All-Star New Uniforms 2018-2019

[BlueCat]

It's bizarre that they preach an "anti-bullying" rhetoric, but yet enable 12-year-old girls and their mothers to comment on every piece of criticism they receive.
The sassy social media intern thing is not for me. I'm ok with 99% of their responses, but there's ALWAYS one or two comments they take way too far. So unprofessional and not a good look for any company.

I didn't see the particular comments, so this isn't defending any particular response. In my brief look through their responses, nothing jumped out as being snarky, but it may have been taken down or been somewhere I didn't look.

It can be really difficult not to fire back when people bash your service/product - deserved or not. You can know perfectly well that the "wisest" response is no response, but it is a challenge to simply stay quiet. When you feel your close friends / coworkers / life's work is being attacked, it is really hard to simply turn the other cheek. I am not saying that excuses anything, but it does sometimes explain it.

Also, nearly every company now employs younger staff to run their social media. They are FAR more in touch with trends, verbiage, and the things that interest your core customer base. However, the downside is that they sometimes lack the maturity to handle getting slammed online. Even old geezers like myself can get "drawn offsides" at times by some of the venom thrown out - particularly when it is by anonymous or semi-anonymous posts. It is frustrating because 99.999% of the time, those posting the negative comments would never dare say that directly to the designer in person, but they feel fine sharing it with hundreds or thousands of others.

The bigger / more well-known the target, the more people feel it is OK to express harsh opinions in public online about them. It is part of the territory and it is what it is. It is tough to remember that (relatively) big corporations are still made up of people fiercely proud of their work and that of their co-workers. Again, that doesn't excuse firing back, but I do empathize sometimes when some of the bigger organizations let their emotions get the better of them.

 

[XtremeWpg]

All I can say is that I generally dislike the direction that uniforms are going. Not all, but a fair number I simply cannot wrap my head around where the idea came from or why. I have never liked a Top Gun uniform that I can recall. I've also never liked a Reckless uniform.

I don't think that these are the boundaries we need to be pushing in the sport, but to each their own. I also don't think that Rebel "clapping back" because someone dislikes a product is a reasonable business practice either. It should be expected that if you're going to push the uniform envelope that there will be people who don't like it.

Taste is subjective, as is style and comfort. But....what is wrong with an athletic, comfortable uniform that can be worn for some time, by all ages, comfortably that won't make the general public cringe when they see it?

I understand a theme, but to have parents pay hundreds of dollars for something that will not be used again, at all, is upsetting when all we hear is how families are being priced out of the market. So you have smaller gyms feeling like in order to retain participants they have to keep up with Jones', which has the opposite effect because people can no longer afford for their youth 2 athlete to be involved.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Is the tie connected/anchored to the neck/shirt portion of the uni?

The last thing I'd want for kids is for them to be trying to twist/jump/etc. with a floppy weird tie thing on their necks.

 

[ScottyB]

I didn't see the particular comments, so this isn't defending any particular response. In my brief look through their responses, nothing jumped out as being snarky, but it may have been taken down or been somewhere I didn't look.

It can be really difficult not to fire back when people bash your service/product - deserved or not. You can know perfectly well that the "wisest" response is no response, but it is a challenge to simply stay quiet. When you feel your close friends / coworkers / life's work is being attacked, it is really hard to simply turn the other cheek. I am not saying that excuses anything, but it does sometimes explain it.

Also, nearly every company now employs younger staff to run their social media. They are FAR more in touch with trends, verbiage, and the things that interest your core customer base. However, the downside is that they sometimes lack the maturity to handle getting slammed online. Even old geezers like myself can get "drawn offsides" at times by some of the venom thrown out - particularly when it is by anonymous or semi-anonymous posts. It is frustrating because 99.999% of the time, those posting the negative comments would never dare say that directly to the designer in person, but they feel fine sharing it with hundreds or thousands of others.

The bigger / more well-known the target, the more people feel it is OK to express harsh opinions in public online about them. It is part of the territory and it is what it is. It is tough to remember that (relatively) big corporations are still made up of people fiercely proud of their work and that of their co-workers. Again, that doesn't excuse firing back, but I do empathize sometimes when some of the bigger organizations let their emotions get the better of them.

