"Perception" and "reality" are two different things, right now, cheer is battling perception. Public perception if a child is abducted at a football game is, "that's horrible, how tragic", perception if a mini is abducted at a cheer function is, "that's horrible, how sad but, it doesn't really surprise me, have you seen how they dress, the makeup, etc". Football hits the media if someone dies, cheer hits the news if there is an injury or a pedophile because, the perception is "how sad, just for cheerleading". Insurance companies crunch their numbers by sport. If cheer starts standing out as driving up costs and it is seen as "just cheerleading", then the target becomes everyone in the cheer business. If an Arena now states they can no longer provide their facility or they have to now charge triple because, of insurance costs, it most certainly effects everyone. This is where USASF comes in and creates the illusion, and I'll be honest, right or wrong, "perception" in business, takes priority over reality. In other words, we will send people out and talk about all the great strides we are making in safety (warm-ups, make up, hair, midriff covering), the "superficial" that everyone else sees, and make the changes that really need to made according to the experts in the cheer world later. Are they profiting? Someone made money off all those warm-ups. Was it necessary? I guess that depends how powerful you believe "perception" is. As far as money, the water is very clear, loaning money interest free, gave someone the opportunity to put whatever they wanted in the loan docs.
