youbetterwork

I know everyone is really up-in-arms about the recent USASF rules changes. As a former FOUNDING member of the NACCC, I was very taken aback today by what happened. I have been on both sides of the rules process, and I can say firsthand that the process is not nearly as cut and dry as it seems. So many passionate people discussing the sport they love; the sport in which they make their living, can sometimes cause major drama – and can be a huge mess.
There are so many factors that come into the making of these rules: ER statistics, Insurance company suggestions, Risk Management Studies, Concussion studies, ACL/MCL statistics, etc. There have been several Concussion studies finished over the last year, and many injury reports that have pointed to standing tumbling and bounding skills as the primary cause for injury in our sport. These same statistics put our sport at the upper echelon of all sports in regards to injury.
I was totally unaware of these statistics until I was recently interviewed by a local news agency doing a story on cheerleading injury. Jim Lord sent me several studies that have been recently published. I consider myself very “in the know” regarding our sport, and very in touch with the rules. I was shocked at what I read. I had no idea about the staggering numbers regarding injury.
With that said, if the USASF board assessed this information and made a hard call decision based off of this information, I can try to make myself understand that this as a necessary evil.

However, I do have a few bones to pick. We went to DRASTIC measures to form the NACCC. We came together as a community, and put into motion the first group effort for the sport of all-star cheerleading. Then we were enveloped by the USASF, but only after agreeing to a democratic process in which rules would be changed/made.
I feel like today, everything I worked for in those early years was taken away from me. I worked for a transparent rules process. I worked for a democratic, idea driven process in which all gyms’ voices could be heard.
Today’s non-transparent announcement, by a select few in our industry, has made a mockery of our process. The process that we all believed in. The process, although it had it’s problems, and had it’s loopholes, was OUR process. Bring your issues to congress, vote on the issues, and clear it through the Safety Committee, and ultimately the Board of the USASF.
Today’s announcement started with the caboose.
I am in no way saying I don’t agree with the decisions made; but I vehemently disagree with the way in which these rules changes were determined.
I have given literally thousands of hours of my time, and lot’s of my personal monies to start the NACCC. It was a vision of several people, Elaine, Joelle, Victor, Kristen, and myself. Today that vision came to an end. It is no longer a community effort. There were decisions made today by a group of people that used their elected seats on the USASF board to push a secret agenda through, with no care or concern about the transparency of the process.
While I again say, “they are probably right in their message and may have made the right decisions for the betterment of our industry” – I on the other hand say “Shame on you. Shame on you for not including me and my fellow coaches on this decision. “
I do not know what will ultimately happen with these rules. I can only hope that the discussion regarding these changes was exhaustive. I hope that this was not a “fly-by-night” quickly thought-out decision.
I cancelled my room at Doral for the NACCC meeting. I will no longer be a part of the rules making process. I will no longer expend one more ounce of my energy on a process that is so wrapped up in bureaucratic tape that nothing ever seems what it is, and nothing can be taken at face value.
I will instead take this energy and give it back to my kids. I will find ways to fill this void in their skill set. I will find ways to be more creative, and try to stand out amongst my peers. And at the end of the day, we will not care who can do a standing full. There were no double fulls and standing fulls when I fell in love with this sport. There were no crop tops. I still fell in love with cheerleading anyway. If it can happen to me, it can happen to the next generation of cheerleaders, and I for one will make sure of it.

Amanda Olsson från GC Troops Warriors och Josephine Kalmlund från Gothenburg Cheer One Wildcats har svarat på några frågor. Båda två tävlar på söndag i senior avancerad!



Favoritmoment i cheerleading?
Amanda
Just nu är mitt favoritmoment stunt eftersom att man kan göra så sjukt mycket olika stunts och man kan utvecklas så himla mycket! Om man tänker efter så är det så häftigt, man jobbar tillsammans och om inte alla vill lika mycket funkar det inte. Det är så mycket teamwork i stunts och det gillar jag! Jag älskar hopp med för att man måste kämpa så mycket och för att man verkligen ser att övning ger färdighet. Alla moment är typ favoritmoment!

Josephine
Mitt favoritmonent är bygg och gymnastik. Man får alltid en kick av båda sakerna när man sätter något nytt som man kämpat med länge!

Har du något mål för det här cheerleadingåret?
Amanda
Mitt cheerleadingmål för detta året är och var även förra året är att våga köra lika avancerad gymnastik igen. Jag har haft en mentalblock nästan hela året, men nu är den sakta med säkert påväg bort så det känns bra! Det har varit väldigt frustrerande att inte "kunna" köra när jag vet att jag kan egentligen, så det är skönt att jag snart vågar köra samma längor som innan igen!

