High School Alternates

[LaurenYHScoach]

We are getting ready for our choreography and will have 4 alternates. I was wondering how you all set up your alternates? How do you tell them they will be alternates? Anyone ever have the same girl be an alternate two years in a row? Thanks in advance.

 

[Kolleen]

For our alternates we tell them right up front when we post our team: Team members: blah blah blah, Alternates: blah blah blah.

Alternates are required to be at all practices and know ALL parts of the routine respective to their stunting position. This means knowing all parts of the dance, etc. so they can rotate in with anyone at anytime. They pay the exact same fees as regular team members. We tell our alternates they have the hardest job since they need to know the most counts-- usually at the end of the season we give them special recognition at the banquet for their time and dedication.

We have not had an alternate two years in a row, however, I wouldn't say it could never happen.

So at choreography we have the alternates "Shadow" someone in their stunting position so they also can mark the counts and rotate in. Then if someone is not at practice, they immediately step in so we can continue to do full outs.

If someone throws a "fit" about being an alternate, then they aren't on competition team. In our opinion, if they aren't willing to take the time to progress on the mat then they don't have a good enough attitude to be a part of the team :) No one "gets" a spot on the mat- they all have to earn it. For members who aren't alternates, they know that at any given time we could switch them to an alternate and have an alternate take their spot on the mat for a variety of reasons (stunt not hitting, attitude, attendance, injury, grades, etc.)

 

[AScheer]

We are getting ready for our choreography and will have 4 alternates. I was wondering how you all set up your alternates? How do you tell them they will be alternates? Anyone ever have the same girl be an alternate two years in a row? Thanks in advance.

We set our alternates the week before going into choreography. It's something the coaches talk about and look at up until that point, but we don't tell the team until right before choreography, because it can and does change a lot before that point. I've pulled them over individually and I've told them all as a team. It's never a fun moment, so I try to put it out there and move on. We've never had a girl be an alternate more than one season in a row. There was only 1 time that I could have foreseen that happening, and I ended up cutting her at tryouts. I knew if I took her that she would be an alternate again, so when weighing all the options of the roster, we ending up making the decision to just not take her knowing that.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

My first year with alternates.

We did a combination of the things @Kolleen and @AScheer described.

Edited to expand my thoughts:

I pulled every girl on the team into the office this year individually and shot straight with them about where they stood. I did that mid-may. I had already made notes with talking points, and I recorded the date/time of each conversation.

That gave them all about 6 weeks to give me a reason to put them "on mat." It really didn't change much, but they could not come back to me and say "I didn't know."

At choreography...

During the skill-learning parts, I had them all rotate in and out. During the routine learning parts, I had just those on mat learn the formations and counts.

We've been battling injuries and such all summer so I still haven't seen my full comp team together.

 

[mncheerqueen]

For our alternates we tell them right up front when we post our team: Team members: blah blah blah, Alternates: blah blah blah.

Alternates are required to be at all practices and know ALL parts of the routine respective to their stunting position. This means knowing all parts of the dance, etc. so they can rotate in with anyone at anytime. They pay the exact same fees as regular team members. We tell our alternates they have the hardest job since they need to know the most counts-- usually at the end of the season we give them special recognition at the banquet for their time and dedication.

We have not had an alternate two years in a row, however, I wouldn't say it could never happen.

So at choreography we have the alternates "Shadow" someone in their stunting position so they also can mark the counts and rotate in. Then if someone is not at practice, they immediately step in so we can continue to do full outs.

If someone throws a "fit" about being an alternate, then they aren't on competition team. In our opinion, if they aren't willing to take the time to progress on the mat then they don't have a good enough attitude to be a part of the team :) No one "gets" a spot on the mat- they all have to earn it. For members who aren't alternates, they know that at any given time we could switch them to an alternate and have an alternate take their spot on the mat for a variety of reasons (stunt not hitting, attitude, attendance, injury, grades, etc.)

We do the same thing but in our case for the past three years almost all alternates end up competing due to injuries. One year we had all JV alternates but one make their way on to the mat due to girls quitting.

Also consider the alternates throughout the year when someone is lacking. We had a younger girl replace her older sister (the oldest then became an alternate) because she worked harder. The alternates often times work harder than some of the girls on the mat because they don't take it for granted.

Also for our alternates we usually allow them to compete at a few local competitions. They usually stand behind stunts (we try to incorporate them into single base and pyramid) but do the rest of the routine like everyone else.

 

[EWalsh1029]

We announce it plain and simple: competition team and alternates. Our alternates must attend all practices and know the whole routine (in the case we need to put someone in). I have had girls be alternates all four years...