In the news: 11 year old kicked off of cheerleading team for not straightening hair

[turtlelover]

I found this interesting. Why hair conformity is so important to so many people, even for an 11 year old, is beyond me!

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/08/11-year-old-girl-allegedly-kicked-off-cheerleading-team/21261009/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058&intcmp=hplnws (http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/08/11-year-old-girl-allegedly-kicked-off-cheerleading-team/21261009/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058&intcmp=hplnws)

[RoseofCimarron]

I know it sounds crazy, but where I come from this would be the norm for certain group sports and activities. When I was 13-14 and in a middle school choir, we all had to have the exact same shoes or we would not be allowed onstage for that performance or the one after. When I was in drill team/cheerleading the year after, a girl had to have extensions put in so that her hair could be braided like the rest of the team's, and another girl had to have her hair dyed-over with spray-on dye at the last minute because her hair color did not look natural enough for the judges. We all had to wear matching makeup, and we were threatened with not being allowed to compete and being suspended from the team if we tried to wear our own makeup instead of the team's makeup. The importance placed on uniformity goes all the way up into professional groups, like my town's symphony choir (they all have to wear robes that match exactly and no distracting accessories).

I'm having mixed thoughts on this issue. While I think that it is a bit extreme to kick a girl off of a team just because she doesn't want to straighten her hair, the girl was not complying with the rules of the team. Usually when a person does not comply with the rules, they can't be on the team. For example, I knew a guy in high school that was an exceptional football player. He was scouted by a local college with a high-ranking football program, but they told him to lose 15 lbs, get his grades up, and work harder in practice. He did the exact opposite (gained 30lbs, grades plummeted, and he slacked off in practice because he thought his future was set) and they cut him from the team. The only reason I can see that it was mandatory that these girls have the same hair was because they were going to a competition, and in cheerleading competitions, uniformity of the group is judged for points and it can make or break a team's chance of winning an award. I think that the uniformity rules are ridiculous and outdated especially in this case where the cheerleaders are only 11 years old, and I don't think she should have been cut from the team, but I do think that they (the mother and 11-year-old girl) are in the wrong in this situation for not cooperating with team rules. I think that since she is off of this team, she should try to go and find another team that will allow her to not straighten her hair, and win tons of competitions with them! :)

She does have gorgeous hair, though!

[QuirkyCorky]

Oh my god, I would go ballistic if they treated my child this way!

[daniibee]

Oh my god, I would go ballistic if they treated my child this way!
Its no wonder. These are harsh people

[QuirkyCorky]

What do you mean? I'm an Aussie with no experience of the cheerleading world

[parkmikii]

I understand having matching clothes and shoes and such in a team but having the exact same hair is bothering :/
It's just like if she had long hair she'd have to cut it because it doesn't match? This really is rather exaggerated from those people. This is one of the reasons that I don't even want to finish my school yet to work in an office, maybe they won't employ me after the interview not because of the skills but because I can't exactly have a professional hairstyle, these requirement are really bad. I mean, I thought that skills matter, not looks, maybe someone looks perfect from the top to bottom but has no idea about their work.
It's just sad in my opinion.

[Sweets]

I read this article as well, and I think that it's a shame. Good for her for not bowing down - I hope that she joins another team and proves that it's not about having straight hair! I think that the industry is flawed and we shouldn't, as a people, demand uniformity out of something so trivial as hair texture. We are not all the same, so why should uniformity be demanded out of appearance? How about technical mastery of the art we are performing in? Cheering skills instead of hair-doing skills? She has amazing hair, and I felt like it was discriminatory to kick her off (being a straight-haired girl myself).

[QuirkyCorky]

I agree. Just like I don't think it'd be acceptable to not allow a 'mismatching' skin colour. Also, hair straighteners damage hair and I would not allow my kids to do it. Do they expect them to do it at home or onsite? If it was at home, I wouldn't allow that because we have banned heating irons in our home

[restless]

I did not click the link, but my spontaneous thought to these kind of things is: :bs:

Its beyond me why hair texture would matter in a competition as I always thought cheerleading was about skills in dancing/gymnastics and not ones appearance. In what possible way would the look of her hair change their awesome (?) performance?

I hope she and her wavy/wurly/curly hair joins an opposing team and kick their sorry @$$es in the competition :twisted:

[QuirkyCorky]

Me too, restless!

[Entangled]

I'm with you, RoseofCimarron. While I'm not the hugest one on conformity, the article makes it clear (to me) that it's not just about hair. They proposed solutions, and only said it must be straightened for performance days, but that was unacceptable and the mom and the team weren't able to find compromise. Seeing as these are eleven year olds, I can see why they would focus just as much on having an agreeable team ( and parents, because at this age they work with parents a lot and don't want drama), and it sounds like this clash, for better or for worse, put a negative mark on the girl's record.

As for straightening or curling hair, I know my high school's dance team isn't allowed to have straight hair. It must be curled. Even if your hair is naturally curly, you must curl it or have it very neat if it's naturally curly in any way other than barrel-ironed shaped curls. There is prescribed makeup for the team, and if you're not willing to follow the strict uniformity standards, you will get demerits and eventually be cut, as for a performing team that relies on uniformity to be convincing in competition, even a little distraction can put you down in rating. Now, I don't know how serious this team is, and that matters. I know Texas cheerleading teams can be very competitive, even at this age. So I think there's also a lot of context that could be missing. I would just keep in mind the word "allegedly" in the title.

[MandyBeth]

It's a private organization who is paid to have competition grade cheer programs. It's not public school. The uniform appearance for competitions is not odd. 11 is also a grade change and while the less strict appearance uniformity may have been ok in younger age competition, hitting the junior high/middle school age is going to get fussy on appearance.

95% of the hair debates on children involve private groups/schools. If you're so opposed to such requirements for your child - don't send them to the private school or cheer program or whatever. If you read the contract, the requirements won't be a shock. If you don't read the contract, why are you signing it?

[Stray_mind]

Pshhh, why don't they also dye their hair the same color on competition days? That's ridiculous. I get the uniforms and all, but the hair? Same hairstyle should be enough i think. Why should a girl fry her hair for some competition points. If they told me to do it, i would leave the team myself.

[embee]

The article at the link would not load for me, just kept collapsing and restarting.... so ....

If you sign up for something like that, well, you signed up for it. Not like cheerleading is required, it is a choice. At least, that's my understanding. Competitions are odd things, riddled through and through with rules and best-practices. Sometimes appearance counts for a whole lot, other times it's mostly skill. This is a group endeavour, not an individual one.

[hennalonghair]

THEY don't want the negativity !!!:shrug:
What a total oxymoronic statement THAT is.
Holy smokes I would have flipped:rant:
These girls are at an impressionable age where we should be teaching them to embrace themselves but instead , do THIS to them?
I think it's disgusting ! :shake:

[lapushka]

It's a private organization who is paid to have competition grade cheer programs. It's not public school. The uniform appearance for competitions is not odd. 11 is also a grade change and while the less strict appearance uniformity may have been ok in younger age competition, hitting the junior high/middle school age is going to get fussy on appearance.

95% of the hair debates on children involve private groups/schools. If you're so opposed to such requirements for your child - don't send them to the private school or cheer program or whatever. If you read the contract, the requirements won't be a shock. If you don't read the contract, why are you signing it?

