All-Star Only Seniors Can Expose Midriff???

[munchkinmom]

So where do we draw the line? We give an inch they take a mile. Wipe off the make-up, Cover up the tummy, Add 4in to the skirt, and take out that bow. Where do we stop so the "public" accepts us? When I started All Star cheer in the 90s... We had a few hundred gyms in a few countries... now... we know how big it has become. I guess we are doing SOMETHING right… Its not broken, stop trying to fix it. No matter how we try to spin All Stars cheer.. Someone somewhere is going to find a way to make Cheer look HYPER SEXUAL. When we all know its not.

What about when an Abby Lee comes to the cheer world and makes it hyper sexual? When they think what they're doing is right, despite the DQs from the judges because of course the judges are wrong. Do you have a line that you think the team "uniform" should not cross? How do you handle the situation if a gym comes to a comp you're at dressed like that? When your little ones look at you for guidance because they're uncomfortable with what the others are wearing? When the older ones look at them and go "oh cool I want those uniforms!? When your gym owner opens the box and hands them out?

 

[F!ERCE]

If someone can give a legitimate reason to KEEP crop tops, that would be interesting...

 

[ztaprincess]

If someone can give a legitimate reason to KEEP crop tops, that would be interesting...

I am interested in hearing one as well because the only reasons that I have heard are "they don't have the right to tell me what I can and cannot wear." Which really isn't what I would call a legitimate reason to keep them.

 

[cheererinIL]

I am interested in hearing one as well because the only reasons that I have heard are "they don't have the right to tell me what I can and cannot wear." Which really isn't what I would call a legitimate reason to keep them.

Agreed, definitely. Just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

 

[Mom2K]

I think the few have spoiled it for the many. I have no problem with the majority of crop tops, but there are some out there that just pushed the envelope too far. I do hate the extremity of the rule though, mostly because I haven't seen all that many full tops that I like...notice I didn't say I had never seen ANY, but they are few and far between. And I won't even go into how it looks when they ride up during a performance. I seems to me there could have been some compromise in there somewhere.

 

[Babs]

If someone can give a legitimate reason to KEEP crop tops, that would be interesting...

One reason to keep crop tops would be to differentiate the look of an all-star cheerleader from a high school side-line cheerleader.

 

[F!ERCE]

One reason to keep crop tops would be to differentiate the look of an all-star cheerleader from a high school side-line cheerleader.

Why is that necessary? High-school hockey players, tennis players, lacrosse players, etc etc etc all wear the same thing as their club-team counterparts. And even full top all-star uniforms already look vastly different than most HS uniforms...

 

[xtremeteal4life]

Why is that necessary? High-school hockey players, tennis players, lacrosse players, etc etc etc all wear the same thing as their club-team counterparts. And even full top all-star uniforms already look vastly different than most HS uniforms...

They're still playing the same game..if that makes sense? As in, the rules don't change from club-team to hs (bc isn't the point of most club teams to assist in the hopes of going pro?) We're not exactly the same sport..it's clearly delineated.

 

[xtremeteal4life]

I don't think this is the end of the world for what it' worth. I just think the manner in which it occurred is outrageous and I believe that some of the other guidelines issued regarding appearance are ridiculous.

 

[ztaprincess]

One reason to keep crop tops would be to differentiate the look of an all-star cheerleader from a high school side-line cheerleader.

Many college teams and all high school teams that compete do it in a full top and do just fine. The fact that there is no cheer section or school involved should set it apart enough.

I think the few have spoiled it for the many. I have no problem with the majority of crop tops, but there are some out there that just pushed the envelope too far. I do hate the extremity of the rule though, mostly because I haven't seen all that many full tops that I like...notice I didn't say I had never seen ANY, but they are few and far between. And I won't even go into how it looks when they ride up during a performance. I seems to me there could have been some compromise in there somewhere.

