Rec All Star Rec

[Tosh]

I do agree with you both Coach Kelli and Callmeboots, I do not think that it is cheating,; but I do feel that there is an advantage to the "AS Prep" teams that do not cheer for games because they have alot more time to practice for competitions, while game cheer teams have to split their practice time between working on a competition routine and cheers and chants for the games.
So, not saying that it is cheating, but you have to agree that there is an advantage. And please do not get me wrong, our girls at the higher levels 105 thru MS are amaizing and always win, but the younger more inexperienced teams it is very hard for them to do both and compete fairly. And because they are so much younger, it is disheartening to see the look on their faces when they do not place.

 

[Kel Kell]

Tosh My girls cheer for games but we learn all of our chants the first week of practice after conditioning so we won't have to during the season. I reccomend this method it's fantastic. I can't remember the last time we practiced chants , or anything other than the comp routine for that matter, at practice and we cheer weekly for games. Our halftime is two chants. One with motions the other with simple stunts. When we need to learn more chants we just teach them at the games. I see no disadvantage besides maybe 5 hours the first week of practice.

 

[Tosh]

Tosh My girls cheer for games but we learn all of our chants the first week of practice after conditioning so we won't have to during the season. I reccomend this method it's fantastic. I can't remember the last time we practiced chants , or anything other than the comp routine for that matter, at practice and we cheer weekly for games. Our halftime is two chants. One with motions the other with simple stunts. When we need to learn more chants we just teach them at the games. I see no disadvantage besides maybe 5 hours the first week of practice.

I have absolutely no arguements with squads that cheer for games. Regardless of how you work it out, if you cheer for games, I would consider you rec. So no issues there. we do the same thing with our older girls because they have cheered before and for the ones that are older but new, we match them up with a team mate to learn on their own time. But with the babies, it is more challenging. that is way I stated that we do not have an issue with the older girls, but I do feel for the younger ones.
My only issue here is rec that does cheer games, vs those that do not.

 

[SMASHALLSTARS]

I

I'm not sure I would agree with you....completely. Basically, in my experience as a rec coach, the program usually follows the competition guidelines which is either UCA or NCA (all music). So if your Rec program does UCA style cheering, you will want to attend competitions that use a UCA score sheet. My issue is that now you have competitions that does both styles and do not break them out, so you can end up at a competition where you will be competiting against the more All-star type programs....I think it is unfair because for the fact that (though I see some of you already disagree) Rec programs must cheer for a rec sport; ie football. If the program does not cheer for a rec sport such as football or basketball, they really are not a traditional Rec program.

I do find it frustrating when you go to a competition and you feel that you are competing against all-stars team. Our girls practice 2-3 times a week and it includes sideline cheering for football and basketball, so there's a lot less time spent on practicing for competitions, whereas the all-stars team only practice for competition.

I do not like it and I think it is unfair to the traditional Rec programs....JMO

I agree I think Rec should cheer at games or for a sport not just one team out of say 5 because its unfair I think all teams who want to compete as rec should have to cheer at games. Also red cheer should have to include a cheer a call back or standard cheer Uca style. If your main focus is competition take the proper steps to become a Allstar team.

 

[mamabear]

In "my" little world..

AS prep is a minimal commitment AS program that begins in Sept or Nov and where they practice only three hours a week as supposed to 6-10 in full year AS. I thought that the 2 minute time of the routines was to accommodate the shorter practice time and make it so full year prep couldn't easily drop down to compete. In our area, AS Prep consists mostly of experienced kids who want to extend their season after their rec teams have ended. Their routines have been fun to watch because they are very dynamic. You get to see an evolution of the routine through out their season because it goes to the mat much quicker than a polished full year team ( who has been practicing since early summer) competes theirs.

Rec - would be any non profit team that also incorporates sideline cheering for a team,football or basketball. Normally they might be Pop Warner, AYC or a town league. Many of these teams are extending their comp season , by offering a comp team for spring...or they have new teams formed because they are cheering for spring football. Either way, they usually are affilliated with a team. Do not underestimate how great some of these teams are. From what I see at some of the AYC comps, some of the teams could easily compete with AS.

 

[jscoach210]

I could not disagree with you more.
1st. If you are a rec program and cheer for games (football/basketball) you have to spend practice time working on cheers and chants instead of a competition routine.
2nd. Because rec is a community program, finding space to practice is a major hastle. there is alway the option of going to a local gym, but that cost money of which many parents do not have. Keep in mind that the reason for most rec programs is to provide activities for kids of the community they live in. example: Kids that live in relatively the same neighborhood, literally accorss the street, can not be involved in our rec program because that street divides the township, so they live in another township and can not participate in our program.
3rd. Because football season ends the end of November/beginning of December, has nothing to do with when the girls compete. Most rec programs end prior to the Holiday season, so you are literally speaking about no more than two weeks of no game cheering.
So, the amount of practice time and available practice along gives none-game cheering teams/competition only teams a huge advantage over regular rec programs. So yes, create a seperate div for these kids so they can compete against each other while the true rec programs compete against their equals. It is dis-heartening to see the look on some little girls faces when the are proud of what they just did on the competition floor and then sit there and watch the team their competing against in sparkly uniforms and doing stunts that they cant do because the have not had enough time to prictice or not to mention throughing stunts that are illegal......because there are no regulations as to what they can and can not do.
I saw so many basket tosses this weekend at a competition from minis and pee wees that made me wonder and ask the question, what rules are they following?
Just my two cents.

