All-Star Rockstar Cheer founder Scott Foster died today by suicide.

[FierceIsTheName]

https://www.postandcourier.com/news...DGujR2Hwa9jiygrU82nZuSk8Yple0Y8KAi_lUMyuPUp5c

New names listed.
- Jeff Webb
- Scott Foster Estates
- Kathy Foster
- Kenny Feeley
- Josh Guyton
- Nathan Plank
- Christopher Hinton
- Trayvon Black
- Peter Holley

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

This response is to @CLynn it won’t let let me fix the quote box.

The Jr age range is insane (babies with high schoolers), but the Open age range makes a lot of sense. The idea is to keep Open similar to Senior age range, just with a bit more flexibility so that kids who age out of Sr don’t have to quit the sport.

Most gyms, even the Mega ones, would find it virtually impossible to field good teams that are only 18+, especially given the level of stunting difficulty nowadays that favors tinier flyers. Only the rare Mega gym with a tie to university cheer (like GymTyme and University of Louisville) has 18+ athletes (especially flyers) growing on trees. Everyone else’s Open teams have a much broader age range, similar to Sr age range (Sr age can span from just out of elementary school to as old as college sophomore).

Back in the day, it didn’t matter if your 18+ Open/International team wasn’t competitive and mostly just for fun. You could go to a few local competitions and not take it seriously. But local comps died years ago and now every comp is on a serious track towards Worlds/end of season event. When the International division was first introduced at Worlds many years ago, it was more of a joke, but now it’s obviously as serious as any other division and it takes a lot to be competitive. And again, gyms can’t form competitive 18+ teams. Even 16+ might not be feasible (and wouldn’t be much different than 14+ anyway). Sometimes it’s plain safer to have a more prepubescent flyer.

So what do you do with the many kids who still want to cheer competitively and take it seriously and want to go to Worlds once they hit 18? This is why there are so many Open teams, as well as many “super senioring” 18 year olds-turning 19 on Senior teams. Allowing athletes over 18 to cheer makes Varsity/USASF more money of course, but it also makes cheer more of a “real” sport instead of being just a kiddie youth activity that age discriminates.

Sexual abuse almost always happens in secret, not at practice. Creeps who want to prey on children have easy access to them whether they’re on the same team or not, especially with the internet. Predators are more likely to prey on children when they have power and authority over them (ie. coaches).

Parents need to be parents and monitor where their kids go after practice and who they have relationships with online, etc. Varsity has issues, but they can’t parent everyone’s kids. If parents let their kids live with their coaches, or send them away to live with a host family, or let them have drinks with adults at competitions and parties, or let them date 21 year olds or don’t try to monitor their private online convos, that’s on them.

Why shouldn’t those 18 and over age out of the activity? There comes a time where you have to put your adult clothes on and move on.

 

[quitthedrama]

https://www.postandcourier.com/news...DGujR2Hwa9jiygrU82nZuSk8Yple0Y8KAi_lUMyuPUp5c

New names listed.
- Jeff Webb
- Scott Foster Estates
- Kathy Foster
- Kenny Feeley
- Josh Guyton
- Nathan Plank
- Christopher Hinton
- Trayvon Black
- Peter Holley

And almost all of those named are still not on the USA Cheer banned list even though it was updated after this complaint was filed.

 

[CLynn]

This response is to @CLynn it won’t let let me fix the quote box.

The Jr age range is insane (babies with high schoolers), but the Open age range makes a lot of sense. The idea is to keep Open similar to Senior age range, just with a bit more flexibility so that kids who age out of Sr don’t have to quit the sport.

Most gyms, even the Mega ones, would find it virtually impossible to field good teams that are only 18+, especially given the level of stunting difficulty nowadays that favors tinier flyers. Only the rare Mega gym with a tie to university cheer (like GymTyme and University of Louisville) has 18+ athletes (especially flyers) growing on trees. Everyone else’s Open teams have a much broader age range, similar to Sr age range (Sr age can span from just out of elementary school to as old as college sophomore).

Back in the day, it didn’t matter if your 18+ Open/International team wasn’t competitive and mostly just for fun. You could go to a few local competitions and not take it seriously. But local comps died years ago and now every comp is on a serious track towards Worlds/end of season event. When the International division was first introduced at Worlds many years ago, it was more of a joke, but now it’s obviously as serious as any other division and it takes a lot to be competitive. And again, gyms can’t form competitive 18+ teams. Even 16+ might not be feasible (and wouldn’t be much different than 14+ anyway). Sometimes it’s plain safer to have a more prepubescent flyer.

