All-Star Venting (all Star Subjects)

[Raymond G McKee]

I hate how little the outside world knows about cheerleading. Today I had someone ask me if cheerleading competitions even existed. Really?!

I was so proud of my dentist the other day when he found out that I'm a competitive cheerleader, his exact response was "Oh that's so awesome! I see the competitions all the time!" Which made me so happy to finally know and "outsider" who knew what our sport was... until he said, "That stuff that randomly comes on ESPN on Saturdays right?" To which I replied... "Well, sort of. That's college competitive cheerleading. I do professional competitive cheerleading" hahaha. Still nice to see the basics of our sport is getting out there!

 

[Hi! It's me!]

I am going to vent from a spectators point of view, I HATE people who cannot wait 2:30 for a team to finish before standing up and walking around. Show some respect and wait for the routine to finish to move to or from your seat. Unless you have a little kid about to wet themselves or a vomitting child sit down and shut up. I like to watch every team at a comp not just the ones from my gym. Ok thank you that needed to be said after last weekends comp where I almost threw down with someone who wouldn't sit down no matter how many times they were asked. And by the way, they were facing the back of the arena looking for a friend.

 

[nhgurlnh]

A huge pet peeve of mine is when people get mad at me for caring about how other teams in our division do. Cheerleading is competition, and although I am very focused on my own team and them doing their best, when they work hard, I want them to get first place. An example would be if I said "Oh, this gym had two stunt falls, this gym had a touchdown, and this team was flawless, and looked so amazing," and a co-coach will just be like "Good for them, I don't care, and neither should you" and just be generally rude about the whole thing. I want my team to win!!!! I care about how other teams do because I want my team to be the best. I am not trying to express happiness that a stunt fell or a girl had a tumbling bust on another team, but I just wanna know! We are all trying to be better than each other, and I wanna max out on a score sheet, and score higher than that other great team. I don't know if I'm totally off-base, but I see it like this. an example is World Cup, F5, and CEA SE know exactly what each other are doing, and are gonna try to out do each other for the battle of the year at worlds. Although this team I am refering to is only level 3, if there are 3 teams heading in to NCA that could each win, I wanna know how they each performed in the past and at that competition that day. It makes it easier for me to say to the girls "this team is really good at this, so lets step those up for day 2". And I try not to do that to often, because I focus on the girls doing the best that they can, but if there are 3 teams for that title, I wanna say to the girls, "these teams are gonna bring, lets bring it more.". Hahaha, I just really don't like when people are rude about things like that. Like I said before, if my team is working their butts off and deserves to win, then I want them to win, and I wanna know who else is the game for that trophy. Just my opinion...

It also helps me going into awards if I have an idea of how things are gonna come out. Of course I love the surprise, but I like having a general idea of the outcome. It helps me come to grips with disappointment or bummin' I may have, and still be able to say to my girls "You guys did a great job, but we gotta work on things" if they didn't have a great day. Kind of mentally preparing, kind of being able to comfort my girls without still dealing with my own disappointment.

My venting for the night

 

[Mama O]

My biggest pet peeve is going to the competition only to find there aren't any seats ANYWHERE. Because they are all being saved for an Athlete to come back. REALLY??? I have sat at comps the entire day and watch as people "saved" a seat for their athlete. The athletes only come back long enough to get stuff out of their backpacks and then they leave again. If you need to hold onto your childs backpack, that is fine. But each backpack doesn't need a seat. If you are "saving" a seat for someone and they have not shown up in hours, let the seat go to someone who wants to use it.

 

[Goofygoobergeri]

... Well going back to the original topic , cheering ( you know the sidelines that just "cheer") was originally made up of all guys until later that changed.
So there's not much room to call and stereotype male cheerleaders "gay". I hate society overall ... but that's my opinion

Cheer pet peeves :
1) When teams with the LEAST sportsmanship and win the "Sportsmanship" Award
2) People talk bad about gyms they haven't even seen compete
3) When flyers completely give up after a bobble
4) When flyers have an angry face on throughout the whole routine because something of theirs didn't go right
5) Bows falling out all over the place
6) When competitions always play disney songs (even when it's the later sessions) and play the same songs over and over when they make us dance to them.

