All-Star Does Everyone Make A Team Who Tries Out?

[FlexyTumblerMom]

CP's gym was small and they had a policy of placing everyone. I'll be honest, I think that policy can hurt just as much as help.

I'm curious - why did you think that it hurt to have that policy?

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

All of the gyms I know of around me will have a spot for everyone - someone may want level 4 and get put on level 3, etc., but even kids w/ no cheer experience will get placed on a team (almost all gyms have level 1 and/or 2 teams capable of taking kids of varying ages - which I feel is a really good thing). After tryouts it can be even harder to get your team of first choice, but still most programs can find room for you up till almost the first competition.

I'm sorry that you aren't able to cheer this year - there must be a really low supply of cheer gyms compared to athletes who want to cheer where you are. Hopefully you can find a way to work on your skills to get ready for next year - like are they looking for everyone to come in w/ a certain level of tumbling or stunting skill where you are?

I'm a level 2-3 backspot and can do skills higher but they want tumblers and due to my age being 20 and no senior age cap I have a big problem with tumbling due to an old back injury which makes my back not want to bend. I did find a team who we're amazing for me and pushed me so hard in a safe manner but there were 6 people for 2 spots and the ones with a handspring got the places I was offered rec classes but I live over 100 miles away and close to three hours each way on train so for me unless I'm with a team competing I can't afford to make that commitment with the promise of maybe a space in March.

I really wish I could go back to my old team but I will be living 5 hours away. My old team really made me realise how much I loved cheer and if they saw you were doing your best they would help you. I was really struggling with a simple forward roll but my coach helped me told me to go to a specific open gym and within a week I had a solid forward roll. They lead by example as the coaches were all on higher level teams and just accepted me and tried to help me find another team when I was moving.

 

[mamabear]

I'm curious - why did you think that it hurt to have that policy?

That isn't my quote, but I will weigh in since I completely agree with it. I think that sometimes accepting everyone creates a dangerous place to cheer when the gym refuses to cut children. I have seen some kids who do not have the attention span for cheer or who hate it, be forced to stay on a team, where they basically could be a liabilty. I also feel that with smaller gyms, kids are not able to flourish and grow because they are either placed up a level that they are not ready for and are chasing skills all season. Or they end up on a team that is not that challenging to them. It also can create age gaps. Sometimes young kids will get put on a Youth team and their maturity is not there. This also can happen with a mini team too. Kindergartners with seasoned all stars. It can work, but it needs a lot of patience by the coaches, athletes and even the parents ;)

 

[mamabear]

@Helen uk uni cheer - I am so sorry to hear that you aren't cheering this season :(

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

@Helen uk uni cheer - I am so sorry to hear that you aren't cheering this season :(

If I'm honest it sucks cheer was the only sport I found that i can compete in and be part of a team and I loved always having a goal. When people are starting cheer younger now it is outing the ones who started at university but luckily in some way I didn't get placed on a team as I am currently injured and deferring university due to circumstances I am hoping next year to cheer full force

 

[schpo]

I'm curious - why did you think that it hurt to have that policy?

I'm going to comment too, if I may, since I agree as well. Our gym places everyone who comes out to tryouts, which is great. We have rec and competitive programs so there's something for everybody.

However, they also accept athletes VERY late into the season - like now. CP's team has their first comp in six weeks and new kids are still coming in. I feel that hurts the team's chances for success and also penalizes those kids and parents who came to the tryouts back in the spring, paid their fees on time, and came to all the summer practices. I guess the policy benefits the gym owners, though, because...ka-ching.

 

[CheerBank]

I'm going to comment too, if I may, since I agree as well. Our gym places everyone who comes out to tryouts, which is great. We have rec and competitive programs so there's something for everybody.

However, they also accept athletes VERY late into the season - like now. CP's team has their first comp in six weeks and new kids are still coming in. I feel that hurts the team's chances for success and also penalizes those kids and parents who came to the tryouts back in the spring, paid their fees on time, and came to all the summer practices. I guess the policy benefits the gym owners, though, because...ka-ching.

