What to tell your Allstar Cheerleader after this election.

November 11, 2016 ~ Welcome To Mintland ~ Leave a comment

As parents, we have an incredible responsibility. This past election has taken a toll on many. Our children are watching. They have questions. We as parents have a responsibility to educate our children about the incredible freedoms we enjoy and privileged to have.

The morning after the election people were shocked, saddened, blindsided, overjoyed, validated and scared and paralyzed with fear. Many did not know how to react. Not many saw this coming. No matter where you stood in this election, we did our best to educate our children on the values each of us hold dear to our hearts. Increasingly, those values are vastly different, yet all important. During all of this,lessons were learned.

Many of our children went to bed with an idea of what was going to happen that night. Many woke up with a completely different perspective of how the world just changed. Some feel it is good, some felt is was bad. As we took to social media trying to make sense of everything, people vented, compassion ensued, humility was thrown out the window. Over the top paralyzing posts of hate littered the timelines along with inspiring words of hope and positivity. One question continued to turn up as I thumbed through my feeds.

“What am I supposed to tell my children in the morning?”

No matter where you stand with this past election, I hope we can agree that both candidates were very flawed. We as parents owe it to our children to give them an honest overview of each candidate (if, and only if they ask). With the varying ages, this overview will be filtered to some extent but is should be honest. If not, we are doing a huge disservice to our children who we unwillingly forced into the nasty business of politics at a very young age during this election.

The question kept rolling around in my head. If they asked, what would I tell my daughters? My wife and I were driving back from an appointment. We were stuck in traffic and she was killing time catching up on the latest social media for the week. She had been extremely busy at work and traveling for the week. She continued to stumble upon the same question. She dropped her phone in her lap looked over to me and said. “Why would people struggle for words on what to say to their kids in the morning after this election?” “The only words that matter: “Get your butt up, get your shoes on, and get dressed for school”

That was a very simple response to an extremely complicated issue. It is why I married my wife. She is amazing and incredible role model for my daughters. She has worked extremely hard to compete in a male-dominated field. In all these years, never once has she stated that she did not succeed or was held back because she was a woman. We know the reality of the situation, but she will not let it define her. I felt I needed to expand on the topic and thought of a few more things to tell my children in the morning.

NO ONE can hold you back in anything you set your mind to do.
Do your best in everything you do.
Be the change you want to see in your life and in the world.
Seek out positive role models and surround yourself with as many as possible.
Model those role models and reach out and love those that have lost their way.
Never underestimate anyone and treat everyone with respect.
Don’t be afraid to befriend those who are different from you, They will make you a better person.
Finally, get your butt to practice, listen to your coaches, be the best teammate possible and continue to do amazing things with your diverse, amazing team. Respect the legacy those before you have created, and make it better.

I am not naive enough to think that these simple words will fix all the complexities with this past election. As parents, the only thing we have control of is producing the best children we are capable of. That is in our control. That is how we create the change we all so desperately seek. It’s on us, make the change together by keeping it simple.

Is paying $5 for the CheerUpdates APP ridiculous?

April 21, 2016 ~ Welcome To Mintland ~ Leave a comment

Being the week of AllStar Cheerleading Worlds, there is no better time to announce one of the biggest game changers in Allstar Cheerleading. Earlier this week CheerUpdates started teasing something big. With many showcases going on before Worlds, this announcement had everyone scratching their head. This is always a big week for announcements and exciting info. What better time than now to launch?

The growth of CheerUpdates has been astounding. To think how much information is shared on a competition weekend should literally blow your mind. To say that the audience reached is similar to what the Super Bowl generates is not an exaggeration. The audience generated by this information in undeniable. All of this information we receive for FREE via Twitter. Unfortunately, most of us take all this information for granted. The amount of work and attention that go into streamlining all this information is impressive. Twitter has its limitations as a mass information vehicle. Is there a better way to help you find what you are looking for quicker? CheerUpdates thinks so, and they have built an app to take information to the next level.

