All-Star Chasing The Ring

[gymcatmomx2]

Oh yes! Smaller colleges usually don't but a lot of the bigger colleges will ask if you have received any types of awards academically or in athletics. I would definitely put down winning worlds.

I have attended a handful of college preparation seminars as my company provides them for free. I can guarantee that being a "worlds champion" will have little to no affect on college admissions. They look at SAT/ACT scores, courses, grades, and class ranking. If the student meets the minimum requirements, at that point they will look at extra-curricular activities. Stating on your application that you are a Worlds Champion won't mean much to an admissions officer. Also, moving to a different high school your junior or senior year is discouraged by colleges.

 

[AllstarObsession]

I have attended a handful of college preparation seminars as my company provides them for free. I can guarantee that being a "worlds champion" will have little to no affect on college admissions. They look at SAT/ACT scores, courses, grades, and class ranking. If the student meets the minimum requirements, at that point they will look at extra-curricular activities. Stating on your application that you are a Worlds Champion won't mean much to an admissions officer. Also, moving to a different high school your junior or senior year is discouraged by colleges.

God forbid your family moves, or something else comes up. College admissions frustrates me.

 

[cheerisloving]

Speaking of chasing rings, I've noticed girls actually leave Worlds contender teams for smaller gyms (I can think of at least 2 ). So maybe it's really about the gym for them not the ring.

 

[BlueCat]

I think college choice, super senioring, moving gyms, etc. are all personal decisions that athletes and families should make for themselves based on what is best for them individually. There are good reasons to do (or not do) all of those things.

 

[Jennie]

If the kid wants to Super Senior it is their own decision. They finance it themselves, unless of course the parents want to finance it (Lucky kid ;))

.... but to imagine spending my nights going to a senior all star practice with people that aren't my "peers... spending hours on end with kids that might be as young as 12. No thanks. To have to miss out on college activities; going out with friends; partying etc because you have to travel to competitions. It also adds on unnecessary stress in the time management department. Also college is so expensive; therefore you're paying for college while paying for all star? No thanks.

Some might not see it as missing out at all. There is plenty of College students who love doing Allstar at college because it completely takes them away from college for a nice break and much needed change of scenery and pace once a week. They see it as a complete stress reliever.
Not taking away from your point though, I totally get what you mean and agree!

 

[ErinS]

If the kid wants to Super Senior it is their own decision. They finance it themselves, unless of course the parents want to finance it (Lucky kid ;))




Some might not see it as missing out at all. There are plenty of college students who love doing all star while in college because it completely takes them away from college for a nice break and much needed change of scenery and pace once a week. They see it as a complete stress reliever.
Not taking away from your point though, I totally get what you mean and agree!

See end note(s) 1 and 4 of my message. There will always be different strokes for different folks; however I was speaking from my perspective which is a direct reflection of the post secondary educational values and priorities that were instilled in me from my parents.

Some kids alleviate college stress by binge drinking I guess, so if the alternative is doing a senior level team (or something else whatever) then by all means....I'd rather see that.

I'm curious to how people feel as to super senioring on on a lower level team vs a worlds team that is a realistic contender for worlds.

I've known of girls that were super super senioring as sophomores in college and were on a level 3/4 team. Is that worth it?

 

[njallday]

to add to the super senioring thing... I wholeheartedly agree with @HeresAThought

I think for a lot of kids in this sport, because cheer is such a big part of your life, the thought of losing that piece of you is scary and you panic. all change is scary. but there is life after cheerleading, I promise. I cheered, and obviously I still care and am involved since I'm posting here... but I stopped cheering, went to college and found my own way in the world. if I had been preoccupied with cheer and hanging out with kids that are still in high school I think my college experience would have been drastically different (in a negative way.)

I also worry about some of these kids choosing colleges solely to super senior. now, if it's your dream team moving for college is much more reasonable to me than moving while still in high school, but it still bothers me. for example: I follow a cheerleader on social media that I've met at comps a few times. this cheerleader chose a college based on it's proximity to an all star gym. instead of moving into the dorms and getting involved at school, they chose an off campus apartment to be able to have a car and get back and forth to practice. because nearly all of their free time is spent with people still in high school and they aren't really on campus for anything more than class, I really worry that they're missing college completely. add in the super depressing "I have no friends and I'm lonely" tweets and posts and I really question these types of decisions. granted, move any 18 year old across the country from their family and I'm sure they'd be homesick/sad too and hey, maybe a ring will make up for it, what do I know? I just hope for their sake, that they aren't looking back in 5/10 years regretting the things they missed out on. you only get to do "the college experience" once (if you're lucky.)

