OK HOW MANY GYMS OUT THERE ARE MISSING THIS ONE???? HOW MANY GYMS OUT THERE STILL TAKE PRIDE THAT COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING IS STILL ABOUT UNITY AND PRIDE WITH PARENTS AND CHEERLEADERS????
IM AT A GYM THAT I DON'T KNOW BUT MAYBE 2 PARENTS AND MY DAUGHTER HAS MADE ONLY 1 FRIEND IS THAT THE NORM? WE HAVE A CHANT FOR COMPETITION, BUT DON'T KNOW IT & WE COMPETE SOON AS I LOOK AT OTHER SITES AND SEE THE TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES LUAU CAMPING TRIPS SLEEP OVERS BBQS RETREATS
READING THE MESSAGE BOARDS AND SEEING THE THANK YOU FROM THE PARENTS AND CHEERLEADERS AT CHEERGYMS MAKES ME WONDER WHAT ARE WE MISSING OUT OF YOU WATCH TEAMS LIKE CHEERGYMS POWER CHEER ODYSSEY AIRBORNE AP AND EVEN SMALL GYMS WITH SO MUCH TEAM SPIRIT AND SEE THEIR PARENTS FORMING BONDS HOW DO YOU DO IT
MAYBE SOME POSTING & HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS WILL SPARK OTHER GYMS TO TAKE NOTICE AND GET WITH THE PROGRAM
A WINNING PROGRAM ISNT THE LARGEST GYM BUT THE GYM THAT PROVIDES A FUN ENVIRONMENT AS WELL FAMILY ORIENTED
JUST BECAUSE THEIR ADVERTISEMENT READS FAMILY ORIENTED PAY ATTENTION THEIR ACTIONS DONT SHOW IT
What about organizing some event yourself? Anything works, bowling, ice or roller skating, etc. Ask the gym owner if you can use the gym to have a sleep over with a white wall, borrow a large screen or even a white sheet then borrow a projector and show a movie, order pizza do a few activities. Ask other parents what they can contribute.
What about organizing some event yourself? Anything works, bowling, ice or roller skating, etc. Ask the gym owner if you can use the gym to have a sleep over with a white wall, borrow a large screen or even a white sheet then borrow a projector and show a movie, order pizza do a few activities. Ask other parents what they can contribute.
What about organizing some event yourself? Anything works, bowling, ice or roller skating, etc. Ask the gym owner if you can use the gym to have a sleep over with a white wall, borrow a large screen or even a white sheet then borrow a projector and show a movie, order pizza do a few activities. Ask other parents what they can contribute.
-- Edited by Tamara at 16:46, 2007-10-16
These are wonderful ideas in getting the teams to bond. Unfortuantly it does get hectic for the owners to organize all the "fun" stuff as well as the business. Parents should really come up with a "Moms club" or some group of people who want to put together these type of activities. I don't know a single owner that would oppose to that!
In a perfect world everybody would have time for extra activities that bond parents and cheerleaders. But the truth is our schedule is extremely busy and just to fit in practices without impacting her schoolwork is a chore in itself. She has a social life too outside of cheerleading. She has friends outside of cheerleading. When she has free time she likes to spend it with them. Don't get me wrong, she has made friends at her gym and loves it there. We wouldn't cheer anywhere else (we're a small gym, not one of the larger ones mentioned). But we like the fact that there aren't all these extra activities we have to attend. The bonding happens during practices and competitions, they all work together nicely as a team (no fighting, no drama). Maybe we just got lucky. Just another point of view.
What about organizing some event yourself? Anything works, bowling, ice or roller skating, etc. Ask the gym owner if you can use the gym to have a sleep over with a white wall, borrow a large screen or even a white sheet then borrow a projector and show a movie, order pizza do a few activities. Ask other parents what they can contribute.
-- Edited by Tamara at 16:46, 2007-10-16
These are wonderful ideas in getting the teams to bond. Unfortuantly it does get hectic for the owners to organize all the "fun" stuff as well as the business. Parents should really come up with a "Moms club" or some group of people who want to put together these type of activities. I don't know a single owner that would oppose to that!
Fantastic advice!
Our gym owners knocked themselves our this past spring and summer to plan outside events for everyone. They did alot for us. Hosted a float decorating party with tons of food and plenty to drink. Organized us in a parade, took us to SunSplash, took a team out to the lake, hosted a barbeque during choreography camp, and even rented an entire swimming complex for us to party at (and this isn't cheap. i checked into this for my daughter's birthday).
We all loved the events, but not everyone attended. Those that love to party will always show up, and those that are not as social won't. You can please everyone.
I agree owners are always very busy changing up teams thinking up routines and their daily lives. Two years ago my daughter was very fortunate to have been on a team with a fabulous team mom. Those girls bonded so much. We had sleepovers, Christmas Parties, Ice Cream Socials, really things that don't take alot of planning or money and all the parents had input. It is alot easier some times to have parents plan events at the team level.
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Cheer Odyssey Remember The Name......You Can't Stop XX The Purple Reign!!!
WOW- great advise from so many parents. I think it is great to see so many parents taking responsibilty for the team bonding. Sometimes it is just too much the the coaches to do it all.
