All-Star Nightline Episode

[armycheermom]

Are you talking about these devils? And they'd get tangled in your hair and stretch out and the white elastic would show.... and then sometimes they managed to pop your knuckles. Ugh hated them.

One time my dad did my hair with like 400 of them. He was so proud of himself. It was the first time in my life I felt embarrassment

And this picture was labeled "retro ponytail holders".... I'm so old

Yes! I loved them;cp got knocked in the forehead a few times with them.

 

[cheermommaRN]

I finally got around to finding a copy of the segment. I don't understand saying that your in this activity because "it makes memories as a family" but you live across the country from your other kids and your husband. Or admitting you have spent 100's of thousands of dollars in 8 years for something that ends when your kid turns 18. Or saying you would rather quit school then cheer, or you will do this until your body breaks.
I was one of those parents that "lived" for my children. I did everything they wanted to do, working multiple jobs, taking on debt. It made me bitter, miserable, and tired. When I decided I had to stop and take care of me both of them offered to quit their sports. When I told other cheer moms we were done I got: "Wow my cp would have told me tough poop I don't care if you work 3 jobs" and "Your being selfish, everyone works jobs they hate as long as their kids are happy. That's more important then anything YOU want." Really? Is that what our society has come to? No wonder we complain on here about kids feeling entitled. Here is the "take away"...you can mortgage yourself into the ground to make "memories" with one child or you can step away from the crazy and make sure they have an education, roof over their heads, relationship with their siblings, and not expect the world to cater to them when they become an adult.
There is gym koolaid and then there is industry koolaid.

 

[amy1k]

I'll admit I was a little taken aback by the "I just want to let my kids do whatever they want" or whatever. That seemed...dangerous.

Eta: I admit that my daughter would happily drop out of school to devote her entire childhood to cheer, though. Except for the fact that she was actually homeschooled until 5th grade and begged to go to "regular" school.


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[CheerExtra]

is hair and makeup in the scoresheet? therefore, not a part of our sport and I can complain and say it's ridiculous. because it is.




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How many sports have appearance on their score sheet? Very very few. But that doesn't make a football players jersey or a baseball players cap any less apart of their sport. You can complain that its ridiculous and have that opinion, I'm not saying you cant. That is part of the great thing of this board is we can all voice our different opinions. But I do believe that our glitz and glam is "part" of the sport. To allot Its part of the appeal of All-Star cheer leading. Its part of our image. If someone walked out with a solid color uniform, mascara only, and a low pony, they would probably be called "Jaggedy All-stars" and it would be considered extremely taboo in our sport.

Unfortunately I've heard people say that a lot.

And I'm sure more than one person has legitimately heard this from others, but I feel like the amount of times its mentioned as a defensive for bad news stories and internet shows compared to the amount its legitimately said is out of proportion. Obviously people who DO say these things have no interest in our sport, so why do we care so much that they say these things?

 

[ErinS]

How many sports have appearance on their score sheet? Very very few. But that doesn't make a football players jersey or a baseball players cap any less apart of their sport. You can complain that its ridiculous and have that opinion, I'm not saying you cant. That is part of the great thing of this board is we can all voice our different opinions. But I do believe that our glitz and glam is "part" of the sport. To allot Its part of the appeal of All-Star cheer leading. Its part of our image. If someone walked out with a solid color uniform, mascara only, and a low pony, they would probably be called "Jaggedy All-stars" and it would be considered extremely taboo in our sport.


And I'm sure more than one person has legitimately heard this from others, but I feel like the amount of times its mentioned as a defensive for bad news stories and internet shows compared to the amount its legitimately said is out of proportion. Obviously people who DO say these things have no interest in our sport, so why do we care so much that they say these things?

I don't think you can compare a jersey....that serves a purpose. Or even a baseball cap that also serves a purpose to make up and curls.

If jaggedy all stars went out and had the worlds best routine, people that are bothered by plainness would label them as jaggedy....not the judges.

I just can't be convinced that glitter and curls serve the same purpose as jerseys


I'd actually compare some of it to softball players that put ribbon in their hair. It doesn't serve a purpose... they don't get any points for it.... but it makes them feel pretty....and feminine (I assume... because I've never played softball)


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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Are you talking about these devils? And they'd get tangled in your hair and stretch out and the white elastic would show.... and then sometimes they managed to pop your knuckles. Ugh hated them.

One time my dad did my hair with like 400 of them. He was so proud of himself. It was the first time in my life I felt embarrassment

And this picture was labeled "retro ponytail holders".... I'm so old

See also: Mom or someone else wrapping them too tightly, or somehow getting them stuck and your mom needing to cut them out with scissors. That happened a few times in my life. #struggle

 

[kristenthegreat]

My mom wouldn't even do my hair for dance..you're hilarious if you think she'd do it for cheer. I don't even think she did it for gymnastics and all I had was a high slicked pony.

