All-Star I Know Alot Of You Like Brooke High ..

[cheerKT]

It would be a change, but I think 7 mats would work. Most high schools use that. Here in SC we put 24 kids on 7 panels. We practice at an allstar gym weekly on 9 panels. You would have to shorten tumbling passes, but I think it would do wonders for formations having those lines. (not saying they aren't already great!)

 

[SarahS]

we wish it could be just as easy as saying , "you have to have mats , end of story." and I know you think "funding " is an excuse but , honestly , how do you expect 12 different schools to raise that amount of money in the same county ? (or even 6 pairs of teams if you combine HS and MS) and honestly , we would more than likely need all 9 mats. 1.) we are used to it from allstars. 2.) most high school teams around here average about 18 athletes. and 3.) we're already used to a full basketball court and we use alllll of it so , using only 7 mats would majorly limit us.

... So cutting out two mats is more limiting than not being able to do any basket tosses and twisting tumbling/cradles? I guess I don't follow that logic. Especially when what we're ultimately talking about is the safety of children. Additionally, you didn't address my solutions: 1) Teams use panel mats to practice skills until full floors can be purchased and 2) forego more expensive uniforms and other extras (practice uniforms, cheer bags, etc) and instead spend that money on required safety equipment.

 

[Michael McGahan]

... So cutting out two mats is more limiting than not being able to do any basket tosses and twisting tumbling/cradles? I guess I don't follow that logic. Especially when what we're ultimately talking about is the safety of children. Additionally, you didn't address my solutions: 1) Teams use panel mats to practice skills until full floors can be purchased and 2) forego more expensive uniforms and other extras (practice uniforms, cheer bags, etc) and instead spend that money on required safety equipment.

The schools do not purchase our practice clothing/bags/etc. we do ourselves. and I mean , I know ppl can get hurt on hardwood but they can get hurt just as easily on spring floor ? I have done a two to a full and fallen on my neck on wood as well as spring floor , both resulting in a concussion ? You can break your neck doing a tuck on mats just as easy as you can on wood. You can drop a climber and them dislocate their shoulder just the same on mat and wood.. I mean , yes we would love to have mats , but we find nothing wrong with wood. we are born and raised with it in school cheerleading.

 

[SarahS]

The schools do not purchase our practice clothing/bags/etc. we do ourselves. and I mean , I know ppl can get hurt on hardwood but they can get hurt just as easily on spring floor ? I have done a two to a full and fallen on my neck on wood as well as spring floor , both resulting in a concussion ? You can break your neck doing a tuck on mats just as easy as you can on wood. You can drop a climber and them dislocate their shoulder just the same on mat and wood.. I mean , yes we would love to have mats , but we find nothing wrong with wood. we are born and raised with it in school cheerleading.

I think you might be misunderstanding me. My point about foregoing the clothing, etc? The money for that comes from somewhere. If it were required that schools use mats, they could require cheerleaders to pay an "equipment fee" to cover those costs rather than requiring the extra clothing/bags/etc. The money is there, if you're willing to creatively look for it.

And as for hard floor being as safe as mats, since you are "born and raised with it in school cheerleading"? Interesting theory. There are several threads discussing this point. Bottom line? No. Just... no. There is a reason that certain skills are prohibited on hard floors. There's a whole spectrum of risk involved with cheerleading, but competing on hard floors is just a huge step too far in the risky direction for me, when I think solutions that would make the sport/"athletic activity" safer exist and are relatively accessible.

 

[GreatWhite92]

I don't see how funding is a problem when every other high school who is competitive in other states has somehow found the money. Sure, you may not be able to get them right away but you can fundraise, Share mats. We shared mats with another high school in our area every competition season and we had no problem with it really.

 

[cinderella]

Okay let me put it this way...
Mats= money
and the sad reality is *a lot* of West Virignia does not have the money.
Yes, a good amount of high schools in West Virginia can't afford to add a couple hundred dollars to their school budget (even in the name of safety).
West Viriginia is a beautiful place, but I ask y'all to head to the more rural areas of the state and I think this discussion will really become a moot point...

