All-Star Halloween Practice - Altered Schedule Or No?

[Cheerfun2]

Our gym cancelled practices

 

[Jolette]

Our gym is closed for team practices and they are all moved to another day. Looks like classes are still running and DD has one but I am not going to make her go (I tried to tell her she should go but she put her foot down and I couldn't argue)

 

[CLynn]

Thank you for all the responses, and to the coaches/owners who get it and have already canceled practices. We love our gym and usually understand mandatory means mandatory but this feels wrong to me.

I personally would not send my child to practice over trick or treating. Kids need to be kids.

Can I ask how you would go about that? Just say she is not coming and leave it at that?

Maybe I'm more lax up here in the northeast because we love halloween but I just think some things are an exception.

lol, I grew up in the Northeast so maybe ....

 

[tumbleyoda]

We close our gym. Our area has so many big local events on Halloween that it attendance would be very poor and unproductive. No sense fighting that fight.

 

[cheergoogle]

Our gym is closed for Halloween for all teams.

 

[SLM]

No way I would make our teams practice on Halloween. Yes it is important to be prepared for comp but not at the expense of every life event/holiday. Plus it's my fav holiday and I want to get to experience it with my own children as well. We will do a themed dress up practice the day before.

These kids already give up so much to be on teams why make them give up something like Halloween as well.

 

[SL&AM]

Can I ask how you would go about that? Just say she is not coming and leave it at that?

Exactly. "Sorry, my kid will not be at practice, I understand and accept that you may not like that answer but this is the choice I've made. If there is a make-up or punishment I need to be aware of let me know and we'll go from there." End.

In fact, I sent a very similar message last season over a completely different topic, but the message was the same. I am all about commitments and knowing what you're getting into, but cheerleading is not more important than a holiday my kids have maybe 10-12 years to truly enjoy. Cheer can wait.

And, when push comes to shove, if enough parents band together and say 'no' the gym will have no choice but to follow suit. Why any gym would be open and/or attempt to force their kiddos to miss out on a once a year holiday over a practice that absolutely could be rescheduled or made-up is beyond me. I get the life, eat, breathe, die for cheer mentality, but there is a line and this isn't one I'd be crossing.

 

[CheerBank]

Trust me, even my HS senior did not want to go to practice on Halloween!

Not sure about rest of gym, but her team canceled practice for that night.

 

[FamousxMindset]

Thank you for all the responses, and to the coaches/owners who get it and have already canceled practices. We love our gym and usually understand mandatory means mandatory but this feels wrong to me.
Can I ask how you would go about that? Just say she is not coming and leave it at that?


lol, I grew up in the Northeast so maybe ....

Out of curiosity when is your first comp/or showcase?

 

[CLynn]

Out of curiosity when is your first comp/or showcase?

Showcase mid-November. I do understand the pressures and scheduling issues, but the gym has rescheduled one of the teams at other points when there were clinics or other gym events that conflicted so certainly it is possible.

And, when push comes to shove, if enough parents band together and say 'no' the gym will have no choice but to follow suit. Why any gym would be open and/or attempt to force their kiddos to miss out on a once a year holiday over a practice that absolutely could be rescheduled or made-up is beyond me. I get the life, eat, breathe, die for cheer mentality, but there is a line and this isn't one I'd be crossing.

I know, I agree. Thank you for the great advice.

 

[CLynn]

If your practice falls on Halloween, we do not change practice. This will be the second time in 5 years my daughters team practiced on Halloween. We sometimes do a theme dress for Halloween and parents do trunk or treat out of their cars.

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Does she mind at all or is it just they make it fun to be there? Does everyone seem attend based on what you have experienced?

I haven't asked others on the team what they think/if they are going because I think that might reflect poorly...

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

Trust me, even my HS senior did not want to go to practice on Halloween!

Not sure about rest of gym, but her team canceled practice for that night.

Halloween is my favorite holiday of all the holidays. I went trick-or-treating up until I was 17. I was never a kid who would EVER skip practice but I would've skipped practice on Halloween for sure and taken whatever consequences that came with it.

While kids and families should be dedicated to their teams and the commitments theyve made, the gyms and coaches should also allow families to have a life outside of the gym. Families make sacrifices year round for kids to cheer. I think the most important point to consider, IMO, is that there are other people in the family than the cheerleader and I don't think families should be required to sacrifice holidays because the gym wants to hold practice.

In reality, what is cancelling ONE practice during the off season/pre-competition season truly going to do? You're not going to win worlds because you scheduled that one extra practice. Let the families have the night off to have fun.

Just my two cents.

 

[SarahNVC]

I love this - I'm in the UK and no one would care it was on Halloween. Just shows how big a deal it is in the US compared to here - it's a thing here but it's not like other holidays

We are having a Halloween themed practice tho :)
And I still need an outfit suggestion

 

[TheVipersMom]

Does she mind at all or is it just they make it fun to be there? Does everyone seem attend based on what you have experienced?

I haven't asked others on the team what they think/if they are going because I think that might reflect poorly...

My kid doesn't mind she thinks being at the gym is fun. We have never had anyone miss because of Halloween. If you miss, you are off the team.

Practice ends at 6 or 7 for some teams
And the other teams don't practice till 730

There is still enough time to go trick or treating before/after practice so some hit the neighborhoods up near by

 

[CLynn]

Practice ends at 6 or 7 for some teams
And the other teams don't practice till 730

This would not be the case for us as our gym is some distance so there would not be time.

If you miss, you are off the team.

This is what I fear our situation would be. Do you really believe this is a reasonable ask of an 8 year old, and as someone else said the little siblings of that child who will be impacted?