All-Star [urgent] Stunt Camp Problem

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So put a different spin on your all or nothing mentality:

Let’s say this family vacation came up at the last minute because one of the parents caught a windfall bonus at work. They plan the trip for this weekend because it’s the first time they’ve had the financial resources to go visit an end-of-life relative. Still feel like this athlete should blow off the trip for “pyramid class?” Then your priorities suck.

Let’s say it’s not a vacation at all. What if this particular athlete wasn’t even leaving town? Instead, she found out that her application for an academic program that guaranteed a 100% in-state tuition scholarship had been accepted. All she has to do is successfully complete this workshop on the same weekend as “pyramid class.” By your argument, she should turn down the scholarship because she committed to year round cheerleading. An endeavor by which she will likely never, under even the BEST of circumstances, get her full tuition paid.

If I can make an adjustment for a missing athlete pulling from a roster of 25, any all star gym with multiple teams should be able to have someone do double duty and get through “pyramid camp.” If a coach can’t make adjustments any better than that with a little notice, what are they going to do when it really hits the fan and someone is injured the day before a major competition? Curl up in the fetal position and cry about it?
She didn’t say any of those reasons. Obviously if it was a serious family medical reason, or once of a lifetime chance to change life, a great coach would be ok with it ...I am commenting on HER post only!
 
Obviously if there are extenuating circumstances most coaches would understand. I think most of us here are trying to make the point that if you made the commitment then you should honor that commitment. It sounded to me like this family decided last minute to plan something. Knowing ahead of time that there was a mandatory clinic wouldn’t you pick another weekend? Speaking from a coaching point of view we try like crazy to work around everyones plans when scheduling important clinics and choreography. Nobody is trying to be unreasonable here but your trying to get your team ready and when your missing someone even one person that could really make things hard for the team. Also lots of teams hire outside choreographers from all over the country who are scheduled for these certain dates.
 
So put a different spin on your all or nothing mentality:

Let’s say this family vacation came up at the last minute because one of the parents caught a windfall bonus at work. They plan the trip for this weekend because it’s the first time they’ve had the financial resources to go visit an end-of-life relative. Still feel like this athlete should blow off the trip for “pyramid class?” Then your priorities suck.

Let’s say it’s not a vacation at all. What if this particular athlete wasn’t even leaving town? Instead, she found out that her application for an academic program that guaranteed a 100% in-state tuition scholarship had been accepted. All she has to do is successfully complete this workshop on the same weekend as “pyramid class.” By your argument, she should turn down the scholarship because she committed to year round cheerleading. An endeavor by which she will likely never, under even the BEST of circumstances, get her full tuition paid.

If I can make an adjustment for a missing athlete pulling from a roster of 25, any all star gym with multiple teams should be able to have someone do double duty and get through “pyramid camp.” If a coach can’t make adjustments any better than that with a little notice, what are they going to do when it really hits the fan and someone is injured the day before a major competition? Curl up in the fetal position and cry about it?

You could argue "well if they can make it work for an extenuating circumstance, why can't they make it work for a last minute vacataion?" And the answer to that is that extenuating circumstances are rare, and if I make an exception for Suzie to go on a last minute vacation and miss choreo, I now have to do the same thing for Sally and Sarah who had planned to skip the family cookout that was scheduled that weekend. And while I can probably replace one person for choreo, it gets exponentially harder to deal with a bunch of replacements.
 
So put a different spin on your all or nothing mentality:

Let’s say this family vacation came up at the last minute because one of the parents caught a windfall bonus at work. They plan the trip for this weekend because it’s the first time they’ve had the financial resources to go visit an end-of-life relative. Still feel like this athlete should blow off the trip for “pyramid class?” Then your priorities suck.

Let’s say it’s not a vacation at all. What if this particular athlete wasn’t even leaving town? Instead, she found out that her application for an academic program that guaranteed a 100% in-state tuition scholarship had been accepted. All she has to do is successfully complete this workshop on the same weekend as “pyramid class.” By your argument, she should turn down the scholarship because she committed to year round cheerleading. An endeavor by which she will likely never, under even the BEST of circumstances, get her full tuition paid.

If I can make an adjustment for a missing athlete pulling from a roster of 25, any all star gym with multiple teams should be able to have someone do double duty and get through “pyramid camp.” If a coach can’t make adjustments any better than that with a little notice, what are they going to do when it really hits the fan and someone is injured the day before a major competition? Curl up in the fetal position and cry about it?

Then if you choose to take the vacation, take whatever consequences may come from it. A bonus at work doesn't negate responsibility. Visiting a family member who maybe doesn't have much time left would warrant a conversation with the coach to explain the situation. (I don't consider that a "vacation" which is what she was asking about...you're throwing out a ton of hypothetical scenarios which would all have a different approach and desirable outcome) This would also depend if this is just a "pyramid class" or "pyramid choreography". Again, schedule was made long before plans for this "vacation".

If it's school related 9.9 times out of 10 the coach is going to say "school comes first" which I agree. (Don't assume or speak for how I would react. A school function is not the same as a vacation) School absolutely does come before cheer. But part of the responsibility of taking on a demanding sport is being able to balance your time (with work, school and cheer. A commitment is a commitment) My daughter quit cheer for a year because she knew she couldn't balance a job and school, plus cheer. It helped her focus and balance her life out before going back to cheer.

The point here is timing. It's not only unfair for them to give very little notice to the coach to find a replacement, it's unfair to the people who have to cover for them on short notice. So the moral of the story here are a few:
Commitment
Responsibility
Respect
Consideration
 
School, weddings, & funerals are the only time I believe you can skip practice or camp.
Mostly Agree, I would also had severe illness. I don't want contagious kids around lol Plus you need time to heal or it can just get worse.
 
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