All-Star International Coed 5/all-girl 5 Thoughts

[King]

Like I said earlier if they got rid of the word international and just called it open an open team had to be 18 or older an event producers still wanted to give them a paid bid I would be fine with it.

Is there any other organized sports that encourages a 14 year old yo compete with 22 year olds? Or even allows it?

 

[King]

I hate typing responses on my phone. Dang autocorrect.

 

[wcdad]

The USASF never had a rule forbidding event producers from giving paid bid to "international" teams. The event producers didn't give them out the first couple of years by their choice. The event producers still have the option of giving them to whatever divisions they want.

Like many things, people's opinion tends to run along the same lines as what would benefit their team. All girl teams want some bids set aside specifically for all girl teams. Senior teams want to exclude the "international" divisions. Gyms like ours who have many financially struggling athletes on International teams, want them to go purely by score of all Worlds teams. (at least all of them with the same potential scoring range.). That is human nature.

If event producers want to attract more customers by putting certain limits, quotas, or restrictions on which athletes are eligible for paid bids, they should have that right. They should definitely announce their policy ahead of time, though. If they specifically exclude divisions, then we probably wouldn't bring those teams to their event. (Other programs might take their teams specifically because those limits were in place.)

I could not agree more about this. I feel that the event producers must post and declare their bid policy in advance and post it on their website. That way their customers can make an informed choice on which events they want to support.

 

[BSS2000]

14? No, but you're allowed to compete in the Olympics at 16 in some sports like gymnastics.
So I guess the idea of cheer ever being an Olympic sport is kinda stupid seeing how our sport closes the door after 18/19 when athletes are actually peaking.

 

[King]

14? No, but you're allowed to compete in the Olympics at 16 in some sports like gymnastics.
So I guess the idea of cheer ever being an Olympic sport is kinda stupid seeing how our sport closes the door after 18/19 when athletes are actually peaking.

Closes the door? Your saying by making adults only compete with adults were closing the door? How the heck do other sport survive if they only let adults compete with other adults? Are we ve 1 shining beacon left in sports? Or is this 1 of those things that keeps the general public from taking us seriously?

 

[BSS2000]

L

This industry It's built on coaching kids. Every competition Every gym Every coaching position Exist because This is an industry for minors. To train and better our kids. When an individual finally turns 18 I don't feel there is anything owed to them. If they wish to continue in this sport they are more than welcome. But don't confuse yourself and think that cheerleading need the international division. They are a luxury that older cheerleaders enjoy. It's the international division disappeared tomorrow what gym would go under?

After saying this how could you also say cheer opens the door to people over 18, maybe they leave it cracked. I know after coming full circle in the sport I would probably not let my kids do it. Sorta pointless.
Other sports have a lot more opportunity that's for sure.

Adults competing against adults in other sports usually have a little more to gain than bragging rights and a trophy, its a little more lucrative.

 

[King]

L

After saying this how could you also say cheer opens the door to people over 18, maybe they leave it cracked. I know after coming full circle in the sport I would probably not let my kids do it. Sorta pointless.
Other sports have a lot more opportunity that's for sure.

Adults competing against adults in other sports usually have a little more to gain than bragging rights and a trophy, its a little more lucrative.

And now we've come full circle. I'm assuming you mean a scholarship. I'm all for getting cheerleader scholarships. In fact I want to encourage scholarships by having open divisions compliments colleges. But colleges don't like all star. And refer back to bluecats opinion on all star about college.

 

[BSS2000]

Not limited to scholarship, but yea, far more opportunities in other sports.

 

[ztaprincess]

My two cents: If you can vote on the leaders of our country then you are an adult. If you're an adult you can pay your own way. If you cant afford it; dont buy it. This includes cars, jeans, or cheer. The entitlement mentality makes me a little nuts.

Then if you are 18 and on a senior team you should not benefit from that full paid bid and have to pay your own way to worlds. I mean that is only fair since they can vote for the leaders of our country right?''

I have no problem with a company not giving their full paid bids to international teams if they announce ahead of time that they cannot be in the running for them. The problem I have is when they do not announce that and the international team scores the highest at the comp and they get looked over for a senior team who didn't win their division but got their bid because the first place team already had one. Tell me what makes that team more worthy of a paid bid for not winning their division over a team that outscored everyone at the competition?

 

[taytay]

lets talk about some teams now

 

[socratesofcheer]

Then if you are 18 and on a senior team you should not benefit from that full paid bid and have to pay your own way to worlds. I mean that is only fair since they can vote for the leaders of our country right?''

Allow me to clarify: if you are a senior in high school the probability that you turned 18 during the year is quite high. These people I'm ok with. Those that choose to "super senior", not so cool with. Those are the folks that should move on to college or their open team.

 

[Aw.Work.]

Why? That makes no sense. You can keep freshman on junior teams. So you can keep super seniors in senior teams. Some gyms do jot have open teams and I don't cheer for my college. So if my gym didn't have an open team and I could super senior why wouldn't I? And some kids like senior teams better Because They practice more and sometimes even compete more. So no unless they change the rules to go by grade you should be able to cheer on whatever level You or your coaches want you on your super senior year

 

[Powerinwisdom]

Wildcats
GT Black
SOT
TG I5
Steele

Who's making it in the top 3?

 

[wcdad]

Wildcats
GT Black
SOT
TG I5
Steele

Who's making it in the top 3?

not in any order
TG I5
GT Black
SOT / Wildcats

 

[RayLynneECE]

So the adults paying their kids way deserve a break, but an "adult" paying their own way deserves to be slammed with the price of worlds?
I could say if a parent can't afford to send their kid to worlds then they also shouldnt BUY IT. As much as some want this division to be 18+ the fact is it's not, so penalize the whole division for a small group of adults who have real jobs and still cheer?

Worlds is an end all to each season for every team in a worlds division. Each of those teams should have the same right and opportunity to attend. If worlds was so affordable paid bids wouldn't exist. Paid bids should be given based on talent not age. Who can afford what shouldn't be a factor. I'm sure for as many kids on IO who can afford the seasons fees + the full expense of worlds, there's twice as many parents who can AFFORD it.

Is it wrong to feel entitled to equality? Seems more responsible then entitlement due to the fact you pay your kids gym and competition fees, especially since not every gym or competition takes it easy on Io teams. I know my gym charges gym fees for our Ioc5. Maybe levels 1-4 are entitled to compete at worlds & for free, I'm sure they contribute a lot more to these bid companies revenues.

If people are so up in arms about this, then why was the rule fairly recently changed to allow it?

I'm pretty upset about this if you can't tell, I know I probably can't cheer if this rule is changed, and I would be pretty devastated. I would almost be willing to bet that if this rule effected your team you would feel the same as me.

Speaking from the perspective of one of the "adults who have real jobs and still cheer" I completely 110% agree that World's Bids should be based on talent, not age. I have been on more than one open team in the past that has recieved a (non-paid) Bid to Worlds, and has not been able to attend, due to lack of funding. Does that mean we did not deserve to be there? Of course not. I feel that International Open "college kids", & "just-out-of-college" kids need just as much help financially (if not more) than some of the parents that would have to pay the way for their Senior Team child. Luckily, last year I was on a extremely commited Open team that fundraised our way (aside from a few that dropped off along the way because of the cost), but I've found that teams like this are hard to find.