Very good point! :)

[Angela_Rose]

That's a stupid rule, but you know what? Kids today are taught that no matter what the rules are, if somebody whines hard enough, the rules can be bent for every special little snowflake.
I'm all for individuality, but if you cannot follow the rules, then go away. I've done a lot of stuff that requires a uniform look- school bands, different choruses/choirs, even my current job requires me to look like everybody else in a three piece suit even though I'd love to wear a long skirt rather than pants- and you know what? Put up with it or leave.

[chrissy-b]

I agree. Just like I don't think it'd be acceptable to not allow a 'mismatching' skin colour. Also, hair straighteners damage hair and I would not allow my kids to do it. Do they expect them to do it at home or onsite? If it was at home, I wouldn't allow that because we have banned heating irons in our home

It's not acceptable to discriminate based on skin color but this is hardly the same thing. It was a style choice for a competition.

Don't you think it's a little hypocritical to admonish the style choice of this cheer squad for a competition simply because it's not a style you choose? You have "banned" hearing irons entirely and they have "banned" straight hair for this one competition. Not everyone is as anti-heat styling as we are here on this site and I hardly think flat ironing your hair one time is going to ruin her hair completely forever.

I have to agree with others who have said that if you don't want to adhere to the rules (however silly or outdated they seem), you shouldn't be on the team. I was a ballerina for years and got traction alopecia from pulling my hair back so tight in the mandatory buns for so many years. My hair grew back just fine and it was a small price to pay to do something I loved.

[lapushka]

That's a stupid rule, but you know what? Kids today are taught that no matter what the rules are, if somebody whines hard enough, the rules can be bent for every special little snowflake.
I'm all for individuality, but if you cannot follow the rules, then go away. I've done a lot of stuff that requires a uniform look- school bands, different choruses/choirs, even my current job requires me to look like everybody else in a three piece suit even though I'd love to wear a long skirt rather than pants- and you know what? Put up with it or leave.

Totally agree with this! :D

[truepeacenik]

It's a private organization who is paid to have competition grade cheer programs. It's not public school. The uniform appearance for competitions is not odd. 11 is also a grade change and while the less strict appearance uniformity may have been ok in younger age competition, hitting the junior high/middle school age is going to get fussy on appearance.

95% of the hair debates on children involve private groups/schools. If you're so opposed to such requirements for your child - don't send them to the private school or cheer program or whatever. If you read the contract, the requirements won't be a shock. If you don't read the contract, why are you signing it?

100 percent this.

I notice many of these issues are coming from more wealthy socioeconomic groups, or at lest things usually attributed to higher income. Sure, kids get some private school scholarships, and perhaps a better education is worth wearing a uniform.
When it comes to cheer teams, there are rules. As long as those aren't designed to make everyone try to look like a paricular ethnicity, follow rules you agree to follow.
Be a person of your word.

[chen bao jun]

Cheerleading is a funny 'sport'.

My sisiter was an excellent athlete but at her school was told she couldn't be a cheerleader because she was too light-skinned. It was a black school and all the other cheerleaders were what you might call 'regular black people color' in the range of browns around milk chocolate color. My sister looked very pale compared to everyone on the squad and did stick out, but I'm sure that was not the whole reason; I'm sure they were reacting to the fact that just a few years before this happened, in a black school, the whole team would have been fair like my sister and blacker (average) girls would have been banned. They were clearly all very threatened at the thought of allowing any light-skinned girls on the teams, as if it would roll the clock back to former days (when my sister was a baby so clearly not responsible for what used to happen then--and of course they would have been babies too). What was especially bad was that they were quite hostile and unnecessarily nasty to my sister, as well as shutting her out.

This was openly told to my sister and to other girls with similar looks, so there is no doubt at all about it. Nowadays, it would be covered up and some other excuse given, I'm sure. I don't know what would have happened if my sister had complained to the authorities (the adults). She felt it was not worth it--that she might get on the team by reporting it but that those girls would make her life miserable not only on the team but in school in general, behind the backs of the adults, who of course never really can tell what the kids are up to, if they stick together and lie enough.

They gave her quite a taste of the nastiness (bullying) that they were capable of, during the period when they were supposed to be trying out, before she dropped out of the trials.

She was allowed to be a 'booster', which at that school meant the girls who could cheer but did the basic steps, not the spectacular stuff, and who were kept in the background and in the sidelines.

There can be all kinds of things going on behind the scenes when you read something like this, that you don't know and will never know. In my sister's case, as I just said, adults weren't involved, but cheerleading squads can have some VERY toxic mothers involved, with all kinds of personal issues and competitiveness that can sink to levels you wouldn't believe. It's similar to the beauty pageant culture, and the child beauty pageant culture, in some parts of the US--toxic and poisonous and PERSONAL. I'd be surprised if this was simply about curls, just like the whole thing with my sister was not really about the girls matching and looking uniform in skin color.

[cat11]

I did not click the link, but my spontaneous thought to these kind of things is: :bs:

Its beyond me why hair texture would matter in a competition as I always thought cheerleading was about skills in dancing/gymnastics and not ones appearance. In what possible way would the look of her hair change their awesome (?) performance?

I hope she and her wavy/wurly/curly hair joins an opposing team and kick their sorry @$$es in the competition :twisted:

ditto. the conformity involved with cheerleading is a big reason for a lot of people to stay away from it. It's a strong reason why I would stay away for it, even though I otherwise would be interested in the gymnastics and teamwork aspects of it.

Chen Bao Jun that is a horrible story.... like how dare they tell your sister that.

[jt623]

Are all of the football player's hair the same? When did hair start hanging outside of the helmet? Cheerleading is not a a sport, but they do both require a
uniform. Cheers are nice, but statistically it makes no difference in the overall score of the team.

[fairy_hair]

I understand having matching clothes and shoes and such in a team but having the exact same hair is bothering :/
It's just like if she had long hair she'd have to cut it because it doesn't match? This really is rather exaggerated from those people. This is one of the reasons that I don't even want to finish my school yet to work in an office, maybe they won't employ me after the interview not because of the skills but because I can't exactly have a professional hairstyle, these requirement are really bad. I mean, I thought that skills matter, not looks, maybe someone looks perfect from the top to bottom but has no idea about their work.
It's just sad in my opinion.

I agree with you that hair is something that shouldn't need changing in this situation. I see hair as another arm or leg, not like a piece of changeable clothing. I don't get what you meant when you said that long-hairs can't have a professional hairstyle for the office though! The most tidy and professional hairstyle I can think of is a bun - especially a neat stick bun! In my opinion, someone who wears their well-groomed, shoulder length hair down to the office isn't as 'professional office'-looking as someone with a sleek bun. :)

[Entangled]

Are all of the football player's hair the same? When did hair start hanging outside of the helmet? Cheerleading is not a a sport, but they do both require a
uniform. Cheers are nice, but statistically it makes no difference in the overall score of the team.
A lot of cheerleading these days and at this age is not actually about cheering on a team. That happens, and if you are a professional one, you do, but a lot of the stuff they do is a hybrid of dance and gymnastics. It's not really about cheering on a team. That's why you can see a gym with its own cheer team, even without a sport to cheer one. There can be a difference between cheer the sport (with private teams an competitions and such) and cheerleading in regards to inciting audience support. The dress code makes me think it's probably the former.

[lunalocks]

Personally, I would not want to be part of a group that had this outrageous requirement.

