CSU Long Beach Cheerleading Scandal: Coach Fired After Non-Student Ringer Helps Win National Title
The good news: Everybody now knows that CSU Long Beach cheer came in first at Florida nationals this month! Congrats, guys. And, uh, the bad: No sooner did we find out, than the team was forced into forfeiting its title because one of the team members had graduated in December. So... congrats takebacks? Awkward.
"Bring It On" Boys can be cheerleaders, too! Just... not if they're alumni.
That (male) alumnus is obviously off the squad now, along with Coach Eric Anderson, who'll be hard-pressed to find a gig in the cheer business after allegedly letting the non-student compete at nationals while fully aware of his status.
Unlike Anderson, the student-government advisor for the team did the classy thing when she found out:
She forfeited the National Cheerleaders Association title. A bit extreme, but sportsmanlike as it gets -- there's no excess of "Bring It On"-esque drama down in Long Beach, apparently.
Here's a video of the team from last year, when the 2011 championship spoiler was presumably still on the team:
We're no experts, but it looks like they probably could have done it without him. Shame.
From ABC News:
Esparza is the spokesperson for the Associated Students at Cal State Long Beach. She said the Associated Students funds and oversees the cheer squad."The advisor for the cheer team, who also works with the Associated Students, she discovered that the student was not a student and decided to forfeit the title," said Esparza. "We terminated our contract with the coach, he was an independent contractor." ...
She adds that it's a simple policy at Cal State Long Beach. If you are not a student at the university, you cannot compete on any team.
Better luck next year, chee-ters! Heh. Just kidding. But do try to avoid the Rob Schneider types, if you can help it.
[@simone_electra/swilson@laweekly.com]
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
