All-Star Substance Free Programs

[Tator tots]

I hope you're lying.

I wish I were, but unfortunately not. But please, I'm not trying to paint every coach with this broad stroke of a statement, just the ones who fit the mold.

To pretend that this is not a problem does not help. As pretending that kids don't do drugs or alcohol. The "my kid would never do that" takes the cake sometimes, especially when some of these "kids" are the most popular, well intentioned, most focused, and famous "cheerlebrities" out there.

The amount of comments I see on Instragram, twitter etc, make me cringe sometimes....Seeing "You are my role model" when you know some of these people are a wreck in real "social" life. You'd be shocked....

 

[njallday]

I hope you're lying.

nope that's pretty accurate.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

I hope you're lying.

My first gym had assistant coaches that would buy drugs and alcohol to bring on overnight competitions and use with their friends on our senior team who then invited the junior team. So no, she's not lying.

 

[MaineStar234]

My first gym had assistant coaches that would buy drugs and alcohol to bring on overnight competitions and use with their friends on our senior team who then invited the junior team. So no, she's not lying.

That is so scary and wrong. I'm only 19 and I could never imagine doing that. What makes those coaches ever think it is okay?

 

[njallday]

at a nationals once, some girls on my team brought weed but didn't have anything to roll a blunt with. there was a little tobacco/cigar shop but none of the girls were old enough so our coach went in and bought them cigarillos to gut so they could roll up yay cheerleading.

don't get me wrong, cheer is most definitely not the only youth activity this is happening in, but it is half of our battle.

 

[CheerBank]

Wait, count alcohol as an illegal substance for coaches (over 21) on competition weekends? Hmm I'm not sure I'd agree with that... So they can't sit down and have a drink or two with their dinner during worlds to celebrate? Or go out for drinks with their fellow coach friends they get to see only at NCA? As long as the coaches aren't promoting underaged drinking and aren't partying it up in front of their athletes, I don't think I have a huge problem if a coach drinks during a completion weekend.

Athletes are another story.

To play devils' advocate for a moment - what if did hold our coaches to a higher standard during competitions? And said no, this is your job, it is not okay to go out and have a few drinks after Worlds (or any competition where they are assuming the responsibility of their athletes) to celebrate. Their own time is when it is not a competition weekend and when they do not have any responsibilities regarding their athletes - none at all. Because if I as a parent am sending my cp to Worlds, and she is rooming with three other cheerleaders from the gym, and the coaches are in charge of these kids, then I expect my coaches to be watching my kid before, during and after Worlds from the time she gets on the plane with her team to the time she gets back home. And not to hang out by the bar with fellow coaches they may only get to see a few times a year.

 

[amy1k]

To play devils' advocate for a moment - what if did hold our coaches to a higher standard during competitions? And said no, this is your job, it is not okay to go out and have a few drinks after Worlds (or any competition where they are assuming the responsibility of their athletes) to celebrate. Their own time is when it is not a competition weekend and when they do not have any responsibilities regarding their athletes - none at all. Because if I as a parent am sending my cp to Worlds, and she is rooming with three other cheerleaders from the gym, and the coaches are in charge of these kids, then I expect my coaches to be watching my kid before, during and after Worlds from the time she gets on the plane with her team to the time she gets back home. And not to hang out by the bar with fellow coaches they may only get to see a few times a year.

This has been discussed in great detail previously. IMO, there's a big difference between a coach who is chaperoning athletes for a weekend and a coach who only has responsibility over athletes during actual competition times. I would fully expect any coach I hired to be able to police himself during a competition weekend.

Also, I'd feel hugely uncomfortable with a coach chaperone. I'm not sure what if do if I couldn't personally travel with my athlete or didn't have another parent who I could send her with.

 

[Tator tots]

This has been discussed in great detail previously. IMO, there's a big difference between a coach who is chaperoning athletes for a weekend and a coach who only has responsibility over athletes during actual competition times. I would fully expect any coach I hired to be able to police himself during a competition weekend.

Also, I'd feel hugely uncomfortable with a coach chaperone. I'm not sure what if do if I couldn't personally travel with my athlete or didn't have another parent who I could send her with.

You may fully expect it, but thats not what you're getting some of the time. Some of these coaches are just babies as well. Being over 21 does not make you a responsible adult. And just not to blame the coaches, those great other athletes your CP is rooming with? Some have brought their own in their carry-on.