Many figured out the tease the day before on Tuesday 4/19/2016 and rushed to the app store but nothing was there. Many woke up on April 20th and found the app in the app store. The initial reaction when most saw the app in the store was: FIVE DOLLARS? Five dollars? I mean seriously are you kidding me? The question then becomes, is the five dollars worth it? There was not much to go off of in the app store. No Reviews, No screen shots, Nothing. What does this thing do? Well, below you will find out. I will walk you through step by step what I found upon purchasing the app this morning.

Once you purchase the app. You will log in with your Twitter account. The app will ask you for permission to send push notifications for privacy reasons. (good move). Upon logging in you will see the homepage which currently looks like this.

At this point, it is pretty simple and straightforward, not much to see. You will notice a MENU button at the top left. Upon pressing it you will see this.

Once in the Menu if you press the “COMPETITIONS” Button you will see this.

If you press the “Worlds comp” you will see this.

This is where the magic starts to happen. It does not take a genius to figure out how valuable the organization of this information is. Think about how you currently have to sort through following your favorite division. Endless scrolling and sifting through thousands of tweets and retweets and manually trying to memorize where everyone stands in the division decoding abbreviation after abbreviation due to the character limitations of Twitter. THIS FOR MOST CHEER FANS IS PRICELESS and in my opinion worth tons more than $5. Once you press the division you want to follow you will see this screen.

At the time of this blog post obviously, there is no WORLDS information loaded YET. You can see how it is going to work by looking at the screen. It is broken down by day, also noted will be if the team has an At-Large, Partial Paid or Full Paid Bid.

The first question I asked myself? Will there be a delay in the scoring? Will it take longer to get the information via the app than on TWITTER? My sources say as soon as the scores become available CheerUpdates will apply them to the associated team and will auto order the standings based on incoming scores in the app. How cool is that? Some other features you do not yet see, but need to know about!

Cheer programs will be stored and added so as to easily select them for each event over the course of the year.
The app will also store competition scores and results during the course of the year for easy access to track how your favorite division (or team in the future) is progressing.

I have also been granted access to some screen shots that will help demonstrate what the app will look like once filled with info. This should give you a better idea of what to expect in the future and for your $5.

In conclusion, my opinion on this app is that for $5 it’s an absolute no-brainer TAKE MY MONEY. The future possibilities of where this app could go are endless. There is also currently a “Bid Declarations” selection that is obviously blank at this point. I am sure more info will come soon on that soon. If I can read into what it is there for, you should be able to assign bids to teams etc. How cool would it be to be notified once your favorite team earns a worlds bid (in the future)?

I like that at this point, it is clean and simple. I feel the biggest mistake many new app makes is they try to jam too many capabilities into one app and it becomes clunky. CheerUpdates understands what their audience wants and has done a great job responding to the needs of the audience. Hopefully, the app will overcome the limitations that twitter brings by opening up a new era in information exchange for Allstar Cheer fans. For that reason alone, I am supporting CheerUpdates and donating my $5 to this cause. Early indications are that this app is currently exploding in the app store right now. As this goes to press it is the number 1 paid sports app and climbing the charts with a flash. WOW!

My thumbs already fall off refreshing my phone trying to keep up with all my favorite teams at competitions. Heck, most of us gladly pay for a cable TV bill that is 20 TIMES more expensive than that PER MONTH! I guarantee you most of you use thumbs more on your phone trying to keep up with CheerUpdates more than you watch your TV.

How this app will work for the first time remains to be seen. We have all shelled out much more for streaming competitions where performance is up or down. Ultimately, the choice is yours. In answering the question, “Is paying $5 for the CheerUpdates APP ridiculous?” Hopefully, I have helped you understand the early answer to that question is a resounding NO. Please feel free to share your opinions in the comment section below. I would love an honest dialogue or ideas on where this app should go next!

