New Debate Topic!!

Date: Wed Aug 9 8:18 AM, 2006

RE: New Debate Topic!!

Date: Wed Aug 9 8:21 AM, 2006

Most kids have already infected their whole team/class/whatever with whatever it is they have by the time they have symptoms anyway. They've infected your kid before they even know they're sick.

Date: Wed Aug 9 10:00 AM, 2006

You are contagous 1 to 2 days before symptoms appear. So showing up sick doesn't do you any harm. Also, if you are sneezing or coughing, you use a tissue and wash your hands often. You would be amazed how easy it is to NOT contaminate people. But parents don't usually want to take the time to prepare a kid to come to practice when they are ill. They look at it as a night off. Yes, I said a night off. A sick kid is easier to take care of than a healthy one. If it's harder for you, you haven't gotten the system down yet.

Want a night off? Find a babysitter. Don't make the rest of us pay for your laziness.

A Mother

Date: Thu Aug 10 12:57 PM, 2006

I say you strap them onto the tumble trak and let the mini team jump on them :)
That will teach them

Date: Thu Aug 10 7:28 PM, 2006

That's a great idea!!!

Date: Thu Aug 10 11:44 PM, 2006

What gets me is people who just decide not to show up because they decide they want to do something else (especially the senior team). In our case just this week had a handful of girls not show up because they decided to go to a concert instead. Supposedly they will be fined for missing practice, however because they are seniors and liked by the coach no other punishment will be given. Our gym obviously fines for missing practices but there is a particular group of girls on the senior team get "special treatment" from the coach and are NEVER repremanded. This is a HUGE commitment and if these kids/parents don't want to keep that commitment then step down to a less demanding team, rather then a team that is working on making it to worlds. Forgive me for sounding angry but it is frustrating when I tell my child they have to attend practice no matter what and other teammates just don't care. Make your plans on any other day besides the day of practice.

Date: Fri Aug 11 9:21 AM, 2006

Oh I agree on that one. But at our gym there ARE consequences. If the coach finds out you went to a concert, oooooooo man. You best believe that the next practice is ALL CONDITIONING. and he let's you know it. You are allowed ONE absence only at the senior level. that's it. And if it's for something like that..... oh man. I feel sorry for those kids.

Date: Fri Aug 11 9:40 AM, 2006

at our gym the coach has pulled down a flyer, one of the best, and had them replaced with another flyer at the next competition for being late. I wonder what would happen if they didn't show. WOW.

Date: Fri Aug 11 11:58 AM, 2006

I haven't read everyones comments so this might have been said before.

1.) Competition sche. is given out in the beginning of the season and noted that we need all travel dates to be turned in 10 days after sche. is received.
2.) Mandatory practice 30 days before a competition. If you're sick (cold) you come and sit and watch. If you have the flu then of course we dont want you there.
3.) If you miss a practice, you are responsible for learning everything you missed by the next practice.
4.) 3 unexcused pract. you're kicked off the team (its not hard to call)

These seem so simple and yea you proably thing kids get away with it but, the kids aren't worried about the coaches getting on them about but their team mates. It is STRESSED from the beginning that you're no hurting the coach, you are hurting your team mates and yourself. During the summer, we are used to kids going away for a month at a time. If the teams isn't ready to compete by their first comp, they don't go. It is up to the team to get it together and help eachother.

Kids and their families have lives and cheerleading is not the only thing happening in their world. Obviously if a child is missing too much and is not catching up, then the child needs to try harder or make a decision on if cheerleading is for them.

Date: Fri Aug 11 1:44 PM, 2006

I agree with your rules however the gyms will not realistically remove team members from the advanced teams. It is unfortunate for those kids who do show up and do what they signed up for. The fact is, the gym fining people is a great idea and it has stopped alot of people from just not showing up because they don't want to go to practice. Our gym does give excused absences with 14 days advance notice, so the kids can have other activities and interests. But there are still a few who believe that it doenst matter whether or not they are at practice and they don't care either ( they think they are above the rules).

So to stay on topic---fines do help but they do not solve the problem. Kids who do not want to commit to such a regimented schedule should not do this sport. There are many who do what is in the best interest of the team rather then themselves. Unfortunatley people don't consider what they are doing to the team when they decide to just go off and go to concerts, etc without prior notice. It's also causes bad team morale.

