Olympic Cheerleading?

[cheermomfootball]

2 assumptions here:
1 Varsity speaks for everyone
2: When cheer gets recognized as a sport, it will have the same rules as football, soccer, baseball, etc.

Neither is necessarily the case and with proper cooperation and representation should not be.

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab

VB does "speak" for everyone when they own the market, whether we like it or not. Until recently, AT&T spoke for consumers who wanted the iPhone - you had to be with AT&T, no choice. Now you have a second choice, but that still isn't much to "call" home about [no pun intended]. How will "cheer" ever be an Olympic event when it can't get recognized as a real sport at a local level?

 

[SharkDad]

VB does "speak" for everyone when they own the market, whether we like it or not. Until recently, AT&T spoke for consumers who wanted the iPhone - you had to be with AT&T, no choice. Now you have a second choice, but that still isn't much to "call" home about [no pun intended]. How will "cheer" ever be an Olympic event when it can't get recognized as a real sport at a local level?

Interesting you brought this thread back up, but appropriate because the same concepts need to keep getting talked about until one day this truly is a recognized sport.

Varsity does not speak for everyone. They are a recognized major influence on the industry. You can't fault them for making money. They helped fund and start then USASF. Yes it helps their company in the long run to increase participation in cheer, you can't fault them for that either, but the USASF is paying back that money so that no one can say that Varsity owns them. They also started USA Cheer, again, so that they could help further the influence of cheer and make money in the process. Varsity is a smart business.

Cheer is a sport made up of gym owners, coaches and athletes who compete and the parents who pay for it all. Until they get together and represent themselves, to include becoming members of and support their governing body, nothing will change and the largest companies will drive the direction (or lack of direction) for the sport

 

[Goosepatrick]

22 countries must compete in a given sport before it can even be considered. This is what took golf so long. The European PGA had to step up to help expose the sport and get a minimum number of countries involved.

Anything that is US focused is not successful in the olympics...women's softball as an example.

 

[cheermomfootball]

Cheer is a sport made up of gym owners, coaches and athletes who compete and the parents who pay for it all. Until they get together and represent themselves, to include becoming members of and support their governing body, nothing will change and the largest companies will drive the direction (or lack of direction) for the sport

I respect your view on this, and conceptually I agree with the statement quoted. But, that is in of itself the core issue perhaps. The operative word is "until."

 

[kkinsley]

I have just been reading over this thread and noticed the post about FIG and A&T.
FIG will not recognise A&T as it seems to stand in the US ( I don't live there so am only going off what I have read ). FIG already recognise acrobatic gymnastics and tumbling as individual gymnastics disciplines that have their own international agreed code of points and competition structure. They have spent many years being asked by the acrobatic gymnastic committee to get it put forward as an Olympic sport. The process then went to the IOC and has taken many years and every year it gets turned down. The reason we get every time is that there would be no room for it within the gymnastics sections of the olympics and if it where to be included another discipline would need to drop sections from the competition.
Having followed the process as an acrobatic and tumbling coach with international standard athletes I can tell you it is an amazingly complicated process. Unfortunately a lot of people on the boards do not seem to understand just how complicated the structure of the IOC is and how many sports petition them each year for inclusion. It is nice to read a thread that for once seems to have people understand just how much work needs to be done.
And yes I would also love to see cheer in the Olympics in my lifetime, along side acrobatics :)

 

[INeverStopCheering]

Question - How did Ballroom Dancing get recognized as a sport? Obviously, not the same as cheer, and certainly has more international participation (for now ;)). Plus, ballroom dance competitions are regulated by each country in its own way (according to wikipedia.) Sounds pretty similar. So, really, all it takes to get recognized by the IOC is heavy campaigning?

Dear God please do not tell me Ballroom Dancing is the next Olympic event

 

[Mamarazzi]

Dear God please do not tell me Ballroom Dancing is the next Olympic event

It's closer than cheer is.

 

[kristenthegreat]

Golf and rugby sevens just got added..I think softball and baseball just got taken out? I'm PUMPED for rugby..could care less about golf.

Of course, would LOVE cheer. Still think it has a long way to go..

 

[Rusty]

I agree with this. I am anxious to see exactly what comes of all of this. It's one thing for collegiate cheer coaches to say, "hey we will attend your "stunt" competitions, but it's quite a different thing for the president and athletic directors of the universities to say, "hey we will back this as a collegiate sport and offer scholarship opportunities and full sports benefits to your athletes." I really have no idea how exactly that all works, but I do think the higher ups at these universities would tend to go with a USAG sanctioned event over an event ran and sanctioned by a relatively unknown company, i.e., USA Cheer.

