I Hope You Lose

“If losing didn’t hurt so bad, winning wouldn’t feel so good!”

***I initially wrote this message on February 24th, 2011, for my customers on the eve of NCA/NDA All-Star Nationals.  

Today is the day before check-in at our All-Star Nationals. I’ve been working feverishly for weeks at such a fast pace as the clock ticks down to the start of what will be Varsity All Star’s largest event this season and NCA’s largest event in our 63 year history. My ‘To Do’ list is far from done.  And shockingly enough, I’ve dropped everything to jot down these thoughts that I can’t get out of my head.

In preparing for this event, I’ve faced a lot of customers and potential customers with questions about why we do things the way we do and why we don’t do things the way they want us to. I’ve been told our decisions are ‘unfair’ more than once this month. As an Event Producer, it can be scary looking a customer in the eye and saying “I disagree with you and if that means I’ll never get your business, I’m gonna have to be OK with that.” Of course, I want EVERYONE at our events and I want everyone to be happy. But the truth is, you can’t be everything to everybody—so you need to be good at being who you are.

Luckily for me, who I am IS who my company is. When it comes to competitions, I believe in COMPETING. That statement sounds simple when positioned that way. Perhaps what I really mean is: when it comes to competitions, I believe in LOSING. So, I want to lose. I want my best friends to lose, I want my kids to lose and… I want you to lose.

When I look back on my childhood, adolescence, and even cheer coaching career, my defining moments weren’t moments of ultimate success. They were moments of ultimate disappointment. (Let me clarify, I had a wonderful childhood. I reread this paragraph and thought I sounded very Debbie Downer, but keep reading. I’ll explain…)

In 3rd grade, I got caught stealing Starbursts from 7-11. My parents made me walk up to the store manager and confess my criminal activity. Grounded. To my bed. An entire week.

In 8th grade, I went in on a scam with friends who came across a long distance access code that allowed me to call anyone in the country for FREE…until we received a phone bill one month for $700.

When I was 22, I had to break the news to my incredibly talented 3 time NCA National Champion team that this year’s title would not be going to us—but rather to the obviously less talented 2nd place team because one of our athletes (arguably) threw their head back too far in an arched cradle. What a minor detail to lose an important title over.

All of those moments HURT. They hurt BAD. But all of them helped me evolve into a better person. I haven’t stolen since 3rd grade. I learned in 8th grade that nothing in life is free. And as a coach, I always make sure my athletes’ technique is so flawless, it’ll never be questioned by a judge.

As an industry, we’ve lost sight of the value of the losses, of the competition, and of not winning. And when I say WE, I mean ALL OF US. We’ve all got that short term hunger to WIN. Event Producers want competitions in every saturated market because we want to be the biggest and win. Coaches won’t put an athlete without a standing back tuck on their Level 4 team because they want to win. Parents want to send their kids to a gym because they are known for winning.

Now, of course I’m speaking in generalities. And I’m using the extreme term of ‘WIN,” which could be replaced with the term “COMPETITIVE. “ We all want to be competitive at what we do. And being competitive means you have a shot at winning.

But what if we signed up for a competition to compete in a tough division, already knowing there wasn’t a chance in the world that we’d score higher than 20th place? What if we built our Senior Level 4 teams with athletes that DIDN’T have a standing back tuck, hoping that the other Level 4 teams would give our kids the push they needed to master new skills?

I’m so proud of our crew here at NCA and Varsity. We’ve had to make some tough decisions about divisions, registrations, and crossovers that, on paper, don’t translate to more business. But we’ve stuck by our philosophies that the most important part of a competition IS the competition. Because we stood by our philosophies, our event continues to grow.

It’ll be an interesting weekend. There are over 750 teams representing over 200 programs traveling to Dallas from more than 30 states and 3 countries with a dream of winning, with a chance of losing, but most certainly competing. If I had to guess, I would imagine that some teams are going to leave Dallas on Sunday disappointed with their placement and performance in Finals. That’s AWESOME. Disappointment will fuel self reflection, will increase determination and will motivate athletes to try harder at practice next week.

At the NCA/NDA Coaches Orientations, I’ve jokingly closed some of the sessions with the phrase, “ Good luck, Coaches. For my sake, I hope you ALL WIN this weekend.” Everyone chuckles and go about their day.

