All-Star Only Seniors Can Expose Midriff???

[kristenthegreat]

Just-a-Mom . Please visit me. Like at LEAST once a month..

Another tidbit for today- cost is a LOT easier to swallow when you're not as concerned about IMAGE. People feel more comfortable with what they're seeing, they bring friends to cheer comps. More people see cheer comps, more people in cheer. Remember that episode of Dance Moms (I only saw this part), they danced to 'Electricity' and the mother was talking about how she didn't feel comfortable bringing her family to the comp..

 

[Luv2cheer]

I think for Tiny's and Mini's a full top should be required. However, for Youth - Senior a crop top is fine. Before entering the sport of cheer, everyone pretty much knows how the uniform will look.....

 

[newcheerdad]

Just-a-Mom . Please visit me. Like at LEAST once a month..

Another tidbit for today- cost is a LOT easier to swallow when you're not as concerned about IMAGE. People feel more comfortable with what they're seeing, they bring friends to cheer comps. More people see cheer comps, more people in cheer. Remember that episode of Dance Moms (I only saw this part), they danced to 'Electricity' and the mother was talking about how she didn't feel comfortable bringing her family to the comp..

That is an excellent, excellent point. I think it's easy to lose yourself in the culture of cheer without realizing how it looks to folks on the outside - or even those who are more on the periphery. That uniform that's commonplace to you might be considered shocking or risque to someone else who isn't as immersed in the sport.

 

[Cody Z.]

This. ^^^

OK, I know I am world famous for being wordy as all get out, and for rehashing my point for page upon page until the thread gets locked...but for real. This is the longest,
wordiest,
most-lengthy-paragraph-having-est,
run-on-sentence-y,
same-posts-over-and-over-again-y thread I have ever seen. but since I love a good, long, wordy argument, I'll weigh in.

As has been pointed out, I'm confused about this idea that you should be "entitled" to choose? What activity does any child participate in that doesn't regulate what they wear? Even middle school band has a requirement on skirt length. So I don't understand why people are upset that a guideline has been put in place. Much like every other rule in the world, the few have spoiled it for the many. I'd like to drive 120 miles an hour to practice, but some fools had to mess that up for me too and now I have to drive half that. I have never done anything to indicate that I wouldn't be a perfect, safe driver at that speed, but someone else did. And hence ...a RULE that I must follow.


Anyway, carry on. I read this whole thing today, so I think I'm entitled to a dramatic, yet happy, ending. My daughter is doing Irish dancing now. Have ya seen those outfits??? (and their cost!!!) I wouldn't be complaining about a full top cheer uniform right about now, that's for sure.


(for the record I'm indifferent. I like crop tops better, but as long as the timing of the purchase fell in line with the regularly scheduled timing of uniform purchases, I would have been fine either way.)

And PS, I'm ONLY VISITING.

O K.

 

[ScottyB]

It is a loosing battle to try to be all things to all people...and that shouldnt be our aim anyway. Like I said previously....
There are dads that don't let there kids do gymnastics because of the leo, there are mom's that don't let thier boys do football because it's dangerous, there are parents that choose no sports because they are not athletic. This is the wrong way to build an industry like ours. We must understand that just like in any buisness we won't apeal to everyone and to have a model of "be all things to all people" is a recipe for desaster. It is far better to have a diverse population which will attract by its very nature MORE CUSTOMERS!!!!

No one likes those articles and no one likes bad press...but wouldnt our interst be served better by combating those stories with good stories...? I think the USASF would use thier time better by promoting all the good that happens in our sport.

Promoting the sport to the media/general public about what the athletes & teams do is not what the USASF exists for. They exist to oversee and govern the sport's rules and regulations to have fair competitions. It is up to gym owners and the parents and the athletes to promote it positively (since that is whom the articles are always about).

Also, this argument could go all day and night with people fighting both sides, and regardless of the answers given some will never be satisfied. I'm sure when football required everyone to wear helmets & full pads there was pushback from groups who didnt want the sport to go in that direction because it was different or many other reasons just like the arguments in this very thread. Now 60-70 years down the road it is one of the biggest sports in the world.. a sport that cheerleading grew out of supporting. Why not give it a chance, let the rule be in place and exist, wait a few years and see if it does help the sport grow in a multitude of ways (ways I don't know or can't tell you right now because I'm not Marty McFly but I know it might help with some things eventually)

 

[Coach Troy]

Promoting the sport to the media/general public about what the athletes & teams do is not what the USASF exists for. They exist to oversee and govern the sport's rules and regulations to have fair competitions. It is up to gym owners and the parents and the athletes to promote it positively (since that is whom the articles are always about).

