All-Star Poor Sportsmanship

[randomactsofcheer]

Yes!


I do wonder if the way parents and athletes react has something to do with our expectations for the sport.

I only have CP who is in cheer so I don't have any recent experiences to compare. But I played softball and did competitive swim and horseback riding growing up. I remember feeling very, very upset and bitter when I lost at a horse show than I ever felt losing a swim meet or softball game. I think the difference is that in riding, like cheer, you hang out for hours around your competitors before and after you compete. You go into your competition with an expectation of how you will perform and come off the floor with an idea of how well your team did. You then sit around and wait with this idea in your head sitting with the anxiety and anticipation of awards. When awards rolls around and your team doesn't do as well as you expected, your brain might snap.

I also think the difference has to do with the subjectivity factor. I mean in a sport where you score a set # of points for a set feat, the winner is he with the most points, right? In sports like track and swimming... he who crosses the finish line first is typically the clear cut winner. But in cheer there is no set # of points or a "fastest time". So what one person sees as the "winner" another may see differently. It's not black and white and that leaves all sorts of room for crazy!

I completely agree. While some people might be upset with an official call in a football or soccer game, it is very clear in the end who won (well, except when it is a tie ;)). And the teams don't huddle together on the field for an hour waiting for the officials to announce who won. The outcome of the game is known immediately at the end. The subjective scoring in cheer can make some people feel like the outcome of a competition is "wrong" or "unfair."

I think the sportsmanship expectation comes from the fact that, at many competitions, you spend all day hanging around your competitors. It is my opinion that good "sportsmanship etiquette" is necessary because these athletes are interacting with each so much off of the competition floor in non-competitive settings (at the snack bar, in the hotel lobby, the pool, the picture booth, souvenir store, etc). Plus, many of these gyms compete against each other several times throughout the competition season. This repeated interaction should encourage positive behavior, which is another reason why I think "trash talk" is frowned upon in cheer but often looked past in other sports. While I think a competitive rivalry is healthy and necessary in any sport, so is a mutual respect between competitors.

The parents, on the other hand... Maybe if enough CP's display good sportsmanship, they will rub off on their parents... :)

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Yes on subjectivity. It's hard on coaches as well having to show decorum in the face of results that genuinely puzzle you.

Like:

Arrive super early.

45,000,000 parents and kids asking 342 questions.

One is missing a bow and asking if you have extra.

Someone hurt her foot in warm ups. Cue reworking a routine in 8 minutes.

Hits zero.

Sits for 5 hours.

Places 9th.

Gets comment about pyramid that you don't understand and have not gotten all season.

Want to cry.

 

[SL&AM]

I have seen TONS of athletes in awards situations. It is incredibly rare that an athlete notices or cares at all about how somebody on another team or someone in the stands is acting.

I do think that we need to "train" our parents to be more sensitive about what they do and say. More than that, however, I think we need to "train" people not care as much when other people act a little foolish.

I know this isn't the thread where we ask a million CA questions, but I'm curious how you handle this with your parents? I ask this because of the recent video that has been going viral---has popped up on my FB feed quite a bit---because parents were disappointed that one of your teams didn't perform as well as they did at showcase. While I'm able to laugh at a lot of the comments because it's hysterical to me, I can definitely see it as passive aggressive approach to putting down the team who actually won. The video even tagged a CA related page (though it didn't appear to be THE CA Planto page) which is why I'm curious---do you actually handle these types of situations or do you just ignore it?

 

[luv2cheer92]

Everything said here is entirely true.


I would take the time to articulate why this is so true but I haven't got the time.


But I will say that for me, the trueness of this statement is most evidenced by the fact that "CP" on this board stands for "cheer princess".... While the whole "cp" seems simple and non important on the outside I think the whole idea of a "cheer princess" just adds to the whole climate and notion thinking about behavior and expectations


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While I believe the initial intent was cheer princess, CP does also stand for cheer prince on here any a lot of people use it to mean boys specifically at times.
Though I do agree with your point, as well as the post you quoted.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

I know this isn't the thread where we ask a million CA questions, but I'm curious how you handle this with your parents? I ask this because of the recent video that has been going viral---has popped up on my FB feed quite a bit---because parents were disappointed that one of your teams didn't perform as well as they did at showcase. While I'm able to laugh at a lot of the comments because it's hysterical to me, I can definitely see it as passive aggressive approach to putting down the team who actually won. The video even tagged a CA related page (though it didn't appear to be THE CA Planto page) which is why I'm curious---do you actually handle these types of situations or do you just ignore it?