So if anyone knows how to give the kids/parents a conscience that will be the key to a successful team/gym

Date: Fri Aug 11 4:39 PM, 2006

As I said at our parent meeting...I know exactly who you are, you who still write on these boards....

All of our students are treated equally. Punishments are handled at the appropriate time, in private. Not for the whole world to see. As our contract clearly states, Fines will punish those that have unexcused absences.

On a lighter note, yes absences are rough. But the bottom line, is that in the summer time, you are rarely going to have perfect attendance. And when you have a team that busts their rear ends all season long, we're not going to kick them off for attending a concert one night. Did they tell their coach ahead of time, yes, did we approve it, no. Rather than fight absences, vacations,etc , we've learned how to make the best use out of our time. We plan ahead, and give camp dates far enough in advance that families know to plan absences around them. During comp season, if someone misses a practice during the week of an event, they don't compete. If they are sick, they sit and watch. Those guidelines have worked well for us the past few years.

Good Luck to everyone this season!

Date: Fri Aug 11 4:39 PM, 2006

I am a coach of a gym in Nor Cal and sick of kids missing as well. Yes vacations are needed in the summer, but some of these vacations are insane. taking a 3-4 week vacation somewhere is just CRAZY. I feel many of the parents that came from athletic backgrounds themselves are better at planning their schedules than those who are not. However, there are always exceptions to that. What kills me is those kids and parents who miss will be the 1st to complain about how their skills or team isn't where they want to be. Missing 1-4 practices over the course othe summer is ok, but getting to 6-8 is a little crazy. The gyms everywhere need to start cracking down and pulling up other athletes to show these kids we mean business!

Date: Fri Aug 11 10:07 PM, 2006

Most gyms give at least 2 weeks vacation over a summers time and decent gyms will get you that info by Jan 1st. That being said.....any more than zero absences is too many. Youth Football Cheer and High School Cheer are much more flexible. Anyone who misses practices EVER....should check out those options.

Date: Sat Aug 12 11:05 AM, 2006

Yes coach, I agree also. Our gym has already handed out NEXT seasons vacation dates. Our parents know for next year already. This helps alot. We get 2 two week summer vacations, one in June and one in August. This helps also. And i must say, our absences have almost cut in half because of it.

Gyms: if you haven't done so already, make next years vacation schedule NOW. It will help. You'll see.

Date: Sat Aug 12 12:50 PM, 2006

Are your vacations at the end June and beginning of August?

Date: Sun Aug 13 3:29 PM, 2006

In my opinion, there are some instances where you have no choice but to miss. If your grandfather has just died and you need to be with your family i wouldnt say oh sorry but ihave cheer practice. Yes cheer in important but a death in the family is too. and also if you have mono there is no way you can practice because it makes your sleen enlarged and if you get kicked or punched in the stomach it would rupture and you could die. and when i had mono i know that there was no way physcially for me to practice even if i wanted to. my fever was way to high and i could barely even get myself out of bed let alone jump and tumble. I do understand though that if you are not there at practice the team needs to go on without you because it is whats best for them. but kids feel so much pressure to pratice when they are sick and hurt it makes them practice and they get more injured and it could potentiall be very serious. so if you really do have to miss then miss because your team will move on and should support you in what is going on in your life.

Date: Tue Aug 15 12:28 PM, 2006

I am just frustrated. Granted my child is young team but we have had a team member already miss at least 4 practices. I understand that these kids are young and tummys hurt sometimes. But in addition to that we have kids that come to practice and sit out because they don't feel well. I hope our owners address this problem because it does not look promising when you have members missing all the time and it is not addressed. What type of message does it send to the rest of the team. They need to enforce the rules for when kids miss. Its in our contract that if you miss a certain amount of days you are off the team. Okay I'm done ranting

Date: Tue Aug 15 7:37 PM, 2006

Same Here wrote:

I am just frustrated. Granted my child is young team but we have had a team member already miss at least 4 practices. I understand that these kids are young and tummys hurt sometimes. But in addition to that we have kids that come to practice and sit out because they don't feel well. I hope our owners address this problem because it does not look promising when you have members missing all the time and it is not addressed. What type of message does it send to the rest of the team. They need to enforce the rules for when kids miss. Its in our contract that if you miss a certain amount of days you are off the team. Okay I'm done ranting

Don't just sit back and hope that the owner or coach addresses this issue. As a parent I think you should talk with them and tell them how it is negatively effecting your child.