Super duper SHIMMY!!!!!
Well said and oh yeah .. I cringe when I see those same tosses!!


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[CoreMom]

I guess I'm confused - and I am asking this question sincerely, not sarcastically.

Rec means Recreational, right? Why are rec teams even going to competition? If a rec team - regardless if it's from an All-Star gym or Rec Center/non-profit, be a "competitive" team if they compete at all?

And, furthermore, I don't understand why any All-Star gyms would have any "competitive rec teams" ... it just seems like an oxymoron. IMO, in All-Star gyms, either you are a competitive team or not.

Can anyone shed some light for me? Maybe I'm misunderstanding something?

;)

 

[mamabear]

Maybe the girls want to do something beyond "shaking their poms so a boy can get a scholarship" as Abby Lee Miller once described cheer. I know that our competitive rec program loves to compete so that they canshow how hard they have worked on a routine and to get to do something for themselves. We are a non profit competive rec program who cheer at games every weekend and then compete up to five days too. I am not sure why you would find that unusual. It seems like a logical choice to me.


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[OECtumbleina]

I was involved for the first time in allstar cheerleading on a level1 allstar prep junior team. I had begged my parents to do competitive cheer for 2 years but it had always been too expensive. This team allowed me to start it because it was a lot less expensive but still a taste of the experience. I am now on a full year allstar team and I love it! I was glad that I knew a little about allstar cheer before I started full year. I think it is a great thing and opportunity!


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[Blake Abbey-Duarte]

My Team is through our Towns Parks & Recreation. We are soley competition but we do preform at some of our rec teams games. I do not know if that qualifies as "true rec" like some people like to call it. Seeing as how there is no real rules or regualtions as far as that goes I would like to think that I am rec. We do not cheer in a gym nor do we have any flow of income. Since we are through parks & rec we are non profit and are very resticted in how we fundraise. Which we are not even allowed to call it that. We practice two times a week for an hour and a half. We have tumbling at a gymnastics gym that does not hold its own cheer program in an entirely different town, this however is not mandatory it is optional for the parents to decide.

 

[CoachKatie360s]

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[Tealxblack25]

Sorry if I am in the wrong thread, but I just came across a team that is considered a "rec" team and are competing at a competition we are going to soon and I have never heard of them so I looked them up to see if I recognized them and basically the team is a rec team but they dont cheer for any sports. They are strictly a competition only team. Wouldnt that be considered an all star team ? My point of my question is how to do start your own team and classify them as a comp only team but consider yourself rec. It might be something I want to do in the future and I was just confused.

 

[SarahS]

Sorry if I am in the wrong thread, but I just came across a team that is considered a "rec" team and are competing at a competition we are going to soon and I have never heard of them so I looked them up to see if I recognized them and basically the team is a rec team but they dont cheer for any sports. They are strictly a competition only team. Wouldnt that be considered an all star team ? My point of my question is how to do start your own team and classify them as a comp only team but consider yourself rec. It might be something I want to do in the future and I was just confused.

Each EP has their own definition of rec. Some "require" you to cheer for another sport, some don't - even if they do, I've been told (by EPs) that they have no way of enforcing the rule... So, basically, almost anyone can call themselves rec.

 

[CoachMegan77]

Omg we have one in Maryland. I just moved here a few months ago an started coaching for the rec league here and was told our rec league lost a lot of girls to this competition only rec team. There coaches use to coach for our league and then took off. I didn't get all the dirty info since no one was willing to talk bad about them. But from what I have heard talking to parents who have paid over 2000 dollars and they hadn't even had a first practice yet. I was in shock. That money was apparently for tumbling classes, tuition an uniform that was over 200 dollars. It just seems so steep for a rec team. I don't think my poor parents paid that when I cheered for all-star 6 years ago.

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[JMW]

I know this is an old thread, but since it got revived, I wanted to add...

A big difference here is the coaching. To participate in the Illinois Recreational Cheerleading Association competitions, you have to have VOLUNTEER coaches, not professional coaches. We are allowed 12 hours per team PER YEAR of professional coaching, which can be used for a camp, or for choreography, or professional routine evaluation/clean-up, etc.

There are some rec programs that are AFFILIATED with all-star gyms that (supposedly) follow these rules. Many people are skeptical, but honestly, these teams aren't tearing it up at competition. (Don't get me wrong - they are competitive - but aren't winning first place every time.)

The fact that they don't cheer for sport is also a bone of contention, but they are required to participate in some sort of community activity.