child.

So my biggest question is, how DO we keep them ALL safe? Not just your own kid, but the kid down the street whose parents aren't involved with the child's cheer, and the kid has to find rides to-and-from practice, etc.?

 

[CricketCheerMom]

It's like $30 per employee for a legit fingerprint background check and I'm sure if cost is an issue a local PD could work something out with the gyms.

Honestly I don't know that this would help since most (from what I can tell) never get reported and it might be there first offense.

One disturbing thought. Since from what I can tell - the gym that fired him never reported to authorities why he was fired, he was free to go on to other gyms and coach there, possibly doing the same thing.

I found the other thread and someone said he cheered for one of TG's IO teams, does anyone know if he coached there too. Not trying to bring a big name gym into this. Just curious since if he was, even if they did a background check on him this wouldn't have come up.

He was reported to authorities. I am not sure if the gym reported him and than was notified and they fired him or if they fired him and reported it but they did fire him.

It has been public knowledge that he was fired from there in June and why so he has not worked at another gym since.

 

[CricketCheerMom]

It's like $30 per employee for a legit fingerprint background check and I'm sure if cost is an issue a local PD could work something out with the gyms.

Honestly I don't know that this would help since most (from what I can tell) never get reported and it might be there first offense.

One disturbing thought. Since from what I can tell - the gym that fired him never reported to authorities why he was fired, he was free to go on to other gyms and coach there, possibly doing the same thing.

I found the other thread and someone said he cheered for one of TG's IO teams, does anyone know if he coached there too. Not trying to bring a big name gym into this. Just curious since if he was, even if they did a background check on him this wouldn't have come up.

He is a World Champion Cheerleader. He did not coach there that I am aware of. He was a good coach.

 

[CricketCheerMom]

But those of us ON THE BOARDS have said time and time again, that we don't leave our children alone in the company of coaches, for this reason exactly, regardless how much we trust them. So maybe a more effective approach would be to figure out how you can go outside this forum to bring attention to an issue that gym owners, for one, don't really want to talk about, because it may negatively impact their business, and the USASF, for two, doesn't want to talk about, because it may negatively impact the sport, and random cheer parents, for three, don't want to talk about because it involves the possible thought of sexualization of their minor child.

So my biggest question is, how DO we keep them ALL safe? Not just your own kid, but the kid down the street whose parents aren't involved with the child's cheer, and the kid has to find rides to-and-from practice, etc.?

My rule in my home is that if you can't take your own kid to practice than you shouldn't sign them up. If my kid gets hurt or I move away than you are out of a car pool. There always seems to be drama with car pools.

 

[kristenthegreat]

Few things:
One, we're mostly American and a good number of teenagers. And we're all modern humans. Thoughtful titles asking our opinion on certain situations that aren't explicitly in the headline might not get much traffic. I know when I'm debating to read a thread, I check the post count and the first sentence that pops up when I hover the title. If I can ascertain what is inside, and think it might be worth checking, I'll read.

Two- this is apples and oranges, like many people said. This is universally accepted as an appalling occurrence. Scholarships are debatable.

Three- But this DIDN'T happen at the gym. And he DIDN'T have a record. Unless you're driving your child at every occasion personally, there's no guarantee this could be avoided. Unless it happened at another gym and he had a record THERE, how would anybody know? All the speculation in the world can't prevent something unless there is cold, hard facts. Who even knows WHAT the parents speculated? They might have just thought he was too 'friend' and not a 'coach.' Maybe that he tried to drink with them, at 'worst.' I don't know if they ever went far enough to suspect this. Maybe they did know and turned an eye. I'm not them..

Four- I feel for these girls. This is another example of the Worlds-or-die mentality. Trying to keep the team together because you think it's just a personal issue. You bury the feelings because you think they're just a mistake or no-big-deal. That if it's happened to other girls, that it was just a relationship. Or it bothered you but you handle it like you would any other relationship problem and believe that's enough. It's not something you feel is a huge deal and want to ruin lives over. It's not until you're older, until you're away from the situation and reality is staring you in the face that you're forced to contend with how what actually happened was an assault and something needs to be done. Grown adults have hard times with this realization, I'm not going to blame 14 year old girls.