[jt623]

A lot of cheerleading these days and at this age is not actually about cheering on a team. That happens, and if you are a professional one, you do, but a lot of the stuff they do is a hybrid of dance and gymnastics. It's not really about cheering on a team. That's why you can see a gym with its own cheer team, even without a sport to cheer one. There can be a difference between cheer the sport (with private teams an competitions and such) and cheerleading in regards to inciting audience support. The dress code makes me think it's probably the former.

Last weekend , there was a wrestling match at my gym. YAY!

[teddygirl]

I have a feeling there is more to this story. It says that they tried to come to a compromise, but couldn't. To ME (total specuation) it sounds like this mother is hell to deal with. They probably gave alternatives and the mother turned each of them down. It says nothing that she actually tried to compromise.

Anyways, I get that there are uniforms. If you don't want to wear the uniform, then you get fired. I don't think hair should be considered part of a uniform though. She could have just braided it and no one would know its curly.

[Entangled]

Last weekend , there was a wrestling match at my gym. YAY!

When I said gym, I was thinking more along the lines of the local Maverick that's more into tumbling and such.:p

[diddiedaisy]

In my humble opinion I think that if you join a group/team and they stipulate when you join the rules and regulations of how you need to wear your hair at certain times eg competitions, then you should adhere to them. If you don't like the rules, then join a different team. You wouldn't moan to the Royal Ballet Company about buns would you?

[jeanniet]

This is just how competition cheer is. The conformity of look is part of the package, and everyone on the team knows it. Some teams are really serious business--it's possible to get college scholarships out of it--and if you sign on to a team, you're agreeing to abide by the rules. I find it really hard to believe they were hit with this out of the blue. I wouldn't want my kid to have to straighten her hair, but if she wanted to cheer I'd make sure she understood what that entailed before she signed on.

ETA: Cheer is absolutely a sport, and a very athletic and pretty dangerous one at that. I know someone with two kids who started around this age and now cheer at the college level, and they've had numerous injuries including broken bones and concussions. Doing acrobatics is no joke!

[Ingrid]

In my humble opinion I think that if you join a group/team and they stipulate when you join the rules and regulations of how you need to wear your hair at certain times eg competitions, then you should adhere to them. If you don't like the rules, then join a different team. You wouldn't moan to the Royal Ballet Company about buns would you?

:lol: Good one! It's not just dress code though, it's so that people don't whip themselves (or each other) in the face whilst doing pirouettes :laugh:

[Arete]

That's a stupid rule, but you know what? Kids today are taught that no matter what the rules are, if somebody whines hard enough, the rules can be bent for every special little snowflake.
I'm all for individuality, but if you cannot follow the rules, then go away. I've done a lot of stuff that requires a uniform look- school bands, different choruses/choirs, even my current job requires me to look like everybody else in a three piece suit even though I'd love to wear a long skirt rather than pants- and you know what? Put up with it or leave.

THIS. Sometimes, uniformity is an important aspect to something. All star is intense, and having the "everyone looks the same" deal going on is part of that. I showed horses, and there were all sorts of "silly" requirements based off of tradition and such, but I did it because it was part of the sport, and honestly, the tradition reasons behind a lot of it are pretty neat.
In sports where presentation is a part of the deal, there are also "trends" and you need to stay on top. If everyone is having completely uniform hair, and that's what's making or breaking top spots, then you have uniform hair. Not all trends are to be followed (some can be dangerous), but the harmless ones sometimes have to be out of necessity in these types of sports because one does not want to stick out in a bad way.
I ended up switching disciplines myself because I was sick of how much the "looks" played into (down to having a horse in the "wrong" color). Some people don't mind putting up with it, some love it, but it wasn't for me.

If not straightening her hair is more important than competitions, then that's their choice. I'm sure there's a team out there that doesn't require uniform hair. Though her mom bringing this to the news has probably hurt her daughter's chances of getting on another team as it just gives them a reputation for "drama." Sucks when the kids have the bear the burnt of their parents choices.

[natural_shine]

Teenagers tend to be very stupid socially-wise, no offence to any teen, I was a teen too.

the smart ones are almost always outsiders.

you stand for something diffrent than the rest of the flock, you're excluded. Congratulations are in order.

[rhosyn_du]

I'm curious what they even expected straightening her hair would accomplish. My hair isn't even that curly, but the second I start sweating, any straightening I've done is out the window and I've got a huge curl-halo. I don't see how a true curly could have straight hair while cheering unless it were chemically straightened.

[chantecler]

I'm curious what they even expected straightening her hair would accomplish. My hair isn't even that curly, but the second I start sweating, any straightening I've done is out the window and I've got a huge curl-halo. I don't see how a true curly could have straight hair while cheering unless it were chemically straightened.

My best friend has been in a cheerleading team for years, and the secret is hairspray. MORE hairspray. No matter the hair texture you have, it has to stay in place. She used to come back from competitions and joke that her hair crunched when she poked at it, it was like a helmet.

Honnestly, I don't see why this is such a big issue. Even when I was in a children's choir we had to have all our hair braided in approximatively the same style so it looked better on stage. Cheerleading is a very appearance-based sport, as is dance and gymnastics, and there are uniformity rules on everything from makeup to nail polish, to shoes, etc. Why not on hair? Another thing is, the girl says in the video that her hair was "half curly, half wavy and the other half was straightish". I don't see a problem with that, but it doesn't sound like it looked neat at all.

The only real point here though, is that she is said to have been kicked off of the team for negativity. Now, think about why we are even discussing this story. Her mom actually went to the media with that, can you imagine how she could be a hard to deal with person?

[RoseofCimarron]

:lol: Good one! It's not just dress code though, it's so that people don't whip themselves (or each other) in the face whilst doing pirouettes :laugh:

Haha, this brings back memories! My childhood ballet teacher would require us all to wear buns for that exact reason (yet she always wore a long ponytail) and if they didn't stay put she would make 'em stay put! :laugh:

[Colochita]

I understand that in some of these kinds of sports to be taken seriously the girls have to all look 'uniform'.

But I can't help wondering, like someone else stated, what they expected when she straightened her hair. And by extension, if she hadn't had just curly, but kinky hair, would she not be allowed to cheer at her school at all? It's really hard to straighten kinky hair and keep it straight - harder than just adding hairspray. There's no real way to do it outside of chemically straightening it or changing the texture otherwise. Would she be required to get a relaxer? And then is exclusion still fair? Would she have to join an all-kinky-haired squad?

I just read another article about a girl getting kicked out of her classroom for her hair being 'too poofy', so I've been thinking about it a lot. When does it go from wanting special snowflake privileges to an actual problem?

[jeanniet]

Presumably a wig would also be acceptable, although the article didn't address that.

[kitschy]

This story just makes me sad. I'm an almost 60 year old woman and I still bear the scars of having curly hair and not fitting in. Good for this girl and her mother. I think I'd be belligerent and non-compromising too!

[spidermom]

I must admit that I don't get it. Was everybody supposed to have the same hair length, too? I'm wondering, did the contract spell out something like "hair to be shoulder length and straightened"? Bizarre!

[Ava Ruu]

Just out of curiosity, are they all supposed to be as tall too? Or have the same shoe (and dress) size?

[Red.]

I think there's a big problem with the argument "if you don't like the rules, too bad/leave/deal with it." Some things are just wrong. And should absolutely be questioned and possibly changed.

[ravenheather]

I would have a huge problem with it. Her hair texture is not part of a uniform.

