All-Star "proud To Be A Cheerlebrity Free Gym" <-- Really????

[CheerDadof2]

Ok, before everyone starts throwing cows or cats read the post. Not looking to have anyone respond just need to kinda vent about this.

So an all-star gym posted this on their twitter and then the head coach/owner followed up with a rant on their open FB page about a whole bunch of supposed new terms and basically bashing "cheerlebrities"and the coaches and gyms that are willing to work with them.

First, let me say I hate this term but it is what it is. Second, have people forgotten that these "cheerlebrities" are still kids, most if not all of them are under 18? Why as an adult or a business would you find it necessary to call out these kids and basically say their not welcome at your gym? As a parent, seeing this basically tells me it's not a place I want my CP's going to..... ever.

I could go on about why I think this particular gym and coach felt the need to do this but what's the point.

I guess my little rant is just to say DON'T FORGET WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHILDREN!!!!! Be respectful of this and if you don't like being on a team with a "cheerlebrity" or having them at your gym, fine. It's a free country and the best part about this sport is that there are plenty of gyms out there for everyone.

Ok, I'm done. Feel free to throw cats, cows, down vote, what have you.

P.S. All of the "Cheerlebrities" and their parents that I've met are pretty down to earth and act like everyone else. I'm sure there are some that are obnoxious brats, which is to be expected given the age but just because one may act that way doesn't mean they all do and shame on anyone who thinks that way.

 

[cheercurl]

:cow:

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Ok, I'm done. Feel free to throw cats, cows, down vote, what have you.

Um...this is hands down the funniest thing I've ever seen someone write on here (well, if not ever, then at least in a really long time). I seriously just died.

 

[IzzyFierce]

I have met very respectful, "the girl next door"- type "cheerlebritys" and I've met annoying, rude, obnoxious, incredibly mean "cheerlebritys"... Either way, they are just cheerleaders who are REALLY good at what they do. There are kids at my gym who are just as good but are not known of at all.

 

[TheTalkedAboutMinor]

What people are failing to realize is that cheerlebrities basically earn their reputations due to the fact that they're good at cheerleading. If I owned a gym that trained cheerlebrities, of course I'd be proud! That would mean that the cheerleading world has recognized the talent of one of my athletes, meaning that I trained him/her to be amazing.

 

[kristenthegreat]

...That's kinda hard to police.

I mean, on one hand I think I can see where they were TRYING to go- yes, this is a team sport. Yes, each member is important and has a place- without a base, a flyer wouldn't be up in the air, but without a flyer a base would be just standing around. I get that they don't want to CREATE that environment. They don't want somebody to come around and decide 'I'm going to be a celebrity cheerleader that everybody knows.' Therefore putting them in the position of 'picking favorites' and dealing with 'Wannabe-Superstar-Suzy' and her Mom.

That being said, it completely misses the point of WHY those girls/guys got famous in the first place- their tumbling, their flying, their grace/skill/poise, and I also agree that looks/personality make up the 'package' as well. Your eyes are drawn to them..and WE choose them. They don't choose themselves. If they try, it's usually met with a lot of derision. We decided that a little blonde girl with a cute blonde bob and a teal headband was GORGEOUS in the air and horrendously charismatic. We noticed an amazing tumbling boy from Texas was awesome and we wanted to go to his Hill. We decided a kid with a shock of blonde hair was amazing in the dance section. We thought a sassy Redhead from Cali was worth watching. We discovered a terrific power girl from Georgia had flips for days and we loved watching her grow from a Tealy youth to an Orange baby to..wherever they've gone. That desperation for fame, however, that others are trying to cultivate. That's not the same thing..it comes from a terribly painful place of wanting attention and to be liked.

 

[cheerisloving]

I remember hearing several coaches say they are proud that their athletes are role models. Every team has cheerlebrities just in some places there not well known outside the gym.

 

[Bystander]

...That's kinda hard to police.

I mean, on one hand I think I can see where they were TRYING to go- yes, this is a team sport. Yes, each member is important and has a place- without a base, a flyer wouldn't be up in the air, but without a flyer a base would be just standing around. I get that they don't want to CREATE that environment. They don't want somebody to come around and decide 'I'm going to be a celebrity cheerleader that everybody knows.' Therefore putting them in the position of 'picking favorites' and dealing with 'Wannabe-Superstar-Suzy' and her Mom.

That being said, it completely misses the point of WHY those girls/guys got famous in the first place- their tumbling, their flying, their grace/skill/poise, and I also agree that looks/personality make up the 'package' as well. Your eyes are drawn to them..and WE choose them. They don't choose themselves. If they try, it's usually met with a lot of derision. We decided that a little blonde girl with a cute blonde bob and a teal headband was GORGEOUS in the air and horrendously charismatic. We noticed an amazing tumbling boy from Texas was awesome and we wanted to go to his Hill. We decided a kid with a shock of blonde hair was amazing in the dance section. We thought a sassy Redhead from Cali was worth watching. We discovered a terrific power girl from Georgia had flips for days and we loved watching her grow from a Tealy youth to an Orange baby to..wherever they've gone. That desperation for fame, however, that others are trying to cultivate. That's not the same thing..it comes from a terribly painful place of wanting attention and to be liked.

