High School “individual Cheerleader” Anyone?

[Sterling von Shimmer]

Does anybody remember this? Did anyone do it? It was basically a solo division for cheer.

I haven’t seen it in years but honestly there are so many divisions in cheer now I’m surprised Varsity hasn’t resurrected it.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I remember it. I think Varsity makes more when teams compete then allowing a time slot for just 1 competitor.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I remember it. I think Varsity makes more when teams compete then allowing a time slot for just 1 competitor.

Yeah but if kids are there with their teams anyway, why not? I’d think that’d be their logic to scrape up some more fees.

I did it my senior year and the logic of it always eluded me. When has solo cheerleading ever been applicable to real life? It’s not like dance solos, which are a thing. The whole point of cheering is that it’s usually bunch of people being loud together. That’s pretty much its whole reason for being.

 

[CoachTamara]

Does anybody remember this? Did anyone do it? It was basically a solo division for cheer.

I haven’t seen it in years but honestly there are so many divisions in cheer now I’m surprised Varsity hasn’t resurrected it.

I did it for my high school, and I coached a bunch when I had my gym. Jamfest used to offer them and the girls LOVED it. We would let them do the solos, duos or trios and usually “level” up. I see why they don’t offer it because of the time/money thing, but I wish they did. I have so many kids that would love it.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I competed solo a few times in middle school! What's funny is I remember competing and placing in ADVANCED solo with like, a ROBHS tuck. That was considered advanced. Cheer has changed so much!

 

[KPep]

Does anybody remember this? Did anyone do it? It was basically a solo division for cheer.

I haven’t seen it in years but honestly there are so many divisions in cheer now I’m surprised Varsity hasn’t resurrected it.

We still have individual and duo tumbling here. As well as stunts competition.

 

[emo_wifey]

Some IEPs around here still have them, although there's usually maybe 5 total solos/groups.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[DonnaM]

I can see it being really good for the all Star kid who tumbles at a high level for their age. It might be a lot easier to stay on Y1 or 2 instead of pushing to be on J4 or S5 or 6 if they could do a higher level solo or small group routine as well.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

I competed solo a few times in middle school! What's funny is I remember competing and placing in ADVANCED solo with like, a ROBHS tuck. That was considered advanced. Cheer has changed so much!

Yeah man. Full squad back handsprings were considered top tier. My crappy standing tuck my freshman year was IT. And if a team had a full, they were untouchable (at least in early aughts CA).

Now we’ve got preteens throwing doubles.

 

[WinstonsGirl]

Indy's. Some of our comps still offer them, it's usually more the younger kids who do them. I rarely see Senior athletes, and few juniors. I'm so glad I don't have to judge them cos I find them so boring honestly.

 

[CoachTamara]

Yeah man. Full squad back handsprings were considered top tier. My crappy standing tuck my freshman year was IT. And if a team had a full, they were untouchable (at least in early aughts CA).

Now we’ve got preteens throwing doubles.

I threw a janky full on my high school team in 2002 and you would have thought I was Simone Biles with the reaction that got...
Thankfully I joined a real all star team soon after, and my full was cool but not crazy. I did individual for my high school though once the team went downhill, and I absolutely loved it. I wish it would come back for real.

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

My standing tuck that I hit 6/10 times was like, THE pinnacle of difficulty but mostly because our program SUCKED when I was a freshman. All the stereotypical cheer tropes were alive and well in our coach: she chose the girls based on whose parents she was friends with (which is why I was on JV despite being the only girl with a tuck/BHS/forward roll), treated it like a sorority instead of a sports team, and was guilty of identifiable but unprovable racism.

Then she got fired and we vastly improved by the time I was a senior. We even had an X-out! In the end though, we could never beat Bear Creek and their two fulls.

Now my team has about seven solid fulls and it’s not necessarily enough to win Nationals.

 

[cheerbowgirl101]

My standing tuck that I hit 6/10 times was like, THE pinnacle of difficulty but mostly because our program SUCKED when I was a freshman. All the stereotypical cheer tropes were alive and well in our coach: she chose the girls based on whose parents she was friends with (which is why I was on JV despite being the only girl with a tuck/BHS/forward roll), treated it like a sorority instead of a sports team, and was guilty of identifiable but unprovable racism.

Then she got fired and we vastly improved by the time I was a senior. We even had an X-out! In the end though, we could never beat Bear Creek and their two fulls.

Now my team has about seven solid fulls and it’s not necessarily enough to win Nationals.

Would you believe my high school program today still fits the bill? Coach knowingly lets girls drink and smoke and post on social media with no repercussions...the seniors this year were a group of (mostly)anorexic blondes who went to parties every weekend...girls picked for Varsity based on who they and their moms are friends with...JV coach is a monster and girls who have cheered their entire lives quit after being on her team...it’s a nightmare. Remind me again why All Star is so expensive? And why am I stuck with this passion for All American?

 

[Sterling von Shimmer]

Would you believe my high school program today still fits the bill? Coach knowingly lets girls drink and smoke and post on social media with no repercussions...the seniors this year were a group of (mostly)anorexic blondes who went to parties every weekend...girls picked for Varsity based on who they and their moms are friends with...JV coach is a monster and girls who have cheered their entire lives quit after being on her team...it’s a nightmare. Remind me again why All Star is so expensive? And why am I stuck with this passion for All American?

Yeah, good high school programs are hit or miss. Unfortunately you still have a lot of people out there who still carry the outdated notion that cheer is a social club rather than an actual sport that relies on skills, strategy, and training.

Fortunately, my terrible coach got fired after her Varsity team dropped every single stunt — most of which were preps — at a big deal rally on full display in front of very confused parents/alumni/donors/admin. Meanwhile, me and my little JV team were throwing toe touch baskets and putting up extended scorpions. It was embarrassing and very, very clear what was happening after that. Both JV and V parents complained — each side both accusing her of favouring one team over the other — and she couldn’t explain herself. Even though at that point I knew about the clear favoritism and was pissed about it, I still felt some secondhand cringe when that V team dropped every. single. stunt. they. tried. Missed feet, jutting butts, falls... it was all there. Which is what happens when you literally make up technique as you go along, Mrs. Davidson.