[Sparrowhg]

I know it sounds crazy, but where I come from this would be the norm for certain group sports and activities. When I was 13-14 and in a middle school choir, we all had to have the exact same shoes or we would not be allowed onstage for that performance or the one after. When I was in drill team/cheerleading the year after, a girl had to have extensions put in so that her hair could be braided like the rest of the team's, and another girl had to have her hair dyed-over with spray-on dye at the last minute because her hair color did not look natural enough for the judges. We all had to wear matching makeup, and we were threatened with not being allowed to compete and being suspended from the team if we tried to wear our own makeup instead of the team's makeup. The importance placed on uniformity goes all the way up into professional groups, like my town's symphony choir (they all have to wear robes that match exactly and no distracting accessories).

I'm having mixed thoughts on this issue. While I think that it is a bit extreme to kick a girl off of a team just because she doesn't want to straighten her hair, the girl was not complying with the rules of the team. Usually when a person does not comply with the rules, they can't be on the team. For example, I knew a guy in high school that was an exceptional football player. He was scouted by a local college with a high-ranking football program, but they told him to lose 15 lbs, get his grades up, and work harder in practice. He did the exact opposite (gained 30lbs, grades plummeted, and he slacked off in practice because he thought his future was set) and they cut him from the team. The only reason I can see that it was mandatory that these girls have the same hair was because they were going to a competition, and in cheerleading competitions, uniformity of the group is judged for points and it can make or break a team's chance of winning an award. I think that the uniformity rules are ridiculous and outdated especially in this case where the cheerleaders are only 11 years old, and I don't think she should have been cut from the team, but I do think that they (the mother and 11-year-old girl) are in the wrong in this situation for not cooperating with team rules. I think that since she is off of this team, she should try to go and find another team that will allow her to not straighten her hair, and win tons of competitions with them! :)

She does have gorgeous hair, though!
Could not have been more perfectly put!

[RoseofCimarron]

Thank you, Sparrowhg :).

As a former competitive drill team member/cheerleader (who has quite a few cheerleader friends) I would like to answer some questions that have been asked:

Would someone have to cut their hair to match the team?
From my experience, if a cheerleader is asked to cut their hair, it is because it is too long to be safe when doing stunts. I had about waist-length hair when I was competing and there was some talk between the coaches about having me cut it shorter. I didn't have to, but if I had gone further in the cheer-world I definitely would have had to. The usual hair length for cheerleaders is between shoulder length and at most MBL-waist.

Do they expect them to do their hair at home or onsite?
This depends on the team, the location of the competition, and the complexity of the style the team is using. My team always had a somewhat complicated braided style (either two French braids into a high ponytail or two French braids) for competitions so we had to have our hair done on site to make sure that everyone had the same hairstyle. For smaller performances, we would wear our hair in ponytails with the front pinned back with bobby pins that matched our hair color (because some people had bangs, so we all had to pin the front of our hair back) and that was simple enough to do at home, and since it was a much less formal setting small variances in hairstyle did not matter. In this case, I would think that the girl would have to come to the competition with straightened hair so that they could put it in the team style there.

What if she had really curly, kinky hair?
Now this is where, in my experience, it gets a little muddy (and fascinating if you are a sociology-nerd). If a girl is obviously of a different race, say an African-American girl on a mostly Caucasian team, the judges will not take away points if it looks like the hair is in the same, or a similar, style. Some girls with super kinky or curly hair will attempt to straighten it for competitions/performances. The allowance of locs and microbraids varies between teams and competitions. In this case, the girl looks Caucasian (to the judges who do not know her or her racial, genetic, or cultural background), so having curly hair while the team has straight hair would be seen as being out of uniform and points may be taken away.

Could she have worn some other style or even a wig?
No. In a competition, everyone has to wear the same style or points are taken away. This goes down even to the colors of the bows in the hair and the aglets on the shoelaces. I know it sounds ridiculous, but that is how it is. There is also an element of danger in wearing some protective hairstyles. Buns need pins (no sticks or ficcares :wink: are allowed, and hairties often do not keep it in place when doing stunts), and those can go into your head if you fall wrong, we had a very bad accident along those lines in our district so hairpins were banned from all cheer competitions in that area. Braids can hurt if they hit you or another girl, they can also throw you off balance, and in rare cases cause aerodynamic drag that can slow a stunt and cause it to go wrong resulting in a possible injury. Looped hairstyles are often out because hands and/or feet can get caught in them. Ponytails are usually the safest option, especially if they don't move because of how much hairspray is used, as well as sock buns (they add padding, so that it hurts less when you fall on it). Wigs, now that is an interesting idea. Full-head wigs are not allowed unless there is some very special circumstance (usually a medical issue that has cause the girl to lose her hair) and it is certain to not come off during the routine. Extensions and false ponytails are allowed on a competition-by-competition basis, as long as they are very secure!

Does everyone have to have the same hair length and color?
With length, usually no. Unless one girl has hair that is more than twice the length of everyone else, or something like that. Most girls who do cheerleading usually have hair that is of a similar length range, not always, but quite often. In the competitions I was in, everyone's hair does not have to be the same color, but it does have to be a "natural hair color," meaning that a girl could not have blue/pink/green/purple hair and compete. The color has to look like a color that naturally comes out of a person's head (black, brown, blonde, red-but-not-fake-red, etc.). Highlights are fine, but it just has to look natural.

Do other things have to be the same throughout the team like height, dress size, shoe size/style?
No and yes. Again, this is a team-by-team issue. Some teams have height/weight minimums and maximums for safety reasons, and those can even vary by position on the team. Like, a flyer (someone who is thrown up into the air for stunts) cannot be heavier or bigger than their supporters or spotters, and the supporters and spotters must be bigger than the flyer and strong enough to catch her. Height differences are inevitable (it is darn near impossible to get enough people of a certain height to make up a team), and while they can be made less noticeable by putting them in certain spots in a formation, judges usually don't take off any points for that. Having the same dress size is not a requirement, but having the same dress length can be. On my team, we all had to have our skirts come down a certain number of inches down our legs (the coaches had a tape measure and would check), and our sleeves had to all be rolled up to the same spot on our arms. The same goes for shoe size, but shoe style and color has to be the same. Our shoes had to be white, pristine white, and if there was one smudge of anything on them we spent the night before competition cleaning them until they were white. Cheer groups usually order all team supplies at one time so they can get group discounts and ensure uniformity. The only exception to this rule is if there is a male on the team, which can be very useful for large aerial stunts. Boys wear long track-suit like pants, a t-shirt with the same design as the girls tops, and shoes that are the same as or incredibly similar to the girls' shoes.

Are the girls made aware of the rules?
Oh yes. Teams have rules that members read when signing up, those rules are re-stated during practice (especially before competitions where there are even more rules and regulations), and all special performance/competition rules are announced before the event. For some teams, members have to apply to be on them as if it were a job, and the rules and regulations are clearly stated in the application packet along with a contract that members read and sign stating they understand and will follow those rules, not break the law, not be a bad representative of the team, etc.

[JustPam]

My little sister and cousin used to do cheerleading, and yes they all had to look as uniform as humanly possible. Their team hairstyle for comps was a curly hairpiece (just like this (http://images.shopmadeinchina.com/A917C7DE69B72446E040007F01003203/335/7778335_1/Spiral-Curly-Drawstring-Ponytail-Hair-Piece-Wig_7778335_1.jpg)) that was tied onto the girls' bun, the younger girls had two. It was really good because it meant no styling was needed, their buns just had to be in the same position, nobody could tell if their hair was straight or curly, long or short because it was slicked back and you mostly saw the hairpiece.

