Is Cheerleading a Sport or an Industry?

[wcdad]

I am not sure an ID card would be the smartest. Too many kids are too irresponsible. I think my RFID shoe tag thing I talked about months ago would be great for this situation. Can get replacement ones on the fly. And pictures are stored electronically.

Also, a yearly registration fee of 35 bucks for insurance and membership would sound reasonable. Also, the competition companies could drop their prices a small bit because the insurance would already be covered.

I used the ID Card as an example as I have seen it in play for football, baseball and cycling. But your RFID tag sounds like a 21st century upgrade to the card and I like it. I think there could even be a two tier registration fee, one price for NEW and one for RENEWALS.

Another good thread.

 

[GAcheerpeach]

I love the ID card and the RFID even better but if you do scanning at an event what happens when an athlete forgets it? Is their a means of immediate replacement or an on site data base that would be accessible to find them?

Now that we gave the USASF all these great ideas that will benefit everyone how would they go about getting started to implement them?

 

[wcdad]

I love the ID card and the RFID even better but if you do scanning at an event what happens when an athlete forgets it? Is their a means of immediate replacement or an on site data base that would be accessible to find them?

Now that we gave the USASF all these great ideas that will benefit everyone how would they go about getting started to implement them?

I would say yes. I have seen, with id cards, were 2 cards were issued. One was given to the athlete and the second was given to the coach were the entire team was in a book. The other advantage for an approved ID Card is for air travel. King stated that the RFID tag could be replaced on the fly.

 

[King]

Rfid tags can be programmed ad easy as a hotel key. And unlike a card they could be made to only carry a number that references an athletes info instead of the info itself. That way you couldn't steal rfid tags to steal peoples names and info.

Sent from my Droid Incredible

 

[GAcheerpeach]

My answer is that the USASF has to offer each entity involved something: the gyms, the athletes themselves, and the events.

You offer the athletes insurance that covers them as long as they are at a USASF gym or sanctioned Event, organization, and the premise that everyone is playing fair (age verification and some way to limit gym hopping).

You offer gyms insurance for all its athletes for practice and competition, a way to ensure everyone is playing fair, and paperless registration at events (that actually works. I am not sure the one form works extremely easily).

You offer events insurance for all the athletes that participate, paperless registration (HUGE), a way to actually verify all athletes are playing by the rules, and actual tracking of kids and trends in the industry (maybe it would prove this whole make large 30 thing is either extremely smart or extremely silly).

The USASF can be the one to offer to tie all those things together. Charge a yearly price to each athlete, but to the events and gyms themselves there is no fee. They just have to follow guidelines to be members.

Agreed... Once everyone is playing within the same rule set the sky is the limit for advancement.
Gyms could register for all their competitions at one time using "the instant registration system", payments could be collected at time of registration (no need for credit card processing or paperwork processing on site) , competition gifts could be then shipped to the gym (eliminating storage costs). I like that idea a lot....

 

[GAcheerpeach]

Rfid tags can be programmed ad easy as a hotel key. And unlike a card they could be made to only carry a number that references an athletes info instead of the info itself. That way you couldn't steal rfid tags to steal peoples names and info.

Sent from my Droid Incredible

Yes information security would be a must. We are building the best mythical sports company in the history of the world. ha ha

 

[wcdad]

Agreed... Once everyone is playing within the same rule set the sky is the limit for advancement.
Gyms could register for all their competitions at one time using "the instant registration system", payments could be collected at time of registration (no need for credit card processing or paperwork processing on site) , competition gifts could be then shipped to the gym (eliminating storage costs). I like that idea a lot....

This way everyone could get the right size.. you would not have a youth kid having to get an adult large shirt when they need a youth small..

 

[King]

The key is not technology, but the system itself. What business rules everyone must follow to keep it fair. The technology is just there to make the rules practical and easy to follow.

Sent from my Droid Incredible

 

[King]

I'm gonna make a new thread for event producers and gym owners. Help my idea along.

 

[SharkDad]

Plenty of people are offering up problems they see and some great ideas for solutions. So that leads us to problem solving:

Step 1: what's the problem?
Step 2: what are possible solutions?

We do these first steps well on the boards, although the loudest sometimes get the most attention

Step 3: pick a solution that falls in line with the overall goal/mission statement.

This is where I am stuck. Is the overall goal to further the industry (increase participation/ profits) or to improve upon the sport (improve the competition environment with better rules/safety)?

The answer to this question drives how you go about deciding on solutions.

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab

 

[powerXbaby]

This way everyone could get the right size.. you would not have a youth kid having to get an adult large shirt when they need a youth small..

