All-Star For Us Moms Who "judge" From The Stands...

[TheVipersMom]

I have always been a watcher and would rank is against other teams but I think this year I went to a whole new level... I already bought a notebook just for this. It's really kind of fun!!

 

[12stepCheermom]

I was shocked that she did that. I totally get wishing your parents were at competitions...My dad came to maybe 5 or 6 in the 6 years that I cheered. And my mom came to maybe 12. I would BEG her to come to them, but part of the "agreement" when I went back to cheering was that she wouldn't have to go and sit through them. They only came when it was at a beach or somewhere fun. haha

I totally don't get parents who don't go. Missing a competition is a deal breaker for me. We go to all of them, both of us. We take off work, we travel together. It's family time. My husband builds light up signs, I score teams, I video theirs so we can review it and (if it's one they want to put up) post to Facebook so their friends can see what they do. Our son started marching band this year and it's our first time going band competitions and we do that as a family too. I just don't see how people can be so disassociated from such a big part of their kids' lives.

 

[jenniferinwv]

I've even had a "good luck" notebook (Hello Kitty with a sparkly yellow lemon from Target) and pen (Marie from Aristocats pen from the first time we went to Worlds). I have a hard time remembering later how so and so team did and writing it down helps me. I'll admit, sometimes I get distracted by certain things and can't watch the routine. One time a boy had his pants tie string hanging outside his pants and all I could do was stare to see if he'd notice it and tuck it in. Once another guy had a blazing red dew-rag and I couldn't believe it stayed on while he tumbled.

I'm oddly nervous about the new Varsity score sheet. I wanted to watch the webinar they had, but they must not have posted it after it happened.

 

[WorkToWin]

Well my parents can't afford to go to all travel competitions, they make a lot of sacrifices to even buy just my plane ticket.

 

[AScheer]

I've been really lucky to have parents that were always at every competition, game, whatever. My parents were also the ones that always took care of the kids whose parents couldn't be there. I'll never forget at Cheersport one year my mom came over with a bag of clothes and she had bought my friend an event t-shirt too. I thought she was going to cry. It's not about loving cheer (trust me they just tolerate it! Lol) or knowing what's going on, it's about supporting your kid, even if they don't always act like they want you there. Now that I coach my mom still comes to every competition or exhibition my teams are at. Necessary, no, but its nice having her there and the girls love her!

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Well my parents can't afford to go to all travel competitions, they make a lot of sacrifices to even buy just my plane ticket.

Oh that's totally different! My girls didn't have to travel a lot (usually only once or twice a season) and it's just me, so not too much extra $$$. I think everyone is talking about parents who don't go because they don't feel like sitting there or they "hate cheer" or whatever. My dad didn't come to my stuff and it was down the street (walking) and FREE. Those are the parents we're saying need to step up their game a little bit. Money reasons, work reasons, family reasons...I understand. "I hate cheerleading and I can't put that aside for the sake of my child" I do not understand.

I just don't get telling your child they can do an activity as long as you don't have to be involved in any way. It makes me sad. It's not like I love being at Navy Pier for 14 hours, on my feet, carrying around a 50 pound bag of glitter and bows, starving except for the crumbled granola bar I smuggled in - all so I can see a total of 7 minutes and 30 seconds worth of cheering. It's just that I kind of signed up for it 18 years ago at the hospital when I said "Hm, yeah. I'll take her home."

 

[12stepCheermom]

Oh that's totally different! My girls didn't have to travel a lot (usually only once or twice a season) and it's just me, so not too much extra $$$. I think everyone is talking about parents who don't go because they don't feel like sitting there or they "hate cheer" or whatever. My dad didn't come to my stuff and it was down the street (walking) and FREE. Those are the parents we're saying need to step up their game a little bit. Money reasons, work reasons, family reasons...I understand. "I hate cheerleading and I can't put that aside for the sake of my child" I do not understand.

