College Kentucky Cheer Dismisses 4 Coaches Following Hazing Investigation

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I had to pull out the laptop for this one. So many things to say.

I think we can all agree that this isn't a clear cut issue. The team and its handlers were wrong for allowing some of this behavior, but the circumstances under which these allegations came to light is mighty fishy.

Firstly: the shenanigans at the retreat weren't really cool. I know that for some it's just kids being kids -- and I'm sure that by and large, that was true -- but when you've got adults in the room who are supposed to be looking out for their well-being, it doesn't fly. It really does sound like a bunch of kids just goofing off, but it also sounds like a breeding ground for bad decisions and potential lawsuits. And for that, I could see the UK admin stepping in.

So even if you give the team the benefit of the doubt and say the "hazing" was pretty innocuous and intended only as harmless fun, it still doesn't fly. Especially with the athletes' overseers in play.

Secondly, I know the circumstances through which these allegations were made are mighty sketchy. If FB is to be believed, it came at the hands of an entitled parent on behalf of her "wronged" kid. And I'm feeling secondhand annoyance just reading those posts because I know we've ALL been there with THAT parent.

That said, I don't think UK would've taken such extreme steps if they hadn't been spooked by the credence of these allegations and the repercussions they could've led to. They knew what they had with that coaching staff. They would've lost valuable assets in deciding to terminate them. And yet they did anyway. I'm sensing they were trying to avoid a nasty lawsuit.

My takeaway is: yeah, some irresponsibility occurred. It sucks that it came to light at the hand of a s****y parent and that the coaches had to be fired as a result, especially because that parent wasn't bothered enough by any of it to make a complaint until after the season was over. The "hazing" wasn't cool, but neither were the parent's actions. I sincerely wish the coaching staff could've been disciplined in another way. Sucks for everyone.

But make no mistake: UK cheer is going to be just fine. I'm sure they've got talented coaches itching to take over that squad. I really don't think they'll miss a beat.

As for that athlete, well... if any of this is true, she just blacklisted herself from cheer. You don't want the implosion of the most decorated college cheer team in the country on your resume, and now it might as well be stamped all over hers thanks to her mom's meddling. I actually don't think the mom intended to get the entire UK staff canned. I think she just wanted to throw her weight around. But now that she's dismantled the entire UK cheer coaching staff, she's guaranteed that no one is touching her kid.

 

[UCFKnights07]

See this is what I saw super early on, before I read the report. To wait a whole season to make complaints doesnt make it seem like the athlete or parent cared about what was actually going on. Sounds more like "im pissed i got moved off the team" so now im gonna throw them to the wolves..
Definitely not the first time something like this has happened and probably not the last.

 

[icequeen]

See this is what I saw super early on, before I read the report. To wait a whole season to make complaints doesnt make it seem like the athlete or parent cared about what was actually going on. Sounds more like "im pissed i got moved off the team" so now im gonna throw them to the wolves..
Definitely not the first time something like this has happened and probably not the last.

A teammate said she was upset with the staff because she was moved from blue to white squad.

 

[UCFKnights07]

A teammate said she was upset with the staff because she was moved from blue to white squad.

Idk. The report is telling, but its very wishy washy to me, some staff saw stuff, some staff never saw anything... Some athletes participated in the activities and some never even knew..... This is where i dont like informing a decision. Cause there is one side, the other side, and the truth.
Maybe the athlete willingly participated and maybe she didn't, but waiting supposedly as long as she did to report it makes me wonder the motives considering what has been said by former athletes on social media.... There could be a lot of reasons why she finally came forward.

 

[Cheeranswers]

I feel like people saying it’s “kids being kids” did not read the report. At a TEAM retreat (where coaches were responsible for their athletes) athletes were throwing basket tosses topless/bottomless (depending on gender). 15 team members said coaches were there watching. At the end of the report I believe it even said one coach was participating. THAT is just unacceptable.

 

[SMD]

I stand corrected and must apologize. Upon further investigation it would appear that this was a total smear campaign by one deranged mom and her daughter because her daughter didn’t get what she wanted. While I do suspect some of the report to be true, implicating Debbie Love was irresponsible and character damaging. And this mom is friends with Debbie Love on FB. The mom is despicable. She has had numerous legal issues. And they were supposed gym hoppers and every where they went caused chaos and destruction and tainted reputations. Interesting to see what happens to the daughter. Will she go back to Kentucky?

