All-Star Espn Article About All-star Cheer Anyone? :)

[cheerforeverever]

Since when are 8 year olds "flirtacious" and supposed to be "sexy but not too sexy"........ ESPN tried to throw some facts and knowledge in this article, but still came back to the Dallas cowboys cheerleaders and passively negative wording.

 

[cheerislove8]

They really should have considered rewording a few of those statements. Sounded borderline sketchy if you didn't know they were talking about getting ready for a cheer competition...

 

[ACEDAD]

I sent this message to her via her LinkedIn account:

Ms. Shapiro, I'm hoping you are the one that wrote the ESPN article on cheerleading that just appeared today. If not, I'm sorry for bothering you.

While your article had some positive points, I still think you missed some very salient items and they are the same ones that are so often missed.

All star cheerleading is constantly debated as to its status as a sport. Frankly, I think that is totally irrelevent. The only benefit (in my opinion) is that it would reduce, though not eliminate, the focus on the "show" part of the activity. What people fail to see is the incredible amount of strength, grace, toughness (mental and physical) and athletic ability. All of that packaged in a choreographed 2.5 minute routine that, at it's highest levels, can rival Cirque du Soleil.

In addition, it is one of the rare sports to have competitions that include the entire range of abilities at the same competition, from the mini level 1 teams to the senior level 5 teams fighting for the right to attend the Cheerleading Worlds. In the last ten years, the sport has also embraced Special Needs cheerleading, allowing athletes 8 years old and up the ability to compete on the same stage. In fact, the weekend of February 19th-20th, Cheersport Nationals (the largest cheerleading competition in the world) will host more than 900 teams, including 21 Special Needs teams at the Georgia World Congress Center.

You've gotten a glimpse, but if you want to get a better understanding, attending Cheersport would be a good start. An even better option would be to attend some of the many practices conducted at any of the top gyms in the country. That will give you the true picture of the grit underlying the glitz.

I've been around the industry for more than 15 years, the last 10 as a special needs coach and committee volunteer. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

 

[zonkadonk]

haha i like how they describe things in this article. at the end... "a finger snap and a full 180 degree head spin". i feel like others reading this article who aren't in allstar would think this sounds crazy...lol

 

[kristenthegreat]

To someone who knows nothing about allstar cheer, this can be kinda weird/creepy. Most of it was, like someone said, 'A Day in the Life.' However, if you're not involved regularly enough, the idea of 'facials' (The author mentions the 'O' face head bobble and 'sassy' smiles), lots of glittery makeup, crop-tops, and 'excessive' shimmy-shaking dances can seem over the top and sexualized. To us, however, this is the norm. We see nothing wrong with it. Consider, for a moment, that neither do the mothers on Toddlers and Tiaras..

 

[qtpiegirl1]

hahah I was wondering the same thing. I wouldn't say it was negative, but not positive either. It was interesting to read ( I actually read the whole thing, big surprise.) Maybe it would be different if they had done it on an older team? I'm not sure.

yeah i was thinking why would they do it on a little team? Not that i dont like the little team but you know.
And yeah it was just negative in some parts like other people said...

 

[JessicaL]

I guess that is what we have to expect from ESPN right now. We will keep our noses to the grindstone right now, their choice, it could have beeen worse, it should have been better.

Well put. It would have been nice for ESPN to have spent time in more than once facility, or with a range of ages/levels, like ACEDAD suggests in his letter. What our kids do shouldn't be summed up as flirtatious or sexy.

 

[CheerMomNTx]

Well from the title of the story, I could tell it wasn't headed in 'the best of light'.

"As startling as their looks" .....wow!!!

 

[all_starPek312]

I did feel some negativity, but I think it was more of she wrote how she saw it. She's not in the sport, thus can't give it the gratitude that it deserves. However the last part:

"The judges announce the runner-up: Fame All Stars. The Glitter Stars brim with excitement. The judges call out, "CEA Glitter Stars in first place!" Then they rush at the team with a banner and a huge trophy. The Glitter Stars go crazy, jumping up and down. Even the normally reserved back spots, Halle Smith and Ninah Obewu, glow proudly.
Jennifer Torres is bubbling over with joy. "This," she says, "is what we do it for."

I love how she ended it with that statement because it's true. We put all this effort, tears, and glitter to have that feeling.