 

[cheerKT]

I just don't really thinking the funding argument is a good excuse when every other competitive HS in the country in every other state can afford them. It's not like WV is some destitute 3rd world country cut off from the rest of the world. There are poor areas in all states. If the athletic department is at all supportive they would help with the money if the rules were changed.

 

[12mowerd]

my high school team practices on the wrestling mats. We have 7 blue mats but they're at the middle school so we go down to the middle school every so often to work on formation. Also, we fundraise 2000 dollars each season to pay for our choreographer. An easy way to raise money, borrow 100-500 tennis balls from your school tennis team, number each one put tape on each one with the corresponding number, sell each ball at the basketball games and at half time push a grocery cart down the middle of the floor and have people throw the balls in. My school which has only 200 kids max in it, we make 70-80 dollars each basketball game theres 18 home games 18 times 70= $1260 thats def a start. Fundraising is not hard if you know how to do it.

 

[Michael McGahan]

I mean , we are by farrrr not poor , but The way I want to say things doesn't ,ale sense through this.. We have schools in our county that have multiple state titles. Our county is probably in the top three best coutnies to be in for cheerleading (seeing as we have 3 gyms in our county) it's just ppl around here don't feel the need to fund things for the "dumb*** cheerleaders" I mean , our parents back us 2000000000000% but pp, around here just don't understand how incrediblely amazing the sport is and why it's worth it..

 

[TheVipersMom]

If they want to tumble on hardwood because their state doesn't require mats then let them do it. Like they said they would love mats but single handedly these few people from WV can't make that happen. If y'all want it to happen for them so bad- then write to congress or whoever is responsible. They are not complaining and they are the ones that are doing it on the hard wood floor. We are not.

So I'm not going to say anything other then the fact that y'all are amazingly awesome and you do it on a hard floor so even more kudos to you! Id be honored for my daughter to cheer in school for a program that is better then pretty much ever single high school team i seen here :/

 

[gofriars610]

Wouldn't a catastrophic injury lawsuit result in a payment of at least $1,000,000 if the school is found to be negligent by not using safety equipment used by schools in virtually every other state?

 

[AndyT_T]

Brooke has a history of being a very competitive program within the state of WV!! It seems that no matter what the rules restrict them to they always push the envelope in both skill and creativity!!! They obviously have a qualified coach/ adviser who seems to keep them safe while allowing them to execute skills at a high level! There are schools/ states who don't have the luxury of purchasing mats or the regulations in place for the school's athletic department to be responsible to provide them. However I graduated high school in NC prior to high school cheer becoming as restricted then in college we liked tumbling on the hard wood and loved throwing baskets and quick pyramids on the sidelines during games without having to pull out a big panel of mat!!!! But we had coaches and athletes who were trained and qualified!

See, that would be fine if EVERY hs in WV was like that. But (aside from the best of the best that always get talked about) there are a lot of hs's in WV with undertrained (if theyre trained at all) coaches and inexperienced athletes. It may be safe you some schools, just like 2-2-1's and inverted baskets may be safe for some high schoolers, but not all.

 

[emhoss]

oh and just to show you guys... this is half of our team at tumbling class one day this summer before the season officially started, we were actually missing about 4 or 5 girls with fulls and we're allowed to have 13 on competition. every one of us can do that on wood floor too, minus the double at the end of course

http://www.facebook.com/v/2126957946790

if you cant see the video just add me, i'll accept it!

 

[ErinS]

oh and just to show you guys... this is half of our team at tumbling class one day this summer before the season officially started, we were actually missing about 4 or 5 girls with fulls and we're allowed to have 13 on competition. every one of us can do that on wood floor too, minus the double at the end of course

http://www.facebook.com/v/2126957946790

if you cant see the video just add me, i'll accept it!

You all should do a student exchange program with Columbia, SC... We have mats here and I know of a certain high school team that could use your tumbling...stunting...jumping....just all of you in general

 

[aybrandonallstars]

very very good routine! especially for having to compete on that floor. i love how you guys do squad everything great job!