Granted I'm a curly (2c-3c depending on weather/length/if it's in a bad mood), but nothing ridiculous. My problem was with dance and not having a single mom know how to work curly hair. Trying to get that business into a super-sleek french braid? You MUST be joking.

 

[ErinS]

See also: Mom or someone else wrapping them too tightly, or somehow getting them stuck and your mom needing to cut them out with scissors. That happened a few times in my life. #struggle

Yeah I definitely had those things cut out

 

[CheerExtra]

I don't think you can compare a jersey....that serves a purpose. Or even a baseball cap that also serves a purpose to make up and curls.

If jaggedy all stars went out and had the worlds best routine, people that are bothered by plainness would label them as jaggedy....not the judges.

I just can't be convinced that glitter and curls serve the same purpose as jerseys



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Well when you think of the Dallas Cowboys (Or whoever football team) they have their specific look. They have their blue and silver colors, they have their Dallas cowboy star and stripes on their sleeves, their stripe down the center of their helmet that ties it all in. They have special jerseys for different occasions. Every team could easily pick 1 color and they can all go out with solid color jerseys and a plain helmet and the purpose of the jersey and helmet wouldn't change. I'm sure if that was the way things where in football, cowboys wouldn't suck any less than they already do (oops). Our hair, makeup and uniforms are apart of each teams identity, it makes us all identify better as one whole team, It gives us confidence and a signature look, its part of the branding and image of a gym. I'm sure if Top Gun Large Coed went out with the same exact skills and routine but with the look I described, they STILL would have won worlds! Its an honor to so many athletes to wear their silver and blue star, or their yellow and black claw.

But that's not the point I'm trying to make. I know that sparkles and curls do nothing for our skills and score sheet, but cheer isn't just about skills and the score sheet, it is so much more. So why are we, people who are in the cheer world who know its that much more, putting so much emphasis on our looks when that not what we want other to think about? The point is right now where the cheer world is, the big glam look IS what people identify us as because that is what we wear regardless of the legitimate purpose. Why is that a bad thing? Why do we put so much focus on it?

 

[Julia Cole]

In my opinion I think we enjoy wearing the makeup and doing the big hair because it makes us more feminine. Face it, what we are doing is not feminine(the death defying stunts and crazy tumbling) it gives us a way to not be seen as just flipping machines and helps give a little spunk.

 

[ErinS]

Well when you think of the Dallas Cowboys (Or whoever football team) they have their specific look. They have their blue and silver colors, they have their Dallas cowboy star and stripes on their sleeves, their stripe down the center of their helmet that ties it all in. They have special jerseys for different occasions. Every team could easily pick 1 color and they can all go out with solid color jerseys and a plain helmet and the purpose of the jersey and helmet wouldn't change. I'm sure if that was the way things where in football, cowboys wouldn't suck any less than they already do (oops). Our hair, makeup and uniforms are apart of each teams identity, it makes us all identify better as one whole team, It gives us confidence and a signature look, its part of the branding and image of a gym. I'm sure if Top Gun Large Coed went out with the same exact skills and routine but with the look I described, they STILL would have won worlds! Its an honor to so many athletes to wear their silver and blue star, or their yellow and black claw.

But that's not the point I'm trying to make. I know that sparkles and curls do nothing for our skills and score sheet, but cheer isn't just about skills and the score sheet, it is so much more. So why are we, people who are in the cheer world who know its that much more, putting so much emphasis on our looks when that not what we want other to think about? The point is right now where the cheer world is, the big glam look IS what people identify us as because that is what we wear regardless of the legitimate purpose. Why is that a bad thing? Why do we put so much focus on it?

But the DCC's sole purpose is to perform and entertain....so to me the purpose of their appearance is not necessarily the same purpose of the appearance of those in competitive cheerleading.

Comparing what a football player (or any athlete) wears is the same as comparing the competitive cheer uniform to a competitive football jersey. Some are glitzy; some are plain; but the intent is still to put participants in uniform....and in the case of football/bball/etc the numbers are there to identify them by position as well...and so that refs can communicate info about each player to each other.

I mean at the end of the day, the hair, the make up, the glitter....is worn because its a "girly" "activity" (derived from) and it makes us feel "girlier".

Even cheerleaders that don't compete come decked out in make up... to feel girly.

