I agree. I have been against the STUNT and NCATA thing from the beginning because I don't feel it was necessary to change things to the format that they made. Of course they will argue that it was a must, but I beg to differ. I feel that if the major players of college cheer, NCA and UCA, came together they could put together a format that is still showing off the athletic ability while still giving them the traditional look that college cheer has always been. Look at Team USA in 2009. They had James Speed and Jomo Thompson has their coed coaches and together they took a NCA and UCA routine and combined it into one that showcased great skill. I like what someone posted in the NCATA Championship thread in the college section, they said that what NCATA has done is not take a step in getting college cheerleading recognized as a sport, they have instead created a new sport to become recognized.
I just don't see teams like Kentucky who are a major part of the basketball and football games up and leaving their tradition because of a governing body that wants them to give that up. If that is what it takes to make college cheer an NCAA sport then so be it but I see a lot of teams skipping it and keeping what they already have.
Well since the CEO of Varsity Brands, president of USA Cheer and UCA (Jeff Webb) and the VP of NCA (Bill Boggs) and director of STUNT have allowed everyone to reach the "promised land" of mass marketing confusion, your insight is noble but you are going to need a "bigger boat". And as for that National Governing Body, USA Cheer, they arrived at your doorstep as heir apparent before you could build a thighstand.
1. Irony #1 Webb testified that cheerlead
ing is an activity and needed to be protected as such. The team on trial was not cheer
leading but competitive cheer. Webb testified that cheer
leading encapsulated both sideline and competition, therefore, competitive cheer is his idea of a misnomer and he stepped in to stop it. It was with collegiate competitive cheer teams whose only purpose is to compete he took issue, especially if they hoped to make it a sport. Again why? Simply put, the use of the "cheer" word or the 2.5 minute format appears to belong to Varsity Brands and is not collegiate sport, not even by AACA the regulator. Next throw in the word traditional to further confuse. Traditional for me conjurs up pompom shaking no skills attached 1960's antiquation. Why is the word still there? Must be that all encompassing halo effect. If I am the filet mignon of all steak don't mold me into hamburger with your language skills. Since he is full steam ahead for STUNT (love the caps) as a sport,why with all of his resources did he
could not/would not make competitive cheer in its present state a sport whether allgirl, coed or both? It only took weeks for post-trial STUNT to get up and running, although the administrator's guide FOR STUNT claims a 5 year venture (kinda funny since USA CHEER is not 5 years old). Why did STUNT not come to the rescue pre-trial? But lets flip this nonsense,
should basket tosses, advanced tumbling and 2.5 high pyramids be executed on the unmatted sidelines for collegiate cheer
leading? Last time I checked collegiate basketball coincided with cheerleading competition season and at the collegiate level certain skills are not allowed per the well-known fall from a 2.5 pyramid 5 years ago. Best and
only reason to execute these skills is on a scoresheet for a matted competition. During NCA Nationals, null and void the pre-45 second crowd response 11 point score...are college teams competing crowd-leading anything during the 2 minute 30 second portion of the total 111 points? He testified that both NCA and UCA 2.5 minute routines were mainly crowdleading components. Under oath he was given an opportunity to wow the judge about the amazing skillsets required to compete at the collegiate level in a 2.5 minute format. He did NOT do that for any of us as parents, coaches and most important athletes. Rather, he naysayed their importance, all the while knowing that the NCAA does not insure these living breathing athletes for the practice of competition nor competition itself. Looks like the AD for TCU figured it out, and therefore saved his University, coach and athletes from liability.