- Jun 18, 2013
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Obviously, I'm not a coach. But I do have a daughter at CEA Kville who received one of the 'Senior 5' envelopes at tryouts. I may have a bit of insight, at least from the parent perspective.
My CP was a YE veteran. Around tryout time, CSP pulled us parents to the side and told us that they were overwhelmed with the talent that they had going into next season. I don't remember the exact number, but I want to say it was 18 girls moving up and 15 had doubles (or something like that, not 100% sure because I can't tell the difference visually in a full and a double... I'm that cheer ignorant). Anyway, she was asking for parents to give her ideas for managing it because there simply wasn't enough room to put them all on SE and Coed. LE is a great team, but sometimes it was unfortunately seen as the 'JV team'. Although my CP would have personally been thrilled to be put on that team, many would not have felt the same way. CSP and Sarah wanted to come up with a way to overcome that feeling and move forward instilling confidence in all of them that they were talented and worthy, there just wasn't enough room for them. She ran several ideas by us (one of which was a large group of senior 5 kids) and the general consensus was that we trusted her judgement. Personally, I feel that they have done a great job with making all 66 girls feel important and special. Instead of there being disappointment over opening the 'JV Team' envelope, the girls now feel like they're on a 'mini senior elite' team and it's made their confidence soar. I don't think it was ever meant to detract from the prestige of SE or take away anything from them. I think it was meant as a confidence builder to a very young team girls who all have dreams of being on SE. It's been so much fun to watch them learn from their idols, and get to practice the same stunts right beside them. It reminded them that, yes... they are SE but they can do these things too.
My CP is on the Medium/LoT team and she couldn't be happier with it. They are showing great potential and talent already. I'm sure they will need some time to mature a bit and get worlds ready, but overall it's a talented team and we're excited. It's going to be a great year.
((again... just a parental perspective))
Thank you for sharing this perspective. We are dealing with a similar situation. CP is on the new Small Senior Worlds team Queen and we couldn't be more excited. There is so much talent in our gym that when you observe it all you wondered what was going to become of them. When the gym announced they would have an all girl Worlds team last Spring it was very exciting. Beatles has been the flagship team of the gym. I can't speak for anyone else but I can say that Beatles is the team that my CP dreamed of being a part of one day. But that was because they were the team that could provide the first opportunity for her to attend Worlds (Rolling Stones is IOC). I can also say that during the level practices I believe she held on to a tiny hope that maybe she would be chosen for Beatles. I don't fault her for that at all. For three years her dream had been one particular team because that was the only team potentially available. But she was also excited for the opportunity to be a member of Queen as well.
Now that she knows her team she is filled with excitement and is ready to get down to the business of it all. When she learned she was a Queen (notifications came via email) she put her hair up in a high pony tail, donned last seasons competition bow, and then added her own fierceness by putting on the tiara we had bought at Disney the first year she attended Summit. She declared that Queen needed a competition bow of their own and that it should have a crown on it because they were all Queens! Her excitement is contagious.
From the time the new Worlds team was announced I have heard whispers from athletes and parents that Beatles is the better team and that the less capable athletes would be/were put on Queen. Not many but they were there. I think the talk was to hint that Queen is the "JV" team in the gym. I would like to say, "So what?" The fact is that we are blessed to now have another Worlds team in our gym and we are even more blessed that we are able to be a part of it. I suspect that new ideas are sometimes hard to wrap your mind around. I know I experience that myself. It takes time for new things to develop and our ideas about the new things also take time. I have all the time in the world and so does my CP. We also trust our coaches decisions.
Personally I have no idea what this season will hold for Queen or how it will go. I do know that it is going to be an amazing experience and that the athletes of Queen and their Coaches are going to put in the hard work and perform to the absolute possible (and then some) potential of the team. I know that we are all going to be rooting hard for all of the teams in our gym from the Tiny to the Senior Levels because that's how we do it here.
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