High School High School Tryouts

[Zyylophone]

If you're overseeing everything, and making all the decisions, why have judges?

Sorry haha should have clarified. We don't make every single decision. We are there mainly to have the athletes ready for tryouts. Warming them up, helping all athletes with cleaning motions for cheers, teaching cheers and choreo. Things like that. But if there is an athlete that we know is not eligible to tryout (i.e being kicked off before, suspensions, disrespectful behavior) that is where we look over. I'm a firm believer in second chances and people change. If said athlete is eligible for said team, we usually let them know they're on supervision of sorts and keep a stern eye out for them. if that makes sense haha!

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

Sorry haha should have clarified. We don't make every single decision. We are there mainly to have the athletes ready for tryouts. Warming them up, helping all athletes with cleaning motions for cheers, teaching cheers and choreo. Things like that. But if there is an athlete that we know is not eligible to tryout (i.e being kicked off before, suspensions, disrespectful behavior) that is where we look over. I'm a firm believer in second chances and people change. If said athlete is eligible for said team, we usually let them know they're on supervision of sorts and keep a stern eye out for them. if that makes sense haha!

Gotcha...

I'm just anti having judges for tryouts

 

[Zyylophone]

Gotcha...

I'm just anti having judges for tryouts

Haha! no problem! I say if it works for you, don't fix it! best of luck for you and your team this season!

 

[yooolizzi]

@AScheer,
Thank you for the quick response..I think my daughter is now feeling scared and intimidated by the invite... She feels like they will expect a lot more from her and she may not meet their expectations. So, she definitely feeling opposite of knowing it all...
Anyway,
I just told her to try her best and not put any extra pressure on herself. She have taken time off from cheering and she just might have to remind people about this fact...

Do Cheer Coaches go into tryouts with any perceived thoughts about athletes?

Congratulations on your daughter coming back to cheerleading but this time in a different light! Do you happen to know which camp her school would be attending? I would be more than happy to talk to you about camp and what your daughter can expect attending an overnight camp with NCA! I attended camp 4 years as a camper, twice as a coach, and now 3 years working as staff at camps so I've seen camp from all perspectives!

 

[AScheer]

@AScheer,
Thank you for the quick response..I think my daughter is now feeling scared and intimidated by the invite... She feels like they will expect a lot more from her and she may not meet their expectations. So, she definitely feeling opposite of knowing it all...
Anyway,
I just told her to try her best and not put any extra pressure on herself. She have taken time off from cheering and she just might have to remind people about this fact...

Do Cheer Coaches go into tryouts with any perceived thoughts about athletes?

No need to feel scared or intimidated. A little nervous is normal, but there is nothing to be scared of! She can only do her best. If they have unrealistic expectations of a child they don't know, then that's on them. Of course every program is different, but I don't base my season hopes and dreams on new incoming Freshman, even if they happen to be the Whitney Love tumbler of this generation.

To answer your question, I only have perceived thoughts of kids I know and have worked with. If they've come to our clinics for years, if I've worked with them at the gym, or with another team they've been on. If it's a new kid that I've never met then I have 0 expectations until I am shown something. I have learned to expect nothing! Before we have tryouts the kids turn in an application. Lots of info goes on it and then there is a line that asks "Do you have any cheer experience?" In my experience it's usually the kids that feel the need to write they've "cheered at XYZ allstars for 9 years, won coaches pick, MVP of the whole program" etc on that line that show up with the jankiest motions and tumbling, while the best girl in the room just wrote "yes." I form my opinion and expectations on what I see, not what I hear.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

Gotcha...

I'm just anti having judges for tryouts

I hate having judges, but I have some "crazies" that on occasion I need "back-up" for my decisions. With that being said, I have had to only go back 2 times ever, so it's not often, but its nice to be able to say an outside party also reviewed. I think in the next few years I am phasing "judges" out...

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I hate having judges, but I have some "crazies" that on occasion I need "back-up" for my decisions. With that being said, I have had to only go back 2 times ever, so it's not often, but its nice to be able to say an outside party also reviewed. I think in the next few years I am phasing "judges" out...

I refuse to need "back up." They day my AD doesn't support my decision is the day I take my talents elsewhere.

 

[Pebbles49]

Congratulations on your daughter coming back to cheerleading but this time in a different light! Do you happen to know which camp her school would be attending? I would be more than happy to talk to you about camp and what your daughter can expect attending an overnight camp with NCA! I attended camp 4 years as a camper, twice as a coach, and now 3 years working as staff at camps so I've seen camp from all perspectives!

After speaking to my daughter, I think this idea for her to cheer came about when she visited this HS in March and talked to some of the cheerleaders about cheering...
Anywho,
I decided to speak directly to the cheer coach about their program... I was told the camp is run by NCA, and the NCA staff comes to the school. The camp is like 4 or 5 hrs a day... Right now, that is all I know.....
Btw,
I decided to do a fb search on NCA. camps to learn more...

 

[yooolizzi]

After speaking to my daughter, I think this idea for her to cheer came about when she visited this HS in March and talked to some of the cheerleaders about cheering...
Anywho,
I decided to speak directly to the cheer coach about their program... I was told the camp is run by NCA, and the NCA staff comes to the school. The camp is like 4 or 5 hrs a day... Right now, that is all I know.....
Btw,
I decided to do a fb search on NCA. camps to learn more...