So what do you do with the many kids who still want to cheer competitively and take it seriously and want to go to Worlds once they hit 18? This is why there are so many Open teams, as well as many “super senioring” 18 year olds-turning 19 on Senior teams. Allowing athletes over 18 to cheer makes Varsity/USASF more money of course, but it also makes cheer more of a “real” sport instead of being just a kiddie youth activity that age discriminates.

Sexual abuse almost always happens in secret, not at practice. Creeps who want to prey on children have easy access to them whether they’re on the same team or not, especially with the internet. Predators are more likely to prey on children when they have power and authority over them (ie. coaches).

Parents need to be parents and monitor where their kids go after practice and who they have relationships with online, etc. Varsity has issues, but they can’t parent everyone’s kids. If parents let their kids live with their coaches, or send them away to live with a host family, or let them have drinks with adults at competitions and parties, or let them date 21 year olds or don’t try to monitor their private online convos, that’s on them.

It's just my opinion of course, but I'm ok with it being a youth sport. Nothing wrong with trying to grow the sport from the bottom up, instead of trying to keep the same (amazing) aging out athletes hanging around forever. There are college options for those who are older and if there is really great demand then they can have 16+ or 18+ teams. But to get new people interested a lot would need to change, time and financial commitment for starters and nobody wants to touch that.

And yes I agree abuse doesn't happen in the open. That does not mean that it is not problematic for a grown adults to be on a team with young teens.

 

[catlady]

This response is to @CLynn
Parents need to be parents and monitor where their kids go after practice and who they have relationships with online, etc. Varsity has issues, but they can’t parent everyone’s kids. If parents let their kids live with their coaches, or send them away to live with a host family, or let them have drinks with adults at competitions and parties, or let them date 21 year olds or don’t try to monitor their private online convos, that’s on them.

I'd like this a million times if I could and I'll preface this by stating I 100% believe improvements can be made. With that said, I also know businesses aren't going to legally fight to be responsible for children.

Parents are kid's primary protectors. We pay and have access to our kid's phone records, can track locations, can stay at practices (if you can't, red flag), can look up coaches/owners by doing a Google search, can stay with them at comps minus warmups, can be with them at the parks/pools/hotels,.... Parents can put it on their kid's tryout sheet they won't allow their underage child to cheer on an Open team, as well as, not sign on the dotted line for anything they don't like or feel comfortable with.

I don't blame victims, nor the parents, but I can't help but wonder why so many parents think a few people making rules and watching over thousands can do a better job than they can. If anything, that's why the problem is as bad as parents claim it to be.

 

[AndyT_T]

Why shouldn’t those 18 and over age out of the activity? There comes a time where you have to put your adult clothes on and move on.

Most sports have adult competitive leagues and divisions. Do you feel that way about college cheer? It is all 18+. There should be divisions for adults to continue in the sport that doesn’t necessitate them going to college.

For what it’s worth. I’m 29 going on thirty, have a mortgage, am married with a child, have a career, and still cheer. Adults can (and should) have hobbies. That said I would much prefer my division was 17 and up like level 7 is.

 

[DonePaying4Cheer]

When my daughter was on teams with older kids, she got an education, but the older boys never did anything weird. Actually, they were very respectful. She learned a lot from the older girls. The weird things were between coaches and athletes. I never really saw anything, but my spider sense tingled when I spent time around certain athletes and their coaches.

 

[DonePaying4Cheer]

OH NO! Not again.

CHEER EXTREME RALEIGH FEDERAL LAWSUIT

 

[DonePaying4Cheer]

USA Today Article
USA Today - Cheer Extreme Raleigh Federal Lawsuit

 

[DonePaying4Cheer]

USA Today Article
USA Today - Cheer Extreme Raleigh Federal Lawsuit

Sorry. The second one is from last year.

 

[DonePaying4Cheer]

CEA Raleigh Coach Kelly Henton's Reply to Lawsuit

 

[Caiti3]

This response is to @CLynn it won’t let let me fix the quote box.

