All-Star Venting (all Star Subjects)

[pka10]

I'd like to take a second to vent about some of you on this thread. WE DON'T ACTUALLY MEAN IT WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DROP A FLIER OR HURT THEM. Honestly? You take us that seriously. I'm sorry you're so naive. It's a joke people, we of all people as bases would never intentionally drop a flier. So stop getting so worked up over it and being jerks to us when we joke around. It's humor, deal with it.

I'd like to vent on the people who actually DO drop their fliers. (I'm not accusing you of doing it, only the ones who purposefully back out when a flier is in the air). I have been a flier and a base, and the number one rule I learned when I started stunting was NEVER EVER EVER let your flier hit the floor! It drives me up the walls when I see bases backing out or not catching while a flier is coming down! I've been the base that's had busted lips, nose, even ear drums from hitting the floor instead of letting my flier hit the floor. I've also been the flier that's had a fractured spine from a base not catching. I would take an injury over and over any day if it means that my flier is safe. A huge part of cheering is obviously team work and for those bases who can't put the life and safety of someone else before their own potential 'boo-boos" are not good teammates.
For instance, I had a base last year who while I was practicing kick-double baskets threw me and literally walked away because I kept coming down feet first...umm OUCH! Trust me, his little temper tantrum and "intimidation" did absolutely nothing to help me, himself or the team.
UGHHH ok I'm done :)

 

[Rudags]

I guess you can ask my kids - but as a coach, Im fairly certain that I have the fear of god in them to even think about letting a flyer hit the ground... I realize mistakes happen, but if someone hits the ground or even clips the ground, the whole group has conditioning based on how bad the fall, how much I feel it was the bases fault, etc.

 

[coach12]

I'd like to vent about teams that go to big comps like NCA, Cheersport, etc. but go down a division or put themselves in the easiest division to compete. If i'm going to go to a big comp. like NCA, i'm going to put my team in the division they have been competing in all year. If you want to be the best, then you need to compete against the best.

 

[Rudags]

I'd like to vent about teams that go to big comps like NCA, Cheersport, etc. but go down a division or put themselves in the easiest division to compete. If i'm going to go to a big comp. like NCA, i'm going to put my team in the division they have been competing in all year. If you want to be the best, then you need to compete against the best.

See.... Thats crazy to me. In the area I am from - If my gym, or if any of the surrounding gyms I am from did taht - they would close down.

 

[bellableu]

I really really hate when you are at a HUGE competition and trying to navigate from point a to point b and the people/group/team/gym STOP in the middle of traffic to talk, and when you ACCIDENTALLY bump into/get pushed into them they get hateful.....

 

[smileyreilly96]

i'm gonna all around cheer is one of the most stereo typed sports out there. people need to learn that it's all about how we look. it's the way we perform, the way we practice which makes it the toughest. there is no second string to it. (just venting) :)

 

[tumbleyoda]

Venting - teams, gyms, fans and paparazzi who cant accept that maybe just maybe another gym deserved to win even if they are not a big name, well known, or fierceboard approved and recognized program. It is called a competition for a reason.

 

[cheerfanforever]

I have seen this happen so many times...

Fun fact on this, several years ago we went to NCA and a team that won the spirit award had t-shirts that basically called our gym out. #1, we weren't the only gym they were going against, so how sportsmanlike was that to totally dis other teams as if they weren't competition enough to care about. # 2, there fans cheered when we had a fall on day 2. They cheered loud enough that it was obvious. Seriously? So basically, they showed sportsmanship to teams that they FELT were beneath them while they were very unsportsmanlike to the team they FELT was their ONLY competition. And a win isn't a win unless BOTH teams hit their routines. Anyone can beat the best team when that team has a bad day.

We had a tragedy last year with one of our moms passing away unexpectedly 2 weeks before Jamfest Supernationals, her daughter competed but fell the first day and completely melted down afterwards, (personally, I didn't care what happened at that competition as long as she was ok and got that first one under her belt, this death affected all of the team as she was well loved by all) We competed against Top Gun who easily won obviously with very little competition from us, one of the leaders of our team was approached by someone from Top Gun who told him that he felt cheated because he didn't want to beat us that way, he wanted it to be close and the best team win. (Once he knew the story, he was very understanding and sympathetic) Very few people knew about what our team had just gone through, but that was true sportsmanship. When you compete, you should want everyone to do their best because ONLY then will you truly know who the best team was.

 

[CatsCoach113]

I hate when teams drop a level to win a division .. It's one thing if your a very very unsuccessful level 4 or 3 team so you drop a level for the remander of the season because you realize you just can't cut it at that level. But when a successful level 4 or 3 team just drops a level for ONE comeptition to win just show's your running from competition .. IMO

Also I hate when you pay all this money to fly and compete at a huge national and your only against 1 or 2 teams. Wish there was someway to avoid that!! My small Jr coed 3 team once we saw the Indy sch. We were only against 1 other small team so we added 1 grl to go large with 21 kids to compete against more teams. Still only went against 3 teams but when we won it felt a little better then only beating one team...

 

[Jennaw]

As the mom of a flyer who was dropped, fractured her back, and spent months in a hard plastic backbrace (23 1/2 hours per day) - it infuriates me that you would even joke about it!

When I was in 7th grade, I was put on varsity to fly. Even with four Senior aged bases under me, while (stupidly and naively) doing college level tosses on hard gym floor, I went right through their arms, and hit the hard gym floor with nothing but my lower spine to break the fall. I fractured my back and will always have nerve damage and back problems from one stupid day in a High school gymnasium.
Moral of the story:
-I agree with you @CheerFanatic, that stunting is NEVER a laughing matter. It only took one split "joking" second while stunting, for these girls that lost there lives or who are now in wheel chairs because of it.
- School sponsors should be REQUIRED to be safety certified through USASF.
-If a school chooses to have a cheerleading program represent them, they should provide the proper funding to that program that allows for the cheerleaders to have a safe place to practice.

