All-Star It's Happening All Over; Not Just In Cheerleading

[SL&AM]

I learned a new word: Tourna-cation



That $9Bil Youth Sports Tourism Industry that is mentioned is a major contributing factor to why cities are requiring the major youth sports/cheer events to do a Stay to Play type program.

I had the pleasure of meeting a soccer mom today at school---if I thought the cheer moms I knew were a little coo coo for cocoa puffs...WOWZERS!

 

[SL&AM]

Ohhhhh boy, soccer moms make cheer moms seem like lil' fluffy kittens. Softball moms can also be a wee bit intense.

LOL If I heard the word "premiere" one more time I was gonna fall over. And there was no escaping her!

 

[alpaca]

I wonder what these super-fan over-involved sports moms do once their child is no longer active in the sport. Where do they direct their energy, time and resources?

 

[StarMom719]

I call competition weekends "cheer-cations". My daughter asks when are we going on vacation - I say you got 9 of them in the winter. LOL!

She does all-star and high school.

Our high school costs are $190 UCA camp that they come to our school for 3 days. Mandatory camp clothing items (3 sets for 3 days which they hardly ever wear again), pompoms (we buy our own - being they get gross and nobody wanted to use them when we didnt buy them), body liner (uniforms are loaned), girls wear nike pros instead of briefs, game bows, no mandatory sneaker (thank goodness - but pay $100 anyway) - so this all adds up to about $400. And then there's spirit wear which is about another $200. Not so bad now that my daughter is on the varsity squad. Freshmen and jv teams only cheer at home games (4 of them) because they won't pay for the busses to the other schools.

All Star this year we have 2 new trips - Anaheim and Atlanta. They took out Myrtle Beach. But now there's any extra fly to one. And then let's hopefully put summit on top of that. Out of my 18 PTO days at work - I'm using 14 before April for cheer. UGH!

 

[JumpChannel]

I learned a new word: Tourna-cation.

This video struck a nerve. Is it a bad cheer mom if you don't want to go on these tournacations? I mean I've seen my kid do her stuff in the backyard...

Seriously tho, this years travel schedule added another 2 day stay to play. Next year cp might have to go prep or nothing bc cost of dragging whole family or finding babysitters for the other kids, boarding the dog, computer hours booking travel to stay multiple nights in hotels chosen by stay to play. It's become farcical. Really need a return to mostly local or 1 day comps!

 

[quietmom]

Swim moms make cheer moms look like mellow balls of sunshine.

 

[catlady]

I'd love to see a change in the format of competitions and see a push back into local. I just don't see it happening for many factors though.

To go with the theme "It's Happening all Over, Not just Cheerleading" my little neighborhood coffee circle of sport mom's are all in agreement this isn't all about youth sports. Seven years ago for Health, Life, Car, Home and Umbrella insurance my little circle of friends determined we paid around $800 a month, now we're paying $1800+ a month. Seven years ago our cell phone bills were around $120, now they're $250+ a month. Luxuries go first, they have to make it happen or they won't survive.

 

[NHcheermom]

I call competition weekends "cheer-cations". My daughter asks when are we going on vacation - I say you got 9 of them in the winter. LOL!

She does all-star and high school.

Our high school costs are $190 UCA camp that they come to our school for 3 days. Mandatory camp clothing items (3 sets for 3 days which they hardly ever wear again), pompoms (we buy our own - being they get gross and nobody wanted to use them when we didnt buy them), body liner (uniforms are loaned), girls wear nike pros instead of briefs, game bows, no mandatory sneaker (thank goodness - but pay $100 anyway) - so this all adds up to about $400. And then there's spirit wear which is about another $200. Not so bad now that my daughter is on the varsity squad. Freshmen and jv teams only cheer at home games (4 of them) because they won't pay for the busses to the other schools.

All Star this year we have 2 new trips - Anaheim and Atlanta. They took out Myrtle Beach. But now there's any extra fly to one. And then let's hopefully put summit on top of that. Out of my 18 PTO days at work - I'm using 14 before April for cheer. UGH!

