All-Star International Coed 5/all-girl 5 Thoughts

[ztaprincess]

Did I miss somewhere that someone said that college students have money to pay? Everyone is jumping on this "Whoever said college people can pay..." but I havent seen anyone say that yet...

Not sure about everyone else, but it was this comment that made me think people have that feeling, "To the USASF, please stop allowing these two divisions from receiving PAID bids to Worlds. As a parent who has spent thousands of dollars on allstar cheer, I say let the young adults who have aged out pay there own way. Many of the members of these teams are well into their twenties. Give the paid bids to the teams that pay the bills."

I have already commented on the quote, but it sounds like they feel like because you are in your 20s you should be able to pay your own way to worlds. If I were a parent helping pay for my athlete on one of those international teams I know I would be happy as heck for them to get a paid bid and save them the trouble of having to scramble to get the cash to pay for the trip.

 

[Ashley]

So what is the cost difference? I honestly dont know. How much is a flat floor and how much is a spring floor? Lets go used for the sake of discussion.

Well a spring floor is the 9 mats plus springs. And then you have to have a place to keep the spring floor set up. Most of the colleges I know of in New England don't have their own space, we rolled out our mats every night for practice and then rolled them up at the end and put them away - you can't do that with a spring floor, it would take too long.

 

[Ashley]

My feeling on switching to a spring floor for college is that the big cheer schools would have no problem with it, but it would hurt many many more programs than it would help. A lot of programs already get little support From their schools for competition, and a spring floor is not required to cheer at football games. I cheered at a D1 (aa for football) school, we always made finals in Daytona, were not that rinkydink or anything, but we got no help from the school for competition. I paid close to $700 after a partial paid bid every year to get there. There is no way, our school would pay for a spring floor or for practice space at an allstar gym. Our girls had a hard enough time not busting their tumbling on the springier finals stage, nevermind having to go from hard mat to competition spring floor.

 

[Deleted member 15]

So what is the cost difference? I honestly dont know. How much is a flat floor and how much is a spring floor? Lets go used for the sake of discussion.

$4500-5500 for a school floor. $10000-12000 for a spring floor. As someone mentioned, having a full time space for a spring floor is an issue.

 

[socratesofcheer]

I have already commented on the quote, but it sounds like they feel like because you are in your 20s you should be able to pay your own way to worlds. If I were a parent helping pay for my athlete on one of those international teams I know I would be happy as heck for them to get a paid bid and save them the trouble of having to scramble to get the cash to pay for the trip.

I understand that several members in the I.O. divisions are "poor college students". However, there are more than plenty that are coaches, out of college, etc. I think this is where the folks have problems with the paid bid going to these divisions.

 

[socratesofcheer]

My two cents: If you can vote on the leaders of our country then you are an adult. If you're an adult you can pay your own way. If you cant afford it; dont buy it. This includes cars, jeans, or cheer. The entitlement mentality makes me a little nuts.

 

[King]

I don't think a 25 year old should be competing equally on a team with a 14 year old. That is just weird. But because the score sheets are so stunt heavy that combination will produce the most competitive team. I've been out of the stunt game 4 a minute but if you give me a 70 pounds eighth grader I can still double up. Why would we want to encourage that?

 

[BSS2000]

So the adults paying their kids way deserve a break, but an "adult" paying their own way deserves to be slammed with the price of worlds?
I could say if a parent can't afford to send their kid to worlds then they also shouldnt BUY IT. As much as some want this division to be 18+ the fact is it's not, so penalize the whole division for a small group of adults who have real jobs and still cheer?

Worlds is an end all to each season for every team in a worlds division. Each of those teams should have the same right and opportunity to attend. If worlds was so affordable paid bids wouldn't exist. Paid bids should be given based on talent not age. Who can afford what shouldn't be a factor. I'm sure for as many kids on IO who can afford the seasons fees + the full expense of worlds, there's twice as many parents who can AFFORD it.

Is it wrong to feel entitled to equality? Seems more responsible then entitlement due to the fact you pay your kids gym and competition fees, especially since not every gym or competition takes it easy on Io teams. I know my gym charges gym fees for our Ioc5. Maybe levels 1-4 are entitled to compete at worlds & for free, I'm sure they contribute a lot more to these bid companies revenues.

If people are so up in arms about this, then why was the rule fairly recently changed to allow it?

I'm pretty upset about this if you can't tell, I know I probably can't cheer if this rule is changed, and I would be pretty devastated. I would almost be willing to bet that if this rule effected your team you would feel the same as me.

 

[King]

It does and I still don't think its right.

 

[BSS2000]

I bet you can afford it too, right?

 

[BlueCat]

The USASF never had a rule forbidding event producers from giving paid bid to "international" teams. The event producers didn't give them out the first couple of years by their choice. The event producers still have the option of giving them to whatever divisions they want.

Like many things, people's opinion tends to run along the same lines as what would benefit their team. All girl teams want some bids set aside specifically for all girl teams. Senior teams want to exclude the "international" divisions. Gyms like ours who have many financially struggling athletes on International teams, want them to go purely by score of all Worlds teams. (at least all of them with the same potential scoring range.). That is human nature.

If event producers want to attract more customers by putting certain limits, quotas, or restrictions on which athletes are eligible for paid bids, they should have that right. They should definitely announce their policy ahead of time, though. If they specifically exclude divisions, then we probably wouldn't bring those teams to their event. (Other programs might take their teams specifically because those limits were in place.)

 

[King]

Me personally? Yes. Our athletes? It is not easy for them. But they're fundraising, Looking at ways to make things cheaper, And bringing in money slowly every week.

 

[BSS2000]

Me personally? Yes. Our athletes? It is not easy for them. But they're fundraising, Looking at ways to make things cheaper, And bringing in money slowly every week.

And isn't every other team going to worlds equally as capable to fundraise?

 

[BSS2000]

If event producers want to attract more customers by putting certain limits, quotas, or restrictions on which athletes are eligible for paid bids, they should have that right. They should definitely announce their policy ahead of time, though. If they specifically exclude divisions, then we probably wouldn't bring those teams to their event. (Other programs might take their teams specifically because those limits were in place.)

Sounds right, hopefully most of the companies currently allowing it, continue to.

 

[King]

This industry It's built on coaching kids. Every competition Every gym Every coaching position Exist because This is an industry for minors. To train and better our kids. When an individual finally turns 18 I don't feel there is anything owed to them. If they wish to continue in this sport they are more than welcome. But don't confuse yourself and think that cheerleading need the international division. They are a luxury that older cheerleaders enjoy. It's the international division disappeared tomorrow what gym would go under?