All-Star Do You Think Usasf Has Helped Or Hurt Allstar Cheer?

[rdavis4]

My CP is in a gym where every coach is credentialed and they are all about perfection over progression. We came from a gym that did not have any coached credentialed, and where skills were pushed. My 5/6 year old at the time was working on a bhs when we came to new gym. We have spent the year correcting bad form. She will move to a mini 1 next year, so they are in no rush to teach her a bhs. At first it was so weird to me and I didn't like the slower pace. But seeing how gorgeous her tumbling is now, and the fact she has all of her level 1 skills solid (including opposite side, switch leg, etc), I really appreciate the way this gym does things. I also appreciate the fact they are all credentialed and are all about safety. This gym is quite a bit larger than our previous gym, but I don't see nearly as many injuries.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

My CP is in a gym where every coach is credentialed and they are all about perfection over progression. We came from a gym that did not have any coached credentialed, and where skills were pushed. My 5/6 year old at the time was working on a bhs when we came to new gym. We have spent the year correcting bad form. She will move to a mini 1 next year, so they are in no rush to teach her a bhs. At first it was so weird to me and I didn't like the slower pace. But seeing how gorgeous her tumbling is now, and the fact she has all of her level 1 skills solid (including opposite side, switch leg, etc), I really appreciate the way this gym does things. I also appreciate the fact they are all credentialed and are all about safety. This gym is quite a bit larger than our previous gym, but I don't see nearly as many injuries.

That's the importance of being certified. I was just saying how it needs to be an easier and more convient way to get certification

 

[rdavis4]

That's the importance of being certified. I was just saying how it needs to be an easier and more convient way to get certification

I agree with that! Our coaches all have to fly out of state. I believe the gym pays for their coaches, but I'm not certain on that. For smaller gyms, I definitely can see that being hard to do.

 

[Michael White]

I agree with that! Our coaches all have to fly out of state. I believe the gym pays for their coaches, but I'm not certain on that. For smaller gyms, I definitely can see that being hard to do.

Exactly, I'm not credentialed, but I still teach the right way. Perfection over progression, explaining the mechanics, giving structured feedback, etc. It'd be nice to say I'm credentialed, but the cost is prohibitive.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

Exactly, I'm not credentialed, but I still teach the right way. Perfection over progression, explaining the mechanics, giving structured feedback, etc. It'd be nice to say I'm credentialed, but the cost is prohibitive.

I forgot to mention earlier just because you're not certified doesn't mean you're the worse coach ever or do not care about your team. I know some gyms that have nothing but certified coaches but have the most injuries cause they care nothing about technique

 

[tumbleyoda]

Credentialing is a must, but it must be genuine.

Compared to what I had to do to get and maintain credentialing for USGF and now USAG Gymnastics, and USTA Power Tumbling, USASF lags way behind. When I first got credentialed honestly it was a joke. Took me all of 10 minutes to do the written test. But back then you could take the test for anyone you wanted if they didn't care to know the answers. When I did my hands on I was grilled because me not being a cheerleader it was automatically assumed I did not know anything. Another coach who work with me - his hands was he had to do a full. And he was passed. I admit this was one of my first dealings with USASF and it still bothers me to this day. I wanted to trust them as a governing authority as I did other organizations I was a part of. I wanted to believe in them. But that my friends was a ridiculous.

I see being credentialed as increasing the safety awareness of a gym and the coach, protecting them from liabilities and lawsuits in cases of injury, and keeping kids safe as possible in a very dangerous sport. I see it as knowing you have competent coaches on the floor not just coaching routines but teaching skills. All they were concerned about was getting money and getting more people on their team.

Now...have things changed? I hope so. I would hope that stupidity doesn't happen anymore. I do believe that with Fierce Connection being a part of the Varsity Brand now, you will see some opportunities for online testing come to fruition in the future. But nothing beats hands on knowing how to do it live. When you don't have mentors that can break down skills and troubleshoot them to teach or assist you, even the piece of paper does little to help you.

 

[AScheer]

Not grasping the true worth of the stages of various progressions for tumbling yet only listening to those who did not have to follow progressions to design progressions for an industry makes no sense.