I think both companies have $$$ in their eyes and are going to try and "one up" each other until someone wins the electoral vote. lol It's one thing to have the popular vote, but its the electoral votes that win the election if that makes sense.

But on topic with this thread, I think the USAG stands a much better chance at making this an olympic sport than USA Cheer. Since I doubt anything will ever transpire while my girls are young enough to have a chance, I really have no preference on who gets the job accomplished, just as long as it gets done. I can only pray that whomever wins this battle is truly in it for the kids and for the sport of it and not $$$$$.

It appears you are focusing on the concept of a true non-profit National Governing Board (NGB). So far, only A&T has registered a non-profit NGB.

Both A&T and Stunt are progressing in their development, but in different arena’s with different athletes. We shall continue to monitor success in pursuit of the NCAA Emerging Sport status and in that race one must believe the NCAA is typically inclined to support the Sport that is already holding their athletes accountable to the NCAA Standards, which is A&T.

I’m just saying, …

 

[Rusty]

I have just been reading over this thread and noticed the post about FIG and A&T.
FIG will not recognise A&T as it seems to stand in the US ( I don't live there so am only going off what I have read ). FIG already recognise acrobatic gymnastics and tumbling as individual gymnastics disciplines that have their own international agreed code of points and competition structure. They have spent many years being asked by the acrobatic gymnastic committee to get it put forward as an Olympic sport. The process then went to the IOC and has taken many years and every year it gets turned down. The reason we get every time is that there would be no room for it within the gymnastics sections of the olympics and if it where to be included another discipline would need to drop sections from the competition.
Having followed the process as an acrobatic and tumbling coach with international standard athletes I can tell you it is an amazingly complicated process. Unfortunately a lot of people on the boards do not seem to understand just how complicated the structure of the IOC is and how many sports petition them each year for inclusion. It is nice to read a thread that for once seems to have people understand just how much work needs to be done.
And yes I would also love to see cheer in the Olympics in my lifetime, along side acrobatics :)

The performances by Acrobatic athletes is amazing, especially in trios, so please keep up the great work! Maybe one day some form of Cheer will also compete alongside Acro, which as you detailed would require more than NCAA Emerging Sport status. The World needs to desire Cheer, that's a very big order, but Cheer goals have always been bigger than life!

 

[MissBee]

It appears you are focusing on the concept of a true non-profit National Governing Board (NGB). So far, only A&T has registered a non-profit NGB.

Both A&T and Stunt are progressing in their development, but in different arena’s with different athletes. We shall continue to monitor success in pursuit of the NCAA Emerging Sport status and in that race one must believe the NCAA is typically inclined to support the Sport that is already holding their athletes accountable to the NCAA Standards, which is A&T.

I’m just saying, …

I agree totally about A&T following NCAA regs. However, they only have 6 programs and Stunt has many more (maybe between 15-20). Also, I read that NFHS is looking into Stunt and NY state is looking into adding it at the HS level (if I'm reading and understanding this press release correctly): http://collegestunt.org/newsarticle.php?newsid=13

I would really like to see this format (either) expand to the high school level!

 

[Rusty]

I respect your view on this, and conceptually I agree with the statement quoted. But, that is in of itself the core issue perhaps. The operative word is "until."

In some respect or perspective, there actually exists consensus within the Competitive Cheer community, it is called a “Checkbook!” Parents & athletes vote everyday with their money as they decide which competitions to attend, uniforms to wear, training necessary for achieving goals, travel options and success in life. I hope that in the end, all of these consumers are educating themselves during their journey about what is good & great about Competitive Cheer, then allowing their cash to determine the best path of success for their child.

 

[cheersafety]

I agree totally about A&T following NCAA regs. However, they only have 6 programs and Stunt has many more (maybe between 15-20). Also, I read that NFHS is looking into Stunt and NY state is looking into adding it at the HS level (if I'm reading and understanding this press release correctly): http://collegestunt.org/newsarticle.php?newsid=13

I would really like to see this format (either) expand to the high school level!

If STUNT doesn't have a 501c3 NGB recognized by the IRS and with actual members how will they govern a sport?

 

[MissBee]

If STUNT doesn't have a 501c3 NGB recognized by the IRS and with actual members how will they govern a sport?

Do you mean that stunt doesn't have 501c3 status?

 

[cheersafety]

Do you mean that stunt doesn't have 501c3 status?

USA Cheer is not, as well as the College Stunt Association, AACCA, USASF, ICU, & NCSSE. The only NGB with 501c3 status with the IRS is the NCATA and I have verified this information with the IRS directly.