All-Star Outsider's View Of Cheer

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May 18, 2010
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This has been done before, in terms of the image discussion, but I thought I'd share the experience I had this weekend at Return to Atlantis.

This was the FIRST EVER cheerleading competition that my girlfriend has ever attended. She was completely shocked that parents allow their children to walk around the venue, the hood of Baltimore, and the Inner Harbor with their skimpy uniforms on. She said "Do these parents have any idea that their kids look like a piece of meat? Why are they wearing what is essentially a performance costume out in public?" I explained to her that there was a new rule in place for next year about wearing t-shirts if you're not in warm-ups. But she asked me a question that took me a minute to respond to, "Yeah, but once you're done performing, what is the point of having the uniform on at all?" I thought about awards and such, but really she's right.

We're both musicians, which is how we met. When we perform in a church, the robes come off as soon as you're done performing. When you're doing Carnegie Hall, you bring your concert attire in a garment bag on a hanger and change out of it when you're done. If you watch a broadway show, the performers don't leave the venue with their costumes on, right? Her point is, we're a performance sport. When you're on stage, you're getting into character in a way. That's what makes it special in that moment... lights, camera, action, slap on your uniform and transform into a diva. Her thought was that kids would have more respect for the uniform if it were treated as something that only has a purpose on stage.

Outside of that, kids should be in some other kind of gym wear.

So, what would be wrong with kids having a garment bag, arriving to competition in warmups, changing to compete, and then putting their warmups back on and keeping warmups on for awards? My only argument to this was that not every kid can afford warmups and/or an extra bag AND sometimes it gets hot in those arenas so who the heck wants to wear pants and a jacket? or even pants and a t-shirt for that matter? She said "You know what would look awesome?! Boxing robes!" LOL yeah, we'll come back to that:rolleyes:...

I was trying to think of something like practice gear for walking around at competition... shorts and a shirt or just lightweight warmups... Thoughts?
 
This has been done before, in terms of the image discussion, but I thought I'd share the experience I had this weekend at Return to Atlantis.

This was the FIRST EVER cheerleading competition that my girlfriend has ever attended. She was completely shocked that parents allow their children to walk around the venue, the hood of Baltimore, and the Inner Harbor with their skimpy uniforms on. She said "Do these parents have any idea that their kids look like a piece of meat? Why are they wearing what is essentially a performance costume out in public?" I explained to her that there was a new rule in place for next year about wearing t-shirts if you're not in warm-ups. But she asked me a question that took me a minute to respond to, "Yeah, but once you're done performing, what is the point of having the uniform on at all?" I thought about awards and such, but really she's right.

We're both musicians, which is how we met. When we perform in a church, the robes come off as soon as you're done performing. When you're doing Carnegie Hall, you bring your concert attire in a garment bag on a hanger and change out of it when you're done. If you watch a broadway show, the performers don't leave the venue with their costumes on, right? Her point is, we're a performance sport. When you're on stage, you're getting into character in a way. That's what makes it special in that moment... lights, camera, action, slap on your uniform and transform into a diva. Her thought was that kids would have more respect for the uniform if it were treated as something that only has a purpose on stage.

Outside of that, kids should be in some other kind of gym wear.

So, what would be wrong with kids having a garment bag, arriving to competition in warmups, changing to compete, and then putting their warmups back on and keeping warmups on for awards? My only argument to this was that not every kid can afford warmups and/or an extra bag AND sometimes it gets hot in those arenas so who the heck wants to wear pants and a jacket? or even pants and a t-shirt for that matter? She said "You know what would look awesome?! Boxing robes!" LOL yeah, we'll come back to that:rolleyes:...

I was trying to think of something like practice gear for walking around at competition... shorts and a shirt or just lightweight warmups... Thoughts?


The reason I don't change while at the competition at least before competing is that I have to put on my top and whatever tshirt for the day is before I do my hair or make-up because I will inevitably mess it up if I tried to take off a tshirt AND put on uniform top after having done these things. Its a miracle I can get my tshirt off without messing it up but that because I have now had so much practice. After I compete its really only cause of awards that I keep my uniform on.
 
Nice thought BUT you will get the complaints about messing up hair and makeup if they have to change INTO their uniform once they get ready to perform.

Both my girls immediately either throw on a tshirt or change all together, and that is their preference.
 
Absolutely! Something I forgot to mention in my OP, but yeah I did think of that during the conversation..... which is why i think a zip up/button up warmup top of some sort (boxing robe lol) may be a good idea over a t-shirt:)
 
When you don't want to mess up hair/make-up by putting on a uniform over that: simply cover your head with a t-shirt/scarf/some other pice of clothing and then put your uniform on over that - voilà, no make-up on uniform and no messed up hair/make-up.
I once saw that in a documentary about a fashion show - they did that backstage when the models changed to protect the clothes and the make-up/hair. This little trick has worked wonders for me!
 
