what happened to?

Date: Fri Apr 11 6:05 AM, 2008

what happened to?

Date: Fri Apr 11 7:02 AM, 2008

Here here! My daughter was four when she started so it was DEFINATELY just for fun....five years later it is easy to start getting wrapped up in the drama of it all.....but at the end of the day if it isn't fun for the kids then why do it? It isn't about always winning....it is about learning skills, meeting new people, and spending time with your friends. My daughter LOVES to cheer....but if she started talking like some of the people who leave comments on this board I would pull her out because my goal as a parent is to raise a healthy, loving, respectful child.

Date: Fri Apr 11 8:23 AM, 2008

I believe there is a section for wishing people good luck, warm fuzzy thoughts, singing kumbaya, etc..., maybe it would be best to direct your child there if they want to read the board. You have to take the negative with the positive. I've seen plenty of positive comments and I'm old and wise enough to ignore or weed out the negative. The board isn't for everyone, but a majority of us love it and have benefited from the comments that have been posted. So thank you cheergyms!

Date: Fri Apr 11 8:39 AM, 2008

I don't think anyone is saying that the message board should just be warm and fuzzy.....and I undoubtedly appreciate cheergyms.com for having a message board....but you have to admit some posts are hateful. Competition is definately fun and rivalries make cheer competitions even more fun.....but the hatefulness that some posters express is not necessary. Granted we should all be mature enough to read these comments and move on....but we should also be mature enough not to fall into the trap that sometimes resembles the jr. high school yard.

Tamara · cheergyms.com Master Poster

While I do agree that right now this board is having a rough patch with the negativity, there's still a lot of good information that gets posted as well. I would not be happy if this message board were to be shut down.

I wish more people would register, I think that definitely helps people think about what they are writing. Also, I just like "getting to know" other members. I also wish more registered people would post, I think that would help balance out the unfavorable anonymous posters.

I don't take any negative post written by anonymous as fact, which helps keep my annoyance with some threads down.

Date: Sun Apr 13 10:19 PM, 2008

For little kids it's all about fun, but once you get into the sr lvl 5 and even jr lvl 5 now its about the win. Just like in any other sport being soccer, football, baseball, etc you don't sweat and put your body through intence workouts to lose. Winning is fun losing is not at that level. So technically by wanting to win you are wanting to have fun.

Date: Tue Apr 15 5:07 PM, 2008

I wouldnt say only at level 5 you wouldnt want to lose....I think it also depends on your age? If you have a 15 year old on Senior level 3, I'm sure they are just as bummed to not win.....so, no it's not just level 5.....

Date: Tue Apr 15 6:39 PM, 2008

Allstar cheerleading is not about warm fuzzy having fun. If you, want that then sign up for Pop Warner.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to make Allstar cheerleading fun and competitive. It is also the responsibility of the parent to teach a child about message boards, myspace, facebook and the other things out there on the internet. What are they? Why are they there? Remember everyone is protected by the Consitution to have freedom of speech. If you teach your child how to deal with "cheer drama" they will be better prepared for middle school drama, high school drama, politics in the workplace and parent politics and drama.

Date: Tue Apr 15 9:07 PM, 2008

I am sorry but it comes down the the value of the gym and it's owners. If a child is on a team and they get third place and their coaches come up and smile, say "Great job!" and thats about it (maybe a good job talk). Compare that to a first place, where a coach (same coach) jumps up and down and freak out, "omg you guys are awesome!" . Which one would you want? VALUES ARE EVERYTHING! Even the large cheergyms in NorCal are guilty of this.

Date: Tue Apr 15 9:37 PM, 2008

I'm sorry, I don't understand this last post at all. I would want the "omg you guys are awesome" of course, because you won. I would want to win. Who wouldn't? Okay, now everyone can tell me what I'm missing here...

Date: Wed Apr 16 6:26 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Allstar cheerleading is not about warm fuzzy having fun. If you, want that then sign up for Pop Warner.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to make Allstar cheerleading fun and competitive. It is also the responsibility of the parent to teach a child about message boards, myspace, facebook and the other things out there on the internet. What are they? Why are they there? Remember everyone is protected by the Consitution to have freedom of speech. If you teach your child how to deal with "cheer drama" they will be better prepared for middle school drama, high school drama, politics in the workplace and parent politics and drama.

Good point.....competition and winning are definately an incredibly fun aspect of all-star cheer....BUT I still think some of the people on these message boards are ruthless!

Date: Wed Apr 16 6:39 AM, 2008

Well you always have the option of not coming on this board..

Date: Wed Apr 16 7:35 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Well you always have the option of not coming on this board..

