Las Lomas is a non-competitive high school cheerleading team that has had many pyramids girls on it in the past, such as alyssa stubbs, and Mallory downing. Pyramids and cheergyms has helped many high school teams compete, I wanted to know why no-one has ever helped out Las Lomas and how we could get maybe Morton or Derrek or Danny to help out Las Lomas and make it the kind of squad that girls would want to represent and cheer on, please reply back ASAP.
Kathy, we would LOVE to help Las Lomas. In fact we have given the advisors and coaches information every year. They have just never taken us up on it. Usually it takes moms like youtself to step in and make it happen. Let us know if you need help. A meeting with the Vice Principle or whoever can give it support is usually the first step.
Las Lomas has current coaches and advisors that is why they have not hired pyramids to help them out. Pyramids does an awesome job for the local HS's. But havign been offered a position coaching for Las Lomas I know there not interested in competiting and or having pyramids help them out. You might want to mention this to your advisor if your interested. Mallorie Acalanes and Northgate Cheer Coach
One thing to remember is that Cheergyms is a "for profit" business. They do help schools but it is fee based. So parents will need to be willing to pay or the school willing to forego a staff advisor and use the stipend funds towards the cost. Most schools won't do this because of several reasons including liability to the school district.
So the ongoing struggle faced is keeping the school teams from being so expensive to participate that being on the team becomes exclusive to only those who can afford it. Advisors then have to deal with administrators who want the teams to be fully representative of the schools diverse enrollment.
If anyone has ideas on how to avoid these types of situations or how to make it affordable for a high school team to use the wonderful services of Cheergyms PLEASE DO POST IT!
There is a nonprofit organization associated with cheergyms that allows cheerleading families in contra costa to fundraise the money thru Giants, Pavilion, and 49ers. They have other fund raisers as well. I am a single mom and part of the CCACC. I have worked many games to pay for my daugther (now graduated from CV). She cheered all 4 yrs at CV and 2 at Pyramids. I paid a total of 600.00 out of paocket her last two years. I now have a son at Pyramids (2yrs) I have paid a total of 340. the rest has been raised working the venues. It is alot of work but worth what my children have gotten back from it. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the information about the Cheergyms nonprofit. Although sounds like the nonprofit only serves families in Contra Costa Area and Cheergyms has facilities and families all over the Bay Area. Is there something in progress for the other parts of the Bay Area?
Danny/Morton,
Might be a good idea to include such information on the website and in marketing materials for the TEAM Cheergyms programs as a selling point to get local schools to use Cheergyms services. I know many programs and students who could greatly benefit by the program and by materials that shows how the schools/teams can afford the cost. It is just so sad to see these talented kids suffer by the never ending rotation of staff advisors who know nothing about today's cheerleading.
The parents from Motions started the non-profit organization called BASE (Bay Area Spirit Enthusiasts). We are located in Santa Clara county and provide fundraising opportunities similar to CCACC.
This information is provided at tryouts and throughout the year to any Team Motions or Motions family and has been a factor for some families in joining the Cheergyms.com family.
We have CCACC to thank for laying the ground work for us.
Thanks for the information Terri. But my point was more of encouraging Cheergyms to give the information upfront and not after a team/family had to make the financial commitment to join the program. I suspect having ths information prior to making the decision would show many that there are vehicles to helping contain out of pocket costs. I suspect the posting of fundraising information for the college teams this year yielded a nice turnout at tryouts because these young adults could see upfront there was a way they could continue to do what they love without the financial burden that many of them already have.
I was also offered a position coaching at Las Lomas for the 2004 - 2005 season and I turned it down because their advisor will NOT let them compete, and I only wanted to coach a competitive team or start a team competeing, which is what I did. If you're truly interested in having a competitive team bring it to the advisor and administration. The admin. doesn't want competition there either, they believe it detracts from school spirit and activities. When I interviewed I was told that a competitive team could be set up separately from the school team and it would have to hold a second try-outs and be made up of those from all teams who made it. Hope this helps, but if it's something the girls want the parents should probably bring it up. -Erin Fairfield High School Cheer Pyramids College All-Girl Team