 

[callmecoach]

Started a new thread because a thread with the title "How Would You Feel About This?" seems to sweep a VERY serious issue under the rug.

If we could get a fraction of the action and attention that a recruiting thread got, which by comparison is quite silly IMHO, then how much better could we safeguard our children from this type of abuse? I guess I am just a parent, who takes this type of thing seriously and would like to draw awareness to such abuses to keep this kind of thing from happening to other children. Bottom line.

As far as Trinity is concerned. I have not stepped one foot in the door of that gym and I bet the vast majority of those who post hateful things about this gym have never done so, either.

My advice, focus on things that matter, like what we can all do to keep our children safe. How about everyone that focuses their energies on gossiping gets together and demands accountability for the gym in Boca that fired their coach in 2011, but did nothing to report his crimes against children?

Take a moment. Think about that. Recruiting VS. Child Abuse. No contest.

The situation is deplorable. While it can't be changed, it at least makes us think about the way things work at our own gyms and the actions we can take to protect our athletes and to prevent a situation like this from happening in the future. It's very important and should be talked about. Your point there is valid.

But this is, after all, a board dedicated to cheerleading. Recruiting in comparison to child abuse is small potatoes, but recruiting in relation to the cheerleading industry is quite relevant. They're not comparable to each other. Pages of discussion about recruiting in no way means people don't care about child abuse.

We don't spend our lives talking about the horrible realities that exist in this world because if we did, we would all be chronically miserable. When a situation like this comes up, it will be discussed and hopefully many will learn something from it. But then we'll move on and yes, talk about non life-altering hot topics from the cheer world because it's fun and we are all supposed to have a little of that too.

 

[NEliteSteven]

I'm so confused with the hostility in this post. There are probably criminals in every sport or activity there is, but I don't think it's because cheerleading is corrupt or has issues- it's because potential criminals also enjoy activities/hobbies/passtimes/sports.

 

[CheerDadof2]

He was reported to authorities. I am not sure if the gym reported him and than was notified and they fired him or if they fired him and reported it but they did fire him.

It has been public knowledge that he was fired from there in June and why so he has not worked at another gym since.

I thought it said they fired him in June of 2011? I'll go back and re-read the article later.

So they fire him in June of 2011 and authorities are just now arresting him? That seems odd, if it was June of this year ok but if it was last year then to me that seems the gym never reported it and waited till someone else stood up.

 

[worldchampME]

I used to cheer with this person when I was on Miami Elite and he's always been a good friend of mine. I cannot believe what I'm even reading to be completely honest with you. This guy has always been such a genuine person. I guess it just shows you never really know people as much as you think you do.

Scariest thing though, I woke up at 7:07 PST to a phone call from Boca Raton, FL, clearly ignored it as I live in San Diego now, and had no idea of this incident. TO sign on Fierceboards and this be the first thing I see, extremely ironic.

As parents, older siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, we have to be more cautious of these situations when it comes to dropping our kids off, who they ride to the gym with or back or whatever the case, since we are clearly always reminded from the news, you can't ever be TOO safe.

 

[CricketCheerMom]

I thought it said they fired him in June of 2011? I'll go back and re-read the article later.

So they fire him in June of 2011 and authorities are just now arresting him? That seems odd, if it was June of this year ok but if it was last year then to me that seems the gym never reported it and waited till someone else stood up.

It was this year

 

[njallday]

obviously the whole situation is disgusting and i feel for those kids involved.

what stuck out to me the most in this article was when they asked her why she waited to report him and she said she didn't want to jeopardize the team attending worlds. (i literally cringed at this. though, i don't blame a 14 year old)

dear all cheerleaders/teens/children/anyone really:

if something terrible like this is happening do not wait to report it. while you may think "i'm just overreacting," you aren't. if you are afraid of not going to worlds/being called a liar/losing your job/being made fun of/hurting someone you trust/etc. there are plenty of people who will stand beside you. if you feel that your safety or physical/mental/emotional health is ever at risk, tells someone immediately. nothing is more important than you, even going to worlds.

 

[CricketCheerMom]

I wonder if her former teammates are standing by her?