nrsemom wrote:

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WHAT IS CHEER ETIQUETTE ? MANY SEEM TO HAVE NO CLUE. THE #1 PROBLEM IS PEOPLE GETTING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A ROUTINE. THIS IS NOT ONLY DISTRACTING BUT RUDE. JUST BECAUSE IT IS NOT YOUR CHILD OR TEAM PERFORMING, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD BLOCK THE VIEW OF SOMEONE WHO IS TRYONG TO WATCH. IT IS GETTING TO BE A REAL PROBLEM LATELY. WHEN A TEAM IS FINISHED PERFORMING, THEN GET UP AND LEAVE, SAME AS FOR RETURNING TO YOUR SEAT. CHEER FOR ALL TEAMS AND REMEMBER YOU MAY HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER OF ANOTHER TEAM BEHIND YOU THAT MAY OVER HEAR YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS. IT WOULD BE NICE IF ALL COACHES AND GYM OWNERS COULD TALK TO THEIR TEAMS AND FAMILIES ABOUT THIS COMMON COURTESY.

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I do agree it is a bigger prblem than before. For any owners, coaches and parents reading this today. please take the time to remind your "cheer family" of this common courtesy prior to going to the next competition. I know our owner has mentioned this several times, however I think everyone needs to be reminded before the competitions. Only takes a minute to mention and MAY make a difference.
I know as a parent to do adhere to our owners requests of staying put while performances are going although the kids need to be reminded too. I think they just forget.

 

Why should gym owners be in charge of us parents?  We are adults, are we not?  Perhaps we should take responsibility for our own actions.

This is perhaps my biggest pet peeve.  I cannot tell you how much self-control it takes to not hurl a basket of nachos at the people that stand up right in front of me while I am recording! I don't cover them with gloppy cheese because I realize that they didn't necessarily know that I was recording. But what about those that walk right in front of me? Am I invisible? I blame it on a society that has increasingly felt a sense of entitlement.  "I will do whatever I want. Who are you to tell me I can't?"
Grow up and learn some respect for others. Follow the Golden Rule.  You know the one that goes: do unto others.  I swear if we all lived by that, life, as well as cheer comps, would be much more pleasant.
jmo

I really don't like this either; however, I don't know if it's my biggest competition pet peeve - I think a venue not having nachos is my biggest.

I feel this is one the competition has responsibility over, shut the doors/set up bank ropes and block off the entrances during routines, have it written in the program, make regular announcements...not all of these need to be in place at one competition. I like the idea that another poster had: at the competition meeting held by your gym prior to the event maybe the coaches could mention it - ya know, get the info out there before someone makes Pixie waste her nacho cheese on them.

All*star cheerleading is growing so rapidly that there are great numbers of new families every year. I know when I was new, I didn't have a clue about this whole routine etiquette thing until I went to America's Best...it just never occurred to me...I get up whenever I want at a baseball game...who knew cheer was different? You did, okay, you're smarter than I am.

When they are all on stage for awards I've never seen a group get up and leave once it was determined they didn't win.  I did notice that at Athletic Championships the grand champions were led backstage before the awards were over for everyone else, but I think that was for medals or something.  It didn't bother me at all, just an observation.  If we are sitting in the stands and are division winner has been announced, and all our teams are through, we leave unless we're interested in who won the other categories.  We are not obligated to stay and I don't believe it shows poor sportsmanship to not hang around.  It's been a long day, give them a break.

I think it is just as big a problem wih the cheerlearders themselves as parents! My daughter's team is very strict about the girls walking around during other performances. A few of thegirls (embarrassed to say mine included) were chronic offenders and they were "grounded" to their chairs with their coach for the next comp and had to ask permission to leave their seat even to go to the bathroom! I can tell you right now, can't speak for the others, but mine never did it again! lol....Could we have some time of "time out section" for parents who are chronic offenders??

I make my kids stay for the ENTRIE awards ceremony.  I feel it shows respect to the rest of the extremely hard working teams.  My gym only has 4 sometimes 5 teams if all of our dance and cheer teams compete, which is normally not the case.  I do agree it makes it easier when they separate the awards.  I also agree that the moving/walking around during performances is extremely rude.  

Anonymous wrote:

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 As a parent we would not like sitting through the entire awards ceremony, sorry. I think if people want to stay that's fine but I don't think it's rude or disrespectful to leave.

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True, and I don't disagree, so long as you are not getting up and walking in front of someone that does want to watch or is video taping the awards ceremony. 

I guess I should  have made myself a bit more clear.  I make my kids stay when they are asked to be on the mat or around the mat for the awards cermony.  I feel it is disrespectful when an entire team walks off the mat because they got their trophy or not.  If the kids are not asked to come to mat for the awards ceremony it is a bit different.