All-Star 21-22 Teams & Divisions

[catlady]

My CP is 12. She’s too big to fly. With the old junior top age of 14 she would probably have had more chance of basing. Now with a lot of 15-16-17 year olds she is not in most of the stunts. She is basing in the pyr though so getting some basing practice. The flyers are around 10 I think.

This higher jr max age has also killed the senior divisions for level 1-3 especially. There are almost no sr teams at most comps. It’s weird and I don’t like it. Are the people in charge not seeing this?

Please lower the junior max age by one birth year!

A different perspective: The intensity of these routines has increased drastically in the past ten years. On Youth and Jr teams, you have a wide growth gap, and these kids are throwing much lighter flyers than themselves. On Sr. aged teams, the growth gap is much smaller. I'll preface this by stating I don't want to get into a flyer size debate, we need to be sensitive to weight issues with flyers, but with that said, physics can't be ignored when it comes to our bases and backs joint and tendon health either. When it comes to lower level Sr. teams, these athletes do not have the muscle development these level 4-6 athletes do. While on a Sr. 4.2 my oldest helped out on a Sr. 2 and said there's a HUGE difference between a 115 lb flyer that can help lift and hold their weight in the air, versus an athlete where you are doing a lot of the lifting and fighting to keep them in the air. She, also, said there's a HUGE difference between catching 115 lbs when you have shoulder, arm, core, and leg strength versus when you don't. While she would agree many lower level Sr. aged athletes would quit before being on a Jr. team, she also said there were many that quit because of repeat injuries.

Another difference in the past ten years, are organized sports have changed the dynamic. Now, most kids have been in their sport for several years by the time they get to HS. It used to be that you would have 14 year old's changing their sport and trying something new at that age, but now if you're not proficient at that age, you generally aren't able to participate. Even ten years ago, it was very hit or miss if my kids had a Sr. level 1 or 2 team to go up against.

 

[123jump4!]

A different perspective: The intensity of these routines has increased drastically in the past ten years. On Youth and Jr teams, you have a wide growth gap, and these kids are throwing much lighter flyers than themselves. On Sr. aged teams, the growth gap is much smaller. I'll preface this by stating I don't want to get into a flyer size debate, we need to be sensitive to weight issues with flyers, but with that said, physics can't be ignored when it comes to our bases and backs joint and tendon health either. When it comes to lower level Sr. teams, these athletes do not have the muscle development these level 4-6 athletes do. While on a Sr. 4.2 my oldest helped out on a Sr. 2 and said there's a HUGE difference between a 115 lb flyer that can help lift and hold their weight in the air, versus an athlete where you are doing a lot of the lifting and fighting to keep them in the air. She, also, said there's a HUGE difference between catching 115 lbs when you have shoulder, arm, core, and leg strength versus when you don't. While she would agree many lower level Sr. aged athletes would quit before being on a Jr. team, she also said there were many that quit because of repeat injuries.

Another difference in the past ten years, are organized sports have changed the dynamic. Now, most kids have been in their sport for several years by the time they get to HS. It used to be that you would have 14 year old's changing their sport and trying something new at that age, but now if you're not proficient at that age, you generally aren't able to participate. Even ten years ago, it was very hit or miss if my kids had a Sr. level 1 or 2 team to go up against.

This is true. It might have been a mistake to raise the senior min age. Should have kept it at 10 to make it easier on the bases.

For my CP, she has based here and there and has usually been more successful with smaller flyers. The weight does make a difference.

In her early days she was tiny and was a flyer and she did best with bigger bases.

 

[Thinkpositivethoughts]

I am not sure how accurate my younger cousin is on this but she seems to think that The Stingray allstars will be offering a non tumbling this season as well as an international open or senior open level 4 team.

 

[icequeen]

Prodigy is adding a nontumbling team called NightlighT.

 

[4D3CHEER!]

Prodigy is adding a nontumbling team called NightlighT.

what a clever name!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

When the division started, I remember a gym (Extreme All Stars or Express Cheer maybe?) had one called Oh No I CaNT. I chuckled.

 

[DancerDude0118]

Looks like Stingray Electric is back in Global coed... they have two Global teams from the Marietta location this season - Cobalt (All-Girl) Global (Coed).

Of course I never truly believe team divisions are final until I actually see them compete in that division, and even then, mid-season switches seem to be more common with overlapping age groups.

 

[fullinitup]

Kinda sad to see Rays Marietta not adding another worlds team with all their success. Kinda selfishly hoping to see either an XS coed or all girl team lol.

 

[DancerDude0118]

Kinda sad to see Rays Marietta not adding another worlds team with all their success. Kinda selfishly hoping to see either an XS coed or all girl team lol.

They have 8 Worlds teams at Marietta this season, that’s already enough in my opinion, lol.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Rust Rays are back this year in IOC7!

 

[Knowcheering]

Kinda sad to see Rays Marietta not adding another worlds team with all their success. Kinda selfishly hoping to see either an XS coed or all girl team lol.

Lol they're entered in practically every other Worlds division, we'll have to make do with just those lol.

This reminds me of the kids who sit on Twitter and tell every good gym they should just add another Worlds team or enter Large Senior, as if it's so easy to just field whatever the heck team the fans feel like. Most gyms can barely put together one Worlds team, if any, to keep this in perspective.

 

[Thinkpositivethoughts]

Kinda sad to see Rays Marietta not adding another worlds team with all their success. Kinda selfishly hoping to see either an XS coed or all girl team lol.

The John’s Creek location will be fielding a worlds team, not sure if just one or more than one. But for one gym to have 8 worlds teams is pretty awesome and amazing, especially in the divisions these teams are in.

 

[CoachTamara]

Especially GOOD worlds teams... You can make them, but that doesn't mean they can win.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Lol they're entered in practically every other Worlds division, we'll have to make do with just those lol.

This reminds me of the kids who sit on Twitter and tell every good gym they should just add another Worlds team or enter Large Senior, as if it's so easy to just field whatever the heck team the fans feel like. Most gyms can barely put together one Worlds team, if any, to keep this in perspective.

YES.

Don't get me wrong, I definitely have some Dream Teams/Divisions I would love to see (ex: a LAG6 Lady Jags or A-Team) but I know it's not as easy as it seems to just add teams.

Example: As much as you want someone to have a Large Coed, boys are hard to find as is, let alone 10+ of them. There is a reason there are 3 programs in that division right now.

See also: Large Senior requires you to have something like 40 Worlds level female athletes. For many gyms, that is literally every single Worlds eligible Level 6 kid in the program. Even for a larger program, putting 40 Worlds kids on one team isn't the issue, but may not be practical. Example: I am sure that Woodlands has the numbers and talent to come back into Large Senior, but is it the best use of their kids? (if it means sacrificing say, 2 other Worlds teams to make it happen.)

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Not a team announcement but if we're talking dreams, I would love to see gyms bringing back Youth 5!

I know it's impractical with the Junior grid being what it is, but I was just watching old videos - I miss seeing Youth Elite compete with Y5 Twinkles, Y5 Rays (I think it was Green?), and other gyms having Y5s as well (I think MDT had one once that won NCA, I think Cheer Sport Sharks did, CA, etc.)