 

[ErinS]

to add to the super senioring thing... I wholeheartedly agree with @HeresAThought

I think for a lot of kids in this sport, because cheer is such a big part of your life, the thought of losing that piece of you is scary and you panic. all change is scary. but there is life after cheerleading, I promise. I cheered, and obviously I still care and am involved since I'm posting here... but I stopped cheering, went to college and found my own way in the world. if I had been preoccupied with cheer and hanging out with kids that are still in high school I think my college experience would have been drastically different (in a negative way.)

I also worry about some of these kids choosing colleges solely to super senior. now, if it's your dream team moving for college is much more reasonable to me than moving while still in high school, but it still bothers me. for example: I follow a cheerleader on social media that I've met at comps a few times. this cheerleader chose a college based on it's proximity to an all star gym. instead of moving into the dorms and getting involved at school, they chose an off campus apartment to be able to have a car and get back and forth to practice. because nearly all of their free time is spent with people still in high school and they aren't really on campus for anything more than class, I really worry that they're missing college completely. add in the super depressing "I have no friends and I'm lonely" tweets and posts and I really question these types of decisions. granted, move any 18 year old across the country from their family and I'm sure they'd be homesick/sad too and hey, maybe a ring will make up for it, what do I know? I just hope for their sake, that they aren't looking back in 5/10 years regretting the things they missed out on. you only get to do "the college experience" once (if you're lucky.)

This is basically what I wanted to say in the post before this but didn't want to offend anyone since people take this so personally. I feel like its a little bit of "Peter Pan syndrome" that fear of growing up and letting go of childhood things. Personally when I got to college I became a different person. I didn't interact with high school friends; my interests entirely changed. One of the purposes of college is to help you transition into adult life and I personally would have been irritated spending my evening with middle schoolers and high schoolers because like it or not; and whether you admit it; you're not in the same place in life as them.

I think for the most part perspective on this varies based on where you are in life. I'd suspect someone that is high school and younger would wholeheartedly support super senioring simple because they're in a mindset of being unable to see life after cheer.

Someone my age or older....that had a life after cheer is like graduating high school is the perfect time to let go of being on a senior team

 

[L5cheermom]

I've known of girls that were super super senioring as sophomores in college and were on a level 3/4 team. Is that worth it?

I guess it depends on what you consider the value of All-Star Cheerleading. We've had several kids super senior on our 4.2 team and I don't think they regret it. They got to spend done time with teammates they loved, compete in a sport they enjoy and still move on to college life. In this economy not every kid will move on to a 4-year university right out of high school. Many stay home and complete 2 years locally to minimize cost. While I agree that moving and attending Podunk U just to cheer at your dream gym is probably not prudent, I think that most of the "dream" gyms that kids migrate to in chase of the ring are surrounded by excellent schools. Dallas, Miami, the NC Triad, Cali, etc. Kids are hardly limited to poor choices in those areas.


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[CheerBank]

This is basically what I wanted to say in the post before this but didn't want to offend anyone since people take this so personally. I feel like its a little bit of "Peter Pan syndrome" that fear of growing up and letting go of childhood things. Personally when I got to college I became a different person. I didn't interact with high school friends; my interests entirely changed. One of the purposes of college is to help you transition into adult life and I personally would have been irritated spending my evening with middle schoolers and high schoolers because like it or not; and whether you admit it; you're not in the same place in life as them.

I think for the most part perspective on this varies based on where you are in life. I'd suspect someone that is high school and younger would wholeheartedly support super senioring simple because they're in a mindset of being unable to see life after cheer.

Someone my age or older....that had a life after cheer is like graduating high school is the perfect time to let go of being on a senior team

As a parent of a 13 year old who has already asked if we would pay for her to super senior in college, I'd like to thank you for your perspective on it all. I look back to college and think of all the experiences I had with new people and new scenarios and would not trade them for anything. I absolutely would not have had them had I been part of a non-college related activity as time consuming as cheer is. I purposely did not even try out for the swim team because I knew the level of committment it would take was not one I was willing to continue to give after swimming 3 years in high school.
That being said, if she chooses to cheer for her school, I would support her decision because it would further involve her in student life.
And as many others have mentioned, I agree with different strokes for different folks.

 

[gymcatmomx2]

God forbid your family moves, or something else comes up. College admissions frustrates me.

Oh I agree! But one thing that they will ask is the reason for the move. If it is a job m

As a parent of a 13 year old who has already asked if we would pay for her to super senior in college, I'd like to thank you for your perspective on it all. I look back to college and think of all the experiences I had with new people and new scenarios and would not trade them for anything. I absolutely would not have had them had I been part of a non-college related activity as time consuming as cheer is. I purposely did not even try out for the swim team because I knew the level of committment it would take was not one I was willing to continue to give after swimming 3 years in high school.
That being said, if she chooses to cheer for her school, I would support her decision because it would further involve her in student life.
And as many others have mentioned, I agree with different strokes for different folks.

