All-Star Compete in Level 6 NT as a beginner team?

[Anonymous]

My coach wants to compete in 3 months at a competition in Senior Level 6 NT. It's the first time she's coaching a cheer team. So I have doubts about it because the big majority of the team are complete beginners in cheer. Since barely any of us have any tumbling skills she wants to compete in an NT division. However, we've only been practicing for a few months now and the stunt groups have constantly been changing. So we are just about to be able to stand on two legs in extension. I would love to compete, but I just don't think our team is ready yet.

What is your opinion about it as an experienced cheerleader? Tips on how I can communicate my doubts to my coach are also welcome.

 

[Anonymous]

My coach wants to compete in 3 months at a competition in Senior Level 6 NT. It's the first time she's coaching a cheer team. So I have doubts about it because the big majority of the team are complete beginners in cheer. Since barely any of us have any tumbling skills she wants to compete in an NT division. However, we've only been practicing for a few months now and the stunt groups have constantly been changing. So we are just about to be able to stand on two legs in extension. I would love to compete, but I just don't think our team is ready yet.

What is your opinion about it as an experienced cheerleader? Tips on how I can communicate my doubts to my coach are also welcome.

Level 6 is not a beginner level. You’re supposed to be able to stunt on a high level even if nobody can tumble. If your team can only do Level 1/2 stunts and your coach is trying to compete Level 6, I would honestly leave.

 

[Anonymous]

Like the first poster said, level 6 is not beginner and I would probably leave the team, especially since she hasn’t coached before. NT teams are typically made up of athletes who already have experience cheering. With everyone involved having so little experience going NT6 could end up being a huge waste of time and money.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree it is a bad idea and waste of time, energy, and money. With that said it is unlikely you will change a Coaches mind.

 

[Anonymous]

Not a great idea to attempt level 6 stunting with an inexperienced team and coach. At best you compete a very poor routine, but worst case someone gets badly injured.

At a competition this weekend there were a few Open and Masters level 1 and 2 teams and Open NT3 teams. Great for adult athletes without high level experience. Think these are IASF divisions though and not valid in the US.

 

[Anonymous]

Few months cheer experience + constantly changing stunt groups + just doing extensions = Level 2 (honestly with how competitive Level 2 has gotten maybe even Level 1 or Prep 2). NOT NT6 -- NT6 is a WORLDS team. You can get by in Level 1 with very little tumbling (doing cartwheels and round-offs is enough to be Level-Appropriate although it may not score as well as back and front walkovers, etc.) and basic stunting that's elevator/prep-level. In Level 6 NT it is expected that you're doing high to high tick-tocks, switch-up fulls, double-ups to awesome, hand-in-hand release, rewinds (basically elite skills).

I would just leave. It is hard for an athlete to change a coaches' mind, particularly an inexperienced coach which is just going to lead to injuries and concussions and really terrible scores. Find another team to compete with that has the safety and best interests of their athletes at heart.

 

[Anonymous]

One of the 2 reasons why I don't ever bother watching the NT6 divisions. 90% of NT6 teams should be Senior/Open Level 4, these gyms are just forming these teams because they are just very desperate to go to Worlds. Worlds isn't supposed to be about the experience, it's about being the best. If you call levels 2/3 stunting skills "elite", are you even getting coached by an actual good coach? Coaches are supposed to have a progression mind-set, not a "lets go to Worlds and look like idiots!"
It's extremely embarrassing whenever I see teams from the USA competing in these divisions and they just go out on the mat and look like they want to get laughed at. I honestly would not be surprised if the number of injuries climbed 4x as higher since the NT6 division got added because the progression of skills isn't there. It's a shame how you have a full team of level 1, 2, & 3 tumblers stunting at such an elite stunting level and is able to go to Worlds. I'm sorry, but I will never ever support NT6 divisions for American gyms when this country has the most resources for cheerleading in the first place.

What annoys me the most is how A LOT of coaches support these divisions by saying it should be an equal playing field. It's definitely NOT an equal playing field when in the first place these divisions are missing huge components to what all-star cheerleading is supposed to be. If you don't have any tumbling in a Worlds routine, why would people want to even try to form a Worlds team in the first place? It's a huge slap to the face to the thousands and thousands of athletes who worked years for level 6 tumbling. I agreed with the decision to take away the rights of NT6 teams to not receive Full-Paid Bids. It is not fair for cheerleaders who actually put in the hours to become well-rounded cheerleaders.

I could go on and on with this rant...

Long story short, if your gym pushes for a NT6 team when your highest level is level 3 or possibly a janky level 4, you have no business of cheering there, be smart and turn back while you still can!

 

[Anonymous]

For the person above to state they "don't ever bother watching the NT6 divisions," they sure have a lot to say about it. I enjoy watching the division and feel it is definitely World's worthy.....although, that's not what this thread is about.

I've seen a handful of very athletic people come in and cheer level 6 with no previous experience and be successful. That's extremely rare. What the above poster and your coach may have in common, is they may feel NT isn't that hard since there's no tumbling. I tend to listen to athletes who have actually cheered both level 6 and NT who state the stamina you have to have to get through a NT routine is often harder to get through since you have no tumble breathers. No one is there to evaluate your situation, you may have a team of incredibly well conditioned athletes, and your coach may be a miracle worker. Or, it's time to acknowledge your one body and brain need to exit safely while they still can.

 

[Anonymous]

Reading the thread is confusing because everyone is anonymous/exactly the same.

 

[Anonymous]

I do not think 90% of NT division should not be doing it, it happens in majority city f worlds divisions where some teams should not be in the division they are in……..

 

[Anonymous]

This is one of my biggest frustrations this year. Seems like every gym in the area decided they could field a worlds team out of thin air. One particular group barely had the skills to make a mediocre 4 team. Now they have a worlds team? I feel for the parents who are being ripped off and wasting money.