Well, Sunday at the USA event in San Diego, I witnessed something that was rather upsetting. Nothing drastic, but come to find out, this isn't the first (or 2nd or 3rd...) time this has happened and I am rather shocked.
A particular gym coacowner did the following. One of their teams had just performed. They were after a few in their category, and as they exited the floor, the gym owner said to the kids, "WE GOT IT IN THE BAG! WE WON IT FOR SURE! IT'S IN THE BAG!" as all of the kids and the owner jumped for joy. They did do a great job on the floor, but the owner led them to believe that they would win FOR SURE. This owners tone, body language, etc didn't say otherwise. But his statements were what killed me.
Outcome??? This team came in dead last....... kids were crying and the owner was PI**ED. The owner said, "I don't know what happened....." and I was told by another parent that this owner does this all the time. They all sat there very very upset and the owner just added to it by being shocked, disgusted and outwardly angry.
Now mind you, I HEARD THIS MYSELF WITH MY OWN EARS. This is not rumor. And I am not sure what that owner was thinking when this was said, but how can someone who is leading children down a path of learning to win & LOSE, do this to them time and time again? I am so sad for this gym.
What are your thoughts?
__________________
OC Mom, Mom of 5 great kids! A cheerleader/softball player, a RETIRED cheerleader, a football/baseball player, 1 Airman and future Police Officer and one college student!
Well, Sunday at the USA event in San Diego, I witnessed something that was rather upsetting. Nothing drastic, but come to find out, this isn't the first (or 2nd or 3rd...) time this has happened and I am rather shocked.
A particular gym coacowner did the following. One of their teams had just performed. They were after a few in their category, and as they exited the floor, the gym owner said to the kids, "WE GOT IT IN THE BAG! WE WON IT FOR SURE! IT'S IN THE BAG!" as all of the kids and the owner jumped for joy. They did do a great job on the floor, but the owner led them to believe that they would win FOR SURE. This owners tone, body language, etc didn't say otherwise. But his statements were what killed me.
Outcome??? This team came in dead last....... kids were crying and the owner was PI**ED. The owner said, "I don't know what happened....." and I was told by another parent that this owner does this all the time. They all sat there very very upset and the owner just added to it by being shocked, disgusted and outwardly angry.
Now mind you, I HEARD THIS MYSELF WITH MY OWN EARS. This is not rumor. And I am not sure what that owner was thinking when this was said, but how can someone who is leading children down a path of learning to win & LOSE, do this to them time and time again? I am so sad for this gym.
What are your thoughts?
What you're saying is "De Ja Vu" for me. The last gym my daughter was with, thier owner/coaches did the same thing. And when they didn't place 1st, the Coaches always had an "Excuse" as to why.....
"The Judges didn't like our gym"...or "Well it was unfair...we were cheated" etc, etc, etc, ad nauseum!
So, after 2 years of excuses, we left that gym for another gym. We have been pleased and there have been no ""Empty" promises, or excuses. Anyway, that's my thought, and I hope I don't get "Bashed" for my post. BTW, please don't ask me who the gym was..........WE are very happy where we're at now....and if the kids do "poorly" our current Coach "owns" up to it.........
I used to be involved in a program that did the same thing, and as being a cheerleader, it was horrible... after a while, you start to figure out whats really going on, and sooner or later everyone left the gym.
Now that i am a coach, i let my girls know... exactly how they did, and what they need to do better....
Yea, I won't post who did it either, but it's no secret down here. This person seems to throw a fit at every single competition. If they read this, they will know EXACTLY who they are. I just hope they realize that it's very very bad for business to behave in this manner and this is exactly why they don't seem to move up the ladder in "cheer life". They do well at times and they have talent in their gym, but they just seem to stay the same.
When we moved down south, we tried another gym (different from the one above). My fiance's daughter cheered there for 3 months and I was seeing red flags left and right. But I kept trying to tell myself, "this isn't Cheergyms or Motions. Maybe you are just used to things done that way." But when my oldest, the one in the little picture tried out, it took her 2 hours and she walked off the floor and said, "I will quit cheering before I join here." and walked away. That's all I needed.
We are happy now of course, but things are run MUCH MUCH more like a business and not a "click". And our owners, directors and the like, don't throw tantrums when things don't go our way. But I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we had been a part of a program that was run well to begin with and had a good foundation to compare to. Had we been with a program that wasn't run well, we wouldn't have a good experience to refer to. We get people from other gyms, whether they moved here or not, and get good feedback from them. It just takes everything in me, not to say something to this person! I wish I could tape them and let them see what they are doing to their kids!
Anyone else have thoughts?
__________________
OC Mom, Mom of 5 great kids! A cheerleader/softball player, a RETIRED cheerleader, a football/baseball player, 1 Airman and future Police Officer and one college student!
