Really Bad Hair Day.

[munchkinmom]

I straight up hate our hair style that they wear every comp. Love the program, girls love the coach, coach loves the hair, whatever. I guess I throw that into the "artistic discretion" of the coach. Back to dance (cheer's not so different, almost more sane sometimes). Look at some of the crazy stuff directors do to their performers appearance-wise. Especially the various "modern dance" or "modern ballet" companies. Even music videos. As part of a group performance (like cheer), it's about the artistic lead's "vision" of how the whole appears to the audience. Sometimes, it gets wacky.

The nose-dive the program's taken this year for you is a whole different can of worms that requires an objective evaluation of if this is the program you want to continue with. You've gone this far this season, you likely won't be moving to a new program before next season. I'd recommend at least playing along finishing the season with the team, and then if you decide to move on, do it peacefully and privately you can seethe about the horrible hair that was thrust upon your child among the other shortfalls. That way all bridges are left intact, and if (likely when) your path ever crosses people from this gym again, there'll be as little baggage as possible.

 

[mpooreone]

Can't help you much on the hairpiece, as people have said, mini's look cute in anything (age appropriate). As far as the long hair, both me & my daughter had waist length hair up until the past couple weeks, mine lived in a bun - twist, twist, twist, and twist some more and wrap it around into the bun. Done right, it's so tight that even waist length fine-normal thickness hair will stay in firmly with a single ponytail elastic and won't be crazy big. If it's thick.... well, mine started having issues, (and I wanted to be able to wear it down without it tangling in 2 seconds) .... it may end up on the larger side, and you'll need to figure out what sort of pins/clips you can use to secure it. If you can't seem to get it right, figure out if any of the moms with longer hair used to do ballet, or their daughters with long hair do/did ballet, enlist their help. They'll know.

And they're a team. If others don't like the look, they'll judge that as the team, not individuals. When people here comment on certain uniforms on larger cheerleaders, they're not judging the girl or the parent, but the decision of the team's leaders to subject the children to those particular uniforms, knowing the girls that are on their team. If in the insanity that is a competition, one person picks your [6, 7, 8? year old] daughter out of all the rest of the craziness to go "ohmygosh look at the huge bun on that child's head", they're the one with issues, not you for putting her in the team costume (yes, hair's part of the costume), nor your daughter for having hair! Likely if they comment it will be in awe of how you managed to defy gravity :)

Thank you !You can appreciate what its like to deal with long hair that tangles in two minutes.
I actually realize now that my frustrations was brought on by much more than the hair piece . Lack of practice,not letting the girls wear make up,coaches telling parents straight hair and children showing up with curls vice versa , absentee children at practice, and the list goes on and on.This was just the clencher for me.It's been a bad season for the girls(all three teams )and all of these factors have contributed to that. My daughter loves all-star cheerleading with all her heart. She gives 150 percent and I support her 200%.We support all of our gyms teams not just her mini team.Some parents give 50% and it shows and wouldn't even consider staying to watch a junior or senior team preform.I can only be responsible for what her and I do.Just gets aggravating when others cause the issues that have led up to such an bad season and issues are not addressed.There is no last minute hair and make up check b 4 they go on stage. There is no makeup. There is no uniformity to that even.Kids show up with makeup,they are not asked to remove it. If there hair is crazy.Oh Well . Long story short, the team is very sloppy looking and nothing is being done about it.But after they preform the kids get the verbal tongue lashing from the coach.Thanks for the advice you really helped.

 

[mpooreone]

Can't help you much on the hairpiece, as people have said, mini's look cute in anything (age appropriate). As far as the long hair, both me & my daughter had waist length hair up until the past couple weeks, mine lived in a bun - twist, twist, twist, and twist some more and wrap it around into the bun. Done right, it's so tight that even waist length fine-normal thickness hair will stay in firmly with a single ponytail elastic and won't be crazy big. If it's thick.... well, mine started having issues, (and I wanted to be able to wear it down without it tangling in 2 seconds) .... it may end up on the larger side, and you'll need to figure out what sort of pins/clips you can use to secure it. If you can't seem to get it right, figure out if any of the moms with longer hair used to do ballet, or their daughters with long hair do/did ballet, enlist their help. They'll know.

And they're a team. If others don't like the look, they'll judge that as the team, not individuals. When people here comment on certain uniforms on larger cheerleaders, they're not judging the girl or the parent, but the decision of the team's leaders to subject the children to those particular uniforms, knowing the girls that are on their team. If in the insanity that is a competition, one person picks your [6, 7, 8? year old] daughter out of all the rest of the craziness to go "ohmygosh look at the huge bun on that child's head", they're the one with issues, not you for putting her in the team costume (yes, hair's part of the costume), nor your daughter for having hair! Likely if they comment it will be in awe of how you managed to defy gravity :)

Thank you !You can appreciate what its like to deal with long hair that tangles in two minutes.
I actually realize now that my frustrations was brought on by much more than the hair piece . Lack of practice,not letting the girls wear make up,coaches telling parents straight hair and children showing up with curls vice versa , absentee children at practice, and the list goes on and on.This was just the clencher for me.It's been a bad season for the girls(all three teams )and all of these factors have contributed to that. My daughter loves all-star cheerleading with all her heart. She gives 150 percent and I support her 200%.We support all of our gyms teams not just her mini team.Some parents give 50% and it shows and wouldn't even consider staying to watch a junior or senior team preform.I can only be responsible for what her and I do.Just gets aggravating when others cause the issues that have led up to such an bad season and issues are not addressed.There is no last minute hair and make up check b 4 they go on stage. There is no makeup. There is no uniformity to that even.Kids show up with makeup,they are not asked to remove it. If there hair is crazy.Oh Well . Long story short, the team is very sloppy looking and nothing is being done about it.But after they preform the kids get the verbal tongue lashing from the coach.Thanks for the advice you really helped.

