Boredom? no life? sour grapes? who knows! we left a gym that was always talking smack about another gym. Gets old really fast. Found a new gym no smack talking allowed. End of problem.

Every "sport" has drama, with that being said, that means cheer is finally being recognized as a competitive sport and not just cute girls in skirts.

Also, if Team A is talking about you, it only means you're a threat to them.  If they can't beat you on the mat, they try to tear you down on message boards.  You know you did well at a competition if you're the topic of discussion on the boards the following day!!!

Disclaimer: My opinions are not representative of my gym. Please do not read with sarcasm or insult against any individual or against any gym.

Some of the smack talking is a little on the obsurd side. It always seems to be directed at the same few gyms. Some rivalries, feuds, grudges will never go away. I think everyone needs to recongize that there is no perfect gym and there are no perfect people. Each gym offers something different and its up to the family to figure out what it is they are looking for. Sure, there are going to be gyms that rank higher than others and in many cases the likelihood of Gym A beating Gym B is probably slim to none. About 1% of west coast teams (these are my own little estimated perecetnages) are on another level all together, maybe another 3% are on the cusp of making it happen but constantly have hurdles to get over that stand between them and claiming their desired place and rank amongst the real contenders, maybe another 10% fall in the middle meaning they are good in their own right and pull off many wins but know exactly what their boundaries are (they don't go callin out the big dawgs from the front porch lol), and the rest accept who/what they are and make the best of it. They struggle and may worry from season to season behind the scenes but manage to keep it light and fun for their kids and families - and there's not a darn thing wrong with that for those families who choose to be there. (Again, no sarcasm or insults intended.) That's fine for some but for others - notsomuch. We are, afterall, talking about a sport that costs thousands of dollars. And then on top of those standard thousands, the more successful the gym, the more you pay, pointblankperiod. Sad but true.

I said all of that to say if you are fortunate enough to belong to a gym that can boast of win upon win, then hats off to you. Who doesn't want that? But that alone should be the source of your satisfaction. To belittle, insult, ridicule (even in that oh-so-common "between the lines" sort of way ), just to put a feather in your cap makes you look bad. Especially when you do it under the guise of an anonymous name. What if everyone had to identify the gym they were from every time they posted something nasty? That would be interesting and still might not make a few truly bold people be quiet. But those opinions might be better respected and/or would give many a reason to "think" before they post. I have the utmost respect for those who identify their gyms and still give opinions on here. But rarely will you see them goin off on a tangent about things. Their words are chosen wisely, whether we agree with them or not. The people who keep it nasty won't likely identify themselves in that way though and really don't have to on the Anonymous boards. So let's be frank about what we can expect to happen. (Yes, I'm going somewhere with all of my run on sentences Lol) The reality is this...All Star cheer is more competitve than ever. I love this sport! Yes, the garbage that comes along with it can be annoying when the attack is intended to be a daggar moreso than a comment for discussion. But face it ..in any "real" sport this is exactly how it goes does down. Huge rivalries...smack talking...rumors ... spying... recruiting...great sportsmanship...poor sportsmanship...upsets! It comes with the terriotory. Go on a few football or basketball message boards. Talk about insane! They go head to head justifying and debating why Team A is always gonna woop on Team B. LOL I'm not saying it's ok for a haters to blurt out whatever comes to their mind, particularly when the attack seems to single out kids. I'm saying that maybe we're getting what we've all been asking for, along with some tidbits that no one considered would be part of the package. We wanted AS Cheer to be treated like a sport and so, I think, we have arrived. I do have pretty thick skin so not all of the comments bug me as badly as they do others. But I also think I'm in the minority . Unfortunately, a good majority buy into a lot of the hype and jump on bandwagons, speaking of things they know nothing about when they should really sit back and wait for the real show on the mat. For the sane people in this, especially new people (I feel for you, I really do), this isn't going any where any time soon. You can make an impact by leading by example and not participating in the bafoonary that goes on. Otherwise, I find that a mature approach to calm the storm usually works and I let the rest roll off your back.

I wish I had a crystal ball so I could see where all of us will be in 5 or 10 years (still able to pay for cheer I hope). I say take it to the mat. If your placement isn't what you were looking for, go back to the gym and work harder. If your gym isn't putting out the kind of teams that you desire to be part of then talk to your owners, don't just flee. If that doesn't work out for you then exercise other options and compare for yourselves. (Recongize that you should always leave that door open, so the manner in which you leave should be kept in check, if you know what I mean.) We can't all belong to the same gym people. That won't work, as appealing as it may seem!

Let's go out there and compete, team against team and may the best team win. (Notice, I said team cause there is no gym who's teams are all placing 1st Every single time they compete.) Personnally, I'm looking forward to some upsets this season. That's the most thrilling kind of competition for me. If it doesn't happen this time, maybe next time. That's what sport participation is all about. Oh, one last thing. Sometimes you have to ignore ignorance. By that I mean, it we give honest opinions but state them in a non-derogatory way (is that a word?) then the rest of us should be able to respect and live with that, as long as it's based on fact. Enjoy this sport for what it is and will continue to be - competitive! Ignore what needs to be ignored. Use the season to prove people wrong and shut the haters down, whether it be through a win, a strong performance, or the continued growth of respect and admiration from those that DO matter.

Okay, I'm done preachin to the choir. LOL

With all sincerity, I wish the Best of Luck to each and every gym/team/athlete/and family this season. May you all put your absolute best on the floor and enjoy greater successes than each has in the past. ;0)

I agree with cheermom12. I might also add that sometimes parents will smack talk because they are not really aware of what their team is doing on the scoresheet. If what they are hearing is "the judges like that team better" from coaches, owners , whoever then they are going to assume they are the underdog because somebody likes gym A better. If they saw the scoresheet and understood that gym A is maxing out the scoresheet and their gym is not it might not come as such a surprise when they don't place as well. If each gym focused on themselves and what they are putting on the floor and there was no talk or whatever about another gym I think the smack would dwindle. But this is strictly based on what I have observed and my humble opinion. I hope every team goes out and does there best, recognizes that it is their best and hold their heads high for a job well done. The joy of cheer is every competition is a new day and a new chance to do your best.

Very Well Said CHEERMOM12 !  Thank you