What do you think it says about a team...

cheermom · Veteran Member

What do you think it says about a team...

OC Mom · GURU

Ohhhhhh yeaaaaaa. seen and heard of this many times. Ugggg. I truly think it's to rack up championships and trophies. They THINK they are making the parents happy. And maybe in the beginning, they ARE. But these parents catch on. Eventually.

It could also be, to give the kids a way to perform without losing. But I truly believe that they learn more by losing, than by winning. Hey, I want my kid to win all the time but she wouldn't learn a thing. We are dealing with that right now with our Mini Advanced team. They won EVERYTHING last year. BUT they had NO competition! I tell ya, the parents were quite annoyed by the end of the season. And the kids were bored.......

Cheer411 · Senior Member

I've seen this before, as well. So SAD!

If the parents are cheer savy, those parents won't be back the next season. Parents are smarter than given credit for.

Winning is one thing, and when you don't have competition time and time again, where is the EXCITEMENT? Competitions just becomes routine and your teams become sloppy and individual team members just don't care.

However, it is sad to see that this is happening.

Does this happen at the National level as well? Does anyone know of a low attendance Nationals this season, where a team could claim a National title without ever competing against a single team?

As a parent it would be kinda hard to justify the cost of travel (especially air fare or even an overnight stay in a hotel) if my cheerleader had no competition.

cheerwatcher · GURU

This sort of thing happens too many times to count. Personally, I think its sad that gym owners do this! Why would you be proud to win against yourself? Its no fun and personally your not really true winners, mearly exhibition. I agree with cheer411 that all the traveling expenses and money spent means nothing if your son/daughter is going to competitions on a highly competitive level and having fun. Not necessarily winning!

I caught OC mom stating that her team changed divisions before a comp just because they had no compeition in their own division (youth level 4 to jr.4) I think that is terrific! It shows that these girls under 11 can go up against girls that are 14 and still pull off a 2nd place win! Great job girls, parents and staff of OC you guys should be proud! great way to set an example!

cheermom · Veteran Member

We have a team close to us that is KNOWN for doing this.

Not only do they go to comps with no competition, they are rude to everyone while they are there.

Sometimes, they almost make up categories to compete in, co-ed limited, international.. yadda yadda.

It is very sad, I just don't get how they are able to keep any cheerleaders. They also activly "recruit" cheerleaders from our gym and will let them cheer for free with them.. just to take them from us. SAD SAD.

I am just glad that our gym continues to take the high road with them.

cheerwatcher · GURU

cheermom wrote:

We have a team close to us that is KNOWN for doing this.

Not only do they go to comps with no competition, they are rude to everyone while they are there.

Sometimes, they almost make up categories to compete in, co-ed limited, international.. yadda yadda.

It is very sad, I just don't get how they are able to keep any cheerleaders. They also activly "recruit" cheerleaders from our gym and will let them cheer for free with them.. just to take them from us. SAD SAD.

I am just glad that our gym continues to take the high road with them.

Thats horrible! I'm sorry you guys have to go through that. Hopefully one day they'll learn that its no fun to win against yourselves. Good job to your team for being the bigger people =)

COmomof2 · Senior Member

Why do they do it? I have no clue.

We were with a gym the last couple years and that's what they did, All the time. We would compete level 3 and qualify for nationals, then compete level 2 and dominate and qualify for nationals. And then they would do the level 2 and 3 swap all year long. As a parent, It was very irritating.

And then double team one of my daughters, which was very hard on her, but because she had the skills (along with several other girls) were doing both jr and senior teams. Which my daughter loved, but i hated, and I thought should be against the rules, but its not.

This owner is with a different gym now and i've been told they are doing it there now as well. @@<--- that's me rolling my eyes. OH well. Why?.. I don't know.. But i would like to know the answer to that as well.

cheermom · Veteran Member

Oh you wouldn't believe the stuff we have to see and put up with from another local gym... ridiculous and pathetic at best.

We are lucky that we are with the gym we are with, they are so great and don't do any of "shady" championship chasing, level flipping or backhanded recruitment.