In all honesty if WCSS started wearing low buns and nude lips the cheer world would make that happen as well....just like the glitter and curls were made "happen"

 

[njallday]

really? a baseball cap blocks the sunlight so the players can see. please tell me what purpose a bow serves?

i'm not against bows or things that make anyone feel good or more confident... but when i cheered, we had a thin ribbon tied in our hair. in 10 years it has evolved into a 3 inch, rhinestone covered, $50 bow that probably weighs 5 friggen pounds. it's excessive. y'all look like clowns nowadays and if i didn't grow up in cheerleading i wouldn't come near it with a 10 inch pole. i don't do big hair AND a 3 inch bow AND red lips AND neon pink blush AND a smoky eye. just no. i'd run far, far away. the current state of cheerleading makes it very difficult for me to rationalize and defend it to the outside world. (and in case anyone forgot, your future cheer families currently live in the outside world. you're supposed to attract them to you to make money)

 

[Cheermom1969]

I don't think you can compare a jersey....that serves a purpose. Or even a baseball cap that also serves a purpose to make up and curls.

If jaggedy all stars went out and had the worlds best routine, people that are bothered by plainness would label them as jaggedy....not the judges.

I just can't be convinced that glitter and curls serve the same purpose as jerseys


I'd actually compare some of it to softball players that put ribbon in their hair. It doesn't serve a purpose... they don't get any points for it.... but it makes them feel pretty....and feminine (I assume... because I've never played softball)


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If you saw all the crap my football player puts on himself just to step on the field... Oy! Arm sleeve, gloves, tights under his pants, bands around his biceps! Sweet Jesus, the kid has more bling on himself than his sister does stepping on the mat. It's all his good luck stuff. Does he need it? Nope. But just try to take it away from him.

Every sports has their "bling," I suppose. Ours is just prettier.

 

[ErinS]

really? a baseball cap blocks the sunlight so the players can see. please tell me what purpose a bow serves?

i'm not against bows or things that make anyone feel good or more confident... but when i cheered, we had a thin ribbon tied in our hair. in 10 years it has evolved into a 3 inch, rhinestone covered, $50 bow that probably weighs 5 friggen pounds. it's excessive. y'all look like clowns nowadays and if i didn't grow up in cheerleading i wouldn't come near it with a 10 inch pole. i don't do big hair AND a 3 inch bow AND red lips AND neon pink blush AND a smoky eye. just no. i'd run far, far away. the current state of cheerleading makes it very difficult for me to rationalize and defend it to the outside world. (and in case anyone forgot, your future cheer families currently live in the outside world. you're supposed to attract them to you to make money)

"Yas"

 

[CheerExtra]

But the DCC's sole purpose is to perform and entertain....so to me the purpose of their appearance is not necessarily the same purpose of the appearance of those in competitive cheerleading.

Comparing what a football player (or any athlete) wears is the same as comparing the competitive cheer uniform to a competitive football jersey. Some are glitzy; some are plain; but the intent is still to put participants in uniform....and in the case of football/bball/etc the numbers are there to identify them by position as well...and so that refs can communicate info about each player to each other.

I mean at the end of the day, the hair, the make up, the glitter....is worn because its a "girly" "activity" (derived from) and it makes us feel "girlier".

Even cheerleaders that don't compete come decked out in make up... to feel girly.

In all honesty if WCSS started wearing low buns and nude lips the cheer world would make that happen as well....just like the glitter and curls were made "happen"

I'm not talking about DCC at all, I'm solely talking about the football team, but I agree with that point.

Yes some jerseys come in styles that are more done up and others more simple, just like uniforms in all-star cheer leading. And they have purposes on their jerseys such as numbers which could also be incorporated to my "plain jerseys and helmets" hypothetical example. They could all have their team color and black number and it would work the same. Just like they have numbers, we have our gym and sometimes team name on our uniforms used as identification. Football players are singled out as players, and cheerleaders are made one, so there is no need for us to sew "Base" or "Flyer" on our uniforms. Our gym names is enough for a similar use.

I don't believe that the sole purpose of hair and makeup is to make us look "Girly" but it does play a role in it. Cheer leading is considered a sport heavily for females so it would make sense to have stereo typical female looks poured into our sports look. I also agree if every big name gym had that toned down look, then that is the way it would evolve to be. Just like how it evolved from ribbons into big bows and slicked back ponys into overly teased big hair. In the end the looks as a whole is REALLY not what I'm trying to get at, at all! I'm just trying to figure out why so many people seem to be so caught up in what the "outside world" portrays us as. Even in this segment, it was very nice for what it was. It was about extraordinary family's and the lengths they go to every day, they used All-star cheer leading as an example because All-star cheer leading can change an entire family's life. Like in GBs case where she has had to leave her whole family. They talked about how much hard work it was for the family and how much of a toll it takes on them financially and emotionally. This was not a piece on All-star cheer, this seemed to be focused on their parents effected by it. But everyone cant help but criticize what they said about the cheer itself, which was not what they where focusing on if you watch the whole episode. Why is that all we can see it as? Why are we freaking out because they showed a girl complaing, because there where kids in sports bras, that they glossed over a world win? It was about the family. Not cheer.