To gym owners ( and any event producers brave enough to answer )

[King]

What types of things would interest you in the USASF in becoming a controlling governing body of cheerleading with strong power?

We know the bonds are weak and all the things people complain about in general have a reasoning behind them. So, how can you all, as gym owners, get what you need and want out of the USASF?

What if every athlete had to register every year with a picture for each year. As well they would have to have birtht certificates on file. As long as you were a usasf sanctioned gym you wouldn't have to keep track of all their info. Like?

What about easy paperless registration for a comp? Yes the usasf would have complete access to your roster and who is in what teams, but business rules built into the system would keep things fair, accurate, and legal.

Universal insurance as long as you are at a usasf event or gym.

If a system were in place it could also be made to prevent all gym hopping. No leaving mid season for another gym. You sign up for a competition year at one gym. Like? Dislike?

What am I missing?

Event producers, would you like paperless registration? The responsibility handed over to the usasf of medical records, the legality of rosters, and making sure everyone is playing by the rules. What do or don't you like about all of this. The honester (hah, is that a word) you are the better we understand why or why not the industry is the way it is.

Thanks!

 

[GAcheerpeach]

Wow... no replies to this is depressing. Sometimes I think owners are afraid to speak out on topic like this as they fear it might hurt them at a competition down the road...

 

[King]

It is also summer. There is usually about 1/3 to 1/4 of the people that visit during the summer.

 

[hopskipandjump]

It is also summer. There is usually about 1/3 to 1/4 of the people that visit during the summer.

Ok Kingston. I will bite. I was a previous event producer...the company is still in business and I still have a good relationship with my former business partner. I am now a gym owner (3rd year). I was at the meeting when certain powers to be were first discussing a "giant competition for the best all star teams in the country" and who (which competition companies)would run it. USASF was not started yet, but there was a predecessor organization that folded into what is now the USASF. I think there are lots of great ideas out there and on this board. But I think there are too many hands in the kitchen so to speak. Or should I say to many "big name" powers running the USASF right now. Some of the basic things are not addressed until there is a fuss(such as the credentialing tests). I don't want to be a downer and someone is going to say oh here we go again, but its all about the money. Its about the money. And unless the governing body of the USASF is run entirely outside of competition companies or gyms, then it will only be about the money. As a gym owner, I would totally support the idea of registering athletes, paperless competitions, etc. but not every gym or competition company has the same resources as the big name gyms and competition companies. It costs money to do this. I find some of the rules ridiculous but I don't have any grand belief that I could ever possibly change them...I am a small fish in a big pond. This is not poor pitiful me. This is reality for a LOT of cheer gyms who belong to the USASF. If you look at the list of gyms, you read more you don't know than the ones you do. WE are the bulk of the USASF yet we have the least control over what is decided. Just my thoughts. I welcome any comments or criticisms. Thank you for allowing me to post.

 

[King]

I actually completely agree with you. I think that is why if the USASF can offer something free to a gym that helps it run its business and compete THEN all the small gyms will be interested.

The cost of running the system and the USASF will fall on the athletes. But since there are so many athletes that if each one pays a small amount that sum can be added up to something substantial for the USASF. The athletes could get insurance, organized cheerleading, and knowledge that they are on a level playing field with everything else.

I think of it like my auto bill pay on my banking website. I would be absolutely HORRIBLE at paying bills on time if it wasn't for auto pay. I can budget well, but remembering to write out a check (who does that anymore?) and sending it in an envelope with a stamp to the service would never happen on time. My bank offering a service to allow me to take care of my bills for free roped me into using them for all my banking needs (and my mortgage). In the end its a win win for all.

I think that is the mentality the USASF needs to bring to the table to really get this moving. Offer everyone out there something to make their jobs/lives better and charge very little (for the athletes) or free (for the gyms and events).

 

[hopskipandjump]

I actually completely agree with you. I think that is why if the USASF can offer something free to a gym that helps it run its business and compete THEN all the small gyms will be interested.

The cost of running the system and the USASF will fall on the athletes. But since there are so many athletes that if each one pays a small amount that sum can be added up to something substantial for the USASF. The athletes could get insurance, organized cheerleading, and knowledge that they are on a level playing field with everything else.

I think of it like my auto bill pay on my banking website. I would be absolutely HORRIBLE at paying bills on time if it wasn't for auto pay. I can budget well, but remembering to write out a check (who does that anymore?) and sending it in an envelope with a stamp to the service would never happen on time. My bank offering a service to allow me to take care of my bills for free roped me into using them for all my banking needs (and my mortgage). In the end its a win win for all.

I think that is the mentality the USASF needs to bring to the table to really get this moving. Offer everyone out there something to make their jobs/lives better and charge very little (for the athletes) or free (for the gyms and events).

I love your ideas; I think it will be very difficult to do. My main concern is the threat of 2 monopolys (or is that monopolies? - looks weird) in the competition company portion of the USASF....very few large gyms are using anyone besides Varsity Brands and Jam Brands....that is a LOT of power in the cheer world. Can you tell me; I don't want to ask my connections, but I have been looking for a USASF meeting place close to the Mid Atlantic region? I would like to hear their thoughts and plans for the future, but I am not locating anything. I think the first thing that needs to be done is having as many gym owners and/or competition companies meet with the USASF representatives to share what the intentions are by USASF and to find out what concerns and subjects gym owners would like to see addressed (as they are the ones with the athletes). Competition companies could also discuss the subject of a universal score sheet (not going to happen) and universal registering.

 

[King]

I think universal registration will eventually lead to a universal scoresheet. When the safety rules were unified I do not think anyone looks back on that and says, we should have separate legality rules for separate competitions. Those universal safety rules just made things boring.