The Jr age range is insane (babies with high schoolers), but the Open age range makes a lot of sense. The idea is to keep Open similar to Senior age range, just with a bit more flexibility so that kids who age out of Sr don’t have to quit the sport.

Most gyms, even the Mega ones, would find it virtually impossible to field good teams that are only 18+, especially given the level of stunting difficulty nowadays that favors tinier flyers. Only the rare Mega gym with a tie to university cheer (like GymTyme and University of Louisville) has 18+ athletes (especially flyers) growing on trees. Everyone else’s Open teams have a much broader age range, similar to Sr age range (Sr age can span from just out of elementary school to as old as college sophomore).

Back in the day, it didn’t matter if your 18+ Open/International team wasn’t competitive and mostly just for fun. You could go to a few local competitions and not take it seriously. But local comps died years ago and now every comp is on a serious track towards Worlds/end of season event. When the International division was first introduced at Worlds many years ago, it was more of a joke, but now it’s obviously as serious as any other division and it takes a lot to be competitive. And again, gyms can’t form competitive 18+ teams. Even 16+ might not be feasible (and wouldn’t be much different than 14+ anyway). Sometimes it’s plain safer to have a more prepubescent flyer.

So what do you do with the many kids who still want to cheer competitively and take it seriously and want to go to Worlds once they hit 18? This is why there are so many Open teams, as well as many “super senioring” 18 year olds-turning 19 on Senior teams. Allowing athletes over 18 to cheer makes Varsity/USASF more money of course, but it also makes cheer more of a “real” sport instead of being just a kiddie youth activity that age discriminates.

Sexual abuse almost always happens in secret, not at practice. Creeps who want to prey on children have easy access to them whether they’re on the same team or not, especially with the internet. Predators are more likely to prey on children when they have power and authority over them (ie. coaches).

Parents need to be parents and monitor where their kids go after practice and who they have relationships with online, etc. Varsity has issues, but they can’t parent everyone’s kids. If parents let their kids live with their coaches, or send them away to live with a host family, or let them have drinks with adults at competitions and parties, or let them date 21 year olds or don’t try to monitor their private online convos, that’s on them.

If you take the time to read about these lawsuits, some did happen at practice. Parents can't be there 24/7 with eyes on their kids. You pay a LOT of money to have your child participate in a program designed for kids and TRUST that they have your childs best interest at heart. Just like you send your child to school 8 hours a day for 13 years and trust they are safe. If a child (under 18) gets alcohol, drugs, hit on by an adult in charge of their sport that is not "on them" as you say, that is on the perpetrator, which is exactly what these grown men taking advantage of children are. Of course there are some crap parents, but this is about the minors who were subject to things they should not be, whether mom/dad/guardian allowed it or not is of no consequence when it comes to said child being mistreated by an adult. More and more is going to keep coming out because victims/survivors will feel empowered to speak when they weren't before. My heart goes out to all of the survivors who hid this from everyone in shame, alone, for all this time.
I hope this sparks change, but seeing that Varsity is being named in the suit because they were informed of inappropriate actions that violate their terms and allow banned people to go where they wish, I doubt much will happen. They had a very small list until USA Today did that massive and found hundreds of people involved in cheer and crimes against children, then they updated it because they were called out on a national level.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Gyms need cameras in all areas except the restrooms to protect athletes and coaches.

 

[DonePaying4Cheer]

I never had any problems with the boys in our gym when my daughter cheered. I knew she could handle them. She knows they're not smarter than she is and she didn't have to be polite to them. I was worried ab the athletes being so close to the adult coaches. When we were at competitions, kids would be invited to a coaches room to hang out sometimes. My answer would always be; "nope". Told her that "adults are crafty and know the right things to say to defeat your common sense. They can tell you things you've always wanted to hear. Leave the adults to me." I'm a survivor, so I was extravigilant about her accepting gifts or being alone with adults. It's sad, but it's the world we've always lived in. Many refused to see it.

 

[DonePaying4Cheer]

Gyms need cameras in all areas except the restrooms to protect athletes and coaches.

Gym owners and Varsity are cheap. They don't want to spend the money for extra, high tech security to protect young children. The sad thing is that the equipment is so cheap now. You can put cameras in every room that run into your phone for about $200.
I'm starting to think that if these gyms don't care enough about your kids to spend what amounts to change to secure them, why should you care about them?