Is Cheerleading a Sport or an Industry?

[SharkDad]

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

I am hoping they don't

 

[kristenthegreat]

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

When I studied abroad I got my Guarda card (a card issued by the gov't, like an International ID, stating how long I was permitted to stay in the country), and they had a finger print scanner. I'm unaware of cost, but I have all sorts of info (including my picture) stored on it as well as my finger print scan. Sort of similar..

 

[stevenxoxfierce5]

in my opinion, for gym owners its an industry, but for the actual athletes its a sport!

 

[rpm99]

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...

I agree with the gym owners having the strongest bargaining power, in extension the parents/customers having just as much. There are a lot of great ideas in this thread but where do we start. I for one would love the same opportunities offered to/available for my daughter for cheerleading as my son has for swimming. She works much harder than he does with a much longer season and way more money out of pocket from me. Let's face it, although I so love the SPORT of cheerleading, I consider it an investment in her future.

 

[wcdad]

I agree with the gym owners having the strongest bargaining power, in extension the parents/customers having just as much. There are a lot of great ideas in this thread but where do we start. I for one would love the same opportunities offered to/available for my daughter for cheerleading as my son has for swimming. She works much harder than he does with a much longer season and way more money out of pocket from me. Let's face it, although I so love the SPORT of cheerleading, I consider it an investment in her future.

Can I ask you to expand on this statement? How do you feel it is an investment in her future? Not trying to start anything because I felt the same way.

Now that my CP is in college my opinion has changed. There are not any real scholarships for cheerleaders; some but does not cover a lot. Most College Coaches do not have pull to get a cheerleader into a school. What I do believe it has done for her future is this; she has developed a large contact list that one day may help her. It kept her off the couch and out of the mall, limited her free time, I know all of her friends but even more I know her friends parents. It helped with her time management and self confidence. Because we drove 1.5 hrs each way 3 to 4 times a week we had GREAT conversations that I know everything about her. I can not agree that I can give cheerleading credit for the entire positive because what ever she did my involvement with her and her sport / activity would have been the same.