All-Star Knowing There Are Illegal Athletes On Your Team

[CheerBank]

When you know that an athlete is out of the age grid (either too young or too old) on your team or on your child's team, how do you handle that? Do you keep your mouth shut and hope your team/your child's team is not disqualified at any given moment at any given competition or do you say something to the coaches or gym owners about how what they're doing is wrong in the hope that they will change it?

 

[SarahS]

When you know that an athlete is out of the age grid (either too young or too old) on your team or on your child's team, how do you handle that? Do you keep your mouth shut and hope your team/your child's team is not disqualified at any given moment at any given competition or do you say something to the coaches or gym owners about how what they're doing is wrong in the hope that they will change it?

Personally, I'd talk to the parents of the kid - they might not know that their kid is out of the age range. If they do know about it and don't care, I'd talk to the coach and tell them that I don't believe in cheating, full stop. If the coach insists on continuing with the ineligible athlete on the team, I would be removing my child from the gym post-haste.

 

[cheerymom]

Personally, I would have to say something. It's unethical behavior and if the coaches are aware or made aware and don't address it, I would leave. It turns into a bad situation for all. I would have a hard time facing my child knowing the team/gym was cheating. Unnecessary.

 

[CheerKatie08]

Hypothetically, if I were a parent...

I would schedule a time to meet with the gym owner & politely bring up the situation. If he/she acknowledges it and change is not made, I would bring my kid to another gym. You are paying too much money to risk disqualification!

 

[njallday]

for something you put so much time and money into, i would not risk disqualification. it is possible that maybe the kid's parent doesn't know.. but i would schedule a discrete meeting with gym owner/coach. i would hope they are well versed in the rules, but in this case i would actually hope it was a mistake or they didn't know the cut-off date, etc.

I would not want to be associated with a gym who knowingly cheats. not a trait i would want my (hypothetical) kid to pick up.

 

[Mom Jeans]

I would talk to the gym owner, if they know and dont do anything about it, Im out, done with them even we never got caught I dont play that game

 

[momma2mycheerprincess]

I just switched gyms for this same reason. I politly let reminded them of my daughters age when they placed her on a team that I know she is to old for, the gym owner said "Oh well, no one will know". We are gone, she never went to a practice. They did call me back about a week later to say "well we thought about it and we can go ahead and put her on this other team instead". No way, the simple fact that they even considered it showed me what type of gym we were dealing with.

 

[CheerBank]

Seems like everyone is in agreement on this one. We did leave a gym for that reason (amongst others.) That gym continues with it's illegal athletes policy and has even gone to Worlds three times now with at least one athlete who was not of age by the August 31st cutoff.

 

[kaylamauro]

When you know that an athlete is out of the age grid (either too young or too old) on your team or on your child's team, how do you handle that? Do you keep your mouth shut and hope your team/your child's team is not disqualified at any given moment at any given competition or do you say something to the coaches or gym owners about how what they're doing is wrong in the hope that they will change it?

Maybe your gym was just waiting to see what the official age rules were going to be & then move kids after official rules were posted?? Just a thought
They could be trying to see where they r going to put them like if they r 12 on a youth cause everyone thought the age was being put at 12 but it stayed at 11. So maybe they r just seeing where they should put them??

 

[cheerfan27]

I just switched gyms for this same reason. I politly let reminded them of my daughters age when they placed her on a team that I know she is to old for, the gym owner said "Oh well, no one will know". We are gone, she never went to a practice. They did call me back about a week later to say "well we thought about it and we can go ahead and put her on this other team instead". No way, the simple fact that they even considered it showed me what type of gym we were dealing with.

:cheering: for you!!!

 

[cheerfan27]

The owners and coaches should know the rules and if they don't I would remove my child pronto. Because they are not prepared to help my child be successful. It's their job to educate themselves and make sure they know the rules and abide by them. So my guess is they know and don't care.

 

[cheer--il]

I think I knew the rules 5 minutes after walking in the gym!!! Not sure how parents and coached could NOT know.....

 

[JumpingJackFlash]

Leave the gym, they're cheaters. What else will they lie and cheat about? RUN!

 

[aggie1983]

Seems like everyone is in agreement on this one. We did leave a gym for that reason (amongst others.) That gym continues with it's illegal athletes policy and has even gone to Worlds three times now with at least one athlete who was not of age by the August 31st cutoff.

I would consider reporting them to the governing body for Worlds as well IF you can give definitive information like names and birthdates of past ineligible athletes. Many kuddos to you for leaving a gym that does not abide by the rules, but people need to report these gyms as well. As long as unethical gyms think they can get away with it, they will continue to cheat.

 

[yojaehs]

Cheaters will continue to cheat if nothing is done. Blow the whistle!!