LOL I call weekends without cheer comps Cheer-cations...as its my vacation from cheer ;)
All star for me is getting so expensive I am afraid I may have to pull my daughter :( Our small gym wants to go to Atlanta next season....I 100% do NOT.....nothing against the Comp but to me flying to a venue that is going to cost me almost the same as the trip to the d2 summit to get said summit bid is just ludicrous

 

[AnotherCheerMom]

Heavy travel (planes and hotels) for a youth sport is ridiculous. I have finally realized that All-Star Cheer is a cult, I drank the kool-aid, and now I'm in recovery mode. CP still loves it so we found a gym with less travel and costs in general and are much happier. It's easy to get caught up in the travel and big-comp hype.

 

[tumbleyoda]

@ILCheer4You - did you intend to rate my post or this thread from Aug of this year as an old thread? I know I have talked about several of these issues for years but we are now seeing the manifestation of a lot of things that were considered just rumors or conspiracies back then. Just wondering.

 

[AnotherCheerMom]

@ILCheer4You - did you intend to rate my post or this thread from Aug of this year as an old thread? I know I have talked about several of these issues for years but we are now seeing the manifestation of a lot of things that were considered just rumors or conspiracies back then. Just wondering.

This is a current and relevant topic, especially in light of the fact that it's so prevalent in all youth sports, it's catching the media's attention! We need to be discussing this now!

 

[AScheer]

Under-the-table deals?

True story. A local gym owner down the road from our current gym offered to pay me to bring my school teams there. I would get a cut of the tuition. All of the coaches of the school teams at said gym were getting paid by the gym to be there. At the time, it blew my mind to find out this was a thing. Now, I've seen and heard so much, that it takes a lot to surprise me anymore.

 

[ILCheer4You]

@ILCheer4You - did you intend to rate my post or this thread from Aug of this year as an old thread? I know I have talked about several of these issues for years but we are now seeing the manifestation of a lot of things that were considered just rumors or conspiracies back then. Just wondering.

Definitely didn't intend to rate negatively. Must have been a scrolling user error. Apologies.

 

[catlady]

This is a current and relevant topic, especially in light of the fact that it's so prevalent in all youth sports, it's catching the media's attention! We need to be discussing this now!

It's been in the media for years. People have focused on Varsity, but years ago the Chattanooga Free Press put an AS competition on the front page because it generated $5M in spending for the city. Local and city governments had figured out youth sports were great income makers long before we were having these discussions. Some want someone to blame, so they focused on Varsity receiving spiffs and rebates from cities and hotels, but the reality is, those just offset event expenses.

I fail to see the conspiracy. We are feeding our type A desires to have our kid be the best, trained by the best, look the best, etc. and then get upset when being "the best" no longer fits our budget.

14,000 cheerleaders on the way to Chattanooga | Times Free Press

@tumbleyoda Unless a business is having a coach specifically mislead parents on the service they are going to receive, the coach selling that service and receiving a spiff is perfectly legal if it is hitting a 1099. HOWEVER, government and most businesses usually have strict policies on employees receiving gifts of any type from vendors or contractors. Spiffs, rebates, coupons, markdown money, margin assistance are just a fact of life in American business. "Under the table" is about tax invasion and avoiding employer policy, and if that's what they're doing, report it.

 

[tumbleyoda]

It's been in the media for years. People have focused on Varsity, but years ago the Chattanooga Free Press put an AS competition on the front page because it generated $5M in spending for the city. Local and city governments had figured out youth sports were great income makers long before we were having these discussions. Some want someone to blame, so they focused on Varsity receiving spiffs and rebates from cities and hotels, but the reality is, those just offset event expenses.

I fail to see the conspiracy. We are feeding our type A desires to have our kid be the best, trained by the best, look the best, etc. and then get upset when being "the best" no longer fits our budget.

14,000 cheerleaders on the way to Chattanooga | Times Free Press

@tumbleyoda Unless a business is having a coach specifically mislead parents on the service they are going to receive, the coach selling that service and receiving a spiff is perfectly legal if it is hitting a 1099. HOWEVER, government and most businesses usually have strict policies on employees receiving gifts of any type from vendors or contractors. Spiffs, rebates, coupons, markdown money, margin assistance are just a fact of life in American business. "Under the table" is about tax invasion and avoiding employer policy, and if that's what they're doing, report it.

It isn't hitting a 1099.