How about this year, I close it with “I hope you all lose.” Would that statement from NCA get us more teams? Probably not. But in some ways, I do hope you lose.

Above and beyond any other cheer event, I want NCA/NDA All-Star Nationals to be the pinnacle experience that teaches life lessons about success, failure, commitment, and dedication. If you want to take the easy path or win the easy title, this competition isn’t for you. But if you want to find out how much work you need to put in to be as good as the 1st place team, we might be the perfect fit.

Whether or not you’ll be competing with us in Dallas this weekend, we wish you well at your next competition. And If you don’t take home the title, be sure to leave the venue with that 3rd place trophy and a smile on your face knowing your athletes are the better because of it.

What are some interesting revelations about yourself or your team have you learned through the process of losing or NOT winning?  Share them with us and offer up your advice for teams dealing with 'post-competition' adversity.

Standardized Score Sheets

It seems that the time to start planning for next season begins earlier and earlier every year.  In the month of January, I had four coaches call to ask me for dates and prices for NEXT season because their tryout packet needs to be completed soon.  Tryout packet?  We JUST had tryouts? We JUST started Nationals season.  But in this competitive market, everybody wants to stay ahead of the 8 ball.

As event producers, next season’s preparations are in full swing.  Currently, we are dealing with making Score Sheet decisions. Varsity All Star has two years under its belt with the Varsity All Star Score Sheet (six years if you consider the fact that it was built, in a large part, off of NCA’s score sheet). It’s been interesting to speak with so many coaches.  EVERYBODY has an opinion on what the best Score Sheet looks like—we at Varsity Al l Star definitely have ours—and NO two opinions are the same.

One noticeable benefit of the standardized Score Sheet is the coaches training and understanding. While a coach may or may not agree that a Stunt Category should be worth 10% or that Motions/Dance should require Footwork and Floorwork, we all agree that All Star Cheerleading is slowly moving to a less chaotic environment where good cheerleading isn’t defined differently every single weekend. 

What does a perfect Score Sheet look like to you?  Do you want to know that by doing skills A, B, C, D, and E, your team is absolutely going to max out a category? Or do you find it refreshing to construct a creative and unique routine that doesn’t have the same parameters?  How important is stunting?  What would you change about deduction systems if you had a chance?

I’d like to start an honest discussion about Score Sheet preferences. I DO NOT want to turn this into “which company has the best Score Sheet?”  So, let’s leave names out of your responses (except for Varsity All Star, of course). 

If you were in charge of building the perfect Score Sheet, WHAT would it look like?

Join the Conversation and comment below.

2010: The Year Of "Is Cheerleading A Sport?"

There are many monumental occasions that I could remember to mark what was 2010 for me. I moved into a new condo, I watched BOTH of my brothers get married, and I attended 4 funerals of people and family members that I was incredibly close to. But on an a professional level, 2010 will also be remembered as "The Year of 'Is Cheerleading A Sport'."

Internally, we've always that discussion amongst friends. Athletes going home from practice, noting that the basketball team gets 'better locker rooms than we do' or how a teacher wouldn't excuse an absence for an all star cheerleading competition because 'it wasn't a school sport.'

Never before has that issue mattered, at least not legally, until the recent Connecticut court case. I won't go to the lengths of explaining that entire trial, except to note that the actual case at hand had nothing to do with all star cheerleading or what we as all star coaches, gym owners, event producers and athletes do during our well invested time with our teams. It had to do with Title IX standards and a specific squad's goal to be recognized by their university.

But to all of us, and to the media, it brought up a very legitimate issue. Is Cheerleading A Sport? There are a multitude of responses from the passionate "If what we're doing isn't a sport, then what's the point of even doing it?!!??" to "We aren't a sport yet, silly. We don't meet the proper criteria" to "Who cares if its a sport or not. It doesn't affect my life." Nobody's ever questioned whether or not cheerleading (and all-star cheerleading, more importantly) is athletic and cheerleaders are athletes.



Watch the video above and then I'd love for you to join the conversation below with your input: Is All Star Cheerleading A Sport? If so, why? And If not (and nobody will throw egg shells if you don't think so--I promise), why not? What technical elements of a legitimate sport do you think the current all star competition format is missing? What could we do as a community to earn the respect and legitimacy we want from society?