 

[DENA]

So people post random threads to vent about all kinds of things in the All Star world.
Well I started this to be one huge venting thread.

I'm going to start off with saying how incredibly irritating it is when a non-cheerleader guy tells me how "gay" it is that I'm in competitive cheerleading. It doesn't matter what sport they play, it always involves them showering, playing, being together with a bunch of guys. And yet my sport allows me to be surrounded by some of the most gorgeous, mostly intelligent ^_^, outgoing girls/women. Who change in front of us, we hang out with them all day, etc. I'm trying not to sound like a pervert here because I do have a girlfriend who is on one of the teams I cheer with. But really, why do these guys think I'm the "gay" one? Especially when the few gay guys on my team could out perform almost every single one of those guys on other sports. UGH! Venting completed.

Feel free to post what you want to vent about in the All Star world.

You ain't ever lied!

The football players gave me a hard time for choosing to be a male cheerleader up until they actually saw what I was doing. I would constantly tell them that I am doing pretty hard stuff that takes a lot of practice to get. Once they saw what I was doing they then came up to me and pretty much said, "Oh, man, you weren't joking."

Later on in the football season, one of the football players actually said, 'I don't care how "gay" they think you are, but no one on the football team can do what you do, man." That really touched me because it came from an actual FOOTBALL player, lol. It was kind of awesome because some of them got a taste of what cheer was like; a lot of the football players could do back flips and what not, but none could stunt on my level, so we called them over and had them try toss to hands (about ten of them). We told them what to do--the technique and everything. What happened? The fliers' feet barely made it past their knees.

The football players were both embarrassed and amazed at how high I could toss the girls compared to them and most of them then said that I was "a beast". Aha. So, I guess you have to SHOW them what you do for them to not call you gay, which is absolutely insane, nonetheless. Just keep doing you and what you love and the haters will only hate.

 

[Audrey]

I was so proud of my dentist the other day when he found out that I'm a competitive cheerleader, his exact response was "Oh that's so awesome! I see the competitions all the time!" Which made me so happy to finally know and "outsider" who knew what our sport was... until he said, "That stuff that randomly comes on ESPN on Saturdays right?" To which I replied... "Well, sort of. That's college competitive cheerleading. I do professional competitive cheerleading" hahaha. Still nice to see the basics of our sport is getting out there!

Haha oh well. He was close enough.

 

[ellen495]

There are straight and gay people on all sorts of sports teams, in all types of careers, and all walks of life. So? Teaching used to mostly females, now we have a lot of men. They're not mostly gay. When the world stops worrying about people's private lives, it will find more happiness in the lives we share.

I love male cheerleaders. I don't worry or wonder or care if they're gay or straight any more than I wonder about any of the men I work with in the teaching field. I only care that they are good at what they do.

 

[dizzzigrl]

I really hate hearing that bases/backs threaten to not catch their flyer if they don't do said skill, or do it properly. This does NOT help your flyer gain trust and confidence to improve, and increases the risk to the safety of the entire group. These statements really dissapoint me and is not tolerated on my team or in my gym.

AMEN - I think that the worst thing bases can do is to drop a flyer on purpose... when flyers lose trust, they do not improve, they get worse, which puts everyone at risk.

 

[Nothanks]

AMEN - I think that the worst thing bases can do is to drop a flyer on purpose... when flyers lose trust, they do not improve, they get worse, which puts everyone at risk.

i know someone else already replied to the first person that posted this, but i know in my case, that girl had been my flier for 2 years before, and i was the only backspot on the team she really trusted...i was out for a month because of my broken nose, and she still wouldn't double for anyone else. she knew that i would never let anything happen to her. me saying that was just my way of saying, don't freak out anymore, and do it right, because it'll be easier for me to catch you if you do. like the other person said, we have already built those trusting relationships, and our fliers know that we would do anything before letting them hit the ground.

 

[Hungry]

I understand what you guys are saying, about having trust with your flyers, about "joking", etc. I just don't find any form of intimidation funny or beneficial. IMO, it's another form of bullying.