 

[ufomom]

There were positives in the article...not a total slam job, but I hate the inevitable mention of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and comparision. That's when I know the writer just didn't get it.

 

[MissBee]

One of my very closest friends is a DCC Alumna. I certainly do respect all the hard work they put in. They are cheerleaders in name only though, and she is the first to tell you that. They are a dance team. They do leaps and turns and those who don't have proper technique are weeded out in the audition process.
If you're going to compare cheerleaders to NFL cheerleaders, use the Baltimore Ravens. They have a co-ed stunt team in addition to the traditional dance team.

 

[Goofygoobergeri]

If you find a little girl with a short skirt on, and stomach showing "sexual" in anyway, you are SICK yourself.
The lashes, make up, and hair STAY at competitions.

 

[Diamond]

The article wasn't negative, it was real. It was basically taking the reader on a journey through practice, to the blue mat. None of the negative things about cheerleading were left out of this article lol. I must say my favorite part was when the writer said "CEA cheerleaders compete in tight Lycra skirts that barely cover the bottoms of their glittery underpants, paired with an off-the-shoulder half-shirt." Lol really?! People are always going to have their own opinion of what they think cheerleading is about. It doesn't matter if they go to a competition, sit at a practice or do both & write an article about it. People will never know or understand cheerleading until they get out there & try it. BTW, everyone has bad practice days=)

Idk if people just wanted to get their names in this article or if it was the writer's idea, but there were way to many names & mini stories within this article. I could tell the writer was trying to make it seem as if the reader was there w/ her, but it just didn't work for me. I wouldn't want someone who wants to know what all star cheerleading is about to read this article.

 

[xtremeteal4life]

I sent this message to her via her LinkedIn account:

Ms. Shapiro, I'm hoping you are the one that wrote the ESPN article on cheerleading that just appeared today. If not, I'm sorry for bothering you.

While your article had some positive points, I still think you missed some very salient items and they are the same ones that are so often missed.

All star cheerleading is constantly debated as to its status as a sport. Frankly, I think that is totally irrelevent. The only benefit (in my opinion) is that it would reduce, though not eliminate, the focus on the "show" part of the activity. What people fail to see is the incredible amount of strength, grace, toughness (mental and physical) and athletic ability. All of that packaged in a choreographed 2.5 minute routine that, at it's highest levels, can rival Cirque du Soleil.

In addition, it is one of the rare sports to have competitions that include the entire range of abilities at the same competition, from the mini level 1 teams to the senior level 5 teams fighting for the right to attend the Cheerleading Worlds. In the last ten years, the sport has also embraced Special Needs cheerleading, allowing athletes 8 years old and up the ability to compete on the same stage. In fact, the weekend of February 19th-20th, Cheersport Nationals (the largest cheerleading competition in the world) will host more than 900 teams, including 21 Special Needs teams at the Georgia World Congress Center.

You've gotten a glimpse, but if you want to get a better understanding, attending Cheersport would be a good start. An even better option would be to attend some of the many practices conducted at any of the top gyms in the country. That will give you the true picture of the grit underlying the glitz.

I've been around the industry for more than 15 years, the last 10 as a special needs coach and committee volunteer. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.

YES!! Thank you!! I was so going to do something like this myself. Well put!

 

[xtremeteal4life]

Since when are 8 year olds "flirtacious" and supposed to be "sexy but not too sexy"........ ESPN tried to throw some facts and knowledge in this article, but still came back to the Dallas cowboys cheerleaders and passively negative wording.

yes, I caught this too...you see, in writing it's all about how and where you word things that give it a slant (purposefully). I'm sure she was at least trying to give the sport some credit, but she definitely worded things in a passive aggressive way at times, and tried to put a slant on it by the order in which she worded things as well (sorry, it's the journalism talking in me which runs in my family..my grandmother was an editor of a newspaper for 30 years, a reporter, an author) I felt the slant at the beginning of the second paragraph..."Haylie is dressed in the Glitter Stars' practice uniform: a teal, sequined bow in her light brown hair, a teal, glitter half-top that buckles over her flat chest, and black cheerleading shorts. Really lady?? Those little quips were unnecessary (and that one was creepy...I mean would you use the same wording describing a young girl's bathing suit top?)