Unless you are a “Cheerlebrity” … you are worthless…

January 21, 2016November 30, 2017 ~ Welcome To Mintland ~ Leave a comment

In a follow-up to my previous post If you are in Business…NEVER hire an Allstar Cheerleader I wanted to discuss a topic that was talked about as the blog was shared. More than a few times the word “Cheerlebrity” came up. It is a fair assertion and a topic that needs to be addressed. It is no secret that there are a few Cheerlebrities out there that represent the sport of Allstar Cheerleading. Just as with any sport there will be a few athletes that shine or are more popular with others.

The word “Cheerlebrity” is one that most of the kids that have adopted the moniker desperately try to lose. Most of the time, they did not ask for the “fake fame”. There are a few that fan the flames and beg for the attention, but that is the exception, not the rule. I guess my point is, for every Cheerlebrity point flyer, there are tens of thousands of team players that want to make lifetime memories with their team and work together to hit that routine. As we teeter dangerously by dangling an unrealistic goal for everyone to be a Cheerlebrity we lose the focus on what makes Allstar cheer so special. The special word I am referring to is”teamwork”.

The Grape Rays = Teamwork

Most will tell you, the only people on a squad that qualify for the term “Cheerlebrity” are the coaches who masterfully coordinate and press for excellence to get the most out their team. What you will find, is that the coaches will then deflect all of the kudos to the kids that make up that team. The infinite circle that defines greatness is an unbreakable force of love and culture that exudes when a team gels and accomplishes incredible things together. When that happens, the memories created on that team are unbreakable. I guarantee if you ask a Summit Champion or World Champion AllStar how many Instagram or Twitter followers a teammate had 5 years after they won, they will not know or care.

In any sport there are some that are more popular than others. We know them well. Micheal Jordan, Kobe Bryant numerous NFL, MLB superstars and don’t get me started on College Football. The point is, the athletes are nothing without a supporting cast around them.

For those who snub their nose at the Cheerlebrity, remember they are people too. Be the bigger person and respect the effort they put into the sport, they deserve it. Most use the title to do good and are role models for our children whether we like it or not. Take the time to explain the life lesson to those around you and build a culture of positivity.

Below is a response to one of the comments from my previous blog post. I think it applies here.

In the business world, we have another word for Cheerlebrities they are sometimes called CEO’s sometimes Managers, sometimes they actually fit into the rank and file. Whatever happens, it’s all ok. Hopefully, they turn into leaders or contributors of some sort. The important thing is to take the attributes of what they do on the mats and be productive in their lives moving forward. Thank you for you contribution to the conversation. I agree, not everything is peaches and cream. ~ Eric Moran

At the end of the day, the people that matter most in your life will be the ones that help create life long memories. Think about it, QUICK, name the last World Champions in the Large All Girl senior 5 division. Can you do it? Did you have to Google it? How about Large Coed? Senior Medium? Senior Small Coed? (Ok, that one may be easy) but you get my point!

Now, I challenge you to remember your favorite teacher from grade school. Who was your best friend growing up in your neighborhood? Who is your favorite cheer coach? Who is the friend that helped you through one of your most challenging moments in your life? I am assuming you can rattle them off immediately.

The most important people in your life are the ones you surround yourself with day in and day out. They are the ones who will be in your wedding. They will be the ones who you grow up with and share special memories with. They are your crew, not the people on an iPhone screen half way across the US.

The 2014-2015 Peppermint Rays making lifetime memories

The more we as a community push the issue of “Unless you become a “Cheerlebrity”… you are Worthless…” we create a dangerous culture for Allstar Cheer. Be the teammate that leaves a positive culture for those to flourish behind you. Leave the legacy you want others to follow! Make sure you are easily memorable for those in your circle for years to come.

Setting Aggressive Goals and Team Success…

December 26, 2015November 30, 2017 ~ Welcome To Mintland ~ Leave a comment

As adults, we learn the importance of establishing aggressive goals and challenging ourselves. Sometimes this means working with a team, sometimes your goal is an individual one. In youth sports when aggressive goals are achieved, often times they are achieved by a magical chain of events.