[Entangled]

That was really informative, RoseofCimarron.

[Jadestorm]

I didn't read the article but I'm just commenting on the whole thing of that uniform look. A uniform look - to me - means matching outfits. If they want *everything* to be uniform than they should simply not allow people who don't look a certain way to even participate. But wait, that's discrimination! Well, if the demand for uniformity is taken too far (and what 'too far' is, depends on the views of the person of course), that qualifies as discrimination too in my opinion. Where do you draw the line? So what if you do force every kid to have the same hair length and have it curled for example?... There's still kids in there with a different hair color. Wait, should we force them to dye their hair then too? Wear wigs? What about when they have a different body shape, a different skin color, a different height, braces, glasses etc...?

I can tell you one thing, I'd MUCH more enjoy watching a team with a diversity of people in it that have a certain uniformity by for example wearing the same clothing colors, outfit or something else that shows they're a group, than watching A BUNCH OF CLONES.


By the way, I do understand it up to a certain level when it comes to competitions for example, this is how things currently are. I'm just not convinced this is how things should be and it's sad to see just how far some of these rules go.

[Hairkay]

Well if they consider uniform to be more than wearing matching clothes and hairstyles then I'd never be even allowed on the team with my kinky curls. In my mother's school time some elite schools in the Caribbean made straightening hair compulsory. Later this was seen as discriminatory and that rule was dropped. I'd have been considered in the "negativity" range. It'd go something like this.

Cheer leaders group; We need you to straighten your hair. It doesn't match the others at present.
Me; It's hair that's how it naturally grows and many of my ethnicity have hair like this.
CLG; It can be straightened
Me; I have health problems with straightening hair and my hair is healthy as it is. I will wear my hair in a pony tail/bun just like the others.
CLG; There's a variety of relaxers, Keratin treatments and Brazilian/Dominican blow drys to try.
Me; All of them are too harsh for my extremely sensitive skin. I can't even use soap.
CLG; You can try blow drying and flat ironing your hair yourself at home.
Me; I'm allergic to the heat protectants and hairsprays used to blow dry hair plus the heat triggers a painful reaction with my skin on my scalp and face.
CLG; Well there's always gel.
Me; I'm allergic to that too.
CLG; You are such a negative person. We're offering you many solutions and you keep writing them off.
Me; You haven't given me a viable option that won't cause me harm. I can wear the same uniform as the others, have the same hairstyle, I'm average height and able to do the moves yet you're stuck on the texture of my hair?

[Colochita]

That Was really informative RoseofCimarron. Thanks for sharing!

And I agree with the tidbit about race being interesting from a sociology aspect. It makes me think of mixed friends who have around 3C (or other type 3 hair) but are very light skinned and how they awkwardly fall in the middle. But that's a whole other can of worms.

[Christine_O]

Well if they consider uniform to be more than wearing matching clothes and hairstyles then I'd never be even allowed on the team with my kinky curls. In my mother's school time some elite schools in the Caribbean made straightening hair compulsory. Later this was seen as discriminatory and that rule was dropped. I'd have been considered in the "negativity" range. It'd go something like this.

Cheer leaders group; We need you to straighten your hair. It doesn't match the others at present.
Me; It's hair that's how it naturally grows and many of my ethnicity have hair like this.
CLG; It can be straightened
Me; I have health problems with straightening hair and my hair is healthy as it is. I will wear my hair in a pony tail/bun just like the others.
CLG; There's a variety of relaxers, Keratin treatments and Brazilian/Dominican blow drys to try.
Me; All of them are too harsh for my extremely sensitive skin. I can't even use soap.
CLG; You can try blow drying and flat ironing your hair yourself at home.
Me; I'm allergic to the heat protectants and hairsprays used to blow dry hair plus the heat triggers a painful reaction with my skin on my scalp and face.
CLG; Well there's always gel.
Me; I'm allergic to that too.
CLG; You are such a negative person. We're offering you many solutions and you keep writing them off.
Me; You haven't given me a viable option that won't cause me harm. I can wear the same uniform as the others, have the same hairstyle, I'm average height and able to do the moves yet you're stuck on the texture of my hair?

Thank you for that! Maybe I'm just a rebel by nature, but I think this is a rule worth fighting. Yes to uniforms, because they're kind of cool in this sort of sport, no to trying to turn the athletes into mannequins.

[luxurioushair]

Sue them immediately for emotional distress and the right to be on the team! And never straighten it! ahahaha

[grasshopper]

I would not want to be on a team where I could not be myself.
Honestly, I understand the need of a uniform, wearing the same shoes, socks, whatever. But having the same hair style? What will come next? Will they make kids dye their hair so they all look alike?

[JadedByEntropy]

in high-performance competitions being different gives you more room for error. In figure skating, if one spins the opposite direction of most, its harder to judge because a judge hasn't seen a left-jump a million times over. More slack can get through to higher levels because its hard to 'mirror' the tricks in our minds to compare them to the standard.

Brains are excellent at picking out things that don't match. If a group routine is done, the odd one out will stick out like a mistake. Either that extra attention will cause her to be judged extra-harshly because she doesn't match or her errors will be ignored because they're already ignoring the fact she doesn't match. Either is very very hard to judge.

[Hairkay]

in high-performance competitions being different gives you more room for error. In figure skating, if one spins the opposite direction of most, its harder to judge because a judge hasn't seen a left-jump a million times over. More slack can get through to higher levels because its hard to 'mirror' the tricks in our minds to compare them to the standard.

Brains are excellent at picking out things that don't match. If a group routine is done, the odd one out will stick out like a mistake. Either that extra attention will cause her to be judged extra-harshly because she doesn't match or her errors will be ignored because they're already ignoring the fact she doesn't match. Either is very very hard to judge.

That is a crap reason for picking on someone because of a slight physical difference in appearance. Comparing a physical act to a physical appearance just doesn't work.

[CurlyCap]

But I can't help wondering, like someone else stated, what they expected when she straightened her hair. And by extension, if she hadn't had just curly, but kinky hair, would she not be allowed to cheer at her school at all? It's really hard to straighten kinky hair and keep it straight - harder than just adding hairspray.


This.

I understand that people argue that cheerleading is a sport with appearance standards and she should have known what she was getting into.

But there always seems to be a lack of basic acknowledgement that curly hair, especially if your part African heritage, is NOT going to be simple to straighten, and it will likely NOT stay that way through any physical activity. Additionally, while there are frequent request that those with curly hair straighten, there are never requests that the rest of the team rock tightly curly hair (3b, 3c, or kinky hair). Most of the people with straight hair COULDN'T do it.....but they will never experience that outrage because it will never be an expectation.

So by saying, "You're hair doesn't conform" it becomes a very easy way to prevent people other than the majority from participating in fields that are known for physicality: Dance, gymnastics, cheers. And it's why in 2015 it's still shocking to see a black ballerina, classical dancer, gymnast, or cheerleader (in a school that isn't predominantly black).

I am not a dancer, but dealt with the same ridiculousness years ago as a child. It's sad to see that children are still being told the same thing. As an adult, I have navigated an entire competitive career dealing with people who try to tell me that in a professional environment my hair needs to be "compacted" or straightened.

It's getting better, but women with uncompromisingly curly hair all over the world still debate whether they should straighten their hair before important auditions and interviews.

I support the mother. It's a lesson her daughter needs to learn now because, unless things change radically soon, it's something her daughter will have to navigate over and over for the rest of her life.