I'm also used to working with level 2/3 flyers that are still learning basic skills or how to fly period, and I know first hand how detrimental these types of commetns are to them. Even our level 4 flyers that are learning new skills get scared and need full support & encouragement from their group.

We can agree to disagree, but this is something I feel strongly about, as do most coaches and owners that I know.

 

[mommadonna]

I hate how little the outside world knows about cheerleading. Today I had someone ask me if cheerleading competitions even existed. Really?!

You've gotta be kidding. That's crazy. We're lucky we are smart enough to know better. It's a good thing that there are so many great people involved in this sport who can help educate the public about it and can help guide the public view. Those who don't know how much fun and how good for people cheer can be are really losing out.

 

[FamousMatty]

I understand what you guys are saying, about having trust with your flyers, about "joking", etc. I just don't find any form of intimidation funny or beneficial. IMO, it's another form of bullying.

I'm also used to working with level 2/3 flyers that are still learning basic skills or how to fly period, and I know first hand how detrimental these types of commetns are to them. Even our level 4 flyers that are learning new skills get scared and need full support & encouragement from their group.

We can agree to disagree, but this is something I feel strongly about, as do most coaches and owners that I know.

I agree with you. I do not want to ever hear that my kids are "intimidating" their flyers. There is no need for it. My Co-Coach and I have a 4.2 with VERY new flyers. We found that a nice combination of what we like to call "good parent/bad parent" works great. One a little more stern while the other a little more nurturing. The closest we will ever come to intimidating is, after all means have been exhausted, we may let a flyer know if she cant pull it together she may have to be replace.

***on a side note my current pet peeve is that I can't figure out if I should be using "flyer" or "flier" as I have seen both used on here and my computer recognizes both spellings. I chose to use "flyer" because I think the spelling looks prettier. lol

 

[Raymond G McKee]

I agree with you. I do not want to ever hear that my kids are "intimidating" their flyers. There is no need for it. My Co-Coach and I have a 4.2 with VERY new flyers. We found that a nice combination of what we like to call "good parent/bad parent" works great. One a little more stern while the other a little more nurturing. The closest we will ever come to intimidating is, after all means have been exhausted, we may let a flyer know if she cant pull it together she may have to be replace.

***on a side note my current pet peeve is that I can't figure out if I should be using "flyer" or "flier" as I have seen both used on here and my computer recognizes both spellings. I chose to use "flyer" because I think the spelling looks prettier. lol

Okay guys, may "intimidate" was the wrong term to use for you 'coaches'. What we do isn't literally intimidating. I guess what we should say so you guys understand is that we joke around with them. As I said, none of us would ever really do anything. And we aren't being serious when we say we "intimidate" them. Those who are currently cheerleaders know what I'm talking about and don't think I would really punch a flier in the ankle, but for you 'coaches' we are JOKING.


***To your side note. The word FLYER is a device used to add twist to yarn. The world FLIER would be the correct word to use when talking about someone in a stunt.

 

[FamousMatty]

Okay guys, may "intimidate" was the wrong term to use for you 'coaches'. What we do isn't literally intimidating. I guess what we should say so you guys understand is that we joke around with them. As I said, none of us would ever really do anything. And we aren't being serious when we say we "intimidate" them. Those who are currently cheerleaders know what I'm talking about and don't think I would really punch a flier in the ankle, but for you 'coaches' we are JOKING.


***To your side note. The word FLYER is a device used to add twist to yarn. The world FLIER would be the correct word to use when talking about someone in a stunt.

So touchy lol. Us 'Coaches' were just doing as the thread says and Venting. My "vent" was more geared to the comment the poster I quoted said about people telling Fliers they were going to intentionally drop them, which as far as I've read...you never said so the post wasn't really directed at you. Also, you intimidate your flier, you are joking, that works for you. We simply were stating that we don't agree with that. No one told you not to do it or that you personally were wrong for it. So why don't you take a big deep breath and let people do exactly what the thread you started was intended for....Vent. Have a great evening.

P.S. Thanks for clearing up the spelling for me. I still think Flyer looks like a prettier word though. :-P