That would be great if it stored sizes. It's so true that the competition companies usually end up with the wrong sizes, and then kids end up not being able to wear the shirts, jackets, or whatever they get. I got a shirt when I was on a youth team that was an adult large. Even my BATC jacket is an adult medium and should have been an adult small.

I would have to say that I would rather it be a shoe tag or wrist band or something of that nature, if we were to be scanned right before going out on the floor, where would we put the card? Hand it to the coach in hopes that it doesn't get lost? They've got other stuff to worry about. I say it should be something you can wear, that wont interfere with the performance, and is stress-free.

 

[doubletrouble]

I think my RFID shoe tag thing I talked about months ago would be great for this situation. Can get replacement ones on the fly. And pictures are stored electronically.

I'd patent that if I were you. Then market it - it's a great product.

 

[cheersafety]

Here is a paragraph from your industry leader Varsity's last 10k report with Security Exchange Commission in regards to regulation, a governing body or a sport. It may help shed some light on why cheer is an industry rather than a sport. If you would like the whole document feel free to private message me and I will send it to you.

REGULATION
There is no national governing body regulating cheerleading and dance team activities at the collegiate level. Although voluntary guidelines relating to safety and sportsmanship have been issued by the NCAA and some of the athletic conferences, to date cheerleading and dance teams are generally free from rules and restrictions similar to those imposed on other competitive athletics at the college level. However, if rules limiting off-season training are applied to cheerleading and/or dance teams similar to rules imposed by the NCAA on some inter-collegiate sports, it could, under certain circumstances, have a material adverse affect on Varsity's business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we are not aware of any school officially adopting these activities as a competitive sport, recognition of cheerleading and/or dance teams as a sport would increase the possibility that cheerleader or dance activities may become regulated. We currently do not believe that any regulation of collegiate cheerleading or dance teams as a sport is forth coming in the foreseeable future, and in the event any rules are proposed to be adopted by athletic associations, we expect to participate in the formulation of such rules to the extent permissible.
At the high school level, some state athletic associations have classified cheerleading as a sport and in some cases have imposed certain restrictions on off-season practices and out-of-state travel to competitions.However, in all cases to date, we have been able to work with these state athletic associations to designate acceptable times for the cheerleaders within these states to attend camps. We have also signed agreements with several state associations to assist with sponsoring and executing official competitions within these states. To date, state regulations have not had a material effect on our ability to conduct our normal business activities.

 

[GAcheerpeach]

Here is a paragraph from your industry leader Varsity's last 10k report with Security Exchange Commission in regards to regulation, a governing body or a sport. It may help shed some light on why cheer is an industry rather than a sport. If you would like the whole document feel free to private message me and I will send it to you.

REGULATION
There is no national governing body regulating cheerleading and dance team activities at the collegiate level. Although voluntary guidelines relating to safety and sportsmanship have been issued by the NCAA and some of the athletic conferences, to date cheerleading and dance teams are generally free from rules and restrictions similar to those imposed on other competitive athletics at the college level. However, if rules limiting off-season training are applied to cheerleading and/or dance teams similar to rules imposed by the NCAA on some inter-collegiate sports, it could, under certain circumstances, have a material adverse affect on Varsity's business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we are not aware of any school officially adopting these activities as a competitive sport, recognition of cheerleading and/or dance teams as a sport would increase the possibility that cheerleader or dance activities may become regulated. We currently do not believe that any regulation of collegiate cheerleading or dance teams as a sport is forth coming in the foreseeable future, and in the event any rules are proposed to be adopted by athletic associations, we expect to participate in the formulation of such rules to the extent permissible.
At the high school level, some state athletic associations have classified cheerleading as a sport and in some cases have imposed certain restrictions on off-season practices and out-of-state travel to competitions.However, in all cases to date, we have been able to work with these state athletic associations to designate acceptable times for the cheerleaders within these states to attend camps. We have also signed agreements with several state associations to assist with sponsoring and executing official competitions within these states. To date, state regulations have not had a material effect on our ability to conduct our normal business activities.

This is college cheering they are speaking about but I would think they would be even MORE against regulation or rules for All Star Cheering.

Reading this is why I believe that any governing body would have to get the gyms first so they would have the bargaining power. Other wise the companies that already control the industry would just stomp out the governing body. Just think about a union (without all the political debates the union word will cause) and their negotiating power. If the union only has one member they don't have much power but if the union has 1,000 members now they have a little bargaining power...

 

[CGAcheer]

Rfid tags can be programmed ad easy as a hotel key. And unlike a card they could be made to only carry a number that references an athletes info instead of the info itself. That way you couldn't steal rfid tags to steal peoples names and info.

Sent from my Droid Incredible

What about fingerprint scanners? Don't know the costs, but generally speaking cheerleaders will not lose their fingers and you could still attach all the same information to it