All-Star Only Seniors Can Expose Midriff???

[0riginal]

I haven't read every post, so I'm not sure if this has been said.
I don't see this as a bad thing at all (minus the cost to teams and parents, of course). It makes sure that all of the little kids are covered up (we complain that we want our sport to be taken seriously, right?) and if you really don't like full tops that much, you can work your butt off and make it to a senior team! It can be kind of an incentive for you. But if you really love cheerleading, the length of your top shouldn't be an issue.

I love GA's large coed uniforms, they're beautiful and full tops! But on the other hand, Top Gun's inter. open uniforms are a little too costume-y for me. I understand they're all older and the smallness of them isn't what bothers me as much. It's the sleeves and the converse looking leg warmer things...I think it's a little strange. But hey, that's just me.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

My issue is purely a financial one. When the economy tanked, everybody pulled back on travel, on clothing etc. in order to retain athletes. We were told to do this at conferences. And it worked. Now the economy is not better, nor do we expect it to be better in 2 years and we are being mandated to purchasing new uniforms by an organization that (surprise) profits from uniform sales.

Honestly, by 2015-2016 you mean to tell me 1: Your CP will not grow out of their currrent uni anyways and you will need to purchase a new one or 2: your gym won't change the style by then and you will need to purchase a new one. Welcome to all-star cheerleading :-)

 

[cheerkarma]

The concept make no sense. If a 10 year old can be on Sr 4 AND Youth 1, why would they be able to wear a half top on one team but not the other. If they really wanted to make it right, then they wouldn't allow a 10 year old to be on a Youth/Junior and a Senior team at the same time and then enforce the rules equally for all kids not just what "age" level they are on considering that up until next year, ANYONE under 18 can be considered Senior.

Heck, Tiny 1 could compete Senior 1 if they wanted to.

If Junior 4 team competes with half tops it's illegal, but if the exact same team competes in Senior 4 it is legal?

 

[Ashley]

The concept make no sense. If a 10 year old can be on Sr 4 AND Youth 1, why would they be able to wear a half top on one team but not the other. If they really wanted to make it right, then they wouldn't allow a 10 year old to be on a Youth/Junior and a Senior team at the same time and then enforce the rules equally for all kids not just what "age" level they are on considering that up until next year, ANYONE under 18 can be considered Senior.

Heck, Tiny 1 could compete Senior 1 if they wanted to.

If Junior 4 team competes with half tops it's illegal, but if the exact same team competes in Senior 4 it is legal?

Because, once again, it's not about an individual wearing a crop top. No one cares if one 10-year old doesn't have a full top on it - it's about what it looks like, especially to the outside world, when you have a team of 10 year old youth kids with crop tops, compared to a team of mostly high-school senior kids with a few little ones in crop tops.

 

[ztaprincess]

The concept make no sense. If a 10 year old can be on Sr 4 AND Youth 1, why would they be able to wear a half top on one team but not the other. If they really wanted to make it right, then they wouldn't allow a 10 year old to be on a Youth/Junior and a Senior team at the same time and then enforce the rules equally for all kids not just what "age" level they are on considering that up until next year, ANYONE under 18 can be considered Senior.

Heck, Tiny 1 could compete Senior 1 if they wanted to.

If Junior 4 team competes with half tops it's illegal, but if the exact same team competes in Senior 4 it is legal?

They could fix this my removing any overlap in the age grid. If you are on a junior team then you cannot be on a senior team, youth athletes cannot be on a senior team, ect. The only thing they would run into issues with it is for the Senior Restricted division because the age for that division is different. I have wanted them to remove the overlap for a few years but I don't think they ever will. At least they revoked the youth age 12 rule because then a youth athlete could be on a worlds team.

 

[yojaehs]

Here is my take on this issue, because my gym has never been known for it's uniform (haha) my ONLY issue is that this was a result of "our image needs improving", why? If you can SHOW ME ANYTHING that says "wearing a full top" will improve a diminished image, I'm all for it. As of now, I'm just having to take the word of a few people that believe that the image of cheer is bad? Again, I'll say it, my gym is growing, comp attendances are growing, I don't see where this issue is, if someone tells me where it is, I'm all for it. I think this should be a gyms choice, if they look trashy, my gym looks better. If they walk on the floor and look redic, it's those parents and coaches that have to deal with it (under the current system). I don't really care, I just don't want someone to tell me "because I said so" I want to SEE why.

 

[acheer]

hey didn't we all wear full tops at one point anyways?! doesn't bother me

 

[gymcatmomx2]

They could fix this my removing any overlap in the age grid. If you are on a junior team then you cannot be on a senior team, youth athletes cannot be on a senior team, ect. The only thing they would run into issues with it is for the Senior Restricted division because the age for that division is different. I have wanted them to remove the overlap for a few years but I don't think they ever will. At least they revoked the youth age 12 rule because then a youth athlete could be on a worlds team.

I can understand where you are coming from on this but if there were no overlaps in ages, in my opinion it would hurt the industry, especially small gyms. If what you are proposing, for example, that only athletes aged 8 - 11 could be on a youth team and only 12 - 14 year olds could be on a Junior team, then what are you going to do with an 11 year old that has level 4 skills... punish them by putting them on a Youth 2 team because they happen to be very talented and that gym doesn't have enough 8 - 11 year olds that have level 4 skills? Or am I missing your point completely.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I do. Absolutely it does. AND guess who profits from the sales of warm ups?

