1. Parents need to be communicated too. Whether it’s by email or a groupme, parents need to be in the know. Do NOT rely on the kids to remember to tell parents about an upcoming practice, change in the schedule or anything of importance. The kids groupme is not the place to post. Also, if you have parents discussing something in a groupme, talk to them… don’t leave it to them to wonder or worse yet, makeup stuff.
2. Parents need to be told costs and fees at the beginning of the season and then updated half way through the season. They should be told the true fees. I know this will irate some, but being honest with parents about all the fees and expenses upfront will go over and not create animosity or resentment. If a parent feels like they are being ripped off, it will not be a pleasant experience for anyone. With that said, parents need to realize that Gyms and Coaches NEED to make a profit. They are a business. They don’t do this for free, no matter how much they love cheer. They need to pay the bills too (and yes, there are a lot of bills… it’s not just wages and electricity) But please realize if you get free hotel rooms from the Stay N Play, don’t charge parents for lodging or if food is provided by the comp, don’t charge the parents for the coaches food (ultimately we are already paying for that food through comp fees.). One more thing here, if you are building your comp schedule around what perks the comp gives the coaches, maybe it’s time to stop coaching. (Yes, that was harsh, but parents are paying for that – it ain’t free)
3. Parents should be involved in the scheduling of competitions. I say this for one reason alone… expenses. Coaches can plan the most amazing schedules, but if it breaks the parents’ bank, it will cause stress on both the athlete and the gym. Paying for big, elaborate fancy competitions that cost $2000 for 5 minutes on the floor, needs to be a factor. Look for drivable competitions instead of flying competitions. If you must do an elaborate competition, make it only one a season. And as a side note here… not every coach needs to go to all the competitions. Can’t tell you how many times I have watched a team walk up with 10 coaches for one team… we don’t need to be paying for everyone to come hang out at the competition, just because it is a cool comp
4. Parents need to be told scores/placements after performance. PERIOD!!! I have heard lots of reasons for why not to share scores. The most common reason is that parents just don’t understand. Coaches need to take the time in the beginning of the season to explain scoring. Yes, this takes the coach away from a practice, but if the parents understand, they wouldn’t be complaining or constantly pestering with questions. Or even take the time to teach a veteran parent about scoring, let them be the scoring guru. One side note, if your coaches are not sharing because they don’t want the parents to know the actual score/placement… switch gyms immediately. Realistically, parents will eventually find out and then it can cause issues.
5. Parents need to support each other. Now I say this from a biased point. There are several people like me that “communicate” information to the public. Most of us are parents that have been doing this for a while. I recently read a post from another “information” source that was berated to tears over missing a deduction in their reporting of a team. We put a lot of time and effort into trying to keep everyone up to date. I personally probably spend at least 30+ hours a week through social media and the app. So please, just be nice!
6. Parents should be involved in the governing bodies of these sports. Whether it’s the USASF, the Open Championships, or even USA Cheer, there should be some sort of parent liaison or parent committee. I have no idea on how we can achieve this though. Seriously, can you imagine how this sport would change if parents were involved at the top? (Sidenote… Please take a look at what we are doing over at AllStar Parents Association)
7. Parents need to be advised who will be coming into the gym or providing a service to the gym. This includes choreographers, guest coaches, uniform sales people and other industry professionals. A background check needs to be done on everyone. This includes those hosting traveling clinics as well. And ALL background checks should be made available upon request. I have seen several professionals over the past few years that were allowed to come to gyms and now are on the ineligible lists.
8. Parents should be informed of ANY and ALL disciplinary actions against anyone associated with the gym. This includes both legal/criminal (past and present) and also any action by a governing body. And yes, USASF should make ALL disciplinary actions, even those that don’t lead to ineligibility, available to the public. One more note, if someone is suspended by either the gym or any governing body, it should be told to the parents IMMEDIATELY. They don’t need to hear about it from their kids or from social media. This one is far too important to be kept secret!
9. Parents need to be informed if there are any changes in the attitude and/or appearance of their athlete. If a coach, gym owner, or even other athletes notice a change, this is not something that should be overlooked. Subtle changes, something as simple as not brushing hair anymore, might be a warning sign.
10. Parents want to be able to share with friends and family. Whether it’s recording the kids on stage or watching a streaming service, they want to be proud. I do understand that you don’t want videos getting out before the first competition, but after that please make a video so we can share. (If you can do it before the holidays, it’s even better – it doesn’t need to be perfect) Trust me here… if an opposing coach wants to see your routine, they will get it from somewhere.

I know this is a heck of a list, but again, as parents I believe this is the least that we should expect or even need.