All-Star Where's The Loyalty?

[idrive]

ADVICE: Cheer also becomes a better place when people worry about their OWN kids.

Don't worry about:

*who is leaving.
*who is staying.
*who thinks their kid is L5.
*why they want to leave.

Your kid and his/her skills/happiness is the most important.

That's great advice. It's been more of an issue this year and not just with our gym. For us this is our last year as our daughter is off to college next year so we'll be watching her in Daytona instead of Orlando or Dallas. I personally can't say I have worried about the above but I have noticed more frustration in gyms here trying to build their programs or the more established one trying to build consistency when they can't keep athletes together for more than a year and sometimes not even that long.

 

[NJ Coach]

I am loyal to a fault. I can't help it. But, over the course of a million years of coaching experience, I've learned the hard way this is a business, and just like the gym will make decisions for the advancement of their business, families will make decisions for the advancement of their "business". In my mind, in this industry, loyalty lasts a season. After that, both parties are free to do what they will.

 

[cheermomforever]

Loyalty is not a great word That cheer should be based on. It is a business, but respect, safety and happiness should be.
All kids should be happy in the the program they choose. They should feel challenged and learning new skills. Every athlete should feel safe in what they are asked to do while practicing/competing with their team. If these things are followed then respect for coaches, gym and team mates should be no problem then maybe loyalty can mean finishing the season(s) you committed to and signed up for?


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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Sidenote: It actually surprised me how loyalty minded some folks were in that other thread.

I asked if their kid started out on a Worlds team but that team became a 4 or 5R, if they would stay.

Most said yes.

I wonder what would change that? What if the team were to drop down another level?

I'm all for finishing your season (it's ideal from a coaching perspective), but in some cases it doesn't work.

 

[123jump4!]

Maybe it's a good thing if "loyalty" in cheer is fading... I've heard a lot of "you can't leave mid season, you'll be branded a gym hopper", "cheer coaches all talk, you won't be welcome anywhere", "you gotta finish the season"... etc. I always thought that was a bit too much, I mean these kids are cheerleaders, not slaves or prisoners!

 

[cheermomforever]

Sidenote: It actually surprised me how loyalty minded some folks were in that other thread.

I asked if their kid started out on a Worlds team but that team became a 4 or 5R, if they would stay.

Most said yes.

I wonder what would change that? What if the team were to drop down another level?

Ex: Let's say that team experiences some major setbacks and the decision is made to make it a 3 or 4.2. You have a true L5 kid.

Do you still stay?

I think a great coach would understand IF athlete was true level 5 and left program due to being able to only offer those teams to them.


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[NJ Coach]

Maybe it's a good thing if "loyalty" in cheer is fading... I've heard a lot of "you can't leave mid season, you'll be branded a gym hopper", "cheer coaches all talk, you won't be welcome anywhere", "you gotta finish the season"... etc. I always thought that was a bit too much, I mean these kids are cheerleaders, not slaves or prisoners!

There are very few things I hate more than someone who leaves mid season. Obviously, there are circumstances that can't be helped (injury, illness etc), BUT if you leave me mid season, the voodoo doll will come out.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

^^^^I will say that at times, I have been actually relieved when certain kids choose to quit midseason.

It's a pain to rechoreograph everythingbut especially with HS kids, they quit and realize that the team went on without them (then they get upset.)

Ex: Kids who always have excuses about being late, etc. Dismissing them or having them quit is a blessing at times.

 

[123jump4!]

There are very few things I hate more than someone who leaves mid season. Obviously, there are circumstances that can't be helped (injury, illness etc), BUT if you leave me mid season, the voodoo doll will come out.

Of course... you're a coach. And I would never have my kid leave mid season if things were good or ok or ok-ish. But if things are bad, for example my kid is being mentally abused... then our butts are out that door and no loyalty.

 

[NJ Coach]

Of course... you're a coach. And I would never have my kid leave mid season if things were good or ok or ok-ish. But if things are bad, for example my kid is being mentally abused... then our butts are out that door and no loyalty.

That's a completely different story, and would be included in my circumstances above. But if you tell me you're quitting in February because Super Sally Allstars is giving you a flying position....prepare to be voodoo'd

^^^^I will say that at times, I have been actually relieved when certain kids choose to quit midseason.

