A Brandon cheerleading and football team was disqualified just before the championship because of a video posted on Facebook.
The video shows seven of the cheerleaders practicing their cheer routine while at a barbecue at assistant coach Maria Serrano’s house.
Due to a rule violation that states players are required to practice within designated hours, the Tri-County Youth Football and Cheer Council disqualified and removed the cheerleaders as well as the football team from the organization.
The president says the Bears violated the rules by having an extra practice at a coach’s home which would offer a competitive advantage.
Children and parents from all over Hillsborough County gathered at the Brandon Bears field on Sunday to protest the decision.
The cheerleaders claim they just playing around and having at the barbecue.
Serrano, who posted the video to Facebook, can’t believe the decision.
“I just want to show everyone how amazing there are,” said Serrano. “It was cute, it was funny.”
Athletic Director Brian Jones thinks punishment for the whole team is unfair.
“We have two football teams that have now gone 2 and 0, are slated to play in the super bowl in two weeks and now we have football teams eliminated for something they have never done.”
Football player Colleen Valetine said his heart is broken.
“We are just kids who wanted to have fun, challenge ourselves,” said Valetine.
TCYFCC President Greg Stallings said the punishment stands because the team violated rules by having an extra practice at a coach's home.
“While the practice rule may be viewed as petty by some, we are very serious about teams gaining a competitive advantage outside the approved practice time,” said Stallings in a statement. "The rule to strike he entire organization from post season play was approved by all 14 members of the conference."
“For a video that was so innocently posted, they made something so horrible out of it,” said Serrano.
The Brandon Bears is appealing the conference's decision. A meeting will be held within the next couple days to discuss the appeal.
The organization released the following statement:
The Brandon Bears have been found in violation of the TYCFCC practice rule by conducting a practice at a home of a coach outside the approved practice parameters. TCYFCC's rule for practice is a gathering of a team or individuals to exercise or study football or cheerleading. While the practice rule may be viewed as petty by some, we are very serious about teams gaining a competitive advantage outside the approved practice time. The penalty for violating the rule is removal of the entire organization from post season play for football and cheerleading. TCYFCC has notified the Brandon Bears that the conference is applying this rule. The rule to stricken the entire organization from post season play was approved by all 14 members of the conference in a painstaking rules meeting to make sure league administrators understood the rule in it entirety because of it impacts on the kids. Each league within our conference needs to ensure every park trustees, coaches, and parents understand the practice rules to help police the rule. Per our conference bylaws, the Brandon Bears have the right to appeal. The Brandon Bears have contacted TCYFCC that they wish to appeal and an appeal meeting will be held within 72 hours per our rules.