Yesterday I attended a cheerleading competition in San Jose put on by an organization known as GSSA 1Spirit. It was the first time I’ve actually been spectating at an All Star competition in quite a while. I watched about seven hours of cheerleading and was quite impressed by some of the west coast teams, especially some of the tumbling which is not as strong back in CT.
I have one global comment that I need to make. We need to push cheerleading competition etiquette. Seriously people, we are all there to watch the sport, but I feel that people get so concerned with seeing their team compete, that they forget that there are tons of other parents, coaches and cheerleaders looking to watch the competition. Here are my general suggestions:
- If you are standing, check behind you to make sure you are not blocking anyone’s vision. It is best to stand in front of a post, or other physical barrier, or by the edges.
- If you are sitting, please don’t talk to your buddies during the routines, especially if there are people sitting around you. Moving to get closer to talk quietly can also affect the eyesight of the people behind you and cause them to readjust.
- Don’t get up from your seat in the middle of a routine. It is generally disrespectful to move during a routine. Routines are only 2:30 at the longest, please wait to move.
- Remember to clap at the end of every routine. We have our favorites, but everyone is putting forth effort to compete and they deserve some applause.
Okay, so the last one gets into a whole different argument, but I think these are a few simple rules that could really make a cheerleading competition more enjoyable for everyone.