[MandyBeth]

If this was public school cheer - I might support the mother, but I suspect there's a lot more behind it.

However, it's not. It's competitive cheer at a private group. I can guarantee that the contract had the competition hair requirements. Mom signed it anyway, then had a media tantrum when the contract was enforced. I don't have to like the contract, but it was signed not by me.

It's not different than my kids school requiring hair to be pulled back if it's past jaw length. It's a safety precaution, and a private school. Thus they can enforce a stricter regulation than a public school. If I have a problem with it - I find a different school without the requirements or public school. I don't sign a contract, then throw a hissy fit when it's enforced.

And parents who do the media tantrum when it's a private organization - I can't support them. Either they think their Precious is too good for the rules or they didn't read a legal document involving Precious that they signed. The first is just obnoxious and raising monsters, the second is dumber than a box of rocks with little concern on the welfare of their child.

[luxurioushair]

That is a crap reason for picking on someone because of a slight physical difference in appearance. Comparing a physical act to a physical appearance just doesn't work.

Thank you.

[Hairkay]

If this was public school cheer - I might support the mother, but I suspect there's a lot more behind it.

However, it's not. It's competitive cheer at a private group. I can guarantee that the contract had the competition hair requirements. Mom signed it anyway, then had a media tantrum when the contract was enforced. I don't have to like the contract, but it was signed not by me.

It's not different than my kids school requiring hair to be pulled back if it's past jaw length. It's a safety precaution, and a private school. Thus they can enforce a stricter regulation than a public school. If I have a problem with it - I find a different school without the requirements or public school. I don't sign a contract, then throw a hissy fit when it's enforced.

And parents who do the media tantrum when it's a private organization - I can't support them. Either they think their Precious is too good for the rules or they didn't read a legal document involving Precious that they signed. The first is just obnoxious and raising monsters, the second is dumber than a box of rocks with little concern on the welfare of their child.

Again comparing having hair pulled back to changing the texture of one's hair is not the same. They're asking for a physical change of a girl's body that has nothing to do with the health limits on the sport. Yes this may be a private school and club but that's no excuse. I'm sure parents try to look for the best school that is accessible to their child. The rules would had stated something along the lines that everyone had to present themselves uniformly at competitions including wearing the same hair styles. There's room for different interpretations and they have decided that having everyone's hair straight is being uniform. What next, someone decides to wear colour contacts to match most of the others' eye colours then suddenly the rest are pressured to join in? Next thing this spreads to other cheer leader groups. What if a choir in this school excluded a child who's an excellent singer from joining because their chair messes up the uniformity of the assembled group? Would you argue that this a a private school so if the wheel chair user didn't want to be excluded they should have gone to a state school? The mother is right for speaking up. All the others quick to follow suite without questioning are allowing this nonsense continue. It's little things like these the show intolerance and discrimination is still around in a country that prides itself in saying that it's "the land of the free."


Thank you.

You're welcome.

[cathair]

I just about get it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Hair type is genetic, just like skin colour. I don't think anyone should have to change it. It's hardly like refusing to wear a uniform. If someone's hair is 'distracting' I really think that is the person looking at it's problem, not the person who has their natural hair. Perhaps cheer leading should join the rest of us in the 21st century, which full of diversity.

[cathair]

If this was public school cheer - I might support the mother, but I suspect there's a lot more behind it.

However, it's not. It's competitive cheer at a private group. I can guarantee that the contract had the competition hair requirements. Mom signed it anyway, then had a media tantrum when the contract was enforced. I don't have to like the contract, but it was signed not by me.

It's not different than my kids school requiring hair to be pulled back if it's past jaw length. It's a safety precaution, and a private school. Thus they can enforce a stricter regulation than a public school. If I have a problem with it - I find a different school without the requirements or public school. I don't sign a contract, then throw a hissy fit when it's enforced.

And parents who do the media tantrum when it's a private organization - I can't support them. Either they think their Precious is too good for the rules or they didn't read a legal document involving Precious that they signed. The first is just obnoxious and raising monsters, the second is dumber than a box of rocks with little concern on the welfare of their child.

I see it as more of a moral issue. Whether it is enforced with a contract or not, doesn't make it any less morally questionable.

[teddygirl]

I still don't think it's right to SIGN a legally binding contract and then complain about it later. Dislike the contract? Complain right away to fight it. It's totally unfair to agree to something and then decide later "actually, no, I don't like this anymore".

[cathair]

I still don't think it's right to SIGN a legally binding contract and then complain about it later. Dislike the contract? Complain right away to fight it. It's totally unfair to agree to something and then decide later "actually, no, I don't like this anymore".

I'm not saying that it is right to sign a contract you don't agree with. I'm just saying that having a contract doesn't make this rule any less pathetic. Contracts should be fair and this isn't.

[Sparrowhg]

I was thinking about the opposite of this story. Take Irish Step dancing as an example. They compete, they have uniforms, including hair style rules. They are more often than not required to have extra tight curly hair. You can google pictures of it. I thought of this because I actually interviewed for a job at a wig manufacturing place. They guys's biggest money maker was the Irish step dancing wigs. So, these girls go into knowing they will either have to perchase wigs or make their hair just as curly and perfect in order to compete. So, I think if you signed a contract you should honor it. I don't think she should be kicked off the team, however, just not able to compete or perform until She honored her part of the contract. There has to be some sort of accountiblity if you fail to uphold a previous agreement no matter how trivial and dumb.

[Entangled]

Again comparing having hair pulled back to changing the texture of one's hair is not the same. They're asking for a physical change of a girl's body that has nothing to do with the health limits on the sport. Yes this may be a private school and club but that's no excuse. I'm sure parents try to look for the best school that is accessible to their child. The rules would had stated something along the lines that everyone had to present themselves uniformly at competitions including wearing the same hair styles. There's room for different interpretations and they have decided that having everyone's hair straight is being uniform. What next, someone decides to wear colour contacts to match most of the others' eye colours then suddenly the rest are pressured to join in? Next thing this spreads to other cheer leader groups. What if a choir in this school excluded a child who's an excellent singer from joining because their chair messes up the uniformity of the assembled group? Would you argue that this a a private school so if the wheel chair user didn't want to be excluded they should have gone to a state school? The mother is right for speaking up. All the others quick to follow suite without questioning are allowing this nonsense continue. It's little things like these the show intolerance and discrimination is still around in a country that prides itself in saying that it's "the land of the free."



You're welcome.
The difference in my mind between the actual circumstance and your wheelchair example is that while choir is a performing art, it's based on the sound, and the sound, not the visual, is being judged. In cheer, the uniformity is a key part of the judging. Joining any kind of dance-related sport will require uniform hair, though often it's a bun (which I prefer). I think the part in question is that they knew signing up that they were agreeing to in the contract, reasonable or not. Regardless of the reasons of the team, they did not follow the rules, and it wasn't a public school, which has to be more accommodating. If the contract was unreasonable, they should have worked it out before signing on rather than expect to be accommodated later on.

I agree with you, MandyBeth, in that this kind of stuff is often specified in the contract and if you refuse to follow it, you no longer have a right to be in the team as the team has no obligation to keep you. If the team was public, it would be more upsetting to me as they are required to accommodate the general body, but a private group picks whatever they want for their team. It is a bit sad that straight hair is in the requirements, but to them it was a reasonable deal to straighten hair (as heat tools are seen as no big deal to most and hair is generally a changeable thing). I think the reason for her leaving the team was not just about appearance, but the way this situation was handled by the mom. They said they didn't want the negativity, which makes me suspect that more went on behind in the negotiations than the article mentioned.