If you were on our website, you saw me and didn't even know it :) we typically run 6 hours of instruction of a day, but that's not to say your coaches might not have an agreement with your state director about individual needs for the squad. Home camps are awesome because it's completely custom to what your squad needs so if you're a stunt heavy squad, you could focus only on stunting the entire time. Unfortunately, I can tell you right now I won't be staffing that camp just because my school schedule only allowed me to take off for one camp this year :(

 

[tojofasho]

I hate having judges, but I have some "crazies" that on occasion I need "back-up" for my decisions. With that being said, I have had to only go back 2 times ever, so it's not often, but its nice to be able to say an outside party also reviewed. I think in the next few years I am phasing "judges" out...

I had one of those "crazies" last year try out again this year - she missed curfew at Nationals, her mom was swearing and screaming at me the day they were set to compete, and as soon as we were back in AZ she got a small group of moms to go with her to the AD (and then principal when the AD did nothing...and then district AD when the principal did nothing...then district superintendent when the district AD did nothing) to try and get me fired by claiming "emotional abuse, harassment, favoritism, and embezzling funds (my favorite claim since I touch absolutely no money and it all goes in the bookstore so it's literally impossible to embezzle)". Obviously all the other girls and parents defended me and debunked those pretty quickly, but when it came time for tryouts, I knew I had to be completely separated from the process because if she got cut (which ended up happening because she had no tumbling and her stunting was average), I could honestly say it was an impartial set of judges who scored her skills, and then her grades/teacher recommendations as well.

One thing I do add to their 100-point scoresheet is 15 points for "coachability" though. This is essentially my way of having some input on who makes it and who doesn't without actually judging the tryout. The key is that I fill in their coachability score without looking at what the judges put for everything else. It's 100% blind, but it gives me the ability to kind of 'sway' the girls who may not have as much talent but are hardworking, willing to put in the time, have great attitudes, etc. and give them extra points, while docking the ones who just cheer to be a cheerleader and for no other reason. If I give a boy/girl a low score and they still are above the cut line, then I'll still take them and work with them about their attitude, then kick them off if need be. Same goes for the reverse - if I give them high coachability but the judges gave them a really low score and they miss the cutoff, I can't do anything about it. I like to think I'm pretty fair about this score though - even with the girl I mentioned above I still gave her an 8/15, and I only gave one girl a 15/15, so it's not going to completely overshadow the actual talent/grades/recommendations portion of the scoresheet.

Another extremely long post by me, sorry that I write novels.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

My only comment on cheer experience is I love it when a kid says "I've been cheering for 12 years" and they're 14.

You have been cheering since age 2?

I really do not count anything prior to like, age 4 or 5. At 2 or 3, it is really not cheer so much as "run around on the mat."

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

My only comment on cheer experience is I love it when a kid says "I've been cheering for 12 years" and they're 14.

You have been cheering since age 2?

I really do not count anything prior to like, age 4 or 5. At 2 or 3, it is really not cheer so much as "run around on the mat."

Herding cats....

 

[SparkleSpankies]

I had one of those "crazies" last year try out again this year - she missed curfew at Nationals, her mom was swearing and screaming at me the day they were set to compete, and as soon as we were back in AZ she got a small group of moms to go with her to the AD (and then principal when the AD did nothing...and then district AD when the principal did nothing...then district superintendent when the district AD did nothing) to try and get me fired by claiming "emotional abuse, harassment, favoritism, and embezzling funds (my favorite claim since I touch absolutely no money and it all goes in the bookstore so it's literally impossible to embezzle)". Obviously all the other girls and parents defended me and debunked those pretty quickly, but when it came time for tryouts, I knew I had to be completely separated from the process because if she got cut (which ended up happening because she had no tumbling and her stunting was average), I could honestly say it was an impartial set of judges who scored her skills, and then her grades/teacher recommendations as well.

One thing I do add to their 100-point scoresheet is 15 points for "coachability" though. This is essentially my way of having some input on who makes it and who doesn't without actually judging the tryout. The key is that I fill in their coachability score without looking at what the judges put for everything else. It's 100% blind, but it gives me the ability to kind of 'sway' the girls who may not have as much talent but are hardworking, willing to put in the time, have great attitudes, etc. and give them extra points, while docking the ones who just cheer to be a cheerleader and for no other reason. If I give a boy/girl a low score and they still are above the cut line, then I'll still take them and work with them about their attitude, then kick them off if need be. Same goes for the reverse - if I give them high coachability but the judges gave them a really low score and they miss the cutoff, I can't do anything about it. I like to think I'm pretty fair about this score though - even with the girl I mentioned above I still gave her an 8/15, and I only gave one girl a 15/15, so it's not going to completely overshadow the actual talent/grades/recommendations portion of the scoresheet.

Another extremely long post by me, sorry that I write novels.

I do similar but sometimes the judges think the girl is just "sooooo cute" and magically gets overscored, my interview/back-up from previous years isn't enough :-( BUT don't worry, usually gets them somewhere in the middle of the pack enough that I can say look, out of 35 girls you were 20... only 16 made varsity :-) LOL

 

[Coach Sara]

@AScheer,
Thank you for the quick response..I think my daughter is now feeling scared and intimidated by the invite... She feels like they will expect a lot more from her and she may not meet their expectations. So, she definitely feeling opposite of knowing it all...
Anyway,
I just told her to try her best and not put any extra pressure on herself. She have taken time off from cheering and she just might have to remind people about this fact...

Do Cheer Coaches go into tryouts with any perceived thoughts about athletes?

It's normal to feel intimidated- try to encourage her to see the letter as a boost of confidence; they believe in her and wouldn't invite her without believing in her. And, have fun!