Also, this argument could go all day and night with people fighting both sides, and regardless of the answers given some will never be satisfied. I'm sure when football required everyone to wear helmets & full pads there was pushback from groups who didnt want the sport to go in that direction because it was different or many other reasons just like the arguments in this very thread. Now 60-70 years down the road it is one of the biggest sports in the world.. a sport that cheerleading grew out of supporting. Why not give it a chance, let the rule be in place and exist, wait a few years and see if it does help the sport grow in a multitude of ways (ways I don't know or can't tell you right now because I'm not Marty McFly but I know it might help with some things eventually)

But by giving us an "image" rule aren't they saying that they are the guardians of how we are precieved??

I agree most of this is just back and forth and people pick only the parts of arguments that they feel they can mount a defense to.

Regrettably we will get to see the effects of this and honestly in a practical sense nothing really will change. On a broader scope we have just allowed a monopoly to continue to get stronger by revealing once again there are no checks and balances and that is never good in government or in a "governing body"

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

Heck there are gyms ( like WC) that have completely different uniforms for every team....you cross over, you buy two. It is what it is! No different than than the kids out there who play their sport on many various leagues where they need full uniforms n bags.
S/N: my niece was lucky enough to have to buy a new uni every season due to moving up or crossing over and earned quite a collection lol Was her mom estatic, eh but it's what had to happen sometimes!

Which is why I love that we rent uniforms in our gym - okay now once I get this years and it is not brand new and not the one we had last year and someone did not care for it as well I may no longer love the concept but it has helped with costs at our gym.

 

[newcheerdad]

But by giving us an "image" rule aren't they saying that they are the guardians of how we are precieved??

Isn't the USASF's job to be the governing body of all-star cheer in the U.S.? If they can't create a rule about uniforms, what can they create rules about?

My sense is that your problem with the USASF is far bigger than uniforms. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were suggesting the USASF shouldn't exist.

 

[Coach Troy]

That is not true at all.
The usasf should exist, and they should make rules. Some we will like and champion and some we will disagree with and either learn to live with or seek to overturn.

I do however wish that there was an alternative to the usasf so that I had a choice.
With other sports I have the ability to choose different organizations to compete under even the USAG has an alternative. Then if for a particular reason (say uniform regulations)
I found it unapealling to compete at competitions sanctioned by the USASF I could find a competition circuit ,hosted by existing event producers, that better suited my needs at the time.

Just a thought

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I hope they do do both....and in general, people are not as upset by teenager wearing "skimpier" clothes. I'm sure that is exactly why the compromise was made

Not to mention the fact that I'm guessing the powers that be wanted to take the younger levels of cheer as far away from the pageant world as they could get it.

I don't feel like my rights have been stripped in any way, and I'm happy to support All Star Cheer in it's newest evolution. I just like to pontificate. I feel like there are sweeping changes on the horizon, and if it is in fact at a crossroads, I'm working out where I would like to see it go.


*** I tried, but I"m sure there are still run on sentences...lol.

Pontificating and run-on sentences are 2 totally different things.

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

Coach Troy
The USAG may have an alternative but the Olympic team is decided on by the USAG - Worlds is run by USASF - it seems a little similar.

 

[newcheerdad]

Coach Troy
The USAG may have an alternative but the Olympic team is decided on by the USAG - Worlds is run by USASF - it seems a little similar.

Yep. While there might be multiple organizations in other sports, by and large there's one major governing body. Soccer is the prime example of that, where there are plenty of organizations but almost all of them are affiliated with U.S. Soccer in some way, shape or form.

 

[Coach Troy]

You are absoluty correct

 

[CheerBank]

That is an excellent, excellent point. I think it's easy to lose yourself in the culture of cheer without realizing how it looks to folks on the outside - or even those who are more on the periphery. That uniform that's commonplace to you might be considered shocking or risque to someone else who isn't as immersed in the sport.

And imagine how the uniforms which are shocking even to us look to those on the outside - and inevitably those are the ones that people seem to see when negative things about cheer are mentioned.

 

[kristenthegreat]

And imagine how the uniforms which are shocking even to us look to those on the outside - and inevitably those are the ones that people seem to see when negative things about cheer are mentioned.

It's funny that in one breath people complain about this, and in another people are complaining about how nobody takes us seriously (which is usually an indication that we actually DO care about how others see us- this is NORMAL. It's part of human life and survival). Overall impressions are a part of life. If I go into a job interview in sweats and a cutoff tee, chances are I won't get the job.