 

[icequeen]

I stand corrected and must apologize. Upon further investigation it would appear that this was a total smear campaign by one deranged mom and her daughter because her daughter didn’t get what she wanted. While I do suspect some of the report to be true, implicating Debbie Love was irresponsible and character damaging. And this mom is friends with Debbie Love on FB. The mom is despicable. She has had numerous legal issues. And they were supposed gym hoppers and every where they went caused chaos and destruction and tainted reputations. Interesting to see what happens to the daughter. Will she go back to Kentucky?

I’ve become alittle to invested with keeping up but mom posted she looking forward to year #2 cheering and both of their pages are filled with UK cheer within the last 24 hours. If the comments regarding her are true, she is a despicable human.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I stand corrected and must apologize. Upon further investigation it would appear that this was a total smear campaign by one deranged mom and her daughter because her daughter didn’t get what she wanted. While I do suspect some of the report to be true, implicating Debbie Love was irresponsible and character damaging. And this mom is friends with Debbie Love on FB. The mom is despicable. She has had numerous legal issues. And they were supposed gym hoppers and every where they went caused chaos and destruction and tainted reputations. Interesting to see what happens to the daughter. Will she go back to Kentucky?

I mean, she can try. If she has any shame she won’t. But honestly at this point, UK is the only shot she has at powerhouse college cheerleading because she has the “My mom is THIS nasty so I dare you to cut me” card. There’s an outside shot that an implied threat like that might actually work. But that’s the only thing she has: a threat. And UK has nothing to lose anymore, so that threat holds no water.

Seriously, she blew it. You can bet every powerhouse cheer program is following this story. Louisville, Ole Miss, etc., and now she’s on their radar and not in a good way. This girl’s got nowhere to go. No program will even politely entertain the possibility of accepting her. She won’t even make it past the video applications. Mom and daughter messed up big time.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I’ve become alittle to invested with keeping up but mom posted she looking forward to year #2 cheering and both of their pages are filled with UK cheer within the last 24 hours. If the comments regarding her are true, she is a despicable human.

If that’s true and she’s not just trolling, she’ll quit within the year. Her teammates will ice her out of everything. And you can’t sue people for not speaking to you so she’ll have no other options.

ETA: I can see it now: every other person on that team cries that they’re “not comfortable” working with her because they’re afraid of her mom. And they’d have a point.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

A jaded mom who didn't make any claims until after the season ended for her Suzie. That I have zero respect for

I can tell you I have beef with this also.

Keep consistent energy for something that is inappropriate.

 

[FierceIsTheName]

I'm trying to make sense of all of this.

On one hand, I don't think UK would just fire their entire coaching staff because of a mom's false accusations. That's just not possible in my mind. From the looks of it, it was a pretty extensive investigation and I doubt this decision came lightly. From everything I've read, these events were highly inappropriate in general, but especially having coaches there. Coaches being there = promoting it/condoning the behavior. Although college students ARE adults, the coaches are in a position of power and should know better.

On the other hand, this mom does kinda sound crazy and the fact that her child didn't make the team she wanted (i think?), just seems a bit sus.

But I highly doubt the University would fire them for nothing. Although we know some details, we do not have the full story.

 

[UCFKnights07]

I can tell you I have beef with this also.

Keep consistent energy for something that is inappropriate.

It was just as inappropriate when your daughter participated.

It's not suddenly inappropriate when it becomes useful in helping you expose someone.

Sort of like in my work with students:

Girl A and Girl B were best friends.

They fall out for some reason.

Moms get involved because they're going at it on social media.

Girl A's parent goes to a counselor and accuses Girl B of doing something against school code. Ex: "B was smoking behind the bleachers at during senior lunch."

The only problem is that Girl A Parent omits that A was also smoking with Girl B at the time or else how would she know?

Girl A's Mom is usually horrified that I am not immediately storming down to B's class to give her a Saturday for smoking on school property 2 months ago.

But you can't take something that you likely participated in and bring it to administration to use against someone else because you and that person are no longer getting along. (Barring extreme cases of course, like "Girl A allegedly raped or abused or murdered someone.")

Yes to this. So great this girl and her mom exposed some dirty truths and got people fired. But now what, half the team has clearly shown support online for their now former coach and have placed blame on the accuser, is she really going to want to show up the next season and be stuck on a team with (possibly) half the people she outed as inappropriate... (I mean i want to imagine a good amount of the kids apart of that season will return for next season if not graduating)
That or she really had no intentions of ever returning so there is no one to face later....
You cant have that many former and some current athletes come forward and say this girls mother was nuts and there not be at least some truth to that statement....
I feel for the girl if all this truly affected her in a negative way, but ive also seen some people/kids/parents do some crazy sh*t in order to get what they want in sports... So time will tell....