I agree with you. I also support my daughter who wants to cheer on her college squad but I would not support her decision to super senior at all. If she wants to continue to compete, she can try out for a college that has a competitive program. I believe at some point you have to move on and commit yourself to another passion that involves other adult aged individuals.

 

[ErinS]

As a parent of a 13 year old who has already asked if we would pay for her to super senior in college, I'd like to thank you for your perspective on it all. I look back to college and think of all the experiences I had with new people and new scenarios and would not trade them for anything. I absolutely would not have had them had I been part of a non-college related activity as time consuming as cheer is. I purposely did not even try out for the swim team because I knew the level of committment it would take was not one I was willing to continue to give after swimming 3 years in high school.
That being said, if she chooses to cheer for her school, I would support her decision because it would further involve her in student life.
And as many others have mentioned, I agree with different strokes for different folks.

Yep. I'll never forget my fall semester of my freshman year... a bunch of the girls in my dorm decided it would be fun to go to a... well....think "Magic Mike" and I remember being so upset about not being able to go because I had to go to (college) cheerleading practice. (Never mind the fact that I was still 17 and couldn't have gone anyway) but to this day those girls still have inside jokes about it that I'm on the outside of because I had to go to cheerleading....and this was COLLEGE cheer. I can't imagine having to miss out on other "college fun" to go stunt around with some 13 yr olds.

I'm also not saying I regretted cheering in college either. My fondest memory of college is going to Arizona to cheer at the NCAA tournament...being apart of March Madness is indescribable... the chartered plane, the little envelope of money they gave you, the parties at the hotel etc....Best spring break trip ever. But again; cheering for your college does not equal still doing a senior team...

 

[AndrewSky]

My freshman year of college (aka this past year), I took 24 units of schooling (made Dean's List holla!), did college cheer, travelled 100+ miles to super senior, and worked as a coach. And I still had time to do things. Everyone is different of course, but I personally feel that super-senioring and doing college cheer helped me stay focused and on top of things - I wouldn't change one thing about it. (Well, except having three finals the first day of worlds).

 

[DropAndRun]

I would move heaven and earth for my kid to follow her dream. I would not send her to live with someone else but would consider relocating or traveling with her. No, it doesn't last forever but as someone who once had Olympic aspirations with parents who gave so much for me to chase that dream with everything I had, I have no regrets. (And no I never made it even close to an Olympic team!) I went to college right out of high school and travelled a lot (90 miles one way 7 days a week) for my sport but still had a life at school and now at 32 years old?

No regrets. My sport was my life.. It was what I knew, how I lived, everything. I still balanced that and became a (relatively.. Hah) normal adult with friends, a husband, some kids.. Etc. I also got 3 college degrees, joined a sorority, worked, interned in DC, met my husband, travelled and competed for model United Nations, etc. while I was competing.

Honestly, I think it's a mentality. It takes a certain type (and with young ones, a certain family type as well I imagine) to be a professional or full time serious athlete. That lifestyle is certainly not for everyone and that's ok! Some people see the need to go to college and "get a real life" and learn about the real world. Others see their reality and the real world as their sport. IMO those are usually (and of course there are exceptions) those who really make this their life and their livelihood. To hugely successful athletic establishments, (gyms.. Barns in my case) it's a 24/7/365 life.. If you don't love it that way, you'll never last. I have lots of friends who turned pro around the same time as me who are no longer in the business. They learned how 24/7/365 it is and went and got a desk job pronto. Sometimes I wish I'd followed. ;)

If my daughter chooses this sport as her lifestyle, I will not stand in her way of pursuing it. I am very grateful for the opportunities my parents gave me through my sport and hope I am lucky enough to offer her the same some day.

 

[abbyandy9]

I'm a parent who paid for 11 years of allstar cheer and had a daughter who was (still is) extremely passionate and dedicated to this sport. However, we live in Oregon and there are no competitive worlds teams anywhere close except for south elite. And that's a four hour drive away. You can bet a million bucks that given the chance to send her to North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Cali, or her dream, New Jersey, I would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I learned about the bigger cheer world a little too late. I was able to help encourage a friend of mine to send her daughter to Georgia for the year (she's on peach) and although it's been hard on my friend, she would not have it any other way. What are we paying tens of thousands of dollars for if we can't help them be the very best they can be? And let me assure you, cheer in Oregon does not cut it!


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