Thank you! Its not like they can tell everyone hey dont follow me or like me because Im on a team, and I cant be popular. A good coach will know exactly how to handle these types of situations!

 

[CheerDadof2]

I remember hearing several coaches say they are proud that their athletes are role models. Every team has cheerlebrities just in some places there not well known outside the gym.

Exactly!!! My CP's look up to the SL5's in their gym because they're already where my CP's want to be. Most L5's practice 3-4 times a week and do extra training above and beyond. The "cheerlebrities" that I've met train even more then that, so to me a true "cheerlebrity" has earned it and that's why people from all over the state or country like them. The ones that kristenthegreat mentioned all worked hard to become the best that they could become. Being considered a "cheerlebrity" is a by-product of that and not something these kids asked for.

As a coach I would think that you'd be happy to either have trained someone that became so well know for the skills you taught them or that a "cheerlebrity" wanted to come to your gym. Both of these mean that as a coach you're doing your job because you either coached someone to be good or someone who is already good thinks they can learn more from you.

Just my opinion.

 

[callmecoach]

...That's kinda hard to police.

I mean, on one hand I think I can see where they were TRYING to go- yes, this is a team sport. Yes, each member is important and has a place- without a base, a flyer wouldn't be up in the air, but without a flyer a base would be just standing around. I get that they don't want to CREATE that environment. They don't want somebody to come around and decide 'I'm going to be a celebrity cheerleader that everybody knows.' Therefore putting them in the position of 'picking favorites' and dealing with 'Wannabe-Superstar-Suzy' and her Mom.

That being said, it completely misses the point of WHY those girls/guys got famous in the first place- their tumbling, their flying, their grace/skill/poise, and I also agree that looks/personality make up the 'package' as well. Your eyes are drawn to them..and WE choose them. They don't choose themselves. If they try, it's usually met with a lot of derision. We decided that a little blonde girl with a cute blonde bob and a teal headband was GORGEOUS in the air and horrendously charismatic. We noticed an amazing tumbling boy from Texas was awesome and we wanted to go to his Hill. We decided a kid with a shock of blonde hair was amazing in the dance section. We thought a sassy Redhead from Cali was worth watching. We discovered a terrific power girl from Georgia had flips for days and we loved watching her grow from a Tealy youth to an Orange baby to..wherever they've gone. That desperation for fame, however, that others are trying to cultivate. That's not the same thing..it comes from a terribly painful place of wanting attention and to be liked.

I could not agree more with this post! The term "cheerlebrity" is constantly portrayed negatively, often by the very people who whine that there is no recognition for our sport or the skill and athleticism that it requires. What is so wrong with the word cheerlebrity? The public has chosen these athletes based on their skill and a special something that makes them stand out among their peers. They bring our sport publicity, help recruit new youngsters across the country who hear about these athletes and look up to them, and put a spotlight on the incredible skill that cheerleaders have. Are there many kids who are just as talented but not as recognized? Sure. Are there many singers who sing just as well as the megastars we hear on the radio, yet remain completely unknown? Absolutely. This phenomenon is not exclusive to cheerleading. Some people have the "it" factor. Some people don't. Some have it and are still never widely recognized for it. That's life! The most known and respected "cheerlebrities" are the ones who never asked for it, but have been recognized without trying. For the most part they seem to be nice kids who represent the sport well.

Why is this a problem? The most repeated argument is that cheerleading is a team sport (absolutely true) and that "cheerlebrities" take away from that understanding. My personal opinion is that a particular athlete being recognized has nothing to do with cheerleading being understood as a team sport and anyone who has cheered, coaches a team, or has ever watched even one cheerleading routine can logically conclude that it is indeed a team effort and that even if some athletes are more well known than others, they could not do what they do without their teammates on the mat with them.

As far as what that gym was trying to get across, I can sympathize. As you stated above, there are sadly thousands of young cheerleaders inundating social media sites in an attempt to be the next big thing, and gyms don't want their athletes caring more about themselves than they do about their teams. This is understandable to me but it's the blanket "NO CHEERLEBRITY" sentiment that bugs me.

Rant over!

 

[HitPullCheer]

I hope that someone from that gym becomes a cheerlebrity.

 

[xtremeteal4life]

 

[cheerisloving]

In life there are always stars in everything. And especially among children, jealousy is always lurking. Talent is only half the battle. How you carry yourself goes a long way. The humble kids have less drama around their talent then the ones who make it known they're better than you.

 

[kristenthegreat]

I feel like the same can be said for a gym that has a 'mega team.' Take Stars for example- we're constantly told 'Everybody wants to be on Stars,' that it doesn't cause problems for the gym, etc. Is it not the same thing? Yes, it's a group of girls instead of one or two, but that's one group that's separate from the rest..is that a bad thing? Isn't that how life is?

As much as people 'hate' on some cheerlebrities, I've seen those same girls/guys have children CRY when they meet them, freak out watching them perform, etc. They all seem to have great love for their fans, give back to ALL communities (cheer and otherwise)..come off as intelligent and hard working ladies and gents. Is that really a bad thing to highlight?

 

[gofriars610]

I freaked out watching Shooting Stars this past February at Athletic Championships in Providence and I was 20... I'd rather have a group of ladies like WCSS represent the sport than a bunch of burnouts.