All-Star Worlds 2014: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

[xomckenzieee]

I am not saying drinking underage is okay, especially when competing but saying kids are bad influences because they had a drink as an 18/19 year old is pushing it. Yes, it's up to the coaches and programs to instill values into their athletes and make them realize that drinking underage shouldn't be occurring while at an event. Most people who are over 18 on this board probably drank underage and probably did it at some time that they shouldn't have (i.e. band trip, cheer camp, sporting events, etc.). I applaud the programs that remove themselves from the "party" atmosphere but the truth of the matter is, it happens and we have to deal with it.
I deal with college hockey players and their need to drink during away trips and trust me, it's not easy. There's only so much you can do as a program to try and prevent it from happening. We also can't tell those who are legal that they aren't allowed to drink because that's their own legal choice to make.

 

[chyeeaaa69]

You were at all star Monday night?!


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Yes at the piano pool!

 

[quitthedrama]

I think they meant all international level teams, including USA ones too, under the premise that all of those teams would have athletes that were of legal drinking age in America (21), and thus if those people (from any team) were drinking, it would be easier for underage athletes to have access to it.



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That is exactly what I meant and in no way was referring to the Non-American teams - I was referring to the teams competing in the International division (many of them American) having athletes of legal drinking age! And IMO it is ok for them to have a drink or 2 since they are in fact legal! I was at the All Star until nearly 1 am waiting for my youngest to get back from WWOS and I did not see anyone falling down drunk. Did it happen - probably, but it was not widespread.
@WinstonsGirl - Congratulations to the Canadian teams - they looked great!! I am a huge fan of Great Whites!

 

[juscheerthatisall]

Sing it! CEA medium coed was ecstatic with 12th (which fell just short of the finalists). Couldn't be happier, so I'm not feeling much pain for someone lamenting over 6th or 4th etc etc. Perspective is everything.


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I think it is a matter of perspective, for the team competing for the 1st time at worlds making semi may be a success. For someone who never made it out of semis making finals may be a success. If a team has been in the top 3; 5 out of 6 yrs (as the announcer pointed out) I can wholeheartedly understand why they wouldnt be excited about 3rd place. That's not to say they should be disrespectful or rude but but we can't be mad at them because they have different goals then others. Though there are thousands of teams that would be ecstatic about being top 10, there are a handful that come to worlds not just praying that they, by some miracle, might win- but actually planning to win. And when they don't its as devastating to them as it would be to the team that didn't make finals.

 

[mecheermom]

Let me clarify. The adults definitely should be doing something about it. But it appears that they are not. As a parent, you have to ask if you're willing to put your child on a team within a program that allows drugs/drinking (because if you do nothing or you have kids unsupervised, you're allowing it) just to say she's on a World's team. Not so much can a kid handle the exposure, but are you ok with it as a parent for the sake of Worlds.

Sorry but a parent should wonder about their kids being on ANY team at a gym that allows this.... Worlds or otherwise.


Mommy to CP and BP!
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[russmin]

I am not saying drinking underage is okay, especially when competing but saying kids are bad influences because they had a drink as an 18/19 year old is pushing it. Yes, it's up to the coaches and programs to instill values into their athletes and make them realize that drinking underage shouldn't be occurring while at an event. Most people who are over 18 on this board probably drank underage and probably did it at some time that they shouldn't have (i.e. band trip, cheer camp, sporting events, etc.). I applaud the programs that remove themselves from the "party" atmosphere but the truth of the matter is, it happens and we have to deal with it.
I deal with college hockey players and their need to drink during away trips and trust me, it's not easy. There's only so much you can do as a program to try and prevent it from happening. We also can't tell those who are legal that they aren't allowed to drink because that's their own legal choice to make.

I just really have a problem with this "it happens, just deal with" approach to anything. If every problem was handled that way we would never get anything done.


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[juscheerthatisall]

Sorry but a parent should wonder about their kids being on ANY team at a gym that allows this.... Worlds or otherwise.


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The funniest part of all these post to me is that the people I see drinking the most at Worlds, NCA, Cheersport and every other national competition is the parents. I flew to NCA with a team of parents that were completely trashed by the time we landed in Dallas. I have literally watched parents walk around the competition with Starbucks cups filled with booze and every bar within a 20 mile radius, hotel bars, and lobbies are filled with drinking parents. Drunk parents has become a huge part of what I expect to see at national competitions. If I see it, I'm sure the athletes do as well, and maybe, like me, they have gotten the notion that drinking is a part of the whole All Star Nationals experience. I think that if we want to have a huge influence on drinking at worlds we should start with us. Yes I realize we are grown and it s legal but I think its far fetched to say this desire to drink at worlds is implanted by other athletes.