Interesting! I know you have a strong tumbling background/knowledge. Do you think the current progressions aren't correct?

 

[tumbleyoda]

Interesting! I know you have a strong tumbling background/knowledge. Do you think the current progressions aren't correct?

Professionally speaking I do not think they are. I know what they are trying to accomplish but they are not correct for long term skill development purposes.

 

[AScheer]

Professionally speaking I do not think they are. I know what they are trying to accomplish but they are not correct for long term skill development purposes.

Where do you think they go wrong? What progressions would you put into place if you were able to change it or weigh in on it?

 

[NJ Coach]

Umm, FWIW...credentialing is available entirely online now.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Credentialing is a must, but it must be genuine.

Compared to what I had to do to get and maintain credentialing for USGF and now USAG Gymnastics, and USTA Power Tumbling, USASF lags way behind. When I first got credentialed honestly it was a joke. Took me all of 10 minutes to do the written test. But back then you could take the test for anyone you wanted if they didn't care to know the answers. When I did my hands on I was grilled because me not being a cheerleader it was automatically assumed I did not know anything. Another coach who work with me - his hands was he had to do a full. And he was passed. I admit this was one of my first dealings with USASF and it still bothers me to this day. I wanted to trust them as a governing authority as I did other organizations I was a part of. I wanted to believe in them. But that my friends was a ridiculous.

I see being credentialed as increasing the safety awareness of a gym and the coach, protecting them from liabilities and lawsuits in cases of injury, and keeping kids safe as possible in a very dangerous sport. I see it as knowing you have competent coaches on the floor not just coaching routines but teaching skills. All they were concerned about was getting money and getting more people on their team.

Now...have things changed? I hope so. I would hope that stupidity doesn't happen anymore. I do believe that with Fierce Connection being a part of the Varsity Brand now, you will see some opportunities for online testing come to fruition in the future. But nothing beats hands on knowing how to do it live. When you don't have mentors that can break down skills and troubleshoot them to teach or assist you, even the piece of paper does little to help you.

SMH. Being able to throw a full doesn't mean you can teach one.

 

[tumbleyoda]

SMH. Being able to throw a full doesn't mean you can teach one.

True. And just because you can spot one don't mean you can teach one either.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

Umm, FWIW...credentialing is available entirely online now.

Wow really?

 

[dance_extreme_94]

Umm, FWIW...credentialing is available entirely online now.

Where do I find the information about this? How long ago did it take place? Just a few seasons ago this was not an option

 

[tumbleyoda]

Where do you think they go wrong? What progressions would you put into place if you were able to change it or weigh in on it?

Random thoughts...

I would have a compulsory routine at least at Lv 1 and Lv 2. I would go as high as L3. Put the required skills in there but you can still format your own sequence how you want. Pick your own music so you can still be creative about it. Judges could go hard on technique and not so much trying to determine who was more creative. You could also mandate they had to score a certain amount to make it to Day 2 Day 2 with an optional competition on Sunday. Pretty much like it is now where here are the skills, you figure it out. If we fix the judging issues, this would truly reward gyms with sold technique because they would score well both days in that area. it would also ensure teams were teaching progressions.

Cartwheel BHS is in L2 but CW Tuck in L4. Then you can CW tuck in L4 but you can't CW Full to L5. I would move CW Tuck to L3 and CW Full to R5. keep Standing Fulls in L5.

Biggest areas are the gaps between what is required to max out between L1 vs L2, and Level 3 vs Level 4 in tumbling. You go from walkovers to running multiple BHS, FWO thru, BHS step out thrus in L2. That is a big jump because if you are technically proficient at them that athletes is a tuck away from max high range L3 running tumbling. It makes no sense to go from jumps to BHS to standing to jumps to BHS to whip to layout to max out L4. Yes you don't have to do that we know it won't score well. Most technical deductions are not taken on whips so they look like BHS with no hands instead of a tight arch hollow body position that travels at least a body length long. (one of my pet peeves) Also being forced to learn whips in order to max out L4 messes up the set for layouts and contributes to some of the piking down that we see. I would move whips to R5. Next Biggest gap is between R5 and 5.

Will think more on this tomorrow.