Yeah, to each their own. First on the tape, nothing wrong with an opinion. If you are talking about mine, and I think the term applies to her over the last 2-3 years, the characterization of cocky, fake or doing something for fame is off base. I assume you are not because I'm certain you do not know her from Adam, but I cannot speak for other's you actually have interacted with and what you have heard or been told. She has always responded openly to other athletes approaching her in the the best manner possible. They are almost always younger girls who for some reason look up to her and her career and cheer and hope to emulate her. Ask them why I suppose, but it is not self promotion or looking for fame. The status found her through social media. I do not participate in YouTube, Facebook or Twitter, but to a certain extent everyone that does, including her on YouTube and Facebook, she has never been on Twitter that I know of, is inviting anyone on the media to look inside their lives. When they do, some are interested and attracted. I assume everyone knows they are putting themselves out there on media and let the chips fall where they may. No apologies from my family on that front, she found fans that sought her out on media and at competitions. She ended her personal Facebook about a year ago, only has a fan page she interacts on with fans.
CNN found her through Facebook and YouTube, they sought her out, and decided to use her as their subject along with SE and CEA. For better or worse, she became more notable. She took a lot of criticism about the form of the CNN documentary, but if you understand the way the editors decided to tell the story of All Star through her eyes, I believe the criticism was unwarranted. The did not ask her or us how to put the piece together. I think Kingston is correct to a certain extent, it may have been a phenomenon born of the growth of the Internet, social media and for her being now 6 years on point of a popular team. The term cheerlebrity may end because if I have learned anything from cheer, the industry is only interested in the next big thing and apparently this is getting old. So be it. I have read about outreach for the sport, introduction to non AllStars and those activities on this board. She and her mother respond to about 150 requests per week for things, a video for a birthday or a group of recreation level kids that want her to tell them something on skype about All Star. And she does them all. She has had a lot of impact overseas, and constantly is in touch with kids from all over the world about American Cheer and promoting the sport. So she does those things and other things for charity and sick kids that you will never hear about. And believe it or not we have been burned on more than one occasion by posers faking illness and personal tragedy for favors so beware. It is unbelievable.
Now, on the NCA and other competitions this year, it has been more than a bit frantic and we try to be with her but NCA is not that conducive to being at her side all the time, and the kids are relentless if anything else, so I apologize if I left her in a bad situation for a short period of time. I also hate it when she leaves in her car to go out with friends or her sister goes back to school. We cannot always be there with them. She handles it pretty well but I do think she has given it her best and is ready to retire.
Now there are a couple of things I regret, one is CheerSport this year and the sign and greet for her stunt group. We did not know that a subscription was needed before we started and regret the line and costs until they started and decided not to pull out at the last moment. If we would have known, we would have asked the PTB to give them a table to sit at and sign autographs for free. The other is that sometimes when she is getting ready to compete she can be a little short about stopping and signing and it gives the wrong impression. I think maybe put yourself in her shoes when she is trying to do her job and get her mind right for her team, she just wants to be left alone and focus, even if walking through a hallway to warm-ups. I know at NCA, they were next to hit the mat, 3 kids came up and asked for a picture. Sometimes it is a bit too much. I do not regret Fancy Face, that is an arrangement with Varsity and we are very supportive of anything Varsity asks her to do and so is she. Her decision, and they have never led us in the wrong direction. I have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people in cheer through her and almost all are kind people who just want to promote the industry.
Now, lastly as my time here is ending soon, to all of you who want to promote their kids in cheer it will not work. Either the fans and other athletes like them or they do not. The vast majority of opportunities, such as web series, deals, and those such things never pan out. 99 times out of 100 in fact. Don't sweat it, there is really nothing lucrative in the cheer industry for these athletes. Maybe a little exposure in a magazine or on a video, but they are going to have to make or break their careers after cheer and the best I can tell and that is like everyone else, in school working hard. No easy way that I have seen. So peace and have a great Worlds. I'm done on this.
