All-Star Etiquette At Cheer Comps

[Beans100]

What parents and fans do in the stands in regards to celebrating is different than what is done on stage. If the parent sections erupts, okay. But, I think that if athletes are on stage, they need to stay seated, and then when they are called 1st, they can jump around the mat and run in circles and do a happy dance. If they want to stay seated and do a little squirm and cry and hug then I think that's fine. Emotions are strong at that time. But it's rude to jump around the mat while another team is trying to retrieve their trophy or take a picture.

 

[12stepCheermom]

Funny parent story: first year we were at worlds, finals in the stadium....the worlds that went to FOUR days since we were after midnight when this happened. We're sitting near a fair number of Rays Orange folks. When they announced second, a Rays dad jumped out of his seat, covered his mouth and RAN out of the stadium onto the concourse. I'm sure he was celebrating on the concourse and came back when Orange was announced but I thought it was hilarious. And I thought he did a good job trying to balance his own joy and this whole argument. And I didn't find it the least bit unsportsmanlike to the second place team. Like @quitthedrama said....I think he had the same moment and I'm not arguing that.


Okay. Case study. (And this wasn't worlds but to these kids it might as well have been)

This was four years ago. Timely since its cheersport weekend. This was a second year program and none of these kids had ever been to cheersport (or anything that size) in their lives. Honestly, we were in such small scale programs before this gym opened we didn't even know something like cheersport existed. They were starstruck most of the weekend. They were in third place (of maybe 13-15) coming into day 2 and hit zero in the performance of their lives over some amazing teams (and gyms we'd never seen before...ever).

I think they handled this as "sportsmanlike" as they could. I think the coaches did as well (and I like how the head coach when they got to the second place announcement kept repeating "whatever this is you've earned it.")

This remains one of my favorite moments of our allstar experience (and my kids were not on this team) and what I get from this is not that they were being rude to second place....they were ecstatic that they came, did their job, and as the gym no one had ever heard about....won. I still see this as pure joy for them and no disrespect to the second place team. Am I wrong?

So where do you land. Is this rude or not?

 

[quitthedrama]

One team this weekend celebrated so much when woodlands was called in 2nd to them this weekend, I was so embarrassed for that first place team and the actions of their parents and kids. Now I see people don't actually care about it:/


Thankfully we are absolutely not allowed to do that at our gym.

We had one person do it this year at cash bash and it was a coaches grand mother for a team her grandson helps coach, our owner immediately turned around and did the cut it off sign and she was so embarrassed as we all were. I know it was just one person, but they need to know that is completely unacceptable at our gym. Maybe it was acceptable at the old gym he coached at but not here.


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I didn't even need to look up the team you are calling out since you do your best at talking about this gym any chance you get. I will second what Bluecat said about this type of BS being far worse "etiquette" and poor sportsmanship than most anything else that has been discussed in this thread.

 

[luv2cheer92]

Funny parent story: first year we were at worlds, finals in the stadium....the worlds that went to FOUR days since we were after midnight when this happened. We're sitting near a fair number of Rays Orange folks. When they announced second, a Rays dad jumped out of his seat, covered his mouth and RAN out of the stadium onto the concourse. I'm sure he was celebrating on the concourse and came back when Orange was announced but I thought it was hilarious. And I thought he did a good job trying to balance his own joy and this whole argument. And I didn't find it the least bit unsportsmanlike to the second place team. Like @quitthedrama said....I think he had the same moment and I'm not arguing that.


Okay. Case study. (And this wasn't worlds but to these kids it might as well have been)

This was four years ago. Timely since its cheersport weekend. This was a second year program and none of these kids had ever been to cheersport (or anything that size) in their lives. Honestly, we were in such small scale programs before this gym opened we didn't even know something like cheersport existed. They were starstruck most of the weekend. They were in third place (of maybe 13-15) coming into day 2 and hit zero in the performance of their lives over some amazing teams (and gyms we'd never seen before...ever).

I think they handled this as "sportsmanlike" as they could. I think the coaches did as well (and I like how the head coach when they got to the second place announcement kept repeating "whatever this is you've earned it.")

This remains one of my favorite moments of our allstar experience (and my kids were not on this team) and what I get from this is not that they were being rude to second place....they were ecstatic that they came, did their job, and as the gym no one had ever heard about....won. I still see this as pure joy for them and no disrespect to the second place team. Am I wrong?

So where do you land. Is this rude or not?

I don't think this is the kind of pre-announcement celebrating people find as unsportsmanlike. It's moreso when they get up and start jumping around and running all over the mat before their name is called. Staying seating while screaming and hugging your teammates is completely fine in my mind.

 

[mstealtoyou]

I didn't even need to look up the team you are calling out since you do your best at talking about this gym any chance you get. I will second what Bluecat said about this type of BS being far worse "etiquette" and poor sportsmanship than most anything else that has been discussed in this thread.

