All-Star 2015-2016 Tryouts - Cp Indecisive

[FlexyTumblerMom]

I've actually never noticed the other girls... I do know they all balance on left and do their flexibility with the right... I did the same when I coached Rec cause it what was the majority of girls could do... She's flexible on both...

but has a needle on the right leg... like so...

Her bow and arrow is better on her left than on her right... IDK she's just confusing lmao... Her heel stretch is prettier on her left too but she's hasn't developed the back flexibility for the needle on the left and she never flies that way either... as for flexibility on her team... the most flexible girls I've noticed apart from my daughter (with the right or "bad" leg) is like 2 or 3 other girls... I don't know if this affects points during comp but I have seen other teams do it... very little but its been done.


ETA: the girls are flexible but clean flexibility of any skill is only seen in 2-4 girls at most 5 including my daughter, they're flexible per say but there's bent knee scorps instead of pretty tear drop scorps etc... and some heel stretches are a little bent or cat backs to reach for the heel stretch etc... no one's perfect but you know... My cp started as a dancer so she has "turn out" which apparently has helped with flexibility and coming from a double jointed family from both sides me and dh helped too (my son is diagnosed low muscle tone which is the correct term for double jointed-ness and he's extremely flexible for a child that has no actual "stretching" in his life lol)... (my cousin was a contortionist for a circus in her country too and I use to dance and was pretty flexible until childbirth lol) when CP was younger she was very much into bending "in odd places" i would call it or being a "pretzel" however she never balanced out the stretching so only got better with the opposite leg...

That 2014 pic of her needle depicts a kid who is more left side flexible to me - that is the opposite of my DD (and the majority of people). In a needle, the "good (or more flexible) leg" is the one that's supporting/on the ground, but when doing something like pulling a bow and arrow and doing a heel stretch the good leg is the one one in the air (which goes along w/ what you said about your CPs bow and arrow being better on her left). My CP has a dance background as well and has really good hip turnout - she tells me this actually works against her in heel stretchs cause when she pulls her bad (left) leg in the air her body wants to turn out and twist to the side making her stunt go to the side. She really had to train herself and stretch forward a lot on her left side to stop doing this but has got a lot better.

Your CP looks like a born flyer in those pics :) - so I think level 5 at a top gym could def be in her future if she keeps working :). Make sure she stretches her other side though - especially her back. How big is she height-wise?

 

[MzLyn23]

That 2014 pic of her needle depicts a kid who is more left side flexible to me - that is the opposite of my DD (and the majority of people). In a needle, the "good (or more flexible) leg" is the one that's supporting/on the ground, but when doing something like pulling a bow and arrow and doing a heel stretch the good leg is the one one in the air (which goes along w/ what you said about your CPs bow and arrow being better on her left). My CP has a dance background as well and has really good hip turnout - she tells me this actually works against her in heel stretchs cause when she pulls her bad (left) leg in the air her body wants to turn out and twist to the side making her stunt go to the side. She really had to train herself and stretch forward a lot on her left side to stop doing this but has got a lot better.

Your CP looks like a born flyer in those pics :) - so I think level 5 at a top gym could def be in her future if she keeps working :). Make sure she stretches her other side though - especially her back. How big is she height-wise?

omg yes the falling over cause the hips turn out would kill me when i was her coach!! lmao!!! I would get so frustrated and then finally realized OH!! its your turn out!! lol!!! so we've been working on that one... her size... she is approximately 4'3 - 4'5... I'm 5'4 but her dad is 6ft... in my head i'm saying she needs to fly while she can cause she might catch a late growth spurt like her father (he was less than 5 ft at 14-15yrs old then wooosh!! 6ft!!) and then will be too tall to fly... on top of the fact that she's not stick thin and actually pretty toned in the hips and legs, she's also got J.Lo's booty (thank you daddy for Puerto Rican genes) and i'm worried (among other parental concerns) that this might also hinder her from flying in 3-4 years lol... I know i'm ahead of myself... I can't help it.... lol

 

[ilikebigbows]

I agree with others that it's perfectly fine to switch gyms at the end of the season. People have said this before, but a gym is a business providing a service. It is up to you whether you invest in their company or another company for the service that best fits your CP and family's needs.

