All-Star Owners, Coaches And Athletes. Whose Accountable?!

[dat.jpp]

I feel bad for the athletes on this team that has nothing to do with this but has to suffer... :/

 

[FamUsM0m]

I feel bad for the athletes on this team that has nothing to do with this but has to suffer... :/

That's who I feel horrible for. Innocent victims.

 

[Cheerfan1234]

Although the situations don't have much in common (thank God), this sort of reminds me of what's going on in Hollywood and in the national media with sexual harassment. The horrible stories surrounding the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, etc. have been quietly circulating for decades and nothing has been done about it until now because people are finally speaking up and these very public figures are finally being held accountable. And guess what? Change is happening.

We've all heard the circulating stories in our industry as well, and it saddens me that we haven't really seen or heard about many people being publicly taken to task for their actions, especially when they're illegal. I think now, more than ever, it's time for the powers that be to step up and finally lay down the law for the sake of this industry. We struggle enough to gain recognition and respect as it is, and while these situations are by no means specific to the all-star world, they're certainly not helping our cause.

How immature and desperate for admiration are you that you need to drink with kids who wear your uniform, even if they are of legal age? Like...get a life dude.

Once the powers that be stop turning a blind eye to the issues or giving behind-the-scenes slaps on the wrist and start dishing out MAJOR punishments for serious violations, all the losers we've been hearing about for a decade will hopefully think twice before they drink with athletes, sleep with athletes, cheat, etc. Fear has a way of keeping people in line when basic morality and common sense fail them.

Hopefully the USASF does the right thing.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I really can’t believe you all find this so shocking. You want to know where the parents are? They’re all out at the parent party getting totally poop faced themselves and letting this coach babysit their kids.

I was at a Cheer competition this weekend and saw no fewer than a dozen parent groups from various gyms staggering around like newborn giraffes, obviously three sheets to the wind.

I heard an 11-year old girl from one gym correct her mother on the last time the mother “did shots.”

I watched coaches and parents with young athletes sit around tables in restaurants in the town drinking it up after the competition.

This coach’s behavior is reprehensible, don’t get me wrong. If I caught him doing that with my child, I’d cut his richard off and feed it to him. I also wouldn’t drink around my kids, especially to the point of loop-legged drunkenness. If my daughter took a picture like that, it would be her last day with a cell phone, A cheerleading uniform, a car, or any semblance of a social life.

Before laying blame at the doorstep of others, make sure your own house is in order. Before saying the USASF should take action, take action yourselves, discipline your own child for their actions. Take matters into your own hands and discipline the gym by not giving them any more of YOUR money.

Nothing in this industry will ever change until the river of cash dries up, and the customers (ie parents) put a stop to it.

ETA: more soap box standing.

 

[quitthedrama]

Before laying blame at the doorstep of others, make sure your own house is in order. Before saying the USASF should take action, take action yourselves, discipline your own child for their actions. Take matters into your own hands and discipline the gym by not giving them any more of YOUR money.

THIS AND ALL OF THIS
I have seen a certain gym owner and her parents absolutely ripping this incident apart, and all I can say is - I stayed at the all-star two years in a row for worlds and monitored my kids - particularly on the Monday nights. I witnessed this same gym's athletes in full blown drunk mode. Their parents, coaches and gym owners were nowhere to be found. Their house - along with several other houses - are definitely not in order.
The issues are widespread. Let's not point fingers and call for someone's head while ignoring what's going on with your own gym.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

THIS AND ALL OF THIS
I have seen a certain gym owner and her parents absolutely ripping this incident apart, and all I can say is - I stayed at the all-star two years in a row for worlds and monitored my kids - particularly on the Monday nights. I witnessed this same gym's athletes in full blown drunk mode. Their parents, coaches and gym owners were nowhere to be found. Their house - along with several other houses - are definitely not in order.
The issues are widespread. Let's not point fingers and call for someone's head while ignoring what's going on with your own gym.

I agree with your sentiment, but you sort of pulled my statement out of context. Parents have to take their share of responsibility as well.

 

[Cheerfan1234]

THIS AND ALL OF THIS
I have seen a certain gym owner and her parents absolutely ripping this incident apart, and all I can say is - I stayed at the all-star two years in a row for worlds and monitored my kids - particularly on the Monday nights. I witnessed this same gym's athletes in full blown drunk mode. Their parents, coaches and gym owners were nowhere to be found. Their house - along with several other houses - are definitely not in order.
The issues are widespread. Let's not point fingers and call for someone's head while ignoring what's going on with your own gym.

This sounds like the right thing to do in theory, but why would any owner feel compelled to make a change in his or her own gym's behavior if no precedent has been set regarding the public consequences they may face? We've heard all the stories and gossip about them, and then nothing is done about it. It's kind of a joke.

I'm not suggesting we go on a witch hunt, but until someone is made an example of, nothing is going to change.