I just don't get telling your child they can do an activity as long as you don't have to be involved in any way. It makes me sad. It's not like I love being at Navy Pier for 14 hours, on my feet, carrying around a 50 pound bag of glitter and bows, starving except for the crumbled granola bar I smuggled in - all so I can see a total of 7 minutes and 30 seconds worth of cheering. It's just that I kind of signed up for it 18 years ago at the hospital when I said "Hm, yeah. I'll take her home."

Exactly. My parents (kids grandparents) even show up to at least one of the local comps every year....and they're not fans of noise, flashy lights, Cheerleading or....well any of it. But, they come because they want to be there at least once a season for their grandkids...even though they have precisely no idea what they're watching

 

[cupieqt]

I don't get to watch our divisions because I'm always in warm ups or awards or something. I LOVE the moms that track our divisions and give me their opinions. Now I'm thinking I need to train some of them to "judge" and actually score so we can get an even better prediction hahaha.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Exactly. My parents (kids grandparents) even show up to at least one of the local comps every year....and they're not fans of noise, flashy lights, Cheerleading or....well any of it. But, they come because they want to be there at least once a season for their grandkids...even though they have precisely no idea what they're watching

If there was ever a person who hated cheer (and noise, lights, kids...), it would be my sister . (I believe this stems back to an incident in 9th grade...). She doesn't even have kids, and even she has been to 3 of my girls' competitions - and I mean the whole 9-10 hour day of it. She has shuttled extra kids back and forth to practice and picture day who couldn't get rides.

And she knows what "Medium Coed 5" means. :chestbump:

 

[12stepCheermom]

If there was ever a person who hated cheer (and noise, lights, kids...), it would be my sister . (I believe this stems back to an incident in 9th grade...). She doesn't even have kids, and even she has been to 3 of my girls' competitions - and I mean the whole 9-10 hour day of it. She has shuttled extra kids back and forth to practice and picture day who couldn't get rides.

And she knows what "Medium Coed 5" means. :chestbump:

There are moms in my gym that don't get " medium" anything only applies to coed 5.... And they stay and watch practices!

 

[cheerisloving]

I've been really lucky to have parents that were always at every competition, game, whatever. My parents were also the ones that always took care of the kids whose parents couldn't be there. I'll never forget at Cheersport one year my mom came over with a bag of clothes and she had bought my friend an event t-shirt too.

This is what my parents do. They feel as though watching another child is more than their well being but ti make it as enjoyable as possible. I am one of the few kids on my team from a two parent household and my mom ANd dad take care of kids. The have offered to pay for camp and go in support of other kids. Honestly I have a Cheer Dad and Brother who have missed Super Bowl kick off for cheer. They respect it more after seeing it. They know the big named teams, my dad recorded Maddie's CNN special and my brother watched, in awe. At my HS comps we can't see the teams before us, so my mom texts me updates. They go above and beyond and yet we have taken kids who live 3 minutes away from school home because parents don't want to get up. When you sign up your kid for cheer, you're signing up too.

 

[ACEDAD]

Well my parents can't afford to go to all travel competitions, they make a lot of sacrifices to even buy just my plane ticket.

That's a completely different situation. Sad and frustrating, but when parents are doing whatever they have to do, I have nothing but admiration for them.

 

[MaineStar234]

My moms never read score sheets, but she does usually take notes and and estimate rankings. Most of the time she is really good at it and its helpful when there is a bunch of people in your division and when you can't see all of the competitions' routines!

 

[Ashley]

To be fair to my parents, they went to all of my competitions until I went to college. But I never did all-stars in hs so we didn't have to travel anywhere. In college our only real competition was in FL and I don't think they even realized they could have gone if they wanted, I never brought it up. They'd go to a local exhibition, but even my dad the cheer dad kind of tuned out once I got to college and he didn't have to shuttle me around anymore.

And now I'm 25, soooooo...

 

[GForce]

Out of my 8 years in cheer, my mom has only missed two competitions. 1 was UCA High school nationals my sophomore year, but she went down to nationals the other three years, and the other competition she missed was a local one, but it was only because my brother graduated college that day. My dad usually always came to the national qualifier with her and others if he had time.