1st Year Cheer Mom - Advice Please!

[Twinklestars]

Close! Tennessee.

I get it. We live in the NW part of the state. We have a gym about 30 minutes away. They have two teams. There is a gym about 45 minutes away that has one or two teams. There is a third gym about an hour away that has two or three teams.

My girls never have been able to do all-stars because I am the only one available to take them and it wasn't logistically possible.

 

[BlockHead]

I agree. She definitely needs something age and skill appropriate! My CP was on a Jr 2 squad when she was 9. She loved going and being with her friends (all older), but I think she disliked the fact that she was not a level 2 tumbler. She did love to fly back then, so she at least had that to enjoy.
Now, she is back at a large gym with age and skill appropriate squads. She loves it because she loves her tumble pass and she gets to base (no longer wants to fly). And I love that she is truly with kids that are her own age. I think that if you can get her on a skill appropriate squad, she will blossom so much faster!

 

[Aunie]

Have you considered looking into doing privates possibly at a gymnastics gym? There may be more opportunities for one on one privates, lots of high end equipment for her to learn on, and especially with level 1 skills like front and back walkovers, gymnastics fundamentals can be really helpful in giving her a solid foundation technique-wise for her tumbling.

 

[CookieMomster]

You've been given great advice. I just wanted to say hello to a fellow Mini-aged parent. Welcome.

 

[KnoxMom3]

Thanks to all for the advice and welcoming! I'm looking into enrolling her in tumbling at Gym B for the time being at least. We will see how the rest of the season goes ...

 

[JocelynsMama1]

I would pay more to go to the bigger gym. She deffinitely sounds like a level 1 athlete at this piont. On a level appropriate team she will feel better about her self and enjoy it more as well as bloom faster in the sport.

 

[Cheer Dad]

I would pay more to go to the bigger gym. She deffinitely sounds like a level 1 athlete at this piont. On a level appropriate team she will feel better about her self and enjoy it more as well as bloom faster in the sport.

Too bad the small gym can't offer that.

A friend started a new program this season and thought a team would be able to compete L4. After 2 small comps watching the kids struggle and look afraid on the floor they dropped to L3 and the confidence the team now has is incredible. Was a humbling experience for her and the kids but all the positives from this experience is unmeasurable.


**we can be friends if you like dogs**

 

[FaithOverFear!]

I can really understand your CP's frustration. Our gyms have a lot in common (down to the evaluations, not try outs) and we are also very small. I am at level 4.2 and I am definitely not level 4 stunts, so.. you can guess. I also don't get spotted a lot, so I can't really work on my handspring. I spend a lot of the routine in the back. It gets real old real quick- obviously your CP is much younger so I can't be spot on with this but for her sake I would see if big gym has a mini 1. Trust me, even if it's a lower level it will be much less frustrating than trying to get to a higher level than you actually are. Just from an older athlete's experience!

 

[JocelynsMama1]

Too bad the small gym can't offer that.

A friend started a new program this season and thought a team would be able to compete L4. After 2 small comps watching the kids struggle and look afraid on the floor they dropped to L3 and the confidence the team now has is incredible. Was a humbling experience for her and the kids but all the positives from this experience is unmeasurable.


**we can be friends if you like dogs**

All gyms are different. I coach at a small gym and we have a level 1 mini team then level 2 youth...her daughter would fit in great. But if shes going to a gym that has aenough kids on a higher level its not fair to them to make them go down to level 1 jsut because shes new to the sport

 

[cheer25mom]

All gyms are different. I coach at a small gym and we have a level 1 mini team then level 2 youth...her daughter would fit in great. But if shes going to a gym that has aenough kids on a higher level its not fair to them to make them go down to level 1 jsut because shes new to the sport

Honestly, most young kids new to the sport belong on level 1 their first year, even if they have a BHS. They need to learn to stunt, and teaching a new 11 year old level 2 stunts is very different that a new 6-7 year old. . Some gyms admittedly cannot do that because they don't have the kids to do so, and some use crossovers to make it happen when they are close to having enough. I don't see a problem with asking a level 2 child to cross to a level 1 team. My kid is doing it this year as a replacement for a child that left. Her first year on mini 1 we had a few crossovers from youth 2 to make the team work.

 

[SL&AM]

Honestly, most young kids new to the sport belong on level 1 their first year, even if they have a BHS. They need to learn to stunt, and teaching a new 11 year old level 2 stunts is very different that a new 6-7 year old. . Some gyms admittedly cannot do that because they don't have the kids to do so, and some use crossovers to make it happen when they are close to having enough. I don't see a problem with asking a level 2 child to cross to a level 1 team. My kid is doing it this year as a replacement for a child that left. Her first year on mini 1 we had a few crossovers from youth 2 to make the team work.

I agree. Cheer is about so much more than tumbling and the amount that is learned in level 1 is huge when you think about it as a whole---learning proper jump technique, learning the foundations for stunting, learning how to count...etc. By placing a child immediately into level 2, especially at a younger age, is setting them up to fail in a lot of ways---while some will come out unscathed and pick it all up, I'd venture a guess and say that most won't.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I am a huge believer in starting new-to-cheer kids on Level 1 unless they came from gymnastics and happen to be acrobats and Level 5 tumblers.

Interesting sidenote: I learned on Fierceboard that there are gyms who actually start older new-to-cheer kids on Level 4.2.

My knee-jerk reaction is that I'd rather not. This puts never cheered kids in the position to be flying/basing at almost an elite level. You could make the argument that kids progress quickly in basing, but that's a steep learning curve for someone who has never based or flown in a prep!

 

[JocelynsMama1]

Honestly, most young kids new to the sport belong on level 1 their first year, even if they have a BHS. They need to learn to stunt, and teaching a new 11 year old level 2 stunts is very different that a new 6-7 year old. . Some gyms admittedly cannot do that because they don't have the kids to do so, and some use crossovers to make it happen when they are close to having enough. I don't see a problem with asking a level 2 child to cross to a level 1 team. My kid is doing it this year as a replacement for a child that left. Her first year on mini 1 we had a few crossovers from youth 2 to make the team work.

oh no I'm sorry I meant making the entire team go down to a level 1. By all means if the gym has a level 1 team shes age appropriate for that would be the best fit.

 

[JocelynsMama1]

oh no I'm sorry I meant making the entire team go down to a level 1. By all means if the gym has a level 1 team shes age appropriate for that would be the best fit.

Also my daughter crosses mini 1 to youth 2 as well she just turned 7 but this is her 4th season so shes got some experience under her belt.

 

[cheerisloving]

I am a huge believer in starting new-to-cheer kids on Level 1 unless they came from gymnastics and happen to be acrobats and Level 5 tumblers.

Interesting sidenote: I learned on Fierceboard that there are gyms who actually start older new-to-cheer kids on Level 4.2.

Unless they cheered HS and have basic knowledge of stunting, I agree 4.2 is a little advance. Our freshman who didn't stunt couldn't do L4 stunts but Varsity girls who only have bhs or are getting spotted, who have done level 4 stunts would be fine starting there.

I started young at level 2, I had done level 2 stunts, no bhs but had cartwheels and roundoffs. I think level 1 works best when there are more athletes with the same issue of starting with nothing.