 

[quitthedrama]

This sounds like the right thing to do in theory, but why would any owner feel compelled to make a change in his or her own gym's behavior if no precedent has been set regarding the public consequences they may face? We've heard all the stories and gossip about them, and then nothing is done about it. It's kind of a joke.

I'm not suggesting we go on a witch hunt, but until someone is made an example of, nothing is going to change.

I'm not sure what you're getting at. My point was only that the very gym owner and her parents who are being very vocal about the incident are quite guilty themselves. I actually find it far worse when athletes are drunk and participating in very inappropriate behavior in public at a sanctioned event than I do with the picture floating around.

I agree with your sentiment, but you sort of pulled my statement out of context. Parents have to take their share of responsibility as well.

I absolutely agree and didn't mean to slight the huge importance of that statement!

 

[SL&AM]

I think if we are going to see any real, meaningful change we have to see USASF step in, in a long-lasting, permanent type of way. We have a governing body that isn't effectively governing and applying the rules across the board. Until those changes happen, nothing worthwhile is going to happen.

Parents absolutely have to take responsibility, but going back to the 'people are dumb in numbers' comment, parents are also not immune to the "Suzie Mom illness" most parents on this board have suffered at one point in time or another (I'm guilty too). We have had incidents on this very board where questions were raised about the physical and mental health of the athletes and coaching style's and yet we STILL had parents willing to fight for 'their gym' because it's 'ride or die'.

At the end of the day, this is should be about the safety of the athletes. And that doesn't just mean physical safety (which we already know USASF cares little about given their lack luster sanctions after World's Wet n' Wild Edition), but also emotional safety.

I know this stuff has always been happening, heck, I saw it back in my day and I'm old---but as society changes and awareness becomes easier to attain (thank God we didn't have social media back then), we have got to stop sweeping things under the rug on the pretense of "Well it's always been happening," or "This isn't an isolated incident."

And because I hate complaining about a situation without a solution, I would like to see USASF establish some sort of public reporting system. Get the lawyers on it to make it legal, but if a sanction is given, it should be documented, published, and explained. That way, parents have access to a credible, reliable source when researching which gym to bring their children too. Will it always stop someone? Perhaps not, but at least they can't claim ignorance.

 

[Cheerfan1234]

I'm not sure what you're getting at. My point was only that the very gym owner and her parents who are being very vocal about the incident are quite guilty themselves. I actually find it far worse when athletes are drunk and participating in very inappropriate behavior in public at a sanctioned event than I do with the picture floating around.

Can you be more specific as to what confused you? This isn't a matter of which infraction is worse than the other. My point is that looking within yourself to change the culture of your program sounds great in theory (and I agree with you), but since no one ever seems to get punished for their mistakes, what motivation does a gym owner like the one in question have to change how they act?

Is this going to be another story that we forget about in three weeks and say "oh yeah remember when.." a year from now, or can it be a catalyst for a change that many people are looking for?

 

[Cheerfan1234]

By the way, Russia was just banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics as a punishment for its "state-sponsored doping during the last Winter Games."

That's how you make a point.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

This sounds like the right thing to do in theory, but why would any owner feel compelled to make a change in his or her own gym's behavior if no precedent has been set regarding the public consequences they may face? We've heard all the stories and gossip about them, and then nothing is done about it. It's kind of a joke.

I'm not suggesting we go on a witch hunt, but until someone is made an example of, nothing is going to change.

World’s oldest cop out “everyone else is doing it so it’s not so bad if we do too.”

How about coaches, parents, and athletes (but especially COACHES AND PARENTS...the friggin' ADULTS), take a stand and say, “NO MATTER WHAT ELSE HAPPENS, WIN OR LOSE, OUR FAMILY, GYM, AND TEAM WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS.”

Teach character first, and the wins will follow, 100% of the time. Allow this type of behavior to go unchecked, and everyone loses, no matter how many trophies and banners are on the wall.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

My only comments on this:

1. Not surprised.

2. This is far from the only gym with this sort of troubling dynamic.

3. I know this was not at a comp, but I'm reminded of the discussion we have around the partying at Worlds.

I will repeat what I always say, nothing is going to change re: booze until there is a serious injury or death at Worlds to make folks take a look at what is going on.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Sidenote: this is also an issue in school cheer. Coach friend fired her assistant 2 seasons ago for buying and sneaking booze into camp so she and the captains could get wasted.

 

[Official OWECheer]

My only comments on this:

1. Not surprised.

2. This is far from the only gym with this sort of troubling dynamic.

3. I know this was not at a comp, but I'm reminded of the discussion we have around the partying at Worlds.

I will repeat what I always say, nothing is going to change re: booze until there is a serious injury or death at Worlds to make folks take a look at what is going on.

It'll make the news. More bad press for cheer. And I expect that many of those that turned a blind eye to this will complain about that negative coverage.