As for monopolies they already exist. They do some things very well, and others they dont do well at all. Universal scoresheets and registration will let the companies battle out who throws the greatest events, not who has the easiest scoresheet to win on.

 

[GoldGal]

I am a small fish in a big pond. This is not poor pitiful me. This is reality for a LOT of cheer gyms who belong to the USASF.

I completely agree with this. As a gym owner of what others would call an "average large gym", I feel the same way. Correct or not, the perception of the masses is that our industry is run by popularity contest. Reminds me of back in the day when you had to have the popularity vote to make a cheer team. A good start to fix that would be to make an even number of spots on each board for small and large gyms and possibly designate seats by region of the country so people can speak to the needs of their area.

Kingston, I love your ideas. I'm willing to help get the word out in any way possible.

 

[hopskipandjump]

"A good start to fix that would be to make an even number of spots on each board for small and large gyms and possibly designate seats by region of the country so people can speak to the needs of their area."

Fabulous idea. Ok, where do we go from here???

 

[King]

Write your Senator... err. I mean the USASF.

www.usasf.net

And click an Ad at the top every once in a while too

 

[hopskipandjump]

Write your Senator... err. I mean the USASF.

www.usasf.net

And click an Ad at the top every once in a while too

I will make it my mission to click every time I visit this site...

 

[cheer8]

1. Everything you just said is awesome! Would join in this venture toward this goal any day.
2. Anything paperless is amazing!
3. Especially love this one below...
"If a system were in place it could also be made to prevent all gym hopping. No leaving mid season for another gym. You sign up for a competition year at one gym. Like? Dislike?" Like

Why bc all other college, professional and little league sports have these rules. a professional If you want to be on another team you wait out your year or contract, college you get red shirted... but we dont have to go that far. We all want to be considered a sport so we need to act on rules as a sport in my opinion.

Thanks Infinity

 

[cheer8]

I do believe this
"WE are the bulk of the USASF yet we have the least control over what is decided".

Ok Kingston. I will bite. I was a previous event producer...the company is still in business and I still have a good relationship with my former business partner. I am now a gym owner (3rd year). I was at the meeting when certain powers to be were first discussing a "giant competition for the best all star teams in the country" and who (which competition companies)would run it. USASF was not started yet, but there was a predecessor organization that folded into what is now the USASF. I think there are lots of great ideas out there and on this board. But I think there are too many hands in the kitchen so to speak. Or should I say to many "big name" powers running the USASF right now. Some of the basic things are not addressed until there is a fuss(such as the credentialing tests). I don't want to be a downer and someone is going to say oh here we go again, but its all about the money. Its about the money. And unless the governing body of the USASF is run entirely outside of competition companies or gyms, then it will only be about the money. As a gym owner, I would totally support the idea of registering athletes, paperless competitions, etc. but not every gym or competition company has the same resources as the big name gyms and competition companies. It costs money to do this. I find some of the rules ridiculous but I don't have any grand belief that I could ever possibly change them...I am a small fish in a big pond. This is not poor pitiful me. This is reality for a LOT of cheer gyms who belong to the USASF. If you look at the list of gyms, you read more you don't know than the ones you do. WE are the bulk of the USASF yet we have the least control over what is decided. Just my thoughts. I welcome any comments or criticisms. Thank you for allowing me to post.

 

[CGAcheer]

I think insurance and reduced competition fees is what will help bring this all together.

Athletes could register on a website, pay a fee and then request to join the gym. Gym owner arranges rosters and clicks on what competitions to attend and pays the reduced rate that the competition companies could offer due to less paper work and administrative costs.

Having competitions listed in a central location, searchable by state, date, bids offered, price, 2 day, etc would also be additional incentive for Competition Companies

Athletes could be released by the gym mid season, if they moved, got kicked off the team or whatever

Member Gyms get free insurance. Insurance companies would get a portion of the Athlete Fee.

Easily Available Coaching Credentialing.

I don't really see the point in Athlete Credentialing beyond being like getting a new belt in Karate.

I'm all for a universal score sheet and rules.

I don't like putting strict bottom age restrictions, it would be devastating to smaller gyms who only field a few teams as they would have to turn away people who were either too old or too young or have extremely small teams (ex. our sr team only has 4 people too old to be Jr)

I'm ok with limiting crossovers to maybe 4 or 5 for small and 8 for large

These are all things I would be in favor of

Equipment companies might also want to get in on it, offering discounts to member gyms

 

[ILCheer27]

Kingston… I agree with the idea of having every athlete register with USASF with a picture, birth certificate, etc. I am most familiar with the sport of hockey so let me explain how USA Hockey governs each individual athlete as I think a similar system would work for cheerleading as well.

The online registration allows individuals to register directly with USA Hockey. The USA Hockey Waiver is completed and the USA Hockey and Affiliate fees (state fees, etc) are paid online with a credit card. The member prints out the confirmation receipt to take to the local program to complete the registration process. A confirmation email is also sent to the member immediately after the online registration. When they chose their hockey program the confirmation number is then entered into a system that allows USA track the athletes in each hockey program… rosters, age, etc. This also eliminates the need for every hockey tournament having their own waiver. When they register they complete a waiver as well and as long as the event is sanctioned by USA Hockey they are covered! Each year the athletes are required to renew their membership to participate.

Anyways… it gives you an idea about how it could be done and may help with some of the issues we seem to be facing in the cheerleading world with illegal athletes and a different waiver that needs to be signed all the time… Just some food for thought and sorry about the hockey example!