 

[cupieqt]

When I read how upset you were with the hair I thought "she's not happy with the season, not the hair". Then it was confirmed when I read all the comments. If you're unhappy with the program overall then even the littlest things will become major issues that you just can't deal with at all. EVERY gym has its warts but the good has to far far outweigh any bad for you to be able to take things like this in stride. If your daughters team was doing better and you loved and respected and fully trusted her coaches then this wouldn't be a big deal at all.

I hope you won't pull her out for the last competition bc ultimately you'd regret it even if the satisfaction of sabotaging the gym made you feel better now. Take the high road and look for a new gym to join when the season is over.

 

[mpooreone]

When I read how upset you were with the hair I thought "she's not happy with the season, not the hair". Then it was confirmed when I read all the comments. If you're unhappy with the program overall then even the littlest things will become major issues that you just can't deal with at all. EVERY gym has its warts but the good has to far far outweigh any bad for you to be able to take things like this in stride. If your daughters team was doing better and you loved and respected and fully trusted her coaches then this wouldn't be a big deal at all.

I hope you won't pull her out for the last competition bc ultimately you'd regret it even if the satisfaction of sabotaging the gym made you feel better now. Take the high road and look for a new gym to join when the season is over.

It was never about sabotaging the gym.That I would never do.I missed my Uncles funeral last season because my daughter had a competition.He passed away the day we had to leave for Orlando.I year ago today as a matter of fact.So never would I do that.Unfortunately for my daughter there is no other program in the area(nothing for 100 miles). I'm not going to pull her out . However if they are going to claim to be an all star team . I feel they need to be "All In " 2.30 minutes X 2 wont kill me . We can enjoy the remaining the 2 days before and after the competition . My reward is to see that smile on her face, when she's on that stage.But then I'm the one that has to console her after the fact.The disappointment of it crushes her. Ill look for your team while we there !Good Luck !

 

[Hope Rutter]

The look of the hairpiece and the fact that her hair is so long it will look like a big ball on her head.

omg just suck it up. the point of having your hair look like that has NOTHING to do with the way they cheer. if they cheer good it shouldnt matter what her hair loooks like. thats a terrible thing to do as a parent. to pull your kid out of a competition just because her hair is in a bun. wowowowow.

 

[mpooreone]

omg just suck it up. the point of having your hair look like that has NOTHING to do with the way they cheer. if they cheer good it shouldnt matter what her hair loooks like. thats a terrible thing to do as a parent. to pull your kid out of a competition just because her hair is in a bun. wowowowow.[/quote/}

 

[INeverStopCheering]

Is it fair for a coach to make 22 girls look stupid ? The hairstyle will work for some of the girls but not for others. I am not the only parents complaining !I completely agree with the fact that cheer leading is about teamwork, athleticism and fun.But if that's "all" it is about. Why all the glitter,the make-up(1 of the new coaches wont let them wear it by it by the way) the hair spray etc...You get the point! This is a team that won 12 consecutive national titles in past years and has placed dead last in everything they have done this season.Place dead last in our last competition in early Feb. and have practiced 4 times since then.So maybe this is just the straw that broke it for me. However if it had nothing to do with the glitz and glamour!It wouldn't be a part of it. Your team looks incredible.Would you take them to nationals looking like crap. Seriously doubt that !

Fair? No. Their decision, yes.

But if that's "all" it is about. Why all the glitter,the make-up(1 of the new coaches wont let them wear it by it by the way) the hair spray etc...You get the point!

I firmly believe that's all cheerleading is about. Those things are just add ons. Cheerleading was still about teamwork, athleticism, and fun, 20 years ago before we invented sparkly makeup, glitter hairspray, and shatterglass fabric. And some of the top teams in that nation today still opt for a more simple look. If you're unhappy with the program, I get it, and suggest you start looking for other gyms in your area. But pulling your child at this point still enforces that same values I mentioned before, quitting, giving up, and not being a team player. Take this as an opportunity to teach her about perseverance, not giving up, and how looks don't matter. If there's no other option for her to cheer at, I suggest you take matters into your own hands. Is there a team mom whose responsibility can be making sure everyone looks the same? If not, ask the coaches to be one. As for taking my team to nationals looking like crap, I'll take them wherever my program director tells me to take them, however she tells me to make them look. I'll admit I'm not always a fan of the hairstyles they wear. Those girls are beautiful children no matter what hairstyle they're wearing, and I would never say that they looked like crap. They're routine maybe, them never.

I too, have very long (waist length) and thick hair, and have since I was a little girl. I've had to wear everything from ballet buns, showchoir hair pieces, and full head wigs for theatre. My advice is to put her hair in a tight ponytail and braid the pony as tightly as you can. Then coil the braid around itself into a bun and pin very tightly. I can downsize my hair a lot by doing this.