High School How Much Time To Get On/off The Floor?

[Sterling von Shimmer]

As I’m watching the recent comp videos, I’m noticing a trend that annoys me: I hate when teams take forever getting on/off the floor. The necessity of moving quickly before and after a routine was one of the first things I learned in competitive cheer, but it doesn’t seem to be a priority anymore. Obviously rallying and setting up takes time, but it drives me insane when teams dawdle, fidget, and engage in lengthy good luck rituals (you can do that backstage). There’s even a specific rule about how rituals/hugs/handshakes should be done prior to taking the floor. I just feel it’s so disrespectful to the judges to make them sit through fifteen excessive seconds of hair tugging and handshaking when they have a zillion teams to judge.

This goes double for after the routine, especially at Nationals. UCA even has a rule about “excessive celebration” post-performance that can result in a deduction if broken. I’m always telling my girls, “There’s a reason those spotters are ushering everyone off to the side and it’s not to give you more room to celebrate by lying down and crying.” Jump up and down and hug and be happy all you want after a performance. I won’t deny anyone that. Just do it while exiting stage right.

Maybe I’m just being picky and impatient. But this was one of those etiquette things I learned right along with staying seated until your name is read at awards. It’s practically gospel for me and it seems to have lost its importance over the years.

How much time do you allow?

 

[alpaca]

But this was one of those etiquette things I learned right along with staying seated until your name is read at awards.

I saw the opposite of this recently. Teams celebrating when another team was announced as second. I was very disappointed in the leadership that had not taught these kids etiquette. Someone told me that the parents were doing the same thing. So iIguess they learned it from home .

 

[coacha]

I saw the opposite of this recently. Teams celebrating when another team was announced as second. I was very disappointed in the leadership that had not taught these kids etiquette. Someone told me that the parents were doing the same thing. So iIguess they learned it from home .

This drives me more crazy than the time on/off mat. But they are both things I stress.

Sometimes it just makes me feel old because I feel like maybe I’m too old school. But courtesy, people, courtesy. We are supposed to be teaching these kids more than just the fundamentals of cheer. We are helping to raise young adults.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I saw the opposite of this recently. Teams celebrating when another team was announced as second. I was very disappointed in the leadership that had not taught these kids etiquette. Someone told me that the parents were doing the same thing. So iIguess they learned it from home .

It’s SO tacky.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I feel like kids are getting off/on the mat quicker in recent years (since Worlds doesn't allow for it and they're probably practicing that now?)

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

My kids are told to take the floor like CHAMPIONS. Hustle in, hustle on, hustle off. That does not preclude us from having mini-rituals that are done as the folks who are placing signs/megs/flags/poms around the perimeter of the mat are doing their thing. In all, the whole thing takes less than 30 seconds, and if that’s what it takes to give us a little extra energy, look a little more athletic, feel a little more confident, so be it. At bluegrass last weekend, they were allowing 4 minutes per routine, and we were on and off of the mat in well under that.

As far as the celebrations during awards: win with class, lose with class. We applaud for everyone, but if my kids show a little excitement as their name is called for a trophy at a higher place than they were expecting, I’m not going to fault them. We work 10 months out of the year, and get to have our efforts rewarded maybe four times. They’ve earned it.