Absolutely! Something I forgot to mention in my OP, but yeah I did think of that during the conversation..... which is why i think a zip up/button up warmup top of some sort (boxing robe lol) may be a good idea over a t-shirt:)

I generally wear soffe type shorts or yoga pants in stead of my uniforms skirt/shorts with my uniform top and t-shirt over it when I'm not competing., for what it's worth. Convention centers are usually cold and I'm freezing if I don't cover up.
 
IMHO...it's not that big of a deal...kids wear less at the beach...just sayin

The beach is the beach though. It's not downtown in the heroin capital of the U.S., where you make one wrong turn and you are in a really, really bad part of town. There is Baltimore's famed area knows as "The Block" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Block_(Baltimore) not too far away, not to mention on the weekends there are plenty of highly intoxicated people all around. Baltimore has strip joints mixed in among bars and it's just bad news. When I was younger I never cared to go there and party.
 
The beach is the beach though. It's not downtown in the heroin capital of the U.S., where you make one wrong turn and you are in a really, really bad part of town. There is Baltimore's famed area knows as "The Block" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Block_(Baltimore) not too far away, not to mention on the weekends there are plenty of highly intoxicated people all around. Baltimore has strip joints mixed in among bars and it's just bad news. When I was younger I never cared to go there and party.

I know that generally these kids aren't roaming the streets in just their uniforms, but still. There's a convention center in Providence that's attached to a mall, and the kids are roaming the mall in just their uniforms. When you're not in a setting where everyone else is walking around showing their belly, it's a bit out of place.
 
Perhaps the parents should be more aware of where their kids are and what they are doing. I work in downtown Baltimore, believe me, my CP doesn't cross the street without me. If you're not from the area, do a little research. and again FOR GOD'S SAKE, know where your kids are, what they are doing and who they are with....how hard is that.
 
When you don't want to mess up hair/make-up by putting on a uniform over that: simply cover your head with a t-shirt/scarf/some other pice of clothing and then put your uniform on over that - voilà, no make-up on uniform and no messed up hair/make-up.
I once saw that in a documentary about a fashion show - they did that backstage when the models changed to protect the clothes and the make-up/hair. This little trick has worked wonders for me!

Pillow case. That's how I got into my wedding dress.

My girls are not permitted to wear their uniform to school. When we have home or away games they show up at the gym, or travel in either practice shirt and shorts, or a warm up (it's on the schedule what your "travel wear" is). They change into their shell and skirt after we're done warm ups. This keeps the uniforms nice and clean. Also, I have a rule that you can't eat in uniform. (so no snacking at half time)....but they can eat before/after the game, if they've changed out of their uniform and back into the warm up. At competitions, they wear the uniform for warm up and compete and awards. Other times the skirt and shell come off and go into their bag, and warm ups and tshirts go on. This makes the uniforms last MUCH longer than before I had this rule. We used to replace uniforms every 4 years, now it's more like 6 years. Our Athletic Director and boosters love this.
 
I've said this before but if we are going to change how this sport is viewed it starts with our image. As a parent if my child was running around in some of what I have seen (and I see it more every year) I would be furious. Please be aware of what you are wearing and what kind of attention it draws not only to yourself but everyone else who says they are an All Star Cheerleader! You represent us all whether you know it or not.
 
Nice thought BUT you will get the complaints about messing up hair and makeup if they have to change INTO their uniform once they get ready to perform.

Both my girls immediately either throw on a tshirt or change all together, and that is their preference.

I would love to see an end to all the make up and hair requirements and just change to a pony tail for long hair like all other female athletes wear.
 
Ok, I usually don't post but I was at Return from Atlantis this weekend and had 2 incidents that really opened my eyes. First, our girls were in the rest room at a restaurant (they were wearing sweats) and a teenage girl asked them if they were comfortable in the uniforms they were required to wear because she thought they were really skimpy. Obviously our girls were really taken back since they think cheer unis are normal. The second incident scared the #%%^^$$ out of me........We had our girls in the convention center in uniform having a picture taken....nothing unusual about that....... until we noticed a man that none of us had ever seen before standing behind us taking pictures of our girls. (who are 11 and 12). When he notice we were starting to look at him, he exited quickly thru a side entrance. If we weren't so taken by surprise we would have gone after him but by the time we gathered our thoughts he was gone. It doesn't really matter if we find the uniforms to be acceptable if wearing them puts our girls in danger. Just remember what happened to Travon Martin.
 
Its not even just outside views. My logic is, if you're going to wear your uniform around a competion, wear the whole thing. If you're going to wear warmups, wear warm ups. But this nonsense of shell with shorts and uggs, or shirt with a hoodie or my fave, crop shell and spankies needs to end. We have pretty strict rules about it.

Its not even just about how outsiders view us. It's about how you're representing your program to others. Now if only I can 100% enforce the "no making out with your boy/girlfriend in uni/warmups" rule, I'd be thrilled.
 
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