The best ideas are born by suggestions that are outside of the box. Well, take those outside the box ideas, and share them in our Join The Conversation Box below...

The Customer, The Service, The Appreciation

I recently sat down with a group of colleagues to discuss the upcoming Championship season. It’s important for us as Event Producers (just as it is for you, as Gym Owners) to be incredibly self-aware and brutally honest with ourselves when it comes to our Job Performance. Admitting a weakness (or ‘underdeveloped strength,’ as I like to refer to it) isn’t a sign of substandard performance. It’s a sign of maturity and honesty. If we went through life believing we were the best at EVERYTHING we did, then there would be no point in striving for perfection. I’m lucky to work alongside other individuals that value me for the employee I know I am and the employee I have yet to become.

If there’s one trait that I always felt came naturally to me, it would be my commitment to Customer Service and Appreciation. I truly appreciate every coach and gym owner that chooses one of my competitions for their schedule. Without them, I wouldn’t have a job or an opportunity to stay in the all star cheerleading world. The thought runs through my head constantly when talking to coaches on the phone, when setting up for NCA All-Star Nationals, and when interviewing teams for Varsity TV backstage.

One of my admitted ‘underdeveloped strengths’ though is the rapid pace at which I get things done when I’m excited or deep in thought. I walk fast, I talk fast, I think fast, and I eat fast. Some might say it makes me more efficient, but most others say it makes everyone around me nervous. It was brought to my attention that when I’m excited about work, I look at the ground, stare blankly at people, and say things that are indecipherable. Being ‘fast,’ isn’t customer friendly, at all.

I need to thank my coworkers for bringing this to my attention. I LOVE my customers, I APPRECIATE my customers. I THINK about them all the time. But do I tell them? No. I’m too busy being excited (and ‘fast’) that I don’t take the time to tell anyone ‘thanks’ for giving me a reason to be excited about my work.

I would imagine that many of you are in a similar situation right now. Teams are performing full-out during practice. Stress is mounting. Summer days are a thing of the past. Long gone are the days of practices ending early, squad socials, and staff retreats. The season is more stressful than ever.

But the truth is that Gym Owners appreciate that there’s even a reason to be busy. Being busy means there are kids in your program, there is a staff coaching on the floor, and there are families excited about competition season.

Have you been working so fast that you have forgotten to enjoy your job and share your enjoyment with those around you? I have. So, I’ve made it my goal this fall to not just THINK about Customer Appreciation, but to actually express it. At all events this season, I’m going to stop walking fast long enough to tell my Coaches and Gym Owners how much I appreciate their support. I’m also going to tell the staff at my events how much better my life is because they are good at what they do.

I challenge you to do the same at your gym this this month. Tomorrow night, don’t dodge the customers in the Parent Viewing Area with the difficult questions. Instead, stand in front of them and say ‘thanks’ for choosing your gym over the program down the street. And as you watch your coaches interact with their athletes, don’t just evaluate their ability to finish choreography by the deadline. Also be sure to praise them for their ability to motivate their athletes and get them excited for the season.

Consider that our Fall Challenge. We’ve always appreciated our customers, wanted what was best for them, and strived to offer the ultimate level of customer service. The only difference is that we are now going to actually express that sentiment out loud.

On that note… If I don’t get a chance to tell you in person this season (since I might walk by you at a competition, going 300 miles per hour with my head down), then let me say THANK YOU for choosing Varsity All Star and all of our brands this year. Thanks for the experiences you are bringing our young athletes. And thank you for giving me a reason to get excited about my job.

Welcome To My New Blog!

Coaches and Gym Owners,
Welcome to my new blog!  As Vice President of Varsity All Star, I'll bring you up-to-date information on the latest news, trends, issues and ideas in the world of all star cheerleading. 

Be sure to check out our new website.  Look for your All Star Advisor, build a schedule, and register for your entire Varsity schedule all in one location!! 

Check back regularly to see what's going on or feel free to send me an email at JCarrier@nationalspirit.com if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for all you do for your athletes, your parents and your gyms.  Everyone at Varsity All Star looks forward to an incredible 2010-2011 season. 

Cheers!!

Justin Carrier