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As a mom I can understand where Oldcheermom is coming from. 5 nights a week for many hours a night interfears with school and other activities. I understand the need to win but at what cost? I do not want cheerleading to come before grades and other high school commitments. I think this is something the USASF should address as to how many hours a week is appropriate for practice. Congratulations CA on your amazing year but I hope you have not only good athletes but well rounded children at your gym.

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I personally don't think Old Cheer Mom was out of line.  She was asking a ligitimate question.  I can see both sides.  Yes, the work ethic these kids have learned will transfer to other parts of their lives.  But also as a parent, where do you draw the line?  I was the one that responded to the ASU cheer program being discontinued post.  "To pick a university based on academics first".  Because one day cheer may not be there (whether the program be taken away or an injury preventing you from continueing).  If my kid were on this team, I would only hope they put in half that effort towards their academics.   Having a college degree with good work ethics will help you become self sufficient in life.  Not sure if getting a "Gold" at Worlds will. JMO

Congrats to Cali Allstars (and all the other California teams that went to worlds) on your accomplishments.

Quote:
"Oldcheermom I think you are completely out of line here. I can say as a cheerleader from a different gym, we all feel the way this kid does. We all practice our booties off. My practices didint go until ten at night but they did go until nine. Sure, kids got sick. I am sure a lot athletes miss meals as well. I can tell you I certainly did. Eating right before practice can contribute a ton to the throwing up during. Also, I would be a little worried if my coaches didnt drive my team and push us as hard as they could. It sounds weird, but the coaches are just as much a part of the team as the athletes. And I think everyone at some point in time wants to beat their coach to the ground especially when they say "one more time" and we have already performed that trick what seems to be a million times. Get over yourself. As a parent you should be mature enough to not bash other gyms."


Anonymous 9:54am, you can certainly think whatever you want to think, I just asked how far does it have to go? Alex brought it up and I'm asking the question. Anonymous 8:21am had a great reply that gave some very good insight.

I have been right there wih my daughter who has been involved with cheer for eight years. She has been on teams like Alex's and she has been on teams not quite as intense, so I do know just a little bit about cheer and what goes on. I also know what it takes to be on a great team since my daughter's team, SoCal, just placed fourth at Worlds.

It was not my intent to bash other gyms, sorry if you took it that way. Maybe when you mature a little, you will not feel the need to bash me by saying "get over yourself."

I truly believe Alex learned a lot from his experience and will be a better person for it.

This topic could be debated forever and a day and then some.  We all want encourage our kids to work hard at cheer BUT put academics first.  When kids become young adults they have their own minds.  Yes, we still parent them but the need for us to be their personal cheerleaders lessens.  I said that to say that those kids had a choice.  I know of at least one person, probably more, who didn't think it was in their best interest to continue with those demands.  But the majority believed it was worth it to hang in.  I was on ProX the other day reading about young adults and their GPAs and I must say there are some stellar students out there who can handle more than we sometimes give them credit for.  

Also, I think that we need to recognize there is a HUGE difference between the middle of the pack and the leaders of the pack.  Like it or not the gyms who decide to fight for top 2 (or3) are gonna kick it into high gear.  What Alex described, I would venture to say, is definitely kicking it into high gear.  Many of you will disagree with what I'm saying, and that's understandable.  But please recognize that the days of old are gone.  Small gyms will live on, some will even boom to become future top dawgs, but some will remain small because thats what they want and thats what their patrons want...which is good because we all want choices. The point is that we all have choices to make.  If being part of a gym that accomplishes specific goals, such as higher placement in Worlds, is what the goal is then young adults will do what is required to make and stay on the team.  If thats not what they desire, then they will choose another one of these awesome gyms.  I doubt Alex's team is the only one who pushes that hard.

It's their choice.  Let's give them the benefit of the doubt.  This was a job well done. 

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Oldcheermom I think you are completely out of line here. I can say as a cheerleader from a different gym, we all feel the way this kid does. We all practice our booties off. My practices didint go until ten at night but they did go until nine. Sure, kids got sick. I am sure a lot athletes miss meals as well. I can tell you I certainly did. Eating right before practice can contribute a ton to the throwing up during. Also, I would be a little worried if my coaches didnt drive my team and push us as hard as they could. It sounds weird, but the coaches are just as much a part of the team as the athletes. And I think everyone at some point in time wants to beat their coach to the ground especially when they say "one more time" and we have already performed that trick what seems to be a million times. Get over yourself. As a parent you should be mature enough to not bash other gyms.

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I agree completely.

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As a mom I can understand where Oldcheermom is coming from. 5 nights a week for many hours a night interfears with school and other activities. I understand the need to win but at what cost? I do not want cheerleading to come before grades and other high school commitments. I think this is something the USASF should address as to how many hours a week is appropriate for practice. Congratulations CA on your amazing year but I hope you have not only good athletes but well rounded children at your gym.

 

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      not being negative in any way i am just puttin my opinion in, I am a freshman at San Diego State University, majoring in construction engineering, while paying for college myself. yes cheerleading interfered with alot of my activities especially while pledging a fraternity, but the cost? i think i answered my own question. if I've learned to be able to toss that stunt once more with sweat in my eye, land that standing full once more, with a swollen ankle, almost in tears of being so tired and in so much pain, then i think it might have helped me learn to stay up that extra hour at 4 in the morning studying for a midterm, or even go that extra mile to impress my boss, or possibly my employees. that would just be my opinion i know some people can agree or disagree. so you can judge me as a well rounded athlete with that, I know im not everyone but you asked what the cost was that i put myself through.