Josephine
Mitt mål inför detta cheeråret är att sätta hela programmet på tävling. Man kan sätta det hundra gånger om på träning men att kunna sätta det när det väl gäller. Mitt mer personliga mål är att sätta all min gympa på tävling!

Vad motiveras du av?
Amanda
Saker som motiverar mig till att bli bättre är först och främst alla amerikanska lag, speciellt WCSS!! Vi ska ju åka till USA för att tävla och ha kul så det ser jag fram emot himla mycket och det får mig att kämpa extra mycket! Vår tränare Fia bäääst och gör mig alltid motiverad och peppad! Sedan skulle jag aldrig varit motiverad om det inte vore för mina fina lagkamrater som alltid peppar och hjälper till!

Josephine
Jag tycker alltid att man får extra kraft när man ser tränarna hoppa/skrika när man sätter olika saker i programet eller när man peppar varandra i programmet. Man får även alltid extra motivation när man sätter något nytt eller sätter något klockrent!



Favoritdel i programmet?
Amanda
Min favoritdel i programmet är slutdansen, den är sist och man kan göra sitt allt och bara veta att man har satt allt i hela programmet! Det är nog den bästa känslan, att veta att man satt allt och så är bara dansen kvar, det känns typ som att man kan visa genom dansen hur man tycker det har gått. Sätter man allt får man en sån himla kick och man kan bara work it genom hela dansen!! Sen tycker jag att vår dans är såå snygg också så den är jätterolig att dansa!

Josephine
Stunt!

Vilket annat lag ser du mest fram emot att se under helgen?
Amanda
GCOs senior avancerade, har hört att de är grymma i år så det ska bli kul att se!

Josephine
Såklart ser man fram emot lagen man själv ska möta och så tycker jag det ska bli kul att se Malmö Kings!

Group Stunt Junior
1. GC Troops - Knights
2. Musketeers Funky Cheer - Junior Blue

Partner Stunt
1. GC Troops - Victor & Natalie
2. Musketeers Funky Cheer - Johannes & Josephine

Minior Nybörjare
1. Gothenburg Cheer One - Jags
2. Åmåls Drill Dans & Cheer - Lions
3. Musketeers Funky Cheer - Mini White
4. GC Troops - Strikers

Junior Nybörjare
1. Malmö Allstar Cheer - Lions
2. Gothenburg Cheer One - Sabres
3. GC Troops - Invaders
4. GF Nissaflickorna - Halmstad Cheerbullets

Senior Nybörjare
1. GC Troops - Hunters
2. AFF Skövde Dukes - Duchess
3. Gothenburg Cheer One - Pumas
4. Crocodiles AFC - Crocodiles
5. Malmö Allstar Cheer - Queens

Junior Fortsättning
1. Gothenburg Cheer One - Cats
2. GC Troops - Heroes
3. Malmö Allstar Cheer - Kings
4. Vänersborgs GF Pride Cheersquad - Panthers

Senior Fortsättning
1. Musketeers Funky Cheer - Senior Black
2. Vänersborg GF Pride Cheersquad - Patriots
3. Åmåls Drill Dans & Cheer - Allstars
4. Gothenburg Cheer One - Cougars

SENIOR GROUP STUNT COED
1. Tigers Overkill 244,5
2. Viqueens X 228,5
3. Pride 211,0
4. Seahawks 193,5
5. SCL Starburst 179,0
6. Wapz 165,5
7. Sharks 126,5

JUNIOR CHEER COED ELITE
1. SCL Shooting Star 247,5
2. Vq Unique 243, 5
3. Nidaros Nixies 208,5
4. NRC Tigers Bullets 181,5

SENIOR CHEER AF ELITE
1. Pink Diamonds 217
2. VCT 199
3. ECT Eagles Sky 194
4. SCL Super Star 187,5
4. Nidaros Nixies 187,5
6. NRC Tigers Bright 174,5
7. Hurricanes 164,0
8. Arctic Dynamite 161,5
9. Charmers Courageous 149,5
10. Midas 149,0
11. Pirates 148,0

JUNIOR GROUP STUNT COED
1. Nidaros Nixies 199,5
2. SCL Starlight 191,5
3. Viqueens Snip og Snap 169,5

JUNIOR CHEER ALL GIRL ELITE
1. Viqueens Incredible 265,5
2. NRC Tigers 245,0
3. Charmers Enchanted 229,5
4. Galaxy Gold 220,0
5. Silver Diamonds 190,5
6. Seahawks Sensation 161,5

SENIOR CHEER COED PREMIER
1. NRC Tigers 262,5
2. Viqueens Force 258,0
3. SCL Shining Star 248,0
4. Pride Pors 204,0
5. Seahawks All Stars 196,0
6. Sharks Energize 137,0

