All-Star Is It A Failure To Not Progress?

[cheermommaRN]

Actually touching on the "rec cheer" comments I was very disappointed to see more than one tryout packet stating "if your child does not LIVE to cheer they should NOT be on our All Star teams...". One of my friends who is a softball coach at the nearby private school told me last night "unless they are going to the Olympics or JO they need to be kids or the let down after its over can be crazy hard on them. Let them be kids and have fun." My cp loves cheering but she doesn't LIVE to cheer. She also loves to play in orchestra, get good grades, and have a life outside the gym. Does it mean she needs to throw in the towel and go to rec...umm no. Now my diver who is already devoting 4 days a week, 2-3 hours to practice wants to cheer...she WILL be doing rec so it won't interfere with her diving.
Rec was made for ALL kids to cheer if they want not as a dumping ground for kids who don't progress as fast as their parents want them to.

 

[5-6-7-8]

I had assumed the term "competitive cheer" was just intended to differentiate it from sideline cheer. I have never once thought competitive cheer meant "level 5 or bust."

Should we just abolish youth sports since most kids will never play I. The NBA, NHL, MLS, etc.?

Shoot, competitive cheer doesn't even have a "pro level" so should we just not have it at all?


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[cheernerd5678]

In other sports, rec is the same as competitive. If you aren't good enough to play travel soccer, make your schools team, or play in college, that's fine. You can play rec, you're playing the same game regardless. Same rules, same everything, except a little less commitment. However, rec cheer is far from the same as allstar. So you can't really make that comparison.


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[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I had assumed the term "competitive cheer" was just intended to differentiate it from sideline cheer. I have never once thought competitive cheer meant "level 5 or bust."

Should we just abolish youth sports since most kids will never play I. The NBA, NHL, MLS, etc.?

Shoot, competitive cheer doesn't even have a "pro level" so should we just not have it at all?


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This. At the end of the day, we love it. But no one is "going pro" in cheerleading. Are there scholarship opportunities? Yes, but those are a means to an end (as you are going to college for a career, not in hopes of being pro in cheer.)

In all, it's just important to evaluate your GOALS in cheer.

Are you in it for participation regardless of level, or to be L5?

There's nothing WRONG with being in cheer with the goal of Worlds, but it's important to plan your cheer career accordingly.

If your goal is L5, and your kid has not reached that level, feel free to re-evaluate and seek out other sports.

If your kid is involved in other things and is cool with L3, then spending 2 years on one level is likely not a huge deal.

 

[UCFKnights07]

i dont know much about rec cheer, but if people are claiming anything less then allstars is some sort of failure in not being able to grasp certain skills, i shall point you in the direction of Greenup and Dunbar high school. heck a lot of competitive high school teams are doing more and more these days as far as pushing the difficulty that is allowed.

 

[SarahS]

In other sports, rec is the same as competitive. If you aren't good enough to play travel soccer, make your schools team, or play in college, that's fine. You can play rec, you're playing the same game regardless. Same rules, same everything, except a little less commitment. However, rec cheer is far from the same as allstar. So you can't really make that comparison.


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I'll have to politely disagree with you here. Rec cheer, the kind that goes to competitions, follows exactly the same scoresheet and rules as allstar for most EPs (including JamBrands and Varsity). Exactly. Same USASF rules. Even most non-competitive rec programs follow USASF rules for safety (ETA - Pop Warner and the like follow their own rules. All non-affiliated programs I have coached at follow USASF rules). I just finished updating my score check sheet for the Jam comp we're attending tomorrow and it actually says on the top "2013-2014 All-Star Score Check Sheet" but it applies to rec as well. (Just want to throw this out there for anyone who cares: woot, 19 kids on the team, quantity stunt section with 9 stunts, 7 different body positions (some hit more than once, as pyramid body positions count but we hit in both stunts and pyramid), 10 stunt LDTs, 10 pyramid structures, 13 pyramid LDTs, full team synch standing tumbling connected to jumps, full team synch running tumbling plus additional 18 specialty passes, full team 3 whip-connected, turning advanced jumps plus additional advanced jump... We're pummeling the scoresheet into submission, haha!)