Ultimately, with performing sports there is often a look requirement, and hair is involved a lot. I think some of the rules are silly, and some of them make me glad I'm not physically coordinated to participate in them. But in this issue, I think that you should honor a contract. Make a stipulation to signing if you have an issue, but do it before you sign on. As someone who's made requests on costumes before for religious purposes, I'm all for accommodation, but you have to go about it from the right way and be up front about it.

[cathair]

It seems very strange to me that most here seem to be focused on whether or not the contract was upheld. Not the content of the contract itself. Other people will have to put up with this treatmeant, long after this girl is forgotten. It seems as though she met all of their other more important requirements. But meh, I can see where this is going.

[MandyBeth]

I would not sign my girls up for a program that requires them to have straight hair. If that program is the only option - I'm challenging the requirements BEFORE I sign any contract. Not after. Furthermore, I'm not starting my kids in something that's well established to have the uniform hair. RoseOfCimarron has already explained far better than I on the competitive cheer standards. The appearance standard is well established, my girls wouldn't fit most likely so I'm not starting them in that. My very curly girl is a horse nut still, and rides hunter jumper. As she's still riding her pony usually, she's always placing low because she doesn't wear the braid or braids with bows. Her hair is too long, it's unsafe and braids hit her mount. So meh. I stick her hair up in the acceptable but not favored in horse classes net over a low bun. Now, she shows on a horse, bam, her scores go up. If we could stuff her hair under her helmet, she'd do better yet maybe. But I'm a safety nut who won't even consider that and kid has way too much hair.

In the established competitive events with strict appearance rules - looking outside the acceptable appearance hurts the scores. Fair or not. And it's one thing to hurt your own scores, it's another to hurt a team score because one person wants their Precious exempt from the standard.

As for how to keep curly hair straightened - same way I keep Minion's hair from exploding from the net and helmet. A lot of gel and three cans of hair spray. Getting it straight will be the bigger challenge from what I remember from my sister. Who did school cheer, but I paid as little attention as possible.

The inability or unwillingness to meet performance standards isn't a new basis to be removed from a team.

[Entangled]

It seems very strange to me that most here seem to be focused on whether or not the contract was upheld. Not the content of the contract itself. Other people will have to put up with this treatmeant, long after this girl is forgotten. It seems as though she met all of their other more important requirements. But meh, I can see where this is going.

I'm seeing both. I think the reason people focus on the contract is because the woman signed it, which means she'll follow it, and then got upset when her daughter was kicked off the team for not following it. She didn't make a fuss about the team's requirement until after, which means she expected an exception. The timing is key. If she went to the media before, then the team's requirements would be in question. But since she waited, agreed to follow the rules, and then was upset when the team followed through on the rules, people are talking about what it means to sign a contract. I don't agree with the rules too much--I think it's easier to curl hair or bun it or wear a hairpiece than straighten it--but she knew the expectation going in, THEN tried to get an exception, THEN went to the media about the requirements that she agreed to and then didn't follow.

[cat11]

I do not like conformity contracts. I don't think it's fair a girl has to straighten her hair to reach a certain level of competition in a sport.

But I think the right time to fight it is before you sign. It's fair she was kicked off.

There are two separate issues in this thread. Whether it was fair for them to ask, which cathair is concerned with, and whether or not it was fair she got kicked off.

Mandybeth, have you thought of doing multi stand or combination braids, which can considerably eat up length, for your daughters hair so she could get full points?

[rhosyn_du]

I'm curious why everyone is assuming the contract specifically said hair must be straightened. I never did cheer specifically (other than at public school, that's a whole different thing), but I have participated in other types of competitive performance groups and I've only ever seen generic clauses in contracts about adhering to uniform standards, and the article makes it sound like the mom didn't hear about the specific rule until after her daughter was part of the team. Is there somewhere else you guys are getting info from that says straight hair was specifically mentioned in the contract the mom signed?

I'm also pretty surprised by the things people have said implying that cheer squads create specific uniform standards before they assemble that season's team. The competitive performance groups I've been a part of always waited until the team was assembled before deciding on specific hair and makeup, precisely because they wanted standards that looked good on and were easy to achieve for everyone involved. Doing it the other way around seems really bizarre to me. Is there a reason that's the standard for cheer?

[teddygirl]

rhosyn_du - I was pretty much going off of the post by RoseofCimaron a few pages back.

Are the girls made aware of the rules?
Oh yes. Teams have rules that members read when signing up, those rules are re-stated during practice (especially before competitions where there are even more rules and regulations), and all special performance/competition rules are announced before the event. For some teams, members have to apply to be on them as if it were a job, and the rules and regulations are clearly stated in the application packet along with a contract that members read and sign stating they understand and will follow those rules, not break the law, not be a bad representative of the team, etc.

I wonder if there was a follow up to this story after all the attention it got.

[MandyBeth]

I do not like conformity contracts. I don't think it's fair a girl has to straighten her hair to reach a certain level of competition in a sport.

But I think the right time to fight it is before you sign. It's fair she was kicked off.

There are two separate issues in this thread. Whether it was fair for them to ask, which cathair is concerned with, and whether or not it was fair she got kicked off.

Mandybeth, have you thought of doing multi stand or combination braids, which can considerably eat up length, for your daughters hair so she could get full points?

At one point I had nine braids braided to three, then braided to one for each pigtail. Her hair was shorter then and still would hit her mount at various points. Her hair is now floor + length and yeah, braids won't work. Now, I let her pick who her mount is. She's very aware she'll point higher on her horse, but she does better on her pony. So she's willing to accept the lower placement to show some days. By next year, she'll probably be only competing on her horse, so it's soon a moot point. But then attire gets MUCH fussier. Oh well.

[cat11]

At one point I had nine braids braided to three, then braided to one for each pigtail. Her hair was shorter then and still would hit her mount at various points. Her hair is now floor + length and yeah, braids won't work. Now, I let her pick who her mount is. She's very aware she'll point higher on her horse, but she does better on her pony. So she's willing to accept the lower placement to show some days. By next year, she'll probably be only competing on her horse, so it's soon a moot point. But then attire gets MUCH fussier. Oh well.

Oh my goodness I wasn't sure how much length you were dealing with. Floor+ is a lot to shorten down to hip or so (which Im guessing is where it would need to be to not hit her horse/saddle) I can't think of anyway to do it without folding the braid in half or thirds and pinning it/sewing it together with ribbon, maybe? It would be interesting to see what arc would come up with for this puzzle.

Even if it isn't show approved, the nine braids into three sounds like a pretty style. Sounds like it's all working out anyway though!

[chen bao jun]

I just about get it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Hair type is genetic, just like skin colour. I don't think anyone should have to change it. It's hardly like refusing to wear a uniform. If someone's hair is 'distracting' I really think that is the person looking at it's problem, not the person who has their natural hair. Perhaps cheer leading should join the rest of us in the 21st century, which full of diversity.

This pretty much sums things up. While I can understand requiring you to meet standards (of safety, for instance, like the army--I thought that fuss about 'natural hair' and the army was so ridiculous, the army wasn't complaining about having natural curly hair, just saying cut it off like everybody has to if you can't pull it back) within your hairtype, I can't understand REQUIRING that someone straighten their hair. But I honestly would probably solve this by not having my child cheerlead. I know its a sport but its one in which 'looks' are way too important. I think of it as a combination sport/beauty contest-- and I can't stand beauty contests, which are also definitely all about conformity rather than beauty to me. This is my opinion, in spite of all the talk about scholarships etc (feel free to disagree).