 

[coachrah]

I mean, she can try. If she has any shame she won’t. But honestly at this point, UK is the only shot she has at powerhouse college cheerleading because she has the “My mom is THIS nasty so I dare you to cut me” card. There’s an outside shot that an implied threat like that might actually work. But that’s the only thing she has: a threat. And UK has nothing to lose anymore, so that threat holds no water.

Seriously, she blew it. You can bet every powerhouse cheer program is following this story. Louisville, Ole Miss, etc., and now she’s on their radar and not in a good way. This girl’s got nowhere to go. No program will even politely entertain the possibility of accepting her. She won’t even make it past the video applications. Mom and daughter messed up big time.

No disrespect intended but your statement “icing her out” would be considered retaliation. The University has decided to mitigate this issue by placing the team directly under Athletics starting next season. No one will be “icing” anyone if the incoming coach understands the terms of employment. Additionally, all members of the student body have protection under Title IX whether a student-athlete or in a sorority as an example. Coaches, faculty, and all employees are trained in knowing and recognizing Title IX violations and institutional rules. They are expected as part of their employment to comply. Hazing is taken very seriously. Even if it happened ONCE and it remained unreported it would be a retention issue.It looks as if Kentucky has made the added decision to have this team follow NCAA rules. As far as kids being kids... the University probably looked at this through a liability lens. Naked basket tosses? Skinny dipping while intoxicated? And throwing baskets (whether drunk or not off a boat or wet dock)... Pretend for one moment a team was to do this at a hotel pool when competing...would a staff employee stop it? Someone gets seriously hurt and cameras pick that up from someone’s watch and there is an issue at hand. Pretend that pool or docked boat was in the middle of campus... would team kids think they could put on that show and it would be allowed to continue with administration watching? So being at a secluded camp/retreat doesn’t alter the fact that it happened.

 

[quitthedrama]

I stand corrected and must apologize. Upon further investigation it would appear that this was a total smear campaign by one deranged mom and her daughter because her daughter didn’t get what she wanted. While I do suspect some of the report to be true, implicating Debbie Love was irresponsible and character damaging. And this mom is friends with Debbie Love on FB. The mom is despicable. She has had numerous legal issues. And they were supposed gym hoppers and every where they went caused chaos and destruction and tainted reputations. Interesting to see what happens to the daughter. Will she go back to Kentucky?

I mean, she can try. If she has any shame she won’t. But honestly at this point, UK is the only shot she has at powerhouse college cheerleading because she has the “My mom is THIS nasty so I dare you to cut me” card. There’s an outside shot that an implied threat like that might actually work. But that’s the only thing she has: a threat. And UK has nothing to lose anymore, so that threat holds no water.

Seriously, she blew it. You can bet every powerhouse cheer program is following this story. Louisville, Ole Miss, etc., and now she’s on their radar and not in a good way. This girl’s got nowhere to go. No program will even politely entertain the possibility of accepting her. She won’t even make it past the video applications. Mom and daughter messed up big time.

The mom’s Facebook posts- wow. Everything is public and recent (days and hours old) and you would think from her posts that she is a paid advertisement for UK Cheer. Kid has tried out and made a different college team. Tryout placements were announced a few weeks ago. How would you like to be that college coach right now?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Yes to this. So great this girl and her mom exposed some dirty truths and got people fired. But now what, half the team has clearly shown support online for their now former coach and have placed blame on the accuser, is she really going to want to show up the next season and be stuck on a team with (possibly) half the people she outed as inappropriate... (I mean i want to imagine a good amount of the kids apart of that season will return for next season if not graduating)
That or she really had no intentions of ever returning so there is no one to face later....
You cant have that many former and some current athletes come forward and say this girls mother was nuts and there not be at least some truth to that statement....
I feel for the girl if all this truly affected her in a negative way, but ive also seen some people/kids/parents do some crazy sh*t in order to get what they want in sports... So time will tell....

It's probably not a matter of either the team or this lady are telling the truth.

It's likely a both/and situation.

1. This program probably has some cray going on and has had it for awhile.

AND

2. They probably just happened to piss off the wrong Suzy's Crazy Mom and she reported it after the fact because she was mad.

Perfect storm and there is likely truth on both sides.

(Because yes crazy lady spilled, but the University also investigated before they made any decisions. When crazy people lie and their allegations are unsubstantiated, the investigation usually shows that.)