All-Star What’s It Going To Take?

[Sterling von Shimmer]

We seriously need some housecleaning in the upper echelons of the cheer world. I think that’s clear after this year’s Worlds and the ensuing ish show. We need people who know the rules, can add, and who aren’t partial to favouritism.

So how would you even do it? Are these positions elected? Can we start some kind of petition? Because I really think we just need to burn it all down and start over. The number of mistakes that weren’t caught was appalling and we’re STILL dealing with the fallout. This makes a mockery of cheer as a “real sport.” Any goodwill they fostered by making the scores public was annihilated by the blunders that followed.

What’s it going to take to get normal, unbiased, 8th-grade-math-knowing people in these governing bodies? And behind the judges’ table?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I don't know. I teach Sunday School with 1st graders. They'd make great candidates. They may not know a lot but they know that 80 > 79.5.

 

[BlueCat]

Most of the board of director seats are owned/controlled by specific event producers. A change to the presidency (or board setup) requires unanimous vote, and they all get a vote. It was set up specifically for them to keep permanent control. I wouldn't expect any big changes any time soon.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Most of the board of director seats are owned/controlled by specific event producers. A change to the presidency (or board setup) requires unanimous vote, and they all get a vote. It was set up specifically for them to keep permanent control. I wouldn't expect any big changes any time soon.

So let me make sure I understand this:

The governing body that controls the sport is run by the people who put on the comps (for money.)

Which is the same company that makes the scorsheets.

And the same company I assume that makes the uniforms.

Oh, that's ethical.

 

[tumbleyoda]

So let me make sure I understand this:

The governing body that controls the sport is run by the people who put on the comps (for money.)

Which is the same company that makes the scorsheets.

And the same company I assume that makes the uniforms.

Oh, that's ethical.

When they said V is Cheerleading, they meant that. Literally. Right in our faces.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

So yet another reason for me to win the lotto so I can throw money at these people in exchange for making me Queen of Everything. That seems like the most realistic way that’ll happen for me.

 

[BlueCat]

So let me make sure I understand this:
The governing body that controls the sport is run by the people who put on the comps (for money.)
Which is the same company that makes the scorsheets.
And the same company I assume that makes the uniforms.

It isn't quite that black and white, and the people making decisions are mostly doing it in good faith, but essentially - yes. The overall structure of it all is pretty hard to defend.

 

[catlady]

The only thing I can offer is my experience in the Corp world and Varsity Brands being sold to an equity group is a very different dynamic. "Varsity Brands" President/CEO, Adam Blumenfeld, came from BSN Sports and is a non-cheer person. The Varsity Brands daughter companies are BSN Sports- President Terrence Babilla (non-cheer person), Herff Jones and IMPACT program- President Jeffery Drees (non-cheer person), Varsity Spirit-Bill Seely (cheer person). Key point, while marketing is often shared by subsidiaries, profits are not and each subsidiary is ran independently. The tagline "We are Cheerleading" was replaced with "Elevating Student Experiences in Sport, Spirit, and Achievement." While the benefits of growing cheer globally can eventually be tremendous, growing it globally is going to hemorrhage money through education, training and the cost to gain and keep an athlete for a few years. I keep mentioning Moody's B2 (edited to correct) credit score of Varsity Brands, which doesn't mean much to most, but it means a lot in the Corp world. Moody's deemed them a low risk with short term loans, but high risk with long term loans (the issue stemmed from their acquisitions). In the Corp world, that's a HUGE issue when you are trying to grow anything.

So, to answer your question. In equity group world, money is the power at be, not people. And, the Varsity Brands CEO doling out any additional money needed, is a non-cheer person. EP's and governing bodies can't afford to hire and keep people on the payroll year round to do certain jobs at a couple of events. Many of these EP's use organizations such as fraternities to set up, tear down, and do other jobs. I understand and share the frustration of these often $#(% shows for the prices we pay. But, I also understand, the actual paid year round staff members are very few, and many of these people hired to do certain jobs are "one and done" employees.