[Arete]

The cheer gym just released a statement addressing the allegations. They say she was removed from the gym because they offered a compromise (To use a hair piece like many girls on the team over a bun), but the mother started a display of aggressive swearing in front of the team of kids. That's why she was kicked off the team, because her mom was rude and crazy. She refused to leave until they called the police.
This is not about hair. This is about a butthurt stage mama who is upset the gym won't take her inappropriate, childish bullying. It's a shame, especially that they are making this a race issue, as WE appears to be a well respected, lovely gym in the allstar community, and this woman's behavior is hurting allstar's and the gym's reputation among the general public.

ETA: Also, the fact that she allows her daughter's precioous natural hair to be bleached for an ombre totally destroys her statement about not wanting to straighten because of damage. I think bleach is a lot more damaging than straightening with heat protectant a few days out of the year.

[cat11]

Ahaha yes I agree Arete. Bleach ok but a straightener with heat protectant not? weird...

[chen bao jun]

That Was really informative RoseofCimarron. Thanks for sharing!

And I agree with the tidbit about race being interesting from a sociology aspect. It makes me think of mixed friends who have around 3C (or other type 3 hair) but are very light skinned and how they awkwardly fall in the middle. But that's a whole other can of worms.

It is a whole other can of worms and 'race' is definitely a social thing, not a 'real' thing (which is why you can change races when you go to other countries and not have changed your looks or family background at all). But I just wanted to mention that it's not only 'mixed' girls who have 3C hair. I've been surprised at the amount of white, Caucasian girls who do. I don't think its extremely common, but it does happen, especially in ethnic groups like Irish or Ashkenazic Jewish. and I think people don't realize this (I know I didn't) because until recently its been the standard thing for such girls to straighten it in some kind of way.--even looser type 3's did this rountinely as curls were so disregarded Nowadays some of them don't, though and I've definitely met white girls with hair as curly as mine, and not just once or twice, either.

The point is and I think its a valid one to make even though this case turned out to be a manufactured one with a toxic mom involved--you'd be on VERY shaky ground indeed if you tried to make some sort of rule for some team or other thing, that 'ethnic' (in this case African-American) girls could wear their natural curly hair--but that 'white' curly heads had to straighten.

[Christine_O]

The cheer gym just released a statement addressing the allegations. They say she was removed from the gym because they offered a compromise (To use a hair piece like many girls on the team over a bun), but the mother started a display of aggressive swearing in front of the team of kids. That's why she was kicked off the team, because her mom was rude and crazy. She refused to leave until they called the police.
This is not about hair. This is about a butthurt stage mama who is upset the gym won't take her inappropriate, childish bullying. It's a shame, especially that they are making this a race issue, as WE appears to be a well respected, lovely gym in the allstar community, and this woman's behavior is hurting allstar's and the gym's reputation among the general public.

ETA: Also, the fact that she allows her daughter's precioous natural hair to be bleached for an ombre totally destroys her statement about not wanting to straighten because of damage. I think bleach is a lot more damaging than straightening with heat protectant a few days out of the year.

Kicking the kid off the team because her mother was misbehaving, that I can get behind. I feel bad for the girl, because it's not her fault, but then it does send a message to her as well. I still remember the day I learned that my dad's aggressive behavior worked against him. It ultimately changed the way I deal with the world.

[Christine_O]

It is a whole other can of worms and 'race' is definitely a social thing, not a 'real' thing (which is why you can change races when you go to other countries and not have changed your looks or family background at all). But I just wanted to mention that it's not only 'mixed' girls who have 3C hair. I've been surprised at the amount of white, Caucasian girls who do. I don't think its extremely common, but it does happen, especially in ethnic groups like Irish or Ashkenazic Jewish. and I think people don't realize this (I know I didn't) because until recently its been the standard thing for such girls to straighten it in some kind of way.--even looser type 3's did this rountinely as curls were so disregarded Nowadays some of them don't, though and I've definitely met white girls with hair as curly as mine, and not just once or twice, either.

The point is and I think its a valid one to make even though this case turned out to be a manufactured one with a toxic mom involved--you'd be on VERY shaky ground indeed if you tried to make some sort of rule for some team or other thing, that 'ethnic' (in this case African-American) girls could wear their natural curly hair--but that 'white' curly heads had to straighten.

I'm at risk here of slipping completely off topic, but I take issue with the whole notion of different races among humans. I'm of European descent, specifically I'm ethnic Norwegian. I look very different from an ethnic Italian, and yet we are both labeled "white", as though it were a racial designation. So, yes, I would say anyone who expected a "white" person to straighten their hair but not a "black" person, would be on very shaky ground indeed.

[embee]

The cheer gym just released a statement addressing the allegations. They say she was removed from the gym because they offered a compromise (To use a hair piece like many girls on the team over a bun), but the mother started a display of aggressive swearing in front of the team of kids. That's why she was kicked off the team, because her mom was rude and crazy. She refused to leave until they called the police. (snip)

Whooooo. Ok. That does change the story considerably.

I was already in the camp of "if you don't like the contract and don't intend to honor it, then *do not* sign it", not to mention that what I understood of the contract would have likely put me off it right at the start.

I have watched (and heard about) parents who behaved so badly they damaged their kids' reputations in sports or schooling. That's pretty poor for the kids.

[teddygirl]

Ahahah I totally called that the mom was a crazy lady. I don't see why she wouldn't just wear the hairpiece. Momma just gon crazy.

[Arete]

It really is sad that the kid is going to get most of the consequences of her mom's decision. I'm sure very few gyms would be willing to accept a cheerleader with a mother who will try to slander them on national news if she doesn't get her way. Poor kid probably won't be able to cheer at all in the near future. All for her mom's 15 minutes of fame.

[jazzhands]

Poor girl, it's really a lose-lose situation for her. This kind of Toddlers and Tiaras parenting just ends up ruining kids in the long run.

[MandyBeth]

Seriously, someone needs to get over themselves and raise their 11 year old child to be a productive member of society.

[Hairkay]

The cheer gym just released a statement addressing the allegations. They say she was removed from the gym because they offered a compromise (To use a hair piece like many girls on the team over a bun), but the mother started a display of aggressive swearing in front of the team of kids. That's why she was kicked off the team, because her mom was rude and crazy. She refused to leave until they called the police.
This is not about hair. This is about a butthurt stage mama who is upset the gym won't take her inappropriate, childish bullying. It's a shame, especially that they are making this a race issue, as WE appears to be a well respected, lovely gym in the allstar community, and this woman's behavior is hurting allstar's and the gym's reputation among the general public.

ETA: Also, the fact that she allows her daughter's precioous natural hair to be bleached for an ombre totally destroys her statement about not wanting to straighten because of damage. I think bleach is a lot more damaging than straightening with heat protectant a few days out of the year.

Given this information then I could see why it they wouldn't want the mother around.

I still think the concept of uniform went too far.

[dancingrain91]

Given this information then I could see why it they wouldn't want the mother around.

I still think the concept of uniform went too far.

We had that kind of conformity on the dance team. Girls with hard to straighten hair wore hair pieces. Girls with extra long hair created fake bobs. There was always a way to comply to the rules without damaging your hair. One of the best ways was to never let the team mom fix your hair because she was evil.