 

[xliiiiiz]

i know i'm gonna get hated for this, but i hate people that freak out over this sport. yes, you should want to do your best and win, but because it makes you feel good about what you have accomplished. in all reality, your nca jacket, cheersport jacket, or worlds ring probably won't matter that much in a few years. people throw away a lot for this sport, and i just do not get it. for example, i know a girl who got into some college A and some college B. school A is CLEARLY a better school, not to mention with a fantastic cheerleading program that ended up winning NCA last year, but is set on going to school B because she wants too cheer there instead. i frankly do not get it, and i do not know how this girl can expect to get a decent job out of this school, because i have never met any non-cheerleader that has even ever heard of it. This sport is absolutely nuts, and i just think that people should take a step back sometimes and realize that these little things in this sport that they are stressing over are, infact, really not that big of a deal at all.

 

[kristenthegreat]

i know i'm gonna get hated for this, but i hate people that freak out over this sport. yes, you should want to do your best and win, but because it makes you feel good about what you have accomplished. in all reality, your nca jacket, cheersport jacket, or worlds ring probably won't matter that much in a few years. people throw away a lot for this sport, and i just do not get it. for example, i know a girl who got into some college A and some college B. school A is CLEARLY a better school, not to mention with a fantastic cheerleading program that ended up winning NCA last year, but is set on going to school B because she wants too cheer there instead. i frankly do not get it, and i do not know how this girl can expect to get a decent job out of this school, because i have never met any non-cheerleader that has even ever heard of it. This sport is absolutely nuts, and i just think that people should take a step back sometimes and realize that these little things in this sport that they are stressing over are, infact, really not that big of a deal at all.

I kinda see this too in some ways. Like when kids are all 'Well, I went in to this routine at this nationals because I love my team and couldn't let them down! Who cares what my doctor said!' Well, if your foot is broken and you can't walk properly because it didn't heal correctly because you chose to ignore your doctor, that's the rest of your life that is now altered because of 2:30 seconds of stupidity. And when you explain that to someone, most people will not say 'Wow, you're hardcore! What team were you on?' They will say 'Wow, that sucks!' whilst simultaneously decrying you for being a crazy cheerleader. I sometimes hate what we do to ourselves in the name of something we 'love'. Yeah, you've got only one life to live, but you don't want to live out your days in a backbrace.

 

[Cheer News]

When I was in 7th grade, I was put on varsity to fly. Even with four Senior aged bases under me, while (stupidly and naively) doing college level tosses on hard gym floor, I went right through their arms, and hit the hard gym floor with nothing but my lower spine to break the fall. I fractured my back and will always have nerve damage and back problems from one stupid day in a High school gymnasium.
Moral of the story:
-I agree with you @CheerFanatic, that stunting is NEVER a laughing matter. It only took one split "joking" second while stunting, for these girls that lost there lives or who are now in wheel chairs because of it.
- School sponsors should be REQUIRED to be safety certified through USASF.
-If a school chooses to have a cheerleading program represent them, they should provide the proper funding to that program that allows for the cheerleaders to have a safe place to practice.

While all coaches are certainly welcome to become USASF Credentialed coaches, we must remember that a lot of the skills performed in All Star are not allowed at the school level. School cheerleaders should follow AACCA Rules (aacca.org) and we encourage all All Star coaches to have both USASF and AACCA Certifications. The AACCA Course says The AACCA Spirit Safety Certification Program is designed to educate cheerleading and dance coaches in all aspects of spirit safety and risk management. The USASF Coaches Credentialing Program (usasf.net/programs/coachcred) says Coaches Credentialing organizes coaching competency in three core subjects. Tumbling, stunts and tosses are evaluated.

Hope that helps!

 

[Jennaw]

While all coaches are certainly welcome to become USASF Credentialed coaches, we must remember that a lot of the skills performed in All Star are not allowed at the school level. School cheerleaders should follow AACCA Rules (aacca.org) and we encourage all All Star coaches to have both USASF and AACCA Certifications. The AACCA Course says The AACCA Spirit Safety Certification Program is designed to educate cheerleading and dance coaches in all aspects of spirit safety and risk management. The USASF Coaches Credentialing Program (usasf.net/programs/coachcred) says Coaches Credentialing organizes coaching competency in three core subjects. Tumbling, stunts and tosses are evaluated.

Hope that helps!

Thank You!
In my earlier post when I said "School sponsors should be REQUIRED to be safety certified through USASF." I meant that they should be required to be certifed through USASF in addition to their current certification (if they have any).
School's are are offing that little extra income to anyone that is willing to be a cheer sponsor, and in return we have numerous cheer sponsors that have never had any experience or have not been affiliated with cheer since they cheered in High school. The sad truth is that many do not even know that there are rules and safety training available. I believe this situation is the main reason cheerleading has more injury's then any other sport.
Thanks for your clarification :) My original post was a little confusing.

 

[CheerAlicia]

I was talking to some guys in my math class about male cheerleaders the other day; one wrestles and the other one plays baseball. I asked them how holding a girl up and catching her is gay? and the boys responded "It just is." They didn't even have a good answer. And when I asked them why guys in spandex tackling each other isn't gay they said "It just isn't." I don't even know why they think that all men who cheer are gay; after all cheer was started by college frat boys.