It's been a while since my last post. I've been contemplating on changing what I use this blog for. Initially I thought it to be a great place to reflect on my daughter's interest in competitive and my lack there of. Then I thought to my self, would that make me an unsupportive mom? Why is competitive cheer so aversive for me? I mean my kid has been in it for 5 years now and she keeps moving up levels.  That should tell me something. Don't get me wrong, it does. It tells me she's pretty good at it and she has the knack for it. Her coaches have told me many times she's one of their best tumblers they've seen and for their gym...but who is to say they're just not saying that? I know, what a negative Nellie! This year, season, I decided it was time to buck up and fully accept the fact my kid loves cheer, if anything try to put myself in her shoes. Just like how I love running long distance, others say it's crazy nuts, why do it...my reply, because I love and it feels good.  This is what my kid tells me "I love it,"..so Ive bucked up...I told myself it doesn't mean becoming like "those" cheer moms...I told myself it's listening to my kid after her practice reflect on how her team is doing, listening to her vent when her body isn't cooperating (which as a runner, I can empathize), asking her questions when I don't understand a lick of what she just shared, understanding how formations & complex pyramids can earn them higher scores, what her stunt group needs to work on, etc., it's being in the moment with her. It does not mean getting in the way of her growth by asking her coaches why she isn't assigned a certain spot on the floor, why she's not getting enough tumbling passes, why this why that and how come? It also doesn't mean I need to be chummies with the other moms/dads but it doesn't also mean I can't be cordial with them.  So, I made up my mind, I was gonna step it up a bit, for my kid. I even started asking how they're judged... Only to regret it.. Now.

You know the saying, the more you know, you wish you didn't? Well, initially I felt proud of myself understanding how competitions are scored...when it's done correctly. When comp venue judges are real ones and have no connections with gym owners and/or coaches. I learned this year some of the reasons why competitive cheer can never be recognized as an actual sport..one of them, in my opinion, is due to judges biases & connections to owners/coaches...conflict of interest does not exist in these judges repertoire of ethics..shit..I mean shoot, I don't believe some of these judges know the meaning of ethics.

Here's a list of inconsistencies in competitive cheer that still makes me cringe when people ask me what my kid does, when I say, "I have to go now and take my kid to practice:"
1. Some gym owners help develop judge sheets for a venue that their own team will be competing at ad well
2. Just because of the gym's name/reputation, they're already ahead of any other team before even hitting the floor
3. Despite a fall, wobble, touch downs, as long as the gym has a reputation, judges just turn the other cheek
4. Gyms have athletes compete down, just to have a "strong" level team, the team should be a level 4, but can beat all other level 3 teams (athletes with little to no level 4 skills) to get better odds at a "paid bid."
5. Change athletes mid season, so that again the team has a better chance at winning, doesn't matter how that athlete feels being removed because her own coach believes she doesn't have what it takes to be on a "winning" team, even though they were chosen initially
6. Even though they should not be in a certain ranking because the team's routine was a hot mess, the coach does nothing to change it, because of their reputation, its almost as if it shouldn't be questioned/corrected (so they're telling g their athletes it's OK that the team was mediocre, you're still beating all the other teams, who they saw had a cleaner performance.

I could go on, but why? So since the season is finally over, I took this opportunity to talk with my kid about the sport, about her experience, how some comps her team scored higher than the rest, but "judges choice" went to another team, are just the facts of life.  Competitive cheer is like the real world, keep working hard, over come any adversities, you'll always be judged, outcomes doesn't always turn out as expected, and above all keep your chin up. I may still hate this sport, but the cup is half full, she's learning some life lessons.

This is the atypical cheer mom...peace out!