The organization of the first national coalition of cheer parents to effect change has launched.
The National Cheer Parents Association LLC will provide, among other things, parent friendly data, industry-wide accountability, gym information, lobbying, safety watch dogs and legal representation.
Development by cheer dad Peter Difilippantonio out of “hopeful frustration” was necessary, he says, because of an industry paid for by people who have no say in what happens.
Corporate team builder on weekdays and passionate cheer parent on weekends, Peter is dad to four children with varying levels of cheer participation over the four seasons since oldest child Saylor, now 11, saw Bring It On and thought it looked cool (second from left in photo).
Siblings Piper, 10, (photos below) has cheered four seasons and is on Arizona Element Elite International J3 this season. Lincoln, 8, cheered for a season but this year the family’s sole boy opted out for Jiu Jitsu. Story, 7, is currently in her second season and a proud Mini 1.
Mom Katie, Peter says, does everything that a cheer mom does. “Put your child into (the best program) you think is the best.”
And to Peter, that’s the tricky part.
“As a dad, it was so frustrating...How do you evaluate a gym? We are making a $10,000 investment and have no hard information that is going to help us make that decision."
With expertise in tech startups, corporate evaluation and researching quantitative data in the business world, Peter has been unable to find the same in the Allstar industry.
“It was a post in CheerMAD last spring about USASF’s policy on makeup and hair that got me thinking that the disconnect between industry leaders and parents is greater than I realized,” the professional business consultant said in our CheerMAD interview.
“There’s a lot bigger problem than hair and makeup and very clear issues need to be addressed,” he said.
“It is blatantly ignoring the facts,” Peter decided after watching the USASF webinar at the beginning of this year, called “Challenges of the Sport” which focused on skimpy outfits and makeup.
According to Peter, “The real “Challenges of the Sport” are cost and lack of information for parents to find a quality program. The absence of any unified parent voice has allowed this to happen. There are no consequences, reckoning or accountability unless parents have money to lawyer up."
Peter started educating himself and participating in social media commentary like CheerMAD under the name Peter John (he believed his last name of 15 letters and seven syllables was too lengthy).
What he found astounded him.
“USASF was founded and funded to be an independent body; Not a single parent; no voting members are on its boards; We pay but we have no authority,” he said.
Most concerning, he said, is the lack of collective intelligence in the cheer world.
“The goal is to have a data base of gym information, to track what the 'best' are on an objective level," Peter continued. "Not the focus so much on Level 5 but what are the well developed programs for mini, youth, Jr. 1 and 2."
The organization is developed to be a central platform for safety issues, product recall and sex-offender alert source for parents. There are also collective buying partnerships to bring discounts to parents.
Other benefits include:
Advocacy to establish Allstar as an officially recognized sport
Representation of Parents' interests in issues or policies of or related to the sport
Advocacy to end/curtail policies and pricing that are not parent or athlete-friendly
Group rates on services
Focus group participation
Gym, Coach, Competition, and Equipment Reviews Database
“This journey is just starting,” Peter said. “But when tens of thousands of parents raise a hand, voice their opinion, hopefully we’ll get a seat at the table.”
There are several levels of membership in the National Cheer Parent Association, including a free membership that gives parents the same rights and representation as a paid membership. Paid memberships will support the NCPA's efforts on behalf of parents and athletes.
For more information about the National Cheer Parent Association, go to its website at www.cheerparents.org.
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
PRICE
Associate Member
FREE!
Want to get involved?
Includes:
* Standard member benefits as they become available.
* Space-available invitations to events, panels, and previews.
* Downloadable Membership Card.
Standard Member
$40.00
Want to help us fund all this?
* Standard member benefits as they become available.
* Space-available invitations to events, panels, and previews.
* Downloadable Membership Card.
* 1 N.C.P.A. T-shirt
Charter Member
$75.00
Want to help a little more?
Includes:
* Charter Member designation for life
* Name/family name listed on the Founding & Charter Members page on the association site.
* Preferred invitations to events, panels, and previews.
* Standard member benefits as they become available.
* 1 N.C.P.A. T-shirt.
* Downloadable Membership Card with Charter Member designation for life.
* When expired, can be renewed at lower level membership without loss of benefit.
Founding Member
$150.00
Do you REALLY want to help us?
Includes:
* Founding Member designation for life
* Name/family name listed on the Founding & Charter Members page on the association site.
* Priority invitations to special events, panels, previews, advance review/notice of services/goods offerings
* Standard member benefits as they become available.
* 3 N.C.P.A. T-shirts.
* Downloadable Membership Card with Founding Member designation for life.
* When expired, can be renewed at lower level membership without loss of benefit.
* N.C.P.A. is currently in launch phase and a number of these benefits are not currently available. It is our priority to add them at the earliest time, resources permitting.
***NOTE: If you are a business wishing to offer a benefit, perk, or discount to N.C.P.A. members, please email us at rise@cheerparents.org ***