You are very luck to be with Cheer Odyssey as well from what I have seen of them at competitions both from a cheer and parental perspective. I hope you guys did good today at UC Davis.

pkb · Veteran Member

Just another thought....maybe the team is trying out new skills/stunts/etc. and having no competition enables them to go in and see if it works without the additional stress?

OC Mom · GURU

Very very good point. But that would only happen once, correct? They wouldn't try out a new stunt for an entire season. Yea, some gyms are trying out new things for their whole season. And that's what is sad.

COmomof2 · Senior Member

cheermom wrote:

Oh you wouldn't believe the stuff we have to see and put up with from another local gym... ridiculous and pathetic at best.

We are lucky that we are with the gym we are with, they are so great and don't do any of "shady" championship chasing, level flipping or backhanded recruitment.

You are very luck to be with Cheer Odyssey as well from what I have seen of them at competitions both from a cheer and parental perspective. I hope you guys did good today at UC Davis.

I know isn't it insane.. The gym we were with last year would take any recruits, especially male and have tuition free. Which was totally unfair to the rest of us that actually paid our fees.

I am very grateful that we ended up at CO. They are a great bunch!

Cheer411 · Senior Member

Oops! I posted this under the wrong thread. Gosh, I need a lesson on how to respond to message board. Do I Qoute or do I reply? Bare with me, l'll get the hang of it soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, it looks like I've answered my own question. The same company that hosted the regional competition (posted above) will be hosting probably the smallest National Competition out there.

Take a look:

http://www.thecoastalcorporation.com

This National Competition is so small that the host is having the cheer teams compete twice in one day just to make it look like the competition runs from at least 6 hours.

It's gotta cost the hosting company tons of money to run a competition in Hollywood. Honestly, I am so surprised that this event is not canceled.

Hey CheerWatcher - Cheer Power West coast? Is that the one competition that is held in San Diego?

cheerwatcher · GURU

Cheer411 wrote:

Oops! I posted this under the wrong thread. Gosh, I need a lesson on how to respond to message board. Do I Qoute or do I reply? Bare with me, l'll get the hang of it soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, it looks like I've answered my own question. The same company that hosted the regional competition (posted above) will be hosting probably the smallest National Competition out there.

Take a look:

http://www.thecoastalcorporation.com

This National Competition is so small that the host is having the cheer teams compete twice in one day just to make it look like the competition runs from at least 6 hours.

It's gotta cost the hosting company tons of money to run a competition in Hollywood. Honestly, I am so surprised that this event is not canceled.

Hey CheerWatcher - Cheer Power West coast? Is that the one competition that is held in San Diego?

HAHA its okay, it took us all awhile! hehe, But yes american cheer power is being held in san diego

Cheer411 · Senior Member

Oh Okay! Let us know how that competition works out for your team(s). I will be excited to hear about some new National event.

I am kinda getting tired of Disneyland. (I thought I would never say that.)

cheerwatcher · GURU

oh man, I hated disneyland!!! I went every year when i used to cheer and then our teams went .. oh man .. i know how you feel!

Pixie · Senior Member

Cheer411 wrote:

Oh Okay! Let us know how that competition works out for your team(s). I will be excited to hear about some new National event.

I am kinda getting tired of Disneyland. (I thought I would never say that.)

Tired of Diosneyland? How does that happen? I cannot comprehend!

COmomof2 · Senior Member

LOL..

I was getting tired of disneyland too.. But this is the 1st year since my girls started cheering 5 years ago that we wont be going.. I'm sort of depressed now :(

But we are going to do Hollywood.. so maybe we'll make a pit stop at good ol' Walt Disney.

my3grlz · Veteran Member

We're not going to Hollywood this year!! San Diego though!!

COmomof2 · Senior Member

my3grlz wrote:

We're not going to Hollywood this year!! San Diego though!!

You know what you are right.. now i'm even more depressed :(

OC Mom · GURU

We got bored of Disneyland too for a while there. So we took a year off. Well, now it's turned into 2 years and we are missing it.