I agree that a few have spoiled it for everyone but that happens a lot when it comes to dress codes. I remember in middle school there were girls who were pushing the length of shorts that they wore to the point of the school making the dress code more strict, eventually making it close to impossible to wear shorts unless they were basketball shorts. Then it was flip flops and tank tops, slowly we were very limited on what we could wear because a small group of people decided to push their limits. The thing is some of these people will complain about it but not step up and admit that they were part of what made the rule come to be.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

If someone can give a legitimate reason to KEEP crop tops, that would be interesting...

Bc OMG I will just D-I-E if I can't wear my crop top and show of my A-B-S-es.

For real, I did the math. By the time this is actually in effect, my 9 year old will be 12. Old enough for a Worlds team. Most of the kids posting on this site are junior/senior age and this won't affect them anyway. I don't think we will hear too terribly much about this until 2014-ish when the gyms start passing out their new full tops. I know our gym does uni's in 3 year cycles, and we just got new ones this past season, so we are due for new ones in 2014. I am intrigued to see if we keep the ones we have for an extra year, and get new full length tops in 2015, or if they will go full-length in 2014 to avoid the inevitable delays for uni production in 2015.

 

[Babs]

Why is that necessary? High-school hockey players, tennis players, lacrosse players, etc etc etc all wear the same thing as their club-team counterparts. And even full top all-star uniforms already look vastly different than most HS uniforms...

I think all star wants to differentiate from high school side line cheering because it is vastly more athletic than side line cheering. Isn't a big part of why many don't think cheerleading is a sport because they picture side-line cheering when they hear "cheerleading.?" The question was are there any legitimate reasons to keep crop tops and I think specifically not looking like a high school cheerleader is one reason they "can" stay.

• Do I think crop tops have to stay? No.
• Do I think crop tops have to go? No.

Of course I understand a desire for uniforms to portray a level of both athleticism and class or professionalism (neither of those are exactly the correct word). I believe they also need to be aesthetically pleasing because all-star cheer is both extremely athletic and a very visual sport (similar to gymnastics).

I like the visual of the crop tops and I don't feel like showing the female midriff in itself takes away from the classy athletic image of the wearer or the team. And while I totally understand that the pictures below are not what is being proposed by anyone in all-star cheer (at least that I've heard) I think the attractive designs of many current all-star uniforms are preferable to the strictly athletic uniforms that are being put forth by some university competitive cheer teams like Oregon:

 

[munchkinmom]

Bc OMG I will just D-I-E if I can't wear my crop top and show of my A-B-S-es.

ROFLMAO really though. If you've got the abs, I'm sure GK can make the full topped uni that will show them off.
Alexandra Raisman (middle)

"I'm so ripped my abs smack you in the face through my full top" wouldn't be a bad bragging point to strive for :)

 

[cheerstorm]

Yea, I've read a lot of opinions at this point and my conclusion still stands. This country is FULL of people who feel like certain things should be restricted, but often that jeopardizes the very liberties that our country prides itself on for our people.

Are some teams too much in my personal opinion? YES. Are some gyms' unis absolutely adorable in my personal opinion? YES. At the end of the day, they are my opinions though and I don't think someone's opinion should govern other people's free rights. The parents, gym owners, and athletes should have a final decision, END OF STORY. They are the ones wearing it, buying it, ordering it, being comfortable/uncomfortable in it.

I'm sure there are tons of people who think guys shouldn't be able to do drag or dress in tight clothes, or say girls shouldn't shave their hair off or wear super baggy clothing, but it's America and everyone SHOULD have that liberty. This sport included. I get everyone agreeing with full tops for minis/youth, but start that conversation at YOUR GYM and for YOUR ATHLETES if your opinion is that strong about it. Walk up to the coaches you think have gone too far with concern. But to regulate this on a large scale? Absolutely not.

 

[gymncheercoach]

I agree with the new image rules. Cheerleading has looked too much like Toddlers & Tiaras lately. Time to get things on track to look like Professional Athletes instead of the other.
If gymnastics can throw full twisting double backs in a full leo, then I'm sure the L5's can manage a single flipping double full in a full top, a smaller bow, and less makeup. It's not the end of the world.