SENIOR CHEER AF PREMIER
1. Viqueens Spirit 250,0
2. NRC Tigers 199,5
3. Charmers All Stars 197,5
4. Viqueens Heat 176,0

SENIOR CHEER COED ELITE
1. Viqueens Rush 178,5
2. Black Diamonds 155,0
3. Cheer Evolution 153,5
4. TRC Sky HIgh 123,5

JUNIOR COED CHEER INTERMEDIATE
1. Viqueens Amazing 191,5
2. SCL Rising Star 172,0

JUNIOR GROUP STUNT ALL FEMALE
1. ECT Flying HIgher 247,5
2. Charmers Glorious 226,5
3. Galaxy Pearls 226,0
4. NRC Tigers Warriors 218,5
5. NIdaros Fighters 215,0
6. Viqueens Veu 212,5
7. Pride Hurricane 175,0
8. NRC Tigers Extreme 174,0
9. Galaxy Fierce 174,0
10. TRC Titanium 172,5
11. MCC LIghtning 167,0
12. Storm Eclipse 164,0
13. Storm Firework 163,5
14. Seahawks Varsity 161,0
15. Charmers Firework 155,5
16. Seahawks Dynamite 154,0
17. Cheer Evo Funsize 150,5
18. NIdaros Nixies Spotlight 145,0
19. HCT Angels Battery 143,0
20. Cheer Evo Kickers 142,0

PARTNER STUNT
1. NRC Tigers Fear 256,0
2. The Tiger and the Queen 218,5
3. Viqueens Lada 207,0
4. The Beauty And The Beast 197,0
5. Seahawks Energy 194,0
6. Viqueens Impact 190,5
7. Seahawks Explosion 176,0
8. SCL Karma 167,5
9. Pride Anonymous 165,0
10. Kitty and the Tomcat 164,0
11. Zero 161,5
12. SCL Fusion 124,0
13. Cheer Evo Poison 117,0

JUNIOR CHEER AF INTERMEDIATE
1. Galaxy Thunder 225,0
2. Storm Skylight 222,5
3. Pirates Dazzling Divas 220,0
4. ECT Eagles Fly 199,5
5. White Diamonds 194,0
6. Nidaros Nixies Stars 180,5
7. Charmers Delight 173,0
8. Wapz Extreme 172,5
9. MCC Raiders 162,5
10. Pride Paws 154,0
11. Vq Rookies 152,0
12. VCT Explosion Dynamite 150,0
13. HCT Angels 143,5
14. NRC Tigers Sparkle 129,0
15. Golden Diamonds 116,0

Let me tell you the story of a cheerleader by the name of Royce Tisdale. Royce isn’t a “cheerlebrity” or even part of a big name gym.

 

Royce Tisdale showed up to American Cheer Xtreme, or ACX, one day in summer during an open gym session. After coming to a few sessions, he started acquiring tumbling skills. I’m not talking about cartwheels and forward rolls, Royce was a pro at standing handsprings on the spring floor and was working his way towards tucks. One session, the owner of ACX, Randy, noticed Royce marking through routines on the cheer floor with headphones plugged into his ears. Royce wasn’t on a team, so the fact that he knew the concept of a routine was amazing to Randy. Randy approached Royce and asked him how he knew all of these routines. His answer was simple. He had learned them on Youtube. Royce knew routines such as Stingray Orange, Cheer Extreme Senior Elite, Cheer Athletics Cheetahs, and Maryland Twisters. In August, Randy asked Royce if he would like to become a part of ACX and cheer on a team. Royce gladly accepted. Royce cheered on the youth 2 team called y2k.

 

This past fall, Royce received some heart-crushing news. Royce had been diagnosed with cancer. The first question he asked the doctor wasn’t “How long do I have?”. It was “Can I still cheer?”. Doctors discouraged cheering during chemotherapy sessions as his body was already weak. Royce, a fighter, refused to stop. He told Randy not to find someone to replace him, as competition season was quickly approaching. Even through the chemotherapy, Royce went full-out at competitions and all practices. He made sure all of his doctors appointments didn’t coincide with cheerleading. If he did miss a practice, he either came earlier or stayed later the next practice to make up for it.

 

This past week was NCA Nationals in Dallas. Royce went with his Youth 3 team. Sadly, Royce didn’t win first place. One of his dreams was to get a NCA jacket. His dream came true. Paige from World Cup Shooting Stars gave up her NCA jacket and gave it to Royce. Royce’s dream came true because of Paige.

 

In my opinion, Royce and Paige deserve more recognition than Maddie from CEA or Gabi from Top Gun. Paige gave up her jacket not for the fame, but because she wanted Royce’s, a boy who may not live til next NCA, dream to come true. Those are two true cheerleaders in my eyes.