This is weak.

I was the person employed to be the voice of Varsity Spirit social media from 2012-2017. I ran their account, the fashion ones too occasionally, during live streams, ran EP brand accounts for events, campaigns, and functions. Not once did me or members of my team reply with the 'sass' that Rebel, Nfinity, or CheerUpdates does all too often.

Also ran the live stream customer service before Flocheer came along in 2016. Thousands of hateful, rude emails came to me. I have been abused up and down by parents and coaches and anonymous users for the actions of an all too powerful company, but you don't see that reaction in the voice/postings.

 

[CoachTamara]

If you cannot employ people that can remain professional when they represent your business, they shouldn't be your employee. This goes for Rebel, any other uniform company, gyms and coaches, etc. I'm not sure why cheer thinks it's so cute to be sassy and "clap back" but it's not-it's unprofessional and childish.

We are actively looking for a new uniform next year, and it's not hard to cross companies off the list. At this point, it has become harder to find companies that I want to support and give business to.

 

[cheermomforever]

Slightly off topic, Rebel social media needs to do better - a LOT better. They are responding to minors with borderline bullying and threatening to report them to their gym for posting that they don't like the uniform. It's the equivalent to a temper tantrum. I am more turned off by Rebel as a company than any uniform they are putting out because of their behavior.

We recently got Rebel and the skirts are so off in length and sizing!!! We actually got a video saying to rip the stitching in the waistband to make it bigger! Really!!!

 

[BlueCat]

This is weak.

I was the person employed to be the voice of Varsity Spirit social media from 2012-2017. I ran their account, the fashion ones too occasionally, during live streams, ran EP brand accounts for events, campaigns, and functions. Not once did me or members of my team reply with the 'sass' that Rebel, Nfinity, or CheerUpdates does all too often.

Also ran the live stream customer service before Flocheer came along in 2016. Thousands of hateful, rude emails came to me. I have been abused up and down by parents and coaches and anonymous users for the actions of an all too powerful company, but you don't see that reaction in the voice/postings.

I don't believe I said any particular posts are OK. (I didn't see the actual posts, so I am at a disadvantage in regards to their severity.). I was just explaining what may have lead to them. If there are particular ones that are bothersome, let me know and I will see if that can be fixed. If they are egregious, I will message the owner of Rebel herself and I would imagine they will be down pretty quickly. (Or any of you could do the same by shooting them an email). If it is bad enough, my guess is that person sending them would be reassigned. I fail at this sometimes, but I generally prefer to take concerns directly to the people who can make a change than simply complain on a public forum.

Different companies have different theories and styles when it comes to social media. Styles can be anywhere from folksy & conversational to more stoic and corporate (or anywhere in between). Which you choose can be determined by your corporate culture and your position in the marketplace. (Those decisions are often not made by the people typing tweets.).


EDIT: I haven't really read through instagram in a while. Doing so makes me think that perhaps CA isn't getting hit with nearly the volume of negativity (relative to other parts of our industry) as I thought. It is also possible that I just don't see it.

 

[UCFKnights07]

most sports either max out at the Olympic level, true balanced world competition, or on the pro level where money rules all towards a high level balanced competition. that is where recognition of top coaches and athletes comes from.

doubt we will ever see Pro Cheer in the traditional professional sense, so Olympics sounds pretty cool. Makes for a renowned goal that athletes of all types and ages can agree and respect.

i personally would've thought TG would hold themselves to a higher standard knowing they are tastemakers at the elite level. whatevs. their mess to deal with, i'm just commenting from the sidelines

I guess my thinking is. Is that you think cheer is expensive now, wait till it becomes/if it becomes an olympic sport it will be even more expensive, pricing out even more kids and families. I dont know many olympic sports that dont cost a small fortune... It'll give cheer companies, varsity etc a reason to jack up pricing to a whole new level. Thats really my only gripe for not wanting it to get to that level, at least in the all-star side of things.
Granted im aged out and dont have kids so it dont truly effect me, but id hate to see the sport go so elite that only the rich of the rich be able to afford it.
I just cant see the costs going down or staying the same if we were to go that direction.

