All-Star Is This For Real?

[Official OWECheer]

Illinois is the cheer world's version of "Florida Man"

Dying right now. Why would anyone smoke while on an oxygen tank? How stupid and irresponsible can he be?

Why are there so many crazies in Florida?

 

[Official OWECheer]

I saw this and was about to reply, but you had already asked the same thing I wanted to...what difference does it make what he coaches? Do tumbling athletes not matter?

I'm not sure why that seems to be the going answer of parents of cheerleaders at that program. "Oh, he was a tumbling coach, not a cheer coach ... So it's all gravy here!"

#Confused

Tumbling coaches have to touch athletes more than the average coach, so...

To sum it up real quick- his background WAS CHECKED, his sources WERE CHECKED, his former employment came from a neighboring gymnastics gym who gave us a green flag.

No company in their right mind, specifically one which works with kids, goes out to hire someone of this nature. This is another unfortunate event that happened at the same facility. This individual was only a tumbling instructor that worked with the power tumbling program and classes. The program has already undergone the necessary actions to remove this instructor the INSTANT we were notified.

None of the former employees from ICC currently work at ICE Aurora. it is completely under new management and ownership. This new ownership of ICE has no connection to the previous owners and PREVIOUS instances.

And to be fair, lots of pedophiles have no criminal record because their victims are too scared to come forward.

 

[mollymags]

Everyone saying they would pull their kid from the gym... Really? Would you really if this happened at your gym today? In the middle of the season?

I know for a fact there was a mass exodus in the works when this happened at ICC before ICE bought them out. Families were meeting to figure out where to take the kids to keep them together. So, yeah, people would do it.

As a coach, I would probably leave my own program quickly if something like this happened. I'm sure the gym had no idea and I absolutely believe they took action ASAP but people's perception means a lot in this industry. I wouldn't want to be associated with this as a professional.

 

[SL&AM]

No. Different coaches. They didn't hire them back, they just hired new dirt bags. I have no idea how this same program keeps attracting slime balls, but they do. 3 different coaches (2 were owners at the time), 3 different/separate incidents.

IL is like the 7th or 8th highest pedo rate in the entire country. That could be part of it.

 

[SL&AM]

and here I am having to pay for my own background check in order to become a teacher (who also works with children). Is there a reason we can't make the coaches pay for one when they are being hired? In this line of work (just like teaching) it is obvious you will be working with kids. Why is it not the norm to be expected to have to pay for a background check in order to be hired. I have to pay for all my own background checks and drug tests and anything else that costs money at my time of hire for teaching, I don't understand why coaches don't have to. Maybe that is just my state and county though...

I had to pay for me and hubby just so we could volunteer in the kids schools. $20 each.

 

[CheerFITnow]

And that is your opinion. I know these coaches have no intention on leaving. These dedicated coaches have been here since the "MAX EXODUS" you speak off. These coaches helped build a gym of 160 after that exodus to over 400+ athletes this season. These coaches love what they do and love their athletes. 1 bad apple doesn't ruin the rest. What these team coaches do professionally is top notch. This may not apply to all, but i know the "new" families that have joined the gym this season are proud of all the work the coaches and athletes have done thus far. Some may leave because of this and we wish them the best of luck if they choose to do so. But i know for a fact, this unfortunate event will not slow down the progress or successes of this gym, as some may think! As clearly stated previously, this has happened before unfortunately, yet the gym has recovered and conquered because of the instruction of the dedicated coaches. We are determined and committed to offer the best quality cheerleading in the state of Illinois possible.

This is the same gym, that raised over $10,000 for St. Judes Children Hospital. These same athletes and families helped raise money and walked around Soldier field in the rain and cold. No one commends the gym on that. Never a word about the success of the gym, or all the hard work the athletes and coaches are putting in- only the bad one person's decision was outside of the gym.

 

[kristenthegreat]

One thing I WOULD consider if I decided to remain at this gym (regardless of whether or not he was fired- as he is/should be), what are the current coaching systems at the gym? Are there any instances in which one coach is alone with an athlete? If those systems are in place, no matter who is doing what, it can set you up for success/failure.

I still don't understand why people think that just because he was a power tumbling coach means he wouldn't have gone after cheerleaders. Do they have some cooties that others don't? Is there some magical fairy boundary that protects them? They're still children at risk- of course we should care!