 

[ErinS]

So.....if a coach never coaches a team that's a contender at worlds.....are they a failure as well?


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[SarahS]

So.....if a coach never coaches a team that's a contender at worlds.....are they a failure as well?


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I'm the loser-est of loser coaches. I have been coaching since 1999... and have never been an all-star coach. Rec all the way. I shall go sit in the failure corner. I've made a failure dunce cap out of spider webs and dried failure tears.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I'm the loser-est of loser coaches. I have been coaching since 1999... and have never been an all-star coach. Rec all the way. I shall go sit in the failure corner. I've made a failure dunce cap out of spider webs and dried failure tears.

Those poor kids. :'( F's across the board.

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[ErinS]

I'm the loser-est of loser coaches. I have been coaching since 1999... and have never been an all-star coach. Rec all the way. I shall go sit in the failure corner. I've made a failure dunce cap out of spider webs and dried failure tears.

I haven't coached in years (and never want to again honestly) but I just wanted clarification on the extent of my failure.



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[NJ Coach]

Threads like these make me miss the days before Worlds.

 

[vannahlexis]

I was a competitive high school cheerleader for 4 years. I worked my butt off to get tumbling skills, but only ever got to a back handspring while my teammates were progressing to tucks, layouts and fulls.
I did not ever make it past a district competition.
I did not make my college cheerleading team.


Do I consider my cheer career a failure? By no means. I won awards, learned so many life lessons & made my best friends. I love cheerleading and hope to continue, I wouldn't change my experience for the world

Just because I wasn't an elite athlete, and I never will be, does not equal failure. Cheerleading has made me the person I am.




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[cheernerd5678]

I'll have to politely disagree with you here. Rec cheer, the kind that goes to competitions, follows exactly the same scoresheet and rules as allstar for most EPs (including JamBrands and Varsity). Exactly. Same USASF rules. Even most non-competitive rec programs follow USASF rules for safety (ETA - Pop Warner and the like follow their own rules. All non-affiliated programs I have coached at follow USASF rules). I just finished updating my score check sheet for the Jam comp we're attending tomorrow and it actually says on the top "2013-2014 All-Star Score Check Sheet" but it applies to rec as well. (Just want to throw this out there for anyone who cares: woot, 19 kids on the team, quantity stunt section with 9 stunts, 7 different body positions (some hit more than once, as pyramid body positions count but we hit in both stunts and pyramid), 10 stunt LDTs, 10 pyramid structures, 13 pyramid LDTs, full team synch standing tumbling connected to jumps, full team synch running tumbling plus additional 18 specialty passes, full team 3 whip-connected, turning advanced jumps plus additional advanced jump... We're pummeling the scoresheet into submission, haha!)

I didn't know that.... I was thinking of rec as the pop warner type. It's the only type I've ever seen but Missouri is dumb. Sorry!
Anyway, there are different types of rec so it's still not really comparable to other sports. We don't have rec at all here. You can cheer allstar, or do school, or not cheer. That's it In soccer, rec leagues are easy to find. In cheer they're inconsistent. Our "rec" system is so different than any other sport!


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[vegas_cheermom]

I don't think that pebbles was calling anyone a failure. I think a fair number of people have took her comments personally. She asked for clarity : what IS progression defined as in all star cheer? And if your child is not progressing (whatever that means to you) , then when do you step down to a less expensive option....

I think it's a fair question. And in no way implies that children who don't progress are " losers " or that rec is for losers.

It's a highly personal decision for each family, as each family has different priorities. If your goal is to have fun, then may look like more social skills and confidence. If your goal is to progress to level 5 then it will look different.

I don't think everyone should be up in arms at her....



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[xomckenzieee]

People are always going to have different view points on success. Even outside of cheerleading. Some people are happy with their job, house, car, and family but others feel they are only successful if they have lots of money and to each their own.
I had a very successful all star and high school cheerleading career and I never cheered Level 5 (I did cheer Level 6 but not on a World's team). I loved cheerleading and had many proud moments and accomplishments.
Success isn't measured in anyone else's heart but your own. You make your own success and if you are happy where you are and with what you have, then you are successful.