Alex, thank you for your response and for sharing about yourself. Many don't know, but admittance to San Diego State is not an easy thing. This year there were 62,000 applicants for 7,000 spaces available for incoming freshmen and transfer students. I'm sure it was just as tough to get in last year...congratulations Alex!! You have to have a high GPA and great SAT scores to even be considered. Hopefully, you will inspire others who are coming up behind you. You can be successful at the gym and at school!! Keep it up Alex!!

To compete for the joy on a coaches face....to the possible detriment of health and school, is NOT admirable.  This is cheer folks.  I personally would rather my child be healthy and happy than working her butt off to please an abusive coach.  But that's just me!  (been there, done that, bought the t-shirts, no thanks)

Anonymous wrote:

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To compete for the joy on a coaches face....to the possible detriment of health and school, is NOT admirable.  This is cheer folks.  I personally would rather my child be healthy and happy than working her butt off to please an abusive coach.  But that's just me!  (been there, done that, bought the t-shirts, no thanks)

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You seem to be missing Alex's point completely. You see, sweat, tears, bruises, injuries, late nights...all of those things were not done just to make his coaches his happy...His coaches were the ones that promised them that in the end their hard work would be worth it. That hard work, perseverance, commitment, sacrifice, and many other things would lead them to something greater than a World Championship...these life lessons would be something that they would hold onto for the rest of their lives. I posted in "Leaving One gym to Go to Another" a few months ago, and I truly believe that this is what cheerleading is all about:

Teaching your children values such as teamwork, commitment, perseverance, loyalty, hard work etc...are all invaluable tools to help make them successful adults...isnt that what cheerleading is about, providing them with lifelong tools? Honestly, what kind of career will your daughter get with a full? Its all of the things she had to learn and do to get that full that will help her in life. Be sure to keep things in perspective and to put some serious VALUE on what is truly important...The development of your children.

You see, when they finished that routine I can just imagine that all those kids were thinking, "Our coaches were right, they were right all along" that's why the tears in their coaches eyes meant so much...Besides, what better way to learn these lifelong values than learning them doing the sport you love.

Alex,
Your eloquent words speak volumes to coaches and athletes alike. Sometimes parents dont understand our love for this crazy sportBut it is obvious that it has helped you, an incredible young man, gain lifelong tools and values that will use for the rest of your life, and that you are already using. Unlike some peopleyou get it. You are wise beyond your years. Congratulations and good luck to you!



-- Edited by SummerYearRound at 15:24, 2008-05-04

ShawnVMiller wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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To compete for the joy on a coaches face....to the possible detriment of health and school, is NOT admirable.  This is cheer folks.  I personally would rather my child be healthy and happy than working her butt off to please an abusive coach.  But that's just me!  (been there, done that, bought the t-shirts, no thanks)

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Alex be happy you were able to trade your shirt in for a Medal..


-- Edited by ShawnVMiller at 16:31, 2008-05-04

-- Edited by ShawnVMiller at 16:31, 2008-05-04

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ahahaha shawn that was funny.

Anonymous wrote:

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Oldcheermom I think you are completely out of line here. I can say as a cheerleader from a different gym, we all feel the way this kid does. We all practice our booties off. My practices didint go until ten at night but they did go until nine. Sure, kids got sick. I am sure a lot athletes miss meals as well. I can tell you I certainly did. Eating right before practice can contribute a ton to the throwing up during. Also, I would be a little worried if my coaches didnt drive my team and push us as hard as they could. It sounds weird, but the coaches are just as much a part of the team as the athletes. And I think everyone at some point in time wants to beat their coach to the ground especially when they say "one more time" and we have already performed that trick what seems to be a million times. Get over yourself. As a parent you should be mature enough to not bash other gyms.

oldcheermom wrote:

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Quotes from Alex:
"when the same faces that drove your body into the ground 5 nights a week, for hours a day."

"these were the same faces that we wanted to beat to the ground when they said line it back up to the top while ppl were throwing up outside the gym doors at 10 at night."

"putting a year of life on hold for a cheerleading team. and Im not joking when I say putting it on hold. the miles we moved, the meals we missed, and the work we put in"


I'm sure these are heartfelt words from Alex, yet as a parent I have a question. I'm not ignorant nor naive to think our kids don't have to work hard at something to be good or win, but how far does it have to go? According to Alex, this was worth it to him to see the joy on his coaches' faces.


Another quote:
"the same faces that went miles, hours, and thousands of dollars out of their way for us to do what WE love."


This is a business, and that's what we pay the owners and coaches to do. How far they take it is their choice. I'm sure that "thousands of dollars" came from someone in the gym paying their bill.

I'm not trying to take away from Alex's post, but he brought up some interesting points, without probably even realizing it!

-- Edited by oldcheermom at 07:59, 2008-05-04

-- Edited by oldcheermom at 08:23, 2008-05-04

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Oldcheermom was in no way out of line but you are. As a parent she saw something of interest in Alex's post. PERIOD. For you to tell her to get over her self was not only rude but imature as well. She was not bashing Alex's gym  YOU and only YOU turned this post into the negative muck it has become.