And though this is slightly off topic from the original post, about the level 5 thing, don't let your CP get discouraged about making a level 5 team. I was in the same boat as her -- struggling at tumbling and confidence in my skills. I was never, ever on a team where I was the "star," even when I cross-competed a level down. I even considered quitting cheer for soccer in between 7th and 8th grade. I was a good stunter, jumper and dancer, but really struggled with those dang flips, and because of that I honestly never thought I would have a chance at making a level 5 team, like ever. It eventually happened, though, and want to know what got me on the team? Not my tumbling -- I only had a layout and ugly standing bhs tucks... not my stunting -- for the first two months I was the weakest base on the team... but my work ethic, drive and passion to get better and be the biggest asset to my team I could be is what got me on the team. Eventually I got my full (it was pretty ugly and never landed at a comp but hey it's a personal accomplishment lol) and grew strong enough to base the point stunt group, and now I cheer at a division 1 college. Coaches look not only for skills, but for coachability and drive to get better.

Your daughter is young and has many many more years of cheer to put under her belt before she retires. Perhaps a change of environment will stimulate that drive to start working on those skills that she hasn't worked on in a while again. That is what exactly what happened to me. I was burnt out, and my mom was like "just one more year and if you still don't like it you can try something else." We switched gyms and I fell in love all over again. Massive good luck to you and your CP. This is an amazing sport and I pray that she reaches all of her goals!

 

[Tiny1mom]

How old is she? CP reluctantly gym hopped, and I had to drag her into her current gym and sign her up to tumble and take her for open gym some and she had to to come to the conclusion that, yes, she would switch when she was 10/5th grade, Y2 to Y2, and it took her a good six weeks of tumbling at one gym and still practicing at her old one and she told no one, she was super loyal to her old gym and her old teammates, but she has had zero regrets and very happy with the switch but it was hard. I liked everyone at old gym but after hanging out on this board for a year and paying attention for a season at comps, I knew what I wanted for her then and for the money I was spending, she just had to come to the same conclusion because DH thought I was nuts driving a 5th grader 45 mins away to cheer at another gym. :oops:

ETA: She is in the end of her third season where she hopped to and will be at tryouts there again immediately following Summit.

Hey! Does your daughter go to infinity? We are at zone. But considering switching to infinity. Worried about the drive!!!

 

[notyourcheermom]

Hey! Does your daughter go to infinity? We are at zone. But considering switching to infinity. Worried about the drive!!!

Yes, definitely PM me. We have folks driving from Palm Coast, Hilliard, St. Augustine, Julington Creek. Lots of carpool opportunities, too.

 

[mybabywantstotumble]

Can we please ban the term "gym hopper"? We are customers and if we aren't happy with the service we are receiving we have the right to go somewhere else. Not every gym is a good fit for every child or his/her family.

@MzLyn23 you need to do what's best for your family and your cp. if she isn't being challenged at current location and you aren't crazy about the work ethic or coaching styles i would do clinics and tumble classes at the gyms you are looking at. You can learn a lot just by sitting in the parent area listening to the parents talk. You could also post the area you are in (maybe in the parents area) and get some recommendations and reviews from parents from some gyms near you. And if you are planning on relocating next year, does that mean you might move during the cheer season after you've bought a new uniform from the new gym?

 

[cheermomforever]

Everyone deserves to b happy, challenged and learning new skills at the gym u decide to pay a lot of $ at.
As long as u finish the season where u r currently at u r not a gym hopper.

 

[stuntjumptumble]

Can we please ban the term "gym hopper"? We are customers and if we aren't happy with the service we are receiving we have the right to go somewhere else. Not every gym is a good fit for every child or his/her family.

YES YES YES this is something very important that a lot of people need to understand


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[cheermomagain]

We were in the same boat as you. we actually took a year off because we had such a bad experience at our gym that neither one of my daughters wanted to cheer. My oldest now 13 has asked to get back but the closest is our old gym and we are not going back there so everywhere else is about an hour away. Since this is something that she really wants we are going to take this on. We actually attended some open gyms and let her attened some tumbling classes to see how she like the coaches.
After doing all of this she has decided where she wants to go and tryouts are in 6 weeks. So we are excited to get back into this!!