It's a pain to rechoreograph everythingbut especially with HS kids, they quit and realize that the team went on without them (then they get upset.)

Ex: Kids who always have excuses about being late, etc. Dismissing them or having them quit is a blessing at times.

Addition by subtraction

 

[idrive]

That's a completely different story, and would be included in my circumstances above. But if you tell me you're quitting in February because Super Sally Allstars is giving you a flying position....prepare to be voodoo'd

THIS is what I have seen more of this year. What are we as parents teaching our kids? If things get tough then quit? How about our kids just work harder!

 

[scaliaa]

Loyalty in the cheer world is almost always a one way street and that street is for the benefit of the gym owner. There are a lot of people who feel like athletes (and their parent' money) should stay at a gym even if it is not in their best interests to do so.

Why don't we demand the same from gym owners? Why don't we demand that they let little Suzie who has been with the the gym from the beginning be point flier instead of a new girl who is slightly better, because of loyalty to Susie? Why don't we demand gym owners let girls who can't pay their tuition stay on the team out of loyalty?

Because that would be ridiculous, the best talent should prevail. Because cheer is a for profit business.

And those, my friends, are the same reasons that I believe that it is ridiculous to expect loyalty from a cheerleader. Because the best talent should prevail, and that should go for coaches as well as cheerleaders. Because even as much as you love your gym, it is a business, in business to make money. It is not your church or country. You are a consumer and it is a business. Demanding loyalty to a cheer gym is not much different from demanding loyalty to a restaurant or gas station. If you want my business earn it.

May the best flier be point, and may the best gyms prevail.

 

[idrive]

Loyalty in the cheer world is almost always a one way street and that street is for the benefit of the gym owner. There are a lot of people who feel like athletes (and their parent' money) should stay at a gym even if it is not in their best interests to do so.

Why don't we demand the same from gym owners? Why don't we demand that they let little Suzie who has been with the the gym from the beginning be point flier instead of a new girl who is slightly better, because of loyalty to Susie? Why don't we demand gym owners let girls who can't pay their tuition stay on the team out of loyalty?

Because that would be ridiculous, the best talent should prevail. Because cheer is a for profit business.

And those, my friends, are the same reasons that I believe that it is ridiculous to expect loyalty from a cheerleader. Because the best talent should prevail, and that should go for coaches as well as cheerleaders. Because even as much as you love your gym, it is a business, in business to make money. It is not your church or country. You are a consumer and it is a business. Demanding loyalty to a cheer gym is not much different from demanding loyalty to a restaurant or gas station. If you want my business earn it.

May the best flier be point, and may the best gyms prevail.

As a parent what do you look for in a gym? What is it that earns your business?

 

[idrive]

I'm not asking for or suggesting loyalty when kids are being mistreated by other kids, parents or coaches, in fact I'd be the first to go if that is not dealt with swiftly. I said this earlier but it's when people leave because they think little Suzie should be point flyer or last pass and there are others who are better suited for that role. Again if you don't like where you are then work harder and get better then you just might be point flyer AND last pass.

 

[cheernerd5678]

Sidenote: It actually surprised me how loyalty minded some folks were in that other thread.

I asked if their kid started out on a Worlds team but that team became a 4 or 5R, if they would stay.

Most said yes.

I wonder what would change that? What if the team were to drop down another level?

I'm all for finishing your season (it's ideal from a coaching perspective), but in some cases it doesn't work.

I didn't answer (I'm not a parent) but I'd most likely stay. I like to assume (and luckily my allstar coaches were this way) that coaches have their team's best interest at heart and make decisions based on what they believe will set their teams up for success. I also don't live in an area with reasonable options so there was never really the "quit and switch gyms" option for me, so I was in it for the season or I wasn't cheering. I've been on a team that I had higher skills than I competed with but being on teams like that gave me an opportunity to develop leadership and kept me cheering rather than sitting out a season so yeah... I'd stay. Plus I've always loved my allstar coaches so there's nowhere else I'd want to go.
So just dropping a level (assuming everything else is good) definitely wouldn't make me leave a gym. If there were multiple other variables that I wasn't 100% happy with then I might consider it. But I wouldn't leave simply because the level of my team changed. Does that make sense? Lol


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