Yes you are correct. But that ruthlessness sometimes equates to how things are handled at a particular gym and seeing things on this message board sometimes only confirms what I think about them. So I will continue to read on.

If it comes down to picking a Win at No Cost gym vs a fairly successful gym (they don't have to win all the time), where my kid is also happy, and the gym has values. I pick the second gym.

Date: Wed Apr 16 7:41 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well you always have the option of not coming on this board..

Yes you are correct. But that ruthlessness sometimes equates to how things are handled at a particular gym and seeing things on this message board sometimes only confirms what I think about them. So I will continue to read on.

If it comes down to picking a Win at No Cost gym vs a fairly successful gym (they don't have to win all the time), where my kid is also happy, and the gym has values. I pick the second gym.

I agree 100%....I am a mom first and I have to make sure the lessons my children are learning will be a positive contribution to who they are as adults...jmo

Date: Wed Apr 16 7:41 AM, 2008

My daughter started out in the Youth leagues and switched to All Stars because she loves the competition side of cheer. Yes she likes to win. But with that being said she would not continue doing it if she was not still enjoying it. There has to be a balance.

Date: Wed Apr 16 10:57 AM, 2008

We pay too much money for competitive cheer for a kid to be on a team just for fun. It is an investment and as a parent I expect skills, personal growth and the ability to utlize my investment for the future. I wouldn't want her on a losing team but if she was on a wining one and learning nothing year after year, that would not work for me either. So as parent we have to strike the balance. I team that may not win always but my kid is constantly learning skills is probably my choice.

Date: Wed Apr 16 11:26 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

We pay too much money for competitive cheer for a kid to be on a team just for fun. It is an investment and as a parent I expect skills, personal growth and the ability to utlize my investment for the future. I wouldn't want her on a losing team but if she was on a wining one and learning nothing year after year, that would not work for me either. So as parent we have to strike the balance. I team that may not win always but my kid is constantly learning skills is probably my choice.

Just out of curiosity....how do you plan on "utilizing your investment"?

Date: Wed Apr 16 12:36 PM, 2008

Competitive cheer is about hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Yes it is expensive for our children to be part of a good cheer program. I figure it is money well spent when I see the big grin on my daughters face after landing that back tuck she worked so hard on getting. I love seeing the pure joy and excitement after getting first place against a team they never beat before. She knows that at practice you work hard, and when it is over it's time to play. She gets upset at the other kids who goof off and don't take it as seriously. Not to say they don't laugh and have fun once in awhile after all they are kids. I think a good coach knows this and knows how to balance the two. Do you ever wonder how many times a coach has said quiet, no talking in one night. I had to laugh when I read the fuzzy feelings comment. I do think that its important to have fun and love what you do. A sign of a good gym is how many gym rats they have. When the kids dont want to leave it is always a good sign they are doing something right. When they stop enjoying it and those smiles fade that is when its not worth it anymore. Then it's time to ask is your child doing it because they love it, or because you want them too.

Date: Wed Apr 16 12:48 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Competitive cheer is about hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Yes it is expensive for our children to be part of a good cheer program. I figure it is money well spent when I see the big grin on my daughters face after landing that back tuck she worked so hard on getting. I love seeing the pure joy and excitement after getting first place against a team they never beat before. She knows that at practice you work hard, and when it is over it's time to play. She gets upset at the other kids who goof off and don't take it as seriously. Not to say they don't laugh and have fun once in awhile after all they are kids. I think a good coach knows this and knows how to balance the two. Do you ever wonder how many times a coach has said quiet, no talking in one night. I had to laugh when I read the fuzzy feelings comment. I do think that its important to have fun and love what you do. A sign of a good gym is how many gym rats they have. When the kids dont want to leave it is always a good sign they are doing something right. When they stop enjoying it and those smiles fade that is when its not worth it anymore. Then it's time to ask is your child doing it because they love it, or because you want them too.

I agree! At my daughter's gym the coaches combine HARD WORK with FUN...and it pays off. A parent (and former cheer coach) that was new to our gym this year said she was a little apprehensive at first because it seemed as though the kids had too much down time, but after competition season started and our teams were very successful she said it made her realize that the down time gave the athletes the energy, motivation, etc. to work hard when it was time to do so

Date: Thu Apr 17 1:20 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We pay too much money for competitive cheer for a kid to be on a team just for fun. It is an investment and as a parent I expect skills, personal growth and the ability to utlize my investment for the future. I wouldn't want her on a losing team but if she was on a wining one and learning nothing year after year, that would not work for me either. So as parent we have to strike the balance. I team that may not win always but my kid is constantly learning skills is probably my choice.

Just out of curiosity....how do you plan on "utilizing your investment"?

The "investment" might lead to a full ride cheer scholarship...they are out there...