All-Star How Are Your Lower Level Teams Treated?

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I have found that the more you yell, the less it affects kids.

Like, they totally tune you out by Week 3 of excessive yelling.

So save your yelling for important stuff like safety concerns.

 

[Fiercecheermom]

Our prices commiserate with the amount of practice time/competitions. Minis, Tinys, and Levels1-3 practice 2 days a week. Levels 4-5 practice 3 days a week. That being said ours coaches have teams on multiple levels. At competitions the Level 5 athletes are ALWAYS there to cheer on the other levels as we are a family and want to make them feel that way. Additionally, we do a Big Sister/Little Sister program between the Tinys/Minis and our LAG team. These little girls LOVE to have a special bond with their big sisters and the big sisters are amazed at how supportive these little girls are. It really makes for a nice feeling at the competitions!

 

[CheerBank]

I think the main difference between the gyms who focus greater attention on the higher teams and those who recognize all of them with the same importance is the business savviness of the owner(s). While your highest teams may bring your gym accolades and draw the younger kids in, it is the younger kids who are the bread and butter of the business as well as the future. We have only been at smaller gyms and have also seen the common theme of the younger/lower levels being brushed aside for the higher ones. As a paying customer, you never want to feel that the coaches or owners feel that one team is more important than the other, especially if you are all paying the same thing. While I can understand the focus on the highest team at the gym, it should be more inspirational for the younger athletes to want to reach that level, not dislike that team because they are the almighty highest level.

At our current gym all levels/teams with the exception of Level 5 practice 2 times a week, some 3.5 hours total and others 4, while Level 5 is 3x a week for 6 hours total (but this has only been since right after Thanksgiving). Tuition is different depending on the team, and if you are on two teams then the higher team is the base tuition level with a fee added onto that for crossovers. We have two owners and they each have "their" teams, and then there are assistant coaches some of who also have their own teams. Pretty much all the coaches work with the Level 5 team.

 

[SheCheers]

I get that everyone wants equal attention, but by the nature of skill sets, level 1 doesn't actually need as much as level 5. It's not as intricate. So, to me it makes sense that higher levels would need more practice time. I often also think that if a lower level team isn't super successful it's assumed they're not getting as much love as another team that is a higher level and more successful. Not every kid placed on a team is out for blood. And some gyms probably make the lower levels progressively more intense so as to retain their athletes and still keep it enjoyable. While still learning good technique and getting experience on the comp floor. I'm thinking of how CEA has their crossover team that might be a more difficult level to help an athlete grow. Or maybe some gyms cross down to give a kid some confidence or become a leader. So much more goes into it all than just set up a team to win win win.

 

[Miialovescheer]

In my experience swedish gyms (or programs) treat there kids similar indepedent o age and level. Non competetive prep teams are really big in my area and they get to train almost as much as the lower level teams. Sure the lovel level teas dont practise nearly as much as the higher level teams but in sweden cheer is not as expensive as it is in the states so kids most likely do other things to.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Most of the time they are in trouble. I'm like @omgitssydthekid in that I only raise my voice and yell if I've made a correction multiple times, or if they do something stupid and dangerous. I yelled at my minis in cases like this:
-Give a correction, kid gets it wrong, give the correction again, kid gets it wrong again, ask kid if they know what I told them to do, kid says no. Then I yell at the whole team for not listening.
-Mini runs through a full out routine on the front floor to get to practice on the second floor. Almost gets tumbled on.
-Kids talking during stunting. Dangerous.

Irritating and very dangerous.

 

[cheer25mom]

Well, sensitive or not if the team deserves to be yelled at, I am probably going to yell at them. If you're messing around and putting other athletes or yourself at risk, you will be reprimanded. Period. If you don't want to get yelled at, pay attention and don't mess around.


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Glad to hear someone say this.


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[SL&AM]

These reality shows makes it seem like that moms hate having their kid yelled at. Even if they're wrong. But there is no telling how much of that stuff is actually edited to make you think what they want you to think.

I'm not trying to be offensive when I word this question, but you seem to quote experiences from reality shows a lot. I noticed it before when we talked about dance, and I'm seeing it now with cheer, so I'm genuinely curious---have you ever been an AS cheerleader or the parent of one?

 

[SL&AM]

I never go to work with the intentions of making a child cry, but it does happen. Often times it is after I give a simple correction, not because I was yelling (because I'm usually not). And if I do yell, it is at the whole team, or because of a safety issue.


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I think this is a good division---sometimes, crying is unavoidable. I'm one of those kids who hated being corrected because I took it very personally---I'm a horrible perfectionist. But if I got yelled at, I lost it...I could suck it up and dance through it, but it sucked. Even if I know I'm right, and being yelled at in like a verbal argument, I still cry---I just may be screaming through my tears. LOL

 

[123jump4!]

Interesting thread! I guess that's one of the reasons I like our gym - I do feel like all levels & teams are treated the same. Level 1 (and level 2 partly) don't go to as many travel comps but I'm happy about that! :)

 

[coach12]

At our gym every single team is treated the same & are all equally important - no matter what level.

 

[LabbyGirlMOM]

I have said it many times and I will continue to say it. I believe all of our teams are treated with the same respect and dignity. I believe that all of our teams mean something to our coaches and owners.
I have seen our coaches get so excited when our level 5 hits and is perfect and I have seen the same reaction when our level 1 hits and is perfect.

 

[armycheermom]

Since my gym has been drug around the ground recently, I'm going to lift them up a bit. My cp was on level 1 team the last two seasons and is now on a level 2. She has had the same coaches the upper level teams have, with the same hours of practice and the same intensity. No coaches at our gym look down on the lower levels. And the owners don't either. I've seen both Tannaz and Jeff and coaches from our other locations come by in warmups to see how the team is doing and talk to the kids and then go out and cheer them on.

Yes, level 5 gets most of the spotlight but I've come to accept that, mostly. But I can't say that in terms of coaching, our lower levels don't matter.

I know Cail been to he** and back, but one thing I fo like about the web series, is that I see the coaches with all level teams and even in those little fill in moments,you see the kids interacting with kids on lower level teams. I loved the extra video when Madi was saying that RS5 is just as hard, if not harder,then Smoed. They all seem to cheer for each other and acknowledge everyone's hard work,no matter what they level.

 

[stcchamp]

At my gym, all of our teams practice the same amounts. From mini to senior, everyone is 4-5 hours a week. Now coaching styles differ from the younger teams to the older teams. I coach our junior teams and it is a big culture shock for athletes moving from a youth environment to a junior environment. But I think thats natural. Everyone coaches differently. As long as you're getting the job done.

 

[Peazlovecheer]

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