ETA: This was not towards @mecheermom but to everyone posting regarding alcohol

 

[Ashley]

Yes at the piano pool!

You should have texted meeeeee!

 

[Ashley]

That is exactly what I meant and in no way was referring to the Non-American teams - I was referring to the teams competing in the International division (many of them American) having athletes of legal drinking age! And IMO it is ok for them to have a drink or 2 since they are in fact legal! I was at the All Star until nearly 1 am waiting for my youngest to get back from WWOS and I did not see anyone falling down drunk. Did it happen - probably, but it was not widespread.
@WinstonsGirl - Congratulations to the Canadian teams - they looked great!! I am a huge fan of Great Whites!

I don't know that the problem would be solved if international teams weren't there. There's still older siblings and young coaches. There's not always a way to tell which of those are and aren't athletes.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I just really have a problem with this "it happens, just deal with" approach to anything. If every problem was handled that way we would never get anything done.


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Agreed. If I was a coach I'd have a strict no drinking policy at Worlds. If I caught you then you'd be done and you could explain to your parents why you weren't taking the mat at Worlds with the rest of your team.

You're here for cheerleading, don't that could jeopardize that performance. After the competition is over do what you want, but not while the competition is still going on.

I'm not for underage drinking. I think it's dumb. I hate how people who are underage always brag about it. It doesn't make you cool. But I have less of an issue with a 18, 19, 20 year old doing it than a 13-17 year old.



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[chyeeaaa69]

Agreed. If I was a coach I'd have a strict no drinking policy at Worlds. If I caught you then you'd be done and you could explain to your parents why you weren't taking the mat at Worlds with the rest of your team.

You're here for cheerleading, don't that could jeopardize that performance. After the competition is over do what you want, but not while the competition is still going on.

I'm not for underage drinking. I think it's dumb. I hate how people who are underage always brag about it. It doesn't make you cool. But I have less of an issue with a 18, 19, 20 year old doing it than a 13-17 year old.



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Here's the fine line I see with your last statement. Our legal drinking age is 19 (18 in some places) so essentially for a Quebec athlete to go to Worlds at 15 it is more acceptable to drink than one who is 11. I think that's where much of this talk of international teams comes from. Many countries don't have legal drinking ages, or they are much lower. By 11th grade I was a pretty good drinker, but I was also only 2 years under the legal drinking age, whereas most kids in the US are in college when they're 2 years under the legal drinking age, and somehow drinking and partying automatically becomes okay in college.
What I guess I'm getting to is that athletes who are 18 at Worlds, in most other countries, can and do legally drink at home, but when they're at Worlds, they can't. But that doesn't mean they won't. They're used to being able to go out and party to celebrate at home, of course they'll wanna do it at Worlds. Yes I realize it's illegal, but it's almost a waste of time to try and tell these kids not to drink. They're used to it back home (not all, but in the cases I've mentioned)

 

[chyeeaaa69]

You should have texted meeeeee!

Ugh I wish I knew that! And my phone was actually alive (which it wasn't for most of my weekend)

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Here's the fine line I see with your last statement. Our legal drinking age is 19 (18 in some places) so essentially for a Quebec athlete to go to Worlds at 15 it is more acceptable to drink than one who is 11. I think that's where much of this talk of international teams comes from. Many countries don't have legal drinking ages, or they are much lower. By 11th grade I was a pretty good drinker, but I was also only 2 years under the legal drinking age, whereas most kids in the US are in college when they're 2 years under the legal drinking age, and somehow drinking and partying automatically becomes okay in college.
What I guess I'm getting to is that athletes who are 18 at Worlds, in most other countries, can and do legally drink at home, but when they're at Worlds, they can't. But that doesn't mean they won't. They're used to being able to go out and party to celebrate at home, of course they'll wanna do it at Worlds. Yes I realize it's illegal, but it's almost a waste of time to try and tell these kids not to drink. They're used to it back home (not all, but in the cases I've mentioned)

Oh no worries, I completely understand the different drinking ages in different countries and I think because of it those people seem to handle themselves better because they could star younger. Like drinking at 21 is probably more boring to someone from another country than to someone from the US.


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[WinstonsGirl]

@quitthedrama - Sorry, I wasn't thinking of International teams in that way. I was thinking you meant other countries since they all have lower drinking ages than in the US.

 

[Ashley]

@quitthedrama - Sorry, I wasn't thinking of International teams in that way. I was thinking you meant other countries since they all have lower drinking ages than in the US.

Maybe we need to start saying International teams or Open Teams depending on what group we're talking about