 

[Pebbles49]

@cheermomagain, congratulations to your daughter and deciding this is truly what she wants to do and I am wishing her good luck during her tryouts...

 

[MzLyn23]

Can we please ban the term "gym hopper"? We are customers and if we aren't happy with the service we are receiving we have the right to go somewhere else. Not every gym is a good fit for every child or his/her family.

@MzLyn23 you need to do what's best for your family and your cp. if she isn't being challenged at current location and you aren't crazy about the work ethic or coaching styles i would do clinics and tumble classes at the gyms you are looking at. You can learn a lot just by sitting in the parent area listening to the parents talk. You could also post the area you are in (maybe in the parents area) and get some recommendations and reviews from parents from some gyms near you. And if you are planning on relocating next year, does that mean you might move during the cheer season after you've bought a new uniform from the new gym?

So relocation is definite and possibly getting pushed back a year. We were suppose to love to Miami, Florida but house hunting hasn't been fun at all. The most challenging gyms near me at least, are big names, world cup, cja, star athletics, cc champs, etc. but they're all far from us. 45 mins or more. WC is the farthest about 1:15 - 1:30 hours away. although I would sacrifice anything for her I'm also realistic with our family situation and having a younger child and one car etc. we actually had a conversation with her last night about it and me and dh were honest. We support her fully and any decision she makes but she needs to really think if this is something she wants to do. I also told her that setting a goal for the future would help her strive for what she wants. I asked her where would u like to be 5 years let's say when ur 15/16 yrs old? She said a level 5 team so I said ok so now u know what u need to work on to get to 5 meaning are u up to the challenge of cheering and taking extra classes especially in tumbling to get those skills. She said yes. I asked her would she like to attend clinics that are coming up at other gyms even if she has decided to stay another year at her current gym (adding that even if she decided to stay at her current gym the clinics might teach her something new or strengthen something she already has and maybe help her tryout for her current gym but place in a higher level). She said yes and understood the positives of taking another clinic. Her current gym has its flaws but they're also very new only about 3-4 years old so I know that it's a learning process. I want to start my own program and I know that I will possibly have my own challenges in getting things moving etc and I might not satisfy every child that comes through so I've become a little more understanding to her gym. I also know that not all gyms are wonderful or perfect. I really wish I was in an area with a bigger variety in choices but it is what it is. I guess that she will make her ultimate decision in the next couple weeks. What sucks too is that many of these gyms are having tryouts the same week as her current gym with the exception of one gym and then I'm like damn!! Lol I'm definitely gonna take her to clinics and see what others I find and then maybe she will make her final decision although she has said for the past two weeks that she wants to stay one more year especially after a rumor that flyers would be switching legs (currently right in the air now supposedly would be left in the air and she figures she would learn with them before trying on another team) we will see how it goes.

Eta: damn iPhone cut off my original post lol

 

[Cheerfan1234]

YES YES YES this is something very important that a lot of people need to understand


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Many people who wholeheartedly agree with this belong to gyms that are on the receiving end of the so-called "hoppers."

 

[stuntjumptumble]

Many people who wholeheartedly agree with this belong to gyms that are on the receiving end of the so-called "hoppers."

Confused on what you're saying, do you think that is a bad thing?


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[cheermomagain]

@cheermomagain, congratulations to your daughter and deciding this is truly what she wants to do and I am wishing her good luck during her tryouts...

Thanks!!! We are both excited!!

 

[cheer25mom]

Well, I and CP have some reservations, but she is trying out again at our current gym. We have definitely had some issues this year, but bottom line is that CP really wants to cheer, and this is the only gym we can make work with her dance schedule. I just cannot drive her 1:30 at least twice a week to the only better option. There is one gym closer that is reasonably successful, but the way that their kids treat ours at competitions tells me it isn't an environment I want my child in. They rude and poor sports over and over, and not just a few kids. It is definitely a gym culture problem.