Do they charge them back fees? Otherwise how lovely it would be to take the summer off - both time and financial-wise - and come back in October to be added right in.

 

[SarahS]

I'm going to comment too, if I may, since I agree as well. Our gym places everyone who comes out to tryouts, which is great. We have rec and competitive programs so there's something for everybody.

However, they also accept athletes VERY late into the season - like now. CP's team has their first comp in six weeks and new kids are still coming in. I feel that hurts the team's chances for success and also penalizes those kids and parents who came to the tryouts back in the spring, paid their fees on time, and came to all the summer practices. I guess the policy benefits the gym owners, though, because...ka-ching.

I took kids three weeks before our first comp. I told their parents they might not be ready for that first comp, but I threw them into the routine and they flourished. I take kids (and lose them) all year round due to being on a military base. It can be done with creativity and flexibility. I think problems come into play when coaches, kids or parents have a fixed mindset where they think that a routine is always a finished product that is working to be perfected rather than a work in progress always able to be improved.

I agree with @CheerBank that back fees should be required when new kids come in. They are benefitting from the choreography and music fees that the other kids paid, so they should contribute as well.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

I took kids three weeks before our first comp. I told their parents they might not be ready for that first comp, but I threw them into the routine and they flourished. I take kids (and lose them) all year round due to being on a military base. It can be done with creativity and flexibility. I think problems come into play when coaches, kids or parents have a fixed mindset where they think that a routine is always a finished product that is working to be perfected rather than a work in progress always able to be improved.

I agree with @CheerBank that back fees should be required when new kids come in. They are benefitting from the choreography and music fees that the other kids paid, so they should contribute as well.

I came in 8 weeks before nationals not expecting to compete but just fill in when people were not there but they said to me we can't guarantee you a spot stunting but can place you in the jumps and dance. I took that oppuntunity and in the end I was put in as a front so the previous front could tumble which worked well

 

[schpo]

Do they charge them back fees? Otherwise how lovely it would be to take the summer off - both time and financial-wise - and come back in October to be added right in.

I don't think so. I believe the fees are prorated.

 

[123jump4!]

CP joined her team late - last week of August. If they had asked me to pay tuition for the whole summer I would not have let her join. I only enquired about classes and they told me she should come try a practice (it was apparently the last week they were accepting new team members)... and that was it. I don't think anyone else has joined after her.

 

[FlexyTumblerMom]

When athletes join late at CP's gym, they do pay back fees - our monthly amount is made up of a pro-rated amount that combines uniform expense, competition fees, choreography fee and tuition. Yeah, they maybe could take a little off cause of tuition for the time they didn't take class, but the other stuff would NEED paid. I have heard that other gyms do it the same way.

 

[amy1k]

When athletes join late at CP's gym, they do pay back fees - our monthly amount is made up of a pro-rated amount that combines uniform expense, competition fees, choreography fee and tuition. Yeah, they maybe could take a little off cause of tuition for the time they didn't take class, but the other stuff would NEED paid. I have heard that other gyms do it the same way.

Yes! At my daughter's gym, you'd have to pay something like $1000+ upfront to join a full year team right now. In addition to tuition, we've been paying for other things monthly since May. That would all need to be paid.

 

[cheer25mom]

Our gym is just big enough not to be a "small gym" but not big enough to field age/level appropriate teams all the time, but place everyone on a team. It definitely causes issues on the lower level teams. We didn't have enough for a level 1 team this year, so all of the brand new girls with no experience are on youth 2. It has been a rocky road to say the least.

 

[uptown_outlaw]

At tryouts we take everyone. EVERYONE... but we run practices very hard the 1st 3 weeks to weed out the weaker kids that can't handle competitive cheer. At the moment (late October) we are not taking any new athletes on our full season teams due to the teams being full. Our Prep team just started a few weeks ago.. kids with no skills, hand springs, tucks, and layouts are put on this team and will compete as a level 1 till our next tryout.