OT New Random Thread 4

[Sterling von Shimmer]

Yup, ditto to all of it.

To my memory, SE wasn’t really a notable team after ~2014 or so until RC came into the game and blew up on social media. And you’re right; what teenage or little girl won’t love a pretty blonde, very tall, very skinny cheerleader who has adoring fans, high profile friends(namely KP), and a fair amount of talent. You’ve got what every little allstar cheerleader wants, and the stereotypical beauty standard for women all in one. It’s not wrong to say that she gets by partly on her looks.

I try not to comment on kids’ looks, but I think objectively speaking we can all admit she’s gorgeous. She’s got the build of a runway model and a bone structure that won’t take a bad picture. For that reason alone I can see how kids respond to her, one way or another.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

Is anyone else curious if Wanda Holloway’s daughter was actually good at cheer?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Is anyone else curious if Wanda Holloway’s daughter was actually good at cheer?

I mean, she had to be at least decent.

She cheered on the same teams as the Heath girl up through youth football and middle school, right? And I am sure that Texas town is probably one where youth football cheer is a tryout, not just a sign up.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Wanda Holloway's daughter:

Wanda Holloway 's daughter Shanna breaks silence over Texas Cheerleading murder plot | Daily Mail Online

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I mean, she had to be at least decent.

She cheered on the same teams as the Heath girl up through youth football and middle school, right? And I am sure that Texas town is probably one where youth football cheer is a tryout, not just a sign up.

The story goes they trained at the same gymnastics center, but Shanna never made a cheer team before or after the murder for hire. Wanda was convinced it was the presence of her “rival” Heath that was keeping Shanna off teams. But one wonders that it if Shanna was hands down good enough, then the presence of a single girl wouldn’t be enough to repeatedly keep her off teams.

So either Shanna wasn’t good enough and Wanda was looking for a scapegoat, or she was good enough but the presence of the Heaths really was keeping her off teams (possibly through “team mom” politicking and the like). In which case, I get Wanda’s frustration. I mean obviously she shouldn’t have tried to murder a woman and her child, but I get it.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

The story goes they trained at the same gymnastics center, but Shanna never made a cheer team before or after the murder for hire. Wanda was convinced it was the presence of her “rival” Heath that was keeping Shanna off teams. But one wonders that it if Shanna was hands down good enough, then the presence of a single girl wouldn’t be enough to repeatedly keep her off teams.

So either Shanna wasn’t good enough and Wanda was looking for a scapegoat, or she was good enough but the presence of the Heaths really was keeping her off teams (possibly through “team mom” politicking and the like). In which case, I get Wanda’s frustration. I mean obviously she shouldn’t have tried to murder a woman and her child, but I get it.

Very rarely does any tryout come down to "one more spot and oh wow 2 more kids."

If someone perceived ONE kid to be the reason their kid didn't make a team/get a spot, they need a therapist.

If you've ever met someone who fixated on one kid in an activity (or a small group of kids at an activity) being the reason their kid didn't make a team or get a preferred spot, you know that they are usually batshxt crazy.

Maybe not to the point of murder but if you've been in sports or activities long enough, you've met that person:

*Knows exactly how many practices that center flyer (who she perceives as taking a spot from her kid) has missed during summer.
*Can tell you exactly how many home runs the pitcher who replaced her daughter gave up last softball game.
*Can tell you exactly how many hours of extra ballet that soloist is taking in comparison to her own child who didn't get a solo.
*Is convinced that if that new girl hadn't transferred in, their daughter would be playing Varsity volleyball instead of JV.

These people are not just frustrated. They (like Wanda) are perservating and need therapy.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

Very rarely does any tryout come down to "one more spot and oh wow 2 more kids."

If someone perceived ONE kid to be the reason their kid didn't make a team/get a spot, they need a therapist.

If you've ever met someone who fixated on one kid in an activity (or a small group of kids at an activity) being the reason their kid didn't make a team or get a preferred spot, you know that they are usually batshxt crazy.

Maybe not to the point of murder but if you've been in sports or activities long enough, you've met that person:

*Knows exactly how many practices that center flyer (who she perceives as taking a spot from her kid) has missed during summer.
*Can tell you exactly how many home runs the pitcher who replaced her daughter gave up last softball game.
*Can tell you exactly how many hours of extra ballet that soloist is taking in comparison to her own child who didn't get a solo.
*Is convinced that if that new girl hadn't transferred in, their daughter would be playing Varsity volleyball instead of JV.

These people are not just frustrated. They (like Wanda) are perservating and need therapy.

It’s such a weird story. I have so many questions that will probably never be answered. I want to know if the tryout process was legit or more of a popularity contest (like the students voted or whatever). I want to know if the eighth grade cheer program Wanda was focused on was actually competitive and had preteens throwing fulls, or if it was more like a sideline team. So many questions.

I just read the article provided in this thread and it does shed some light: most notably it says that Shanna hated cheer. I think that’s the answer as to why she was never very successful. You can throw all the training in the world at a kid, but if they’re not interested then nothing will stick. I‘m assuming that attitude probably translated at tryouts.

Add to this that the Heaths were neighbors with the Holloways, and Wanda’s fixation in them makes a little more sense. Especially if Wanda felt that Shanna’s skills were comparable to Amber Heath’s (whether that was accurate or not) and yet she still had to watch her daughter get cut while the neighbor’s kid brought home trophies.

