College 2014 Nca College Nationals

[Cruella]

We know cheer is a factor kids weigh in their decision making. I know it has been for my daughter. But you have to be happy at the school regardless of cheerleading. What if you are injured and out for a year? Are you still going to be happy there? Do you like other things about the school? Does it offer a strong academic program, internships, greek life, study abroad, etc.

Not many kids can run around and tryout at all the schools they applied to. If my daughter wanted to do that we'd have been away starting tomorrow (and we also have a Worlds showcase Saturday) and then would have Worlds and the following week/weekend would have to have been in two completely different states at the SAME TIME.

You have to pick your school - weighing many factors - and tryout and hope for the best!

 

[Gannon Coach]

We know cheer is a factor kids weigh in their decision making. I know it has been for my daughter. But you have to be happy at the school regardless of cheerleading. What if you are injured and out for a year? Are you still going to be happy there? Do you like other things about the school? Does it offer a strong academic program, internships, greek life, study abroad, etc.

Not many kids can run around and tryout at all the schools they applied to. If my daughter wanted to do that we'd have been away starting tomorrow (and we also have a Worlds showcase Saturday) and then would have Worlds and the following week/weekend would have to have been in two completely different states at the SAME TIME.

You have to pick your school - weighing many factors - and tryout and hope for the best!

You hit the nail on the head! We are a little different because we recruit (so you don't have to wait through a tryout to find out if you make the team), but I give every recruit who visits the same talk:

"I hope you love Gannon and tell me you can't wait to come here and be part of our program. But when you're making that decision, you need to decide if this school is a good fit for you academically, socially and athletically. If its not - KEEP LOOKING! There is a school out there that will be a fit for you in all of those areas. Don't come here just to cheer."

Prior to coaching, I did academic advising for athletes from all different sports at a different university. When a kid was struggling socially or academically, their athletics suffered. If they were struggling athletically, their academics suffered. It is so important to find a school that is a good fit in ALL areas - otherwise you will not be happy! I think many athletes tend to focus only on the athletic aspect and don't take the academic/social piece into consideration. Then they get into classes and find themselves struggling academically, and everything unravels. It's hard to watch that happen.

I just posted this in another thread - but I wish more people really researched all these aspects! There are so many options for college, if you look hard enough you'll find the one that's perfect for you!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

We know cheer is a factor kids weigh in their decision making. I know it has been for my daughter. But you have to be happy at the school regardless of cheerleading. What if you are injured and out for a year? Are you still going to be happy there? Do you like other things about the school? Does it offer a strong academic program, internships, greek life, study abroad, etc.

Not many kids can run around and tryout at all the schools they applied to. If my daughter wanted to do that we'd have been away starting tomorrow (and we also have a Worlds showcase Saturday) and then would have Worlds and the following week/weekend would have to have been in two completely different states at the SAME TIME.

You have to pick your school - weighing many factors - and tryout and hope for the best!

Yes!

I've had this conversation with quite a few kids and I always tell them that college is not just the place you're going to CHEER.

It's where you're going to practically LIVE for 4 years.

You have to be happy with it for reasons other than cheer, otherwise if something falls through (you get hurt, etc.) you'll be "that girl" who went away to Dream Cheer School and transferred home because she HATED it.

 

[YoGlow2nca]

I agree and disagree with some of those points. For kids in love with the sport (and I'm assuming if you're a parent on the boards, your kid is pretty heavily invested), the cheer team has to be a major factor.

And being in collegiate athletics I see it all the time, for the most part, the athlete's sport is his/her life, and where they find their identity, so when they are happy with their team, everything else in their lives are good, or at least manageable, but quite the opposite when they are not passionate about their passion.

So my advice, based on my experience in collegiate athletics, you want to make sure the school has your major (or something close to it), that you can truly see yourself happy with the cheer program and that you're happy with people in the program, usually when those three things line up, everything else is good.

And last thing about injuries, ppl do get hurt, that's life and sports, but the reality is, it's not career ending, it might be season ending, but I've never seen an injury in which the doctors said an athlete will NEVER cheer again. Most common injury in our sport, probably ACL, 6 months healing after surgery. Just some food for thought. And if you do have an injury, your major doesn't take care of you, trust me, it's your best friends on the cheer team.


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[Cruella]

I agree and disagree with some of those points. For kids in love with the sport (and I'm assuming if you're a parent on the boards, your kid is pretty heavily invested), the cheer team has to be a major factor.

And being in collegiate athletics I see it all the time, for the most part, the athlete's sport is his/her life, and where they find their identity, so when they are happy with their team, everything else in their lives are good, or at least manageable, but quite the opposite when they are not passionate about their passion.

So my advice, based on my experience in collegiate athletics, you want to make sure the school has your major (or something close to it), that you can truly see yourself happy with the cheer program and that you're happy with people in the program, usually when those three things line up, everything else is good.

And last thing about injuries, ppl do get hurt, that's life and sports, but the reality is, it's not career ending, it might be season ending, but I've never seen an injury in which the doctors said an athlete will NEVER cheer again. Most common injury in our sport, probably ACL, 6 months healing after surgery. Just some food for thought. And if you do have an injury, your major doesn't take care of you, trust me, it's your best friends on the cheer team.


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I won't say that my daughter's choice isn't related to cheer. It is. All the schools she considered came into being largely because of cheer. BUT, even without my pushing, she weighed other factors too, although the schools were quite similar in being D1A football schools and large state flagships. She decided against what might have been one of her "favorites" because from what we heard it was very competitive to make the cheer team. I told her if she felt she'd be completely happy without cheerleading to go ahead and choose it. She did not. However, the school she did choose is also rated top in the country for her major. I won't say cheer is not competitive there (they have a 4 day tryout!), but I don't know that it is a "destination" school - as some have come to be. But she looked also at greek life, what study abroad options there are, what the town is like, the "vibe", etc.

I hope she does cheer there. I know she will be happier if she does. She has come to know the "family" that team brings and loves it.

Maybe some parents are crazy enough and have enough $$ to fly their kids around for multiple college tryouts...during Worlds season. But how much school can one miss??

I am just saying take a balanced approach. Be sure you love the school, because no one is guaranteed a spot on the team. Just because you choose them, doesn't mean they will choose you. I heard about so many VERY talented kids leaving Alabama empty handed.

 

[LeahofthePack]

And last thing about injuries, ppl do get hurt, that's life and sports, but the reality is, it's not career ending, it might be season ending, but I've never seen an injury in which the doctors said an athlete will NEVER cheer again. Most common injury in our sport, probably ACL, 6 months healing after surgery. Just some food for thought. And if you do have an injury, your major doesn't take care of you, trust me, it's your best friends on the cheer team.


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Since that exact thing happened to me, I can agree this is true. It was my sisters/best friend on the team that I would call for if I needed help & that took care of me. I don't think I knew a single person that wasn't on the cheer team that I could have called to help me out.

 

[King]

We have our tryouts late (week after Worlds during Summit but kids can do it by video) so we know kids are actually going to school at GT. GT is very similar to an Ivy League in all our athletes are there to get an education then cheer. Our average SAT/ACT is ridiculous (1400 out of 1600 or 32 ACT). So we care less about attracting last pass on Worlds Winning team and more finding that one athlete with a double in every state smart enough to get in. We ensure if you show up you are in school.

That's our solution and I think many schools find their own unique solution to their college situation. Though I think a lot of the solutions tend to be the same.

Btw if you are smart enough to get into Tech they have a great coach and 1 out of 4 graduates are a millionaire :)




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