My issue is purely a financial one. When the economy tanked, everybody pulled back on travel, on clothing etc. in order to retain athletes. We were told to do this at conferences. And it worked. Now the economy is not better, nor do we expect it to be better in 2 years and we are being mandated to purchasing new uniforms by an organization that (surprise) profits from uniform sales.

No one is mandating warm-ups. They actually specified a tshirt. If your expensive gyms are making you buy warm-ups, then that's your GYM, not USASF/Varsity. Furthermore, there are literally hundreds of companies that make uniforms and warm-ups - why would you assume people would buy them from Varsity? Actually I doubt most will after all this.

(Don't get me wrong - I'm by no means a fan of USASF or Varsity...I'm just pointing out that they don't really benefit much from this rule.)

Everyone keeps saying that's why they made the rule so people would have to buy new uniforms and warm-ups. Well...isn't it likely that everyone will be buying new uniforms over the next 3 years anyway? Even if your gym hadn't planned on new unis, does anyone's cp stay the same size for 3 years??? Mine sure doesn't! The only cp's I know who would stay the same size for 3 years are seniors...and Voila! They can keep theirs anyway. As for warm-ups, as I stated above...no one said anything about mandatory warm-ups. They said cover up - and they specified that a tshirt would suffice.

 

[ssccxnce]

No one is mandating warm-ups. They actually specified a tshirt. If your expensive gyms are making you buy warm-ups, then that's your GYM, not USASF/Varsity. Furthermore, there are literally hundreds of companies that make uniforms and warm-ups - why would you assume people would buy them from Varsity? Actually I doubt most will after all this.

(Don't get me wrong - I'm by no means a fan of USASF or Varsity...I'm just pointing out that they don't really benefit much from this rule.)

Everyone keeps saying that's why they made the rule so people would have to buy new uniforms and warm-ups. Well...isn't it likely that everyone will be buying new uniforms over the next 3 years anyway? Even if your gym hadn't planned on new unis, does anyone's cp stay the same size for 3 years??? Mine sure doesn't! The only cp's I know who would stay the same size for 3 years are seniors...and Voila! They can keep theirs anyway. As for warm-ups, as I stated above...no one said anything about mandatory warm-ups. They said cover up - and they specified that a tshirt would suffice.

they specified a tshirt but they also said you cannot arrive (or shouldnt arrive) in street clothes or pajamas so technically it is part of the USASF 'guidlines' that we should all have warmups (i know its not specified or set in stone but its one of those things)

 

[TheTalkedAboutMinor]

I feel like youth, junior, and senior teams should be able to wear half tops. But I don't like seeing half tops on tiny and mini girls. For example, I saw a picture of a little girl on Fierce Allstars that looks about five or six. She was wearing that Fierce top with the bare shoulders. I felt disgusted about how sexualized she looked. This idea sounds kind of time consuming, but I feel like there should be a system in which the USASF has moderators that could either veto or approve a uniform. I'd want to do that!

 

[idrive]

they specified a tshirt but they also said you cannot arrive (or shouldnt arrive) in street clothes or pajamas so technically it is part of the USASF 'guidlines' that we should all have warmups (i know its not specified or set in stone but its one of those things)

I undertand what you and Just-a mom are saying. We were at NCA early this year for my youngest and my oldest didn't have to go until much later so guess who showed up looking like a SPECTATOR. My point is how is the event producer let alone USASF going to be able to distinguish between the athletes and the spectators. I can promise you that with two kids in this and one is usually going much earlier than the other someone is going to be there not ready to go. It's nearly impossible for that to happen and expect them to stay looking ready for that length of time.

 

[idrive]

We have had full tops and half tops both. Most of our kids surprisingly enough prefer the full now that they have had them. I feel some of the uniform today are getting a little ridiculous and draw the wrong kind of attention from the wrong kind of people. While I haven't agreed with the USASF on any of the new rules I can say I understand this one but again, who is going to police this and how.

 

[ssccxnce]

I undertand what you and Just-a mom are saying. We were at NCA early this year for my youngest and my oldest didn't have to go until much later so guess who showed up looking like a SPECTATOR. My point is how is the event producer let alone USASF going to be able to distinguish between the athletes and the spectators. I can promise you that with two kids in this and one is usually going much earlier than the other someone is going to be there not ready to go. It's nearly impossible for that to happen and expect them to stay looking ready for that length of time.

believe me i know i have a little sister who use to do cheer and she would compete at 8, 9, 10 in the morning and i wouldnt have to be at the venue until 3 or 4 even later depending upon the event i personally think this whole uniform guidelines are bogus if they have a problem with a gyms uniform they should address them personally or tell them on a scoresheet having athletes in uniform all day is not only uncomfortable it makes no sense and is unreasonable and if they cant police it for everybody why have it imposed at all? (not to mention t-shirts ruin comp hair and makeup lol)

 

[pctmom]

Honestly, by 2015-2016 you mean to tell me 1: Your CP will not grow out of their currrent uni anyways and you will need to purchase a new one or 2: your gym won't change the style by then and you will need to purchase a new one. Welcome to all-star cheerleading :)

Sure, yes. We switch uniforms over next season (we do it every 3 years). But what of the athlete that is Junior the first year she purchases her uniform and then Senior the following two years? By mandating non-crops for Youth and Junior the USASF is mandating my entire program to full tops unless I want parents to pay more. Which I do not.