Such a bizarre story. I get so caught up in the cheer element that I often forget that the murder plot didn’t even make a lick of sense. She thought she’d kill the mom and just hope that the daughter would be so grief-stricken that she’d quit the cheer team? And then just hope that the coach would bring Shanna up to replace her? That’s just... a lot of risk for a payoff that’s not even close to guaranteed. Therapy indeed.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

It’s such a weird story. I have so many questions that will probably never be answered. I want to know if the tryout process was legit or more of a popularity contest (like the students voted or whatever). I want to know if the eighth grade cheer program Wanda was focused on was actually competitive and had preteens throwing fulls, or if it was more like a sideline team. So many questions.

I just read the article provided in this thread and it does shed some light: most notably it says that Shanna hated cheer. I think that’s the answer as to why she was never very successful. You can throw all the training in the world at a kid, but if they’re not interested then nothing will stick. I‘m assuming that attitude probably translated at tryouts.

Add to this that the Heaths were neighbors with the Holloways, and Wanda’s fixation in them makes a little more sense. Especially if Wanda felt that Shanna’s skills were comparable to Amber Heath’s (whether that was accurate or not) and yet she still had to watch her daughter get cut while the neighbor’s kid brought home trophies.

Such a bizarre story. I get so caught up in the cheer element that I often forget that the murder plot didn’t even make a lick of sense. She thought she’d kill the mom and just hope that the daughter would be so grief-stricken that she’d quit the cheer team? And then just hope that the coach would bring Shanna up to replace her? That’s just... a lot of risk for a payoff that’s not even close to guaranteed. Therapy indeed.

The only thing I remember about the MS tryout in question (from a 20/20 ep I saw) was that there was a student body vote and Holloway got her kid disqualfied because she made some campaign things for her that were prohibited.

Like, you could only make signs and the mom made custom rulers or something.

(Think Homecoming Court or Student Council campaigns. Our students can hand out candy and make signs but nothing else.)

Someone can google it and fact check but I don't actually think the result from middle school had anything to do with the other athletes or the kid's skills.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

The only thing I remember about the MS tryout in question (from a 20/20 ep I saw) was that there was a student body vote and Holloway got her kid disqualfied because she made some campaign things for her that were prohibited.

Like, you could only make signs and the mom made custom rulers or something.

(Think Homecoming Court or Student Council campaigns. Our students can hand out candy and make signs but nothing else.)

Someone can google it and fact check but I don't actually think the result from middle school had anything to do with the other athletes or the kid's skills.

I FORGOT ABOUT THAT PART. Didn't she make buttons or something and that wasn't allowed? But also, the administration straight up disqualified a girl from cheering because she handed out buttons? Sounds a bit draconian for a middle school cheer team.

The more I learn about the culture at that school during that time, the more questions I have.

But mostly, it just sounds like Wanda kept getting in her own way. She was so bent on her daughter’s success that she completely ignored logic, homicide laws, and button rules. I don’t think I’ll ever truly understand this story. I’m just glad nobody got seriously hurt and that the daughter seems to be thriving now.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I wonder if they didn't want her on the team because her mom was an unstable "crazy" cheer Mom. Politics used to be big in Texas High School Cheer. I can see wanting to avoid dealing with that Mom. 35 years ago I had tryouts in from of the student body. Our peers voted and it was a popularity contest. Teachers and admin. could quietly veto anyone trying out for any reason. I am glad things have improved since then.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I wonder if they didn't want her on the team because her mom was an unstable "crazy" cheer Mom. Politics used to be big in Texas High School Cheer. I can see wanting to avoid dealing with that Mom. 35 years ago I had tryouts in from of the student body. Our peers voted and it was a popularity contest. Teachers and admin. could quietly veto anyone trying out for any reason. I am glad things have improved since then.

WOW I've heard of things like that happening but I never met anyone who actually witnessed it. That. Sucks. I would not have made any team were it up to the student body. I was way too shy.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

^^^People who would have NEVER cheered if I had to try out in front of the whole school - ME.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

^^^People who would have NEVER cheered if I had to try out in front of the whole school - ME.

I could’ve handled the actual performance part, I just don’t think anyone would’ve remembered me when it came time to vote. I very much kept to myself and my little group of friends and that was that. I was not a social butterfly and did not have the big stereotypical cheer personality of some of my peers. I cheered all four years in HS, but by my senior year I still got a lot of, “Wait YOURE a cheerleader?” People just didn’t see me fitting the mold.

Interestingly, I think the “non-cheerleader” cheerleader is becoming more of a thing now. I feel like I get more girls each year who excel at cheer but don’t fit the stereotype, and are proud of it: girls in combat boots, girls with tattoos, girls who are hippie chic. Much more variety, and more of the personality type that wants to be the center or attention for a few minutes, but that’s it. I swear, if I’d been born ten years later my whole vibe would’ve been exalted, not ignored.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Yep, we tried out one at a time in front of the whole school in the morning. Then at the end of the day, they announced over the loudspeaker who made it. I was one of a few with the name Kristi. I did not make it, but 2 with my same first name did. At the time it was humiliating and embarrassing.

 

[CoachTamara]

Interestingly, I think the “non-cheerleader” cheerleader is becoming more of a thing now. I feel like I get more girls each year who excel at cheer but don’t fit the stereotype, and are proud of it: girls in combat boots, girls with tattoos, girls who are hippie chic. Much more variety, and more of the personality type that wants to be the center or attention for a few minutes, but that’s it. I swear, if I’d been born ten years later my whole vibe would’ve been exalted, not ignored.

I have coached at my HS for six years now, and I have seen a huge shift. We get so many girls from different groups, and there has been a big shift to true athletes wanting to cheer. It's not about popularity, it's about competition and winning and school spirit and all of the great things that make cheer unique. I get many kids that are great students, come from other sports and just fall in love with cheer.