MzLyn23
Cheer Parent
- Sep 16, 2014
- 758
- 1,745
So this weekend my CP and her gym attended a local competition hosted by Shout! Cheer & Dance.
I had never personally heard of this company, not even as a coach. Apparently they have competitions is various locations around the east coast... as it appears by their website and I believe Canada included.
So lets start with the beginning. Competition was suppose to start at 10am (first performance)... 1st Stretch was at 9:30am. There were 30 teams performing in all. We arrived at the location around 8:15-8:30am. Door were still not open, Competition floor not even set up, neither was the warm up area.
Around 9am, door finally opened for spectators and teams. Everyone files in and we sit and wait. DJ is playing random music to fill the time as things are being set up in front of everyone. Even parents and coaches from our team helped out in setting things up. Apparently this company or EP did not consider all the help that they would need to set up a competition to being with.
Finally with about a 10-15 minute delay, the competition gets started. DJ name announcements are incorrect. He does not seem to know what he is doing as far as how to actually "MC" a competition. Things begin moving or so they seem. Apparently while I'm in the spectator area, in the warm up area which is in the same gym separated by a "blue screen", there is total disarray with mat time confusions and such.
The competition continues. DJ music is extremely loud at one point where you can't hear yourself think. Then for some unfortunate teams, music cuts off mid performance, small injury. Other points music is so low, clapping over powers the music nevermind "rooting" for your team!! Girls seem frazzled coming from the back. Other coaches (some that I know from my years as a coach) mention to me the chaos that appears to be going on behind the blue screen... With only one panel of judges (I've been to comps like this before - yesterday was just a disaster) teams perform and 5-10 minutes appear to go by and sometimes more as judges finish their paperwork and prepare for the next team... There was no "competition flow" after the 5-6th performance... everything kinda went downwards from there. Continuous mishaps with the DJ. Very unprepared and just seemed lost. (not sure if he's hosted one of these before at all).
Finally after already being behind 2 hours... Competition finishes.... the EP decides to still do their "tumble and jump off".... that takes FOREVER... Super Unorganized, staff has no idea what their doing - I felt bad for the cheerleader volunteers because they looked just as lost as everyone else. FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY awards... Things read out of order. Parents are frustrated we want to leave.... Program said 3 hours, its been 6-7 hours.... Teams awarded improper awards.. yes you read correctly... A team was awarded "Level Champions" in the Level 4 division and it was actually my CP's gym that was suppose to get it... So of course the Glory of taking that victory was stripped from the girls who had a perfect performance and not corrected until practically everyone has left.
Might I add that my former team, the team that I coached, was there and although I rooted them on cause they were my original "babies", I felt somewhat relieved to not be affiliated with that team after an embarrassing and unprofessional display by their coach with one of cp's gym's parents. Ridiculous wouldn't even describe it. I witnessed obnoxious behavior towards an older person that even cops were called. It was ludicrous. SMH SMH SMH SMH... just appalling.
Anyway so yea, yesterday was just unbelievable and I don't even know what other words to use... abysmal, unprofessional, horrible, horrific, just BLAH!!
Sorry needed to share... with all this comes my CP's worry that her former teammates (some go to school with her) will rub in her face their 1st place win in their division against one other team which included them getting the "Level" champ title since they were the only ones and their older team getting the same because they were against no one and also the only team in the "level").... I only say this because since the comp ended its been all over social media "grand champs we got grand champs - highest score of the entire day of all the teams" and i'm over here thinking omg were u even listening.... there wasn't a grand champ there was level champ BIG difference and u didn't get the highest for the whole event, my CP's level 4 team did... UGH!! I told CP not to let the girls bother her if they say anything because in the end her team won 1st and got level 2 champs... I think there was 8 level 2 teams....so there... besides she has nothing to prove!!!
Sorry my vent is soooo long!!! I just couldn't hold it in anymore.... I'm completely proud of my CP and her teammates and actually feel bad for my former team and their coaches including their town!!
I had never personally heard of this company, not even as a coach. Apparently they have competitions is various locations around the east coast... as it appears by their website and I believe Canada included.
So lets start with the beginning. Competition was suppose to start at 10am (first performance)... 1st Stretch was at 9:30am. There were 30 teams performing in all. We arrived at the location around 8:15-8:30am. Door were still not open, Competition floor not even set up, neither was the warm up area.
Around 9am, door finally opened for spectators and teams. Everyone files in and we sit and wait. DJ is playing random music to fill the time as things are being set up in front of everyone. Even parents and coaches from our team helped out in setting things up. Apparently this company or EP did not consider all the help that they would need to set up a competition to being with.
Finally with about a 10-15 minute delay, the competition gets started. DJ name announcements are incorrect. He does not seem to know what he is doing as far as how to actually "MC" a competition. Things begin moving or so they seem. Apparently while I'm in the spectator area, in the warm up area which is in the same gym separated by a "blue screen", there is total disarray with mat time confusions and such.
The competition continues. DJ music is extremely loud at one point where you can't hear yourself think. Then for some unfortunate teams, music cuts off mid performance, small injury. Other points music is so low, clapping over powers the music nevermind "rooting" for your team!! Girls seem frazzled coming from the back. Other coaches (some that I know from my years as a coach) mention to me the chaos that appears to be going on behind the blue screen... With only one panel of judges (I've been to comps like this before - yesterday was just a disaster) teams perform and 5-10 minutes appear to go by and sometimes more as judges finish their paperwork and prepare for the next team... There was no "competition flow" after the 5-6th performance... everything kinda went downwards from there. Continuous mishaps with the DJ. Very unprepared and just seemed lost. (not sure if he's hosted one of these before at all).
Finally after already being behind 2 hours... Competition finishes.... the EP decides to still do their "tumble and jump off".... that takes FOREVER... Super Unorganized, staff has no idea what their doing - I felt bad for the cheerleader volunteers because they looked just as lost as everyone else. FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY awards... Things read out of order. Parents are frustrated we want to leave.... Program said 3 hours, its been 6-7 hours.... Teams awarded improper awards.. yes you read correctly... A team was awarded "Level Champions" in the Level 4 division and it was actually my CP's gym that was suppose to get it... So of course the Glory of taking that victory was stripped from the girls who had a perfect performance and not corrected until practically everyone has left.
Might I add that my former team, the team that I coached, was there and although I rooted them on cause they were my original "babies", I felt somewhat relieved to not be affiliated with that team after an embarrassing and unprofessional display by their coach with one of cp's gym's parents. Ridiculous wouldn't even describe it. I witnessed obnoxious behavior towards an older person that even cops were called. It was ludicrous. SMH SMH SMH SMH... just appalling.
Anyway so yea, yesterday was just unbelievable and I don't even know what other words to use... abysmal, unprofessional, horrible, horrific, just BLAH!!
Sorry needed to share... with all this comes my CP's worry that her former teammates (some go to school with her) will rub in her face their 1st place win in their division against one other team which included them getting the "Level" champ title since they were the only ones and their older team getting the same because they were against no one and also the only team in the "level").... I only say this because since the comp ended its been all over social media "grand champs we got grand champs - highest score of the entire day of all the teams" and i'm over here thinking omg were u even listening.... there wasn't a grand champ there was level champ BIG difference and u didn't get the highest for the whole event, my CP's level 4 team did... UGH!! I told CP not to let the girls bother her if they say anything because in the end her team won 1st and got level 2 champs... I think there was 8 level 2 teams....so there... besides she has nothing to prove!!!
Sorry my vent is soooo long!!! I just couldn't hold it in anymore.... I'm completely proud of my CP and her teammates and actually feel bad for my former team and their coaches including their town!!
