Disqualified?!

So as I explained earlier, parent cheer teams "compete" in a "non-compete" division. That means that we are given scores, but no one knows what anyone else's score is, and at the awards ceremonies all the teams get a trophy, a "thanks for coming out" sort of thing.

Except in the Ontario Championships by Cheer Alliance this year, they didn't.

One of the teams was disqualified.

Until about two years ago, parent teams used to be scored and ranked like all the others, but this was changed because some teams were attempting stunts and tumbling sequences that event organizers feared were dangerous. Too much competitive drive, and people can get hurt. (Plus, as my coach last year said, "We're old We break easily.") Yes, we want to perform well, and push ourselves to improve, but after all, this is supposed to be fun.

For a time, the parent division followed Level 6 rules, in which almost, but not anything, goes. This has been changed, too, and the parent division now has its own set of rules about what stunts, etc. are and are not allowed. Again, to prevent injuries.

Our coaches this season told us months ago that they had received a letter from Cheer Alliance noting that they were now going to crack down on teams that knowingly performed illegal moves. (Such moves would be noted on the score sheet, so if you do it again, you are presumed to know that's what you're doing.)

Well, apparently someone did it anyway. And apparently they've been disqualified from competing for 18 months.

I suppose that some action had to be taken to show that they were serious. After all, what kind of an example is that parent team setting for their kids if they're flaunting the rules?

On the other hand, the coaches are really the ones responsible. I looked at the rules for the various levels, and although I've been cheering for two years now, I can't follow what it says, it's just too technical. I suspect that the same is true for the members of that team. And yet, it is the members of the team that are punished. Because, I bet, the coaches probably still have their jobs and, if that gym is like ours, are still coaching other teams, too.

If Cheer Alliance truly wants to give some teeth to their policy, hold the coaches responsible for their choreographic decisions; don't punish the athletes who truly can't be expected to know any better.