 

[UCFKnights07]

I doubt we get as many nasty comments as Varsity (based on size alone), but we are no stranger to trolls. I don't believe I said any particular posts are OK. (I didn't see the actual posts, so I am at a disadvantage in regards to their severity.). I was just explaining what may have lead to them. If there are particular ones that are bothersome, let me know and I will see if that can be fixed. If they are egregious, I will message the owner of Rebel herself and I would imagine they will be down pretty quickly. (Or any of you could do the same by shooting them an email). If it is bad enough, my guess is that person sending them would be reassigned. I fail at this sometimes, but I generally prefer to take concerns directly to the people who can make a change than simply complain on a public forum.

Different companies have different theories and styles when it comes to social media. Styles can be anywhere from folksy & conversational to more stoic and corporate (or anywhere in between). Which you choose can be determined by your corporate culture and your position in the marketplace. (Those decisions are often not made by the people typing tweets.).

I think i saw something along the lines of a CA athlete tweeting that varsity is better to a uniform post by rebel. And rebels response was "we see your on a CA team we have screenshot your tweet and have sent it to your coaches"...
Pretty petty that they would want to report athletes for not liking a uniform that isnt associated with the gym their from...
I just found it tasteless to basically want to "rat out" random athletes....

 

[BlueCat]

I think i saw something along the lines of a CA athlete tweeting that varsity is better to a uniform post by rebel. And rebels response was "we see your on a CA team we have screenshot your tweet and have sent it to your coaches"...
Pretty petty that they would want to report athletes for not liking a uniform that isnt associated with the gym their from...
I just found it tasteless to basically want to "rat out" random athletes....

That sounds pretty hard to defend. I will look for that one. Which social media platform?

 

[twincheermom]

That sounds pretty hard to defend. I will look for that one. Which social media platform?

On Twitter, people have screenshotted it but apparently it was on instagram first. Search @thisisan_alert on Twitter. She has it.

 

[BlueCat]

If it is legit (and I have no reason to doubt it was), it has since been deleted. I will follow up with the people I know at Rebel, because that isn't cool at all. I am surprised they were "drawn offsides" by that particular original comment, because that wasn't even remotely one of the worst ones being thrown their way.

I saw more positive comments than bad, but holy smokes! Reading through instagram comments has made me feel really, really old. Why are people so hateful and venomous online?

EDIT: I meant to say "I have NO reason to doubt it was".

 

[alpaca]

If it is legit (and I have reason to doubt it was), it has since been deleted. I will follow up with the people I know at Rebel, because that isn't cool at all. I am surprised they were "drawn offsides" by that particular original comment, because that wasn't even remotely one of the worst ones being thrown their way.

I saw more positive comments than bad, but holy smokes! Reading through instagram comments has made me feel really, really old. Why are people so hateful and venomous online?

You said it yourself earlier. Because online people feel anonymous. I feel old online too. I tend to be cautious and I teach my kids to be cautious online. But other people take the opposite approach and it free's them to let their inner critic take center stage.

 

[JerseyGirl112]

I think your photo says it all... That's the exact face I made. Alyssa is my spirit animal.

Justin/Alyssa is a serious mood. And to stick with my drag race theme, if we’re tooting or booting this uni it’s a definite boot with no tongue pop right here IMHO.



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[JerseyGirl112]

Unfortunately, google "cheerleader costume" and you will find plenty of costumes that look just like what 99% of teams wear, some less revealing. I'm not sure that is a fair standard.

I generally don't like themed uniforms, but these don't strike me as particularly revealing or sexy.

I am very curious, as a gym owner that works closely with rebel and has many current and former athletes within their fold, do you feel that they push these outrageous designs or do they simply serve the customer as they say? And how do the athletes feel about them from your perspective?? I do love most of the work they’ve done with CA, I’m just genuinely curious


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