Shimmy and unshimmy so I can shimmy again.


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[crazzyeyesassypants]

Unless someone is pulling a Kanye West and snatching the trophy and the banner I don't really care how much they cry, scream and celebrate. Winning is exciting and I highly doubt that most people are trying to offend the 2nd place team.

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[njallday]

I think cheerleading is the only sport you go into awards ceremonies and actually have no idea who won. Maybe dance competitions? But every other sport knows how many goals/touchdowns/baskets etc. etc. they scored and the other team scored. There is no surprise. Other more subjective sports like gymnastics announce real time scores and you know you've won well before you have to step on the podium.

Early celebrations used to bother me in the past, but now I'm old and couldn't be bothered. As long as there is no malicious intent behind the cheers, the world is a sad enough place, pure joy of children isn't something we should suppress.

 

[Cheermom1969]

Funny parent story: first year we were at worlds, finals in the stadium....the worlds that went to FOUR days since we were after midnight when this happened. We're sitting near a fair number of Rays Orange folks. When they announced second, a Rays dad jumped out of his seat, covered his mouth and RAN out of the stadium onto the concourse. I'm sure he was celebrating on the concourse and came back when Orange was announced but I thought it was hilarious. And I thought he did a good job trying to balance his own joy and this whole argument. And I didn't find it the least bit unsportsmanlike to the second place team. Like @quitthedrama said....I think he had the same moment and I'm not arguing that.


Okay. Case study. (And this wasn't worlds but to these kids it might as well have been)

This was four years ago. Timely since its cheersport weekend. This was a second year program and none of these kids had ever been to cheersport (or anything that size) in their lives. Honestly, we were in such small scale programs before this gym opened we didn't even know something like cheersport existed. They were starstruck most of the weekend. They were in third place (of maybe 13-15) coming into day 2 and hit zero in the performance of their lives over some amazing teams (and gyms we'd never seen before...ever).

I think they handled this as "sportsmanlike" as they could. I think the coaches did as well (and I like how the head coach when they got to the second place announcement kept repeating "whatever this is you've earned it.")

This remains one of my favorite moments of our allstar experience (and my kids were not on this team) and what I get from this is not that they were being rude to second place....they were ecstatic that they came, did their job, and as the gym no one had ever heard about....won. I still see this as pure joy for them and no disrespect to the second place team. Am I wrong?

So where do you land. Is this rude or not?

Dang you! My eyes are leaking now!

And did I see a Cali retro uniform on a boy in the background? Heart eyes. Love the old unis.

 

[12stepCheermom]

Dang you! My eyes are leaking now!

And did I see a Cali retro uniform on a boy in the background? Heart eyes. Love the old unis.

Right?! My kids weren't even that team and I cry when I watch that video.

 

[TheVipersMom]

I didn't even need to look up the team you are calling out since you do your best at talking about this gym any chance you get. I will second what Bluecat said about this type of BS being far worse "etiquette" and poor sportsmanship than most anything else that has been discussed in this thread.

Any calling out that happened, happened to them directly. If you actually looked at the results there are quite a few woodlands teams getting 2nd to another team. So I'm glad you know exactly which one it is.
And I still think it is very rude to celebrate during 2nd, but it is what it is.


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[336Teal]

You shouldn't ever punish a team for their 'fans'. A team can only be responsible for (and should only be judged for) what they put on the mat. Plus, what's to stop someone from buying an XYZAllstars shirt from the pro shop or the Nfinity pop up store and acting a fool just to try and get a rival team disqualified?

I understand what you are saying. It's worth pointing out, however, that the case that I'm referring to had the actual athletes in uniform

 

[BBinNCsMom]

Right?! My kids weren't even that team and I cry when I watch that video.

What gym/team is this? So awesome!


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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Rudeness:

Behaving as though you own the coaches' rooms/team rooms/hallway area you have commandeered/etc. based on the program or school you're with and not letting anyone walk in/around/near you.

 

[cheermomforever]

Among my biggest complaints is athletes (and parents) who sit in the arenas and openly bash/trash talk other programs. Last year at UCA, there was a group of middle school girls behind us chanting, "FALL FALL FALL" during stunt sequences, comments about how flyers should 'give up and die already', among many other hateful comments. At one point, I videoed them from my lap and upon returning home, I sent that video to the email address associated with their program. Someone responded to me and said that 'the girls comments were taken out of context and they didn't mean it the way it sounded.'. Yeah, okay.

Wow!!! I have no problem commenting to anyone who cheers or chants bad things during someone elses performance.
If that is the response that came from your video then that coach/adult has no right to coach!

 

[cheermomforever]

Last year at Athletic championships in RI our first team had yet to compete so our team room was empty and a "rival" team decided it was a good room to practice. Even when some of our parents (who were too nice to say anything) starting flowing in they just kept on going until finally our coach came and said time to go and they were nasty and rude as they left.