I saw this too and was really surprised. It happens - but the question is, where is the line drawn?

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

What people are saying about waiting for awards is so true last summer I competed at 7.30am and had to wait u til award at 2pm. I was up since 4am doing hair and makeup. My team were all late to warmup because all but me stayed at a hotel an hour away for a stupid o'clock meet time and arrived 2 mins to warmup time I got hurt, routine was awful safe to say I was in an awful mood that day to wait so long to find out we got 9th out of 11 with award almost 2 hours late meant to be at midday. Safe to say I was crabby and a lot of parents were too. I shook it off and was polite to people but i thinks I might have said something I regretted if it wasn't for my coach from my old gym and a my old gyms team mom sorting me out

 

[BlueCat]

I know this isn't the thread where we ask a million CA questions, but I'm curious how you handle this with your parents? I ask this because of the recent video that has been going viral---has popped up on my FB feed quite a bit---because parents were disappointed that one of your teams didn't perform as well as they did at showcase. While I'm able to laugh at a lot of the comments because it's hysterical to me, I can definitely see it as passive aggressive approach to putting down the team who actually won. The video even tagged a CA related page (though it didn't appear to be THE CA Planto page) which is why I'm curious---do you actually handle these types of situations or do you just ignore it?

Afraid to ask, but can you message me with a link? I haven't seen this.

 

[SL&AM]

Afraid to ask, but can you message me with a link? I haven't seen this.

Sure thing.

 

[BlueCat]

I know this isn't the thread where we ask a million CA questions, but I'm curious how you handle this with your parents? I ask this because of the recent video that has been going viral---has popped up on my FB feed quite a bit---because parents were disappointed that one of your teams didn't perform as well as they did at showcase. While I'm able to laugh at a lot of the comments because it's hysterical to me, I can definitely see it as passive aggressive approach to putting down the team who actually won. The video even tagged a CA related page (though it didn't appear to be THE CA Plano page) which is why I'm curious---do you actually handle these types of situations or do you just ignore it?

In a perfect world, she probably should have worded her enthusiasm for her 6-year-old daughter's team a little more diplomatically- maybe something along the lines of "if they had hit, they would have had a great chance to win"

I would be happy to show this to the Stingray coaches and see if they want an apology, but my guess is that they would be ZERO offended by this.

I believe that she just tagged the gym in her post.

 

[ErinS]

While I believe the initial intent was cheer princess, CP does also stand for cheer prince on here any a lot of people use it to mean boys specifically at times.
Though I do agree with your point, as well as the post you quoted.

I know it stands for "cheer prince" as well but we're talking about females.

And I think "cheer prince " adds to the same frame of thought (delicate special butterfly) as cheer princess

Your kids aren't princesses or princes. Sorry bout it.


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[quitthedrama]

I know it stands for "cheer prince" as well but we're talking about females.

And I think "cheer prince " adds to the same frame of thought (delicate special butterfly) as cheer princess

Your kids aren't princess or princes. Sorry bout it.


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This has made me uncomfortable since I joined the boards but I was too new at the time to question it. I refer to it as cheer person, because that is all that my kid is. I wonder who originally created the term?

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[MissCongeniality]

This has made me uncomfortable since I joined the boards but I was too new at the time to question it. I refer to it as cheer person, because that is all that my kid is. I wonder who originally created the term?

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I think of it as "cheer peep"

 

[randomactsofcheer]

This has made me uncomfortable since I joined the boards but I was too new at the time to question it. I refer to it as cheer person, because that is all that my kid is. I wonder who originally created the term?

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I always thought CP meant "cheer person." This is the first time I have heard the real meaning.

From here on out, I will be using the acronym CBA whenever I refer to my child. Because my CP (person, not princess) is a BA when it comes to C.

 

[ErinS]

This has made me uncomfortable since I joined the boards but I was too new at the time to question it. I refer to it as cheer person, because that is all that my kid is. I wonder who originally created the term?

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Yeah I've always found it weird/creepy/dumb/lame but since I don't have a kid I never addressed it.

I never saw the need other than to "cutesy" your kids existence.

But since we're here...


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[Nothanks]

i just ventured into the Competitions section, and on the advertisement for CL3, it says there will be a live chat room to discuss "who's hot, and who's, well...not."

they are directly encouraging trash talk about performances/athletes/gyms.