ETA: I hope his former places of employment were contacted- also does power tumbling have some type of black list like USAG has?

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Never a word about the success of the gym, or all the hard work the athletes and coaches are putting in-

This is hardly true at all. We talk *plenty* on here about ICE, and it is 99.9% positive.

 

[hawkeye87]

I really don't care if its a tumbling coach, cheer coach or janitor in the building... its all bad. If I was at the gym, I don't know if I would leave because it seems like the owners did everything right by checking references, background checks and talking to their former employer. I'm sure they didn't go out to hire a pedophile but that this person obviously hid their disgusting behavior very very well. That being said, I think the gym needs to hold a parents meeting about how they are handling this situation and that each and every athlete should be questioned to make sure none of them were touched inappropriately by this sorry excuse for a man. I feel terrible for the kids at ICE because now this unfortunate event has put a cloud over their season.

 

[mollymags]

And that is your opinion. I know these coaches have no intention on leaving. These dedicated coaches have been here since the "MAX EXODUS" you speak off. These coaches helped build a gym of 160 after that exodus to over 400+ athletes this season. These coaches love what they do and love their athletes. 1 bad apple doesn't ruin the rest. What these team coaches do professionally is top notch. This may not apply to all, but i know the "new" families that have joined the gym this season are proud of all the work the coaches and athletes have done thus far. Some may leave because of this and we wish them the best of luck if they choose to do so. But i know for a fact, this unfortunate event will not slow down the progress or successes of this gym, as some may think! As clearly stated previously, this has happened before unfortunately, yet the gym has recovered and conquered because of the instruction of the dedicated coaches. We are determined and committed to offer the best quality cheerleading in the state of Illinois possible.

This is the same gym, that raised over $10,000 for St. Judes Children Hospital. These same athletes and families helped raise money and walked around Soldier field in the rain and cold. No one commends the gym on that. Never a word about the success of the gym, or all the hard work the athletes and coaches are putting in- only the bad one person's decision was outside of the gym.

You're right, it is fully my personal opinion that I would feel the need to leave as a coach. This is a theoretical situation for me. But I understand how much some of these coaches have put into these kids and this gym. I know that this is how some of them make their living. This is real life for them and they are entitled to handle this however they want. But I'm entitled to say how I think I would. I don't think less of them for not leaving.

But I'm not sure what the coaches have to do with the mass exodus I mentioned? Please, so many kids and families were ready to peace out when everything with Jay went down. I knew people in the gym, I saw people publicly posting plans on facebook to meet at gyms to figure out where everyone wanted to go. This was all before Darlene swooped in and bought out the gym. I don't know the ins and outs of what happened with the entire coaching staff at that point. But I'm positive people were ready to leave. I responded to a post where someone seemed to doubt that people would do that.

ICE is clearly very accomplished. People do talk about that all the time. It's unfortunate that these situations seem to overshadow that. While ICE is ran and owned by entirely different people than ICC and Ice Athletics were, the PERCEPTION to many people who have been involved in the industry in this area for a long time is that they are the "same." You have hard working kids and coaches and it's sad that this kind of thing keeps happening and casting a bad light on a good gym.

(Edited much later for a spelling error that made me feel dumb... I had it right earlier in this thread, I swear)

 

[Cheermom1969]

Are we really letting someone with the username "shitshow" on here? Who clearly joined today to come on this thread and give negative ratings? Coach, is that you? Did you bail out already?

And my first negative rating in three, two, one...

 

[cheer9497]

@CheerFITnow are you posting as an authorized representative of ICE? Just wondering your connection to the gym.

 

[SkyBlue]

At least they now have him in custody! Will be interesting to see if he comes up with $50k to get out! Seems the Naperville Police have floated his picture and been looking for him since October! Cheerleading Coach Wanted For Sodomizing Teen Prostitute Captured: Cops | Naperville, IL Patch

 

[JMW]

Ahem. *MASS* exodus. That is all.

 

[SheCheers]

At least they now have him in custody! Will be interesting to see if he comes up with $50k to get out! Seems the Naperville Police have floated his picture and been looking for him since October! Cheerleading Coach Wanted For Sodomizing Teen Prostitute Captured: Cops | Naperville, IL Patch

So, am I understanding this correctly? The police were trying to contact Shannon, the co-owner of that location, and he didn't return their calls?