All-Star Discussion - Cheer Perfection Tlc

[angelndscz]

Want to say thanks for all your feedback. Not sure what's next for us I don't think a new gym will change anything. Strongly considering taking a break.I have a completely different attitude about allstar cheer now. It is very different than that of allstar I knew 15 years ago.

I also agree with the others. If your daughter loves cheer then I would try to stick with it. If that is CTR or another gym is up to you. I don't want to go into details of things we did not like about our old gym but my daughter was very unhappy and would come home crying saying she did not want to cheer anymore. It was tough for her 7 year old self to comprehend all the adult drama and issues that did bleed down to the girls affecting them. The rule at our house is you have to play at least one sport. So she was saying she would play softball instead. Having three sons who play baseball I took her in the backyard to try to teach her how to catch, but it didn't go well. Ultimately we just changed gyms and she would never think about quitting right now.

During tryouts she was stressed because she was hearing rumors that the gym may not field a J3 team. She is 9, not old enough or skilled enough for their senior team. She came to me and discussed her stress and feeling about not wanting to be on Youth 2 again. I proposed to her that if the gym didn't have a team for her, then we could look at xx gym (lots of gyms within an hours drive of us) and she was like, NO WAY would I leave this gym. She says all her "friends" are here. For her, at 9 years old, her friendships are very important. This just reinforced to me that the changing gyms two years before was the right decision. LOL. Lucky for us the gym was able to field a J3 team.

There are many families on this board who have changed gyms once, maybe even twice, because to moving towns or just becaue they were not happy at their old gym.
Our old gym is the closest gym to us. My only word of caution is when you change gyms, you may become a target of that gym to "bash" so try to keep that away from your daughter as much as possible. It's early in the season and a lot of gyms have not started choreography yet, so you would have time to change gyms if desired. In our area, choreography usually starts late July/August right before school starts.

Best of luck! It is true, not all gyms are the same!

 

[addicted2cheer]

Want to say thanks for all your feedback. Not sure what's next for us I don't think a new gym will change anything. Strongly considering taking a break.I have a completely different attitude about allstar cheer now. It is very different than that of allstar I knew 15 years ago.

Best of luck to you no matter what you decide to do. As with everything, the cheer world is constantly changing and moving forward. I do however agree that few sports have been pushing the envelope like cheer in the last few years. Skills that would have won worlds 7 years ago would even perhaps be laughed at by today's standards.

There were some things in your original post I forgot to mention in my first response. You have to understand that those of us who are on these boards are crazy over cheering! Whether it's our own child who competes at worlds or if we are just spectators. This board is a fan page for the best of the best and those who want to rise to that level. So seeing a youth 2 team with poor technique can be disheartening for some. Each year the sport is moving leaps and bounds to get better skills and demonstrate the hard work and commitment each kid brings to a team that few in the outside world know of and understand. As you and others said, hopefully if another episode is aired it will demonstrate less scary tumbling, (even on the landed passes) and better stunt skills. Level 2 routines if done well can be just as amazing as level 5 with the right timing and choreography. imo.

Also in regards to mentioning that jamfest and cheersport are not deemed worthy in the eyes of many here.. that's not true at all. Jamfest and cheersport both have amazing local and national competitions and are well respected by many. The local/nationals are just that though. Local. Each of these huge cheer companies host Super nationals with tens of thousands of cheerleaders. Being on national TV and saying you are cheersport national champions is technically correct but unless it was the Atlanta National in February most don't view that as a huge bragging right.

I hope it all works out for you. Many including myself have been a part of a gym that has led us to believe we were something more than we were. However we were spared the scrutiny to our children and parents on national TV. If your child is happy there, then stay. If not, give her a shot at a different gym. At least now if you stay you have a better of idea of what your gym is and there's nothing wrong with that if it's a good fit for you. Good luck and I hope it all works out.

 

[angie]

cant there ever be a good cheer show/movie that actually shows what we are all about. Like why do we always have to be pictured as *itches and crazy people with tons of drama. My gym is absolutely nothing like this show thank god were not the best but we'd show a better view of the cheer world than this one

 

[cljacks99]

Want to say thanks for all your feedback. Not sure what's next for us I don't think a new gym will change anything. Strongly considering taking a break.I have a completely different attitude about allstar cheer now. It is very different than that of allstar I knew 15 years ago.

15 years ago the sport was in its infancy. I would certainly hope that it evolved from where it had initially started. Im sorry, but I think the changes are for the better. Safety standards, levels, coaches creditials, ect are all very new to the sport. Im sorry that you are not happy with the response of the vast majority's response to the show. Please just understand, we are just protecting what we love and value.