Once these kids are over 15-16, all bets are off, and I don't care how trustworthy you think they are.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

To play devils' advocate for a moment - what if did hold our coaches to a higher standard during competitions? And said no, this is your job, it is not okay to go out and have a few drinks after Worlds (or any competition where they are assuming the responsibility of their athletes) to celebrate. Their own time is when it is not a competition weekend and when they do not have any responsibilities regarding their athletes - none at all. Because if I as a parent am sending my cp to Worlds, and she is rooming with three other cheerleaders from the gym, and the coaches are in charge of these kids, then I expect my coaches to be watching my kid before, during and after Worlds from the time she gets on the plane with her team to the time she gets back home. And not to hang out by the bar with fellow coaches they may only get to see a few times a year.

Valid points and while I do agree with holding coaches to a higher standard at competitions, I still don't agree with ruling out alcohol for coaches altogether. I feel like alcohol related stuff is all situational. In the example you mentioned where coaches have taken responsibility for the child when a parent couldn't be there, I would hope that the coach would not be drinking at all. I would hope the gym has an alcohol policy amongst its coaches that includes things like that.

Unless the coach is breaking the law and alcohol is part of it, then I think alcohol policies should be left up to the gyms on what/when/where coaches can drink while "on duty". If laws are broken, let the authorities deal with it and then the USASF can take action. People may have different opinions than me on this and that's fine.

Question for those in favor of the no-alcohol-whatsoever-during-competition-weekends rule: what about the days of cheer related activities that aren't competitions? Camps, choreography, even practices. Should they not be able to drink during those times, too? Why or why not?

 

[amy1k]

You may fully expect it, but thats not what you're getting some of the time. Some of these coaches are just babies as well. Being over 21 does not make you a responsible adult. And just not to blame the coaches, those great other athletes your CP is rooming with? Some have brought their own in their carry-on.

Once these kids are over 15-16, all bets are off, and I don't care how trustworthy you think they are.

Right. That's why I, personally, wouldn't accept a coach-chaperone. I'm hiring them for cheerleading, not baby-sitting.

 

[Official OWECheer]

My first gym had assistant coaches that would buy drugs and alcohol to bring on overnight competitions and use with their friends on our senior team who then invited the junior team. So no, she's not lying.

Embarrassing that so many of the problems in our industry are enabled by the adults. Responsible/mature cheer people, I salute you.

And to the athletes that are part of this stuff: don't you know that most people expect cheerleaders to be heavy drinkers and drug users, promiscuous, teen moms, etc.? Shouldn't you be fighting that stereotype? The next time you get mad at someone for stereotyping cheerleaders, don't. You have no right to get mad because you jump right along with the stereotype. Embarrassing.

 

[laughAlittle]

I highly suggest everyone to search for "xanax" on this board using the search function.

Why was taking Xanax (numerous times combining it with alcohol) a joking matter in the past?

 

[CheerBank]

This has been discussed in great detail previously. IMO, there's a big difference between a coach who is chaperoning athletes for a weekend and a coach who only has responsibility over athletes during actual competition times. I would fully expect any coach I hired to be able to police himself during a competition weekend.

Also, I'd feel hugely uncomfortable with a coach chaperone. I'm not sure what if do if I couldn't personally travel with my athlete or didn't have another parent who I could send her with.

Thanks for the heads up about the previous discussions on this. Maybe I will look for those threads when I get a free moment on my laptop.

Our current gym requires athletes to stay in room with a parent whether it be their own or a teammate's (with the exception of Worlds where due to cost they were under the coaches' supervision) however we have also experienced the opposite at other gyms where many parents of older seniors just did not come; athletes roomed together without a chaperone and often got themselves into trouble.

It's also never the coaches who have a few drinks with dinner who noticeably present a problem. It's the ones who cannot police themselves who most often stand out to the parents and the athletes and unfortunately set the example of what is acceptable behavior during a comp weekend. I feel the same way about the parents who have a few drinks with dinner and those who get piss drunk at comps to the point where they miss their own kids compete.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I highly suggest everyone to search for "xanax" on this board using the search function.

Why was taking Xanax (numerous times combining it with alcohol) a joking matter in the past?

Wow.

Hey. Fierceboard. This :enjoyshow: is soda and popcorn. Not beer/tea and Xanax. Who even thought to refer to it as that? I mean, the smiley is called "enjoy the show" for goodness sakes.

I'm not even going to quote some of the stuff I read because I don't want anyone to feel targeted, but wow. Just wow.

ETA: It's not the phrases, "take a chill pill" and "I need a Xanax" that I take issue with, it's the fact that people joke about combining alcohol and pills... it just strikes me as stupid (the joke, not the people cracking it).

 

[Tator tots]

I highly suggest everyone to search for "xanax" on this board using the search function.

Why was taking Xanax (numerous times combining it with alcohol) a joking matter in the past?

It's all "fun and games" until someone loses their life.