In my previous post The Importance of Strong Mentors and Culture I emphasize the importance of having someone successful to look up to. It is important to be able to observe what it takes to be successful. Once you see what it takes, you then need to be able to model the behaviors to achieve success. On a team, everyone’s interpretation of what it takes to succeed will vary. It takes an incredible Coach to set the standard and clarify the different interpretations. The Coach needs to define and model what it is going to take to be successful. In other words, someone needs to set the bar high for you or your team.

As Welcome to Mintland moves into the early to middle chapters of the book. I try to establish how the team comes together and how they began to bond as a team by establishing trust and emanating kindness as a group. In Youth Sports, talent can only take you so far as an individual. In Allstar Cheerleading individual talent is completely useless without support of a strong team culture. While we always think kids learn from adults many times if you observe a Youth Sports team it will be the other way around.

As described in the early chapters, you could tell the team bonded quickly with each other. Many of the kids were from different backgrounds, schools, and parts of the city. Some of the kids where older than others, more mature, shy, quiet, spirited, etc.. but once together, they all accepted each other. While it took a while for some to warm up to others, at the end of the day the team learned to trust each other and understand each others capabilities even at a young age.

This came in extra handy as the Coach put together one of the most exciting stunt sequences and pushed this team to the brink. Setting aggressive goals is what makes good teams great. Early on as the team was assembling the stunt, things were not pretty. Many failed attempts and falls resulted, but the team never lost faith in each other and knew they could do it. Once they did it a few times, it was on to mastery. As any incredible coach will tell you, if you demand perfection you just might get it. If you settle for mediocracy that is what you will get.

Once perfection is consistent, your team can go very far in Youth Sports and in life. Are you curious to read just how far this “little team that could” went? Well, I will leave that up to you to research but it was pretty magical. It would have never happened if the Coach did not set an aggressive goal. The magic happens when the team believes in each others ability to achieve success. Have you ever achieved a goal you never thought you would achieve? I would love to hear your story….

The Blessing and the Curse of Social Media in Allstar Cheerleading…

December 11, 2015November 30, 2017 ~ Welcome To Mintland ~ Leave a comment

It’s no secret I can be a long-winded person. It’s a blessing and a curse in this day and age. I have made it my mission in life to make sure I never say “it all went by so fast” or “where did the time go.” I am sure I will fail eventually and cave to that phrase, but I will try to take in every moment. It is important to reflect on experiences good and bad. It is what builds character and develops our future. It’s a building block.

One of the main purposes of writing Welcome to Mintland was making sure the kids appreciated this time in their lives. In between practices, school, tumble classes, school projects, parties, and travel. Most of the time they do not get an opportunity to smell the roses. In the era of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat etc.. kids (and adults) are now trained to appreciate moments in the split second they take a look at that picture or meme on their favorite social media account. After that quick instance of gratification, it is off to the next piece of context or photo. There is no time for reflection or appreciation of a job well done. There are some stories that are worth more that the 7/8 of a second we dedicate to viewing our journey.

At the end of the season, one of the observations I made was that I did not get the sense the team understood what they accomplished. I was literally scared to death that they would take the moment and their journey for granted while chasing the next skill or accomplishing more great things at school or at cheer. I think subliminally, that was why I felt compelled to write this story.

All Star Cheerleading moves at the speed of Social Media. It is how the entire community communicates. I am as guilty as anybody. It is efficient and necessary for a worldwide audience to stay connected as closely as we all do. We all must realize there are some stories that deserve more than just a tweet or a snap. This community deserves more than that. I hope more take the time to realize this time in your life will be amazing and not everything in your life should be broken down into 8 counts. Sometimes you need to back up and observe from the judges table and smile down on the performance in front of you, take it all in and build from it.

I would love to hear about your special moments. Feel free to share.

Eric