 

[ctrcheermom]

Yes it was in its infancy but my statement wasn't about stunts, tumbling or credentials, it was about manners. And while everyone is entitled to their opinion about our gym and the show I still feel like there was room for people to behave better. The jokes and bashing is what I was talking about. I totally get we arent the stingrays, or top gun....but we are in fact allstar cheerleaders. I never would have believed allstar cheerleaders and their parents would do and say some of things I've seen.

I completely understand the reactions and responses are because of what was portrayed on television ....just the same I would never post or say some of the things that have been put out there.....about anyone especially another cheerleader. Even if I was protecting my sport.

 

[cljacks99]

I just think your blame is misplaced. You should be angry at the people that put the gym in a position like this. You shouldn't be mad that people form an opinion about seeing something the way it was presented. Your owner is the one who allowed these cameras in. Your owner is on twitter, fb, and good morning America asking people to watch the show...... We give our honest opinion, then now the audience is to blame for your sudden disinterest in the sport.. Hmmm,fascinating!

 

[ctrcheermom]

I just think your blame is misplaced. You should be angry at the people that put the gym in a position like this. You shouldn't be mad that people form an opinion about seeing something the way it was presented. Your owner is the one who allowed these cameras in. Your owner is on twitter, fb, and good morning America asking people to watch the show...... We give our honest opinion, then now the audience is to blame for your sudden disinterest in the sport.. Hmmm,fascinating!

It's not disinterest it's disappointment. I loved allstar cheer ...heck i love cheer period! It was in fact my life when i was a teenager. And i learned a lot more from the sport than just tumbling, stunting. Its about a team, a family, jard work, dedication and so much more it's the main reason I got my daughter started.

I agree It was the owners decision but I would also hope that you would agree some of the posts made are down right mean. Regardless of who made them and why they are still mean.

 

[dawgshow]

I agree It was the owners decision but I would also hope that you would agree some of the posts made are down right mean. Regardless of who made them and why they are still mean.

Some have been mean, but you'll have a hard time finding a sport involving young children/teens and social media that won't have mean comments thrown about.

 

[CoachTamara]

Yes it was in its infancy but my statement wasn't about stunts, tumbling or credentials, it was about manners. And while everyone is entitled to their opinion about our gym and the show I still feel like there was room for people to behave better. The jokes and bashing is what I was talking about. I totally get we arent the stingrays, or top gun....but we are in fact allstar cheerleaders. I never would have believed allstar cheerleaders and their parents would do and say some of things I've seen.

I completely understand the reactions and responses are because of what was portrayed on television ....just the same I would never post or say some of the things that have been put out there.....about anyone especially another cheerleader. Even if I was protecting my sport.

You have every right to be disappointed with the comments that have been made, but you also have to understand that all star cheerleaders are disappointed in your gym. I for one am disappointed that some people will watch this show and believe your gym is what cheer is about. It's not. Cheerleading is not about moms acting crazy or kids throwing skills they don't have... It's about working hard, getting new skills, competing at the correct level, etc... And to me, none of those things were shown. Instead, the focus was on the crazy drama that people automatically assume cheer is about. Rather than show the positives of cheer and how it really helps children, the show just gives outsiders a reason to NOT allow their child to join cheer.
Children at the gym have come out and said they are embarrassed by how their gym was portrayed, and for those kids and families I am truly sorry. However, your owner set you up for this. As a gym owner, I have enough respect for my kids and parents to never allow something like this to happen. Your owner knew what she was doing, and your gym was used to make her more money-with zero consideration of how it would impact the children involved. When children are being use for personal financial gain, I don't want to hear about being upset that the cheer world will not stand behind it and have your back.

 

[ctrcheermom]

Some have been mean, but you'll have a hard time finding a sport involving young children/teens and social media that won't have mean comments thrown about.

I can definitely agree with that..

 

[12stepCheermom]

Want to say thanks for all your feedback. Not sure what's next for us I don't think a new gym will change anything. Strongly considering taking a break.I have a completely different attitude about allstar cheer now. It is very different than that of allstar I knew 15 years ago.

Forgive my misunderstanding but this post is all about you. What does your child want to do? I'd hate for her to have to take a break because your attitude toward this industry changed. If I discern the major issue everyone has with this show correctly, the focus is on the parents and not the athletes. The show should be about the kids, not the moms. This post reflects that concern.

 

[FierceinTeal]

 

[mariahnicole1216]

That wasn't completely so awful... Some good tumbling. But they used part of UA Prodigy's music...

 

[dawgshow]

That was one of the better level 6 teams that I've seen. Still hate the show, though.

 

[CheerBank]

Maybe TLC should have focused on the tryouts for this team instead.