Many sports have events with combined, individual, and unique skills as divisions in the Olympics (skiing, skating, swimming, cycling, equestrian,..)
Yes, that's a fine argument for having a NT-Level 6 division at Worlds. Although I'd equate NT to an ice skating routine where the skater can skip the jumping part or whatever other part of the routine they don't want to do (such as lifts in the pair skating division)--- which isn't an option that exists. You either do the whole routine or you don't compete. This means a lot of athletes will never be able to compete at Worlds- which is kinda the whole point.
But clearly NT serves a purpose for gyms and should exist for all the reasons people above have mentioned, just maybe not at Worlds. Summit is already very crowded though, so it's unlikely it would move there.
My post was more about Level 5 being a Worlds division for International teams and how this is "dumbed down" and unnecessary. I wasn't calling Level 5 "dumb", but it is indeed a step below the highest level. And I don't know of a sport on earth where the second-highest level is allowed to compete at a Worlds (or whatever is deemed the highest ranking competition in a sport). If that was ever an option in the US, I think Level 6 would run the risk of facing near extinction, because there would be way less incentive to bother pushing yourself to that level. At least NT requires you to have some actual Level 6 skill.
Before NT you were done at 18 unless you were one of these "worlds level" athletes.
Yes, so NT gives "non-Worlds level" athletes a chance to get to Worlds, which doesn't make much sense. But I totally agree that NT serves a purpose and allows athletes to continue cheer when they otherwise might not have been able to. While I don't think these teams need to be at Worlds, NT's existence probably isn't harming "actual Level 6" that much.
I don't understand the concern over "level 6 collapse" while at the same time people complain about the number of divisions at worlds or how it has stretched into 3-4 days making it a very expensive event to attend. Young athletes who like to tumble, have the money to pursue the training needed, and avoid injury are not going to all of a sudden jump to NT, nor do I think a gym would place a 15 year old with a full on a NT team when they still are eligible for traditional All Star divisions.
Some gyms only offer a NT-Level 6 team, so yes, an athlete with a full may be on a NT team. Even at one of the "big gyms", I knew of an athlete with a full on NT(maybe she didn't fit on another team). If Suzy's small gym only has a NT-Level 6 team, how hard is Suzy going to push to learn Level 6 tumbling skills? If your ultimate goal in your gym is to get onto the NT team, why bother pushing yourself that hard in tumbling at all.
Yes Worlds is expanding, but it's expanding in NT, not really in the other Level 6 divisions. But I doubt NT will kill Level 6. If they ever let US-Level 5 compete at Worlds though, it might legitimately kill Level 6. You cannot treat Level 5 and Level 6 as the same thing and give them the same exact experience because then Level 6 will just disappear aside from a handful of gyms, and then it that case, what's the point of the level at all. Level 6 routines are what attract many people to this sport, so it's obviously important that we keep it afloat and make sure there are incentives for having Level 6 teams in your gym.