All-Star Juggling All Star Cheer With Distance And High School Cheer

[Keep_Believing]

I never realized how much HS cheer practices. I still want to talk to the HS Cheer Coach when it gets closer, but am now leaning towards just having her focus on all star cheer. Right now she is a level 4, but if she surprises me and gets oveall strong level 5 skills then we could be looking at a lot of extra all star practices. Plus it sounds like HS will have double the hw. I think trying to balance everything would wear her out.

 

[cheerforeverever]

I never realized how much HS cheer practices. I still want to talk to the HS Cheer Coach when it gets closer, but am leaning towards just having her focus on all star cheer. Right now she is a level 4, but if she surprises me and gets oveall strong level 5 skills then we could be looking at a lot of extra all star practices. Plus it sounds like HS will have double the hw. I think trying to balance everything would wear her out.

It could be good to focus on one for her freshmen year, so she can focus on the adjustment in classes/homework/etc. Less overwhelming changes all at one time.
Once she gets a handle on how much homework will actually be happening, she'll be able to judge what she can handle. (this is actually what I did for 9th grade. Chose HS cheer to start with, because AS gym from middle school was a smaller so-so gym. Moved to large, strong gym 10-12th grade & did both for those 3 years)

On the flip side, it is good to be involved in school though (whether that is cheer, drill team, student council, whatever). That's where a lot of your memories are going to be & where friendships will form.

Side note: Based on past posts, I am like 75% sure your area is the area of the university that I graduated from......small world! :)

 

[Keep_Believing]

@cheerforeverever

Go Texas A&M Aggies! Whoop! :)

 

[cheerforeverever]

@cheerforeverever

Go Texas A&M Aggies! Whoop! :)

Whoop! :D

 

[FTSP]

And I forgot to say CP is at a small All Star gym and the high school team only competes in state. And honestly they are not that competitive. Lol. But she loves it.

 

[MissCongeniality]

I never realized how much HS cheer practices. I still want to talk to the HS Cheer Coach when it gets closer, but am now leaning towards just having her focus on all star cheer. Right now she is a level 4, but if she surprises me and gets oveall strong level 5 skills then we could be looking at a lot of extra all star practices. Plus it sounds like HS will have double the hw. I think trying to balance everything would wear her out.

The one thing we found is that (thankfully) all those extra all-star practices really picked up as basketball season was winding down. For the most part CPs team practices were added weekends going into bid comps and it wasn't too crazy until the few weeks before worlds.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Thanks! That is good to know!

 

[Lovemyoagirl]

I am impressed with those of you who have fit in both a demanding HS and an AS cheer program along with a demanding high school schedule. My CP is in the IB program at her high school and 6 hours of homework on some nights is not uncommon, with weekends often upwards of 12-15 hours. The HS cheer team at her school is highly competitive, doing as many competitions as her AS program, along with full football and basketball seasons. That many of you have made it work gives me some encouragement that CP might be able to make it work herself next year, should she decide. Thanks!

 

[FTSP]

I should also say,should not post before coffee lol, my CP has an extra incentive to maintain excellent grades she is going to her high school on a variance it's not the school she was assigned to. So her grades,attendance and behavior will determine if she can go to this school next year.

 

[cheerforeverever]

I am impressed with those of you who have fit in both a demanding HS and an AS cheer program along with a demanding high school schedule. My CP is in the IB program at her high school and 6 hours of homework on some nights is not uncommon, with weekends often upwards of 12-15 hours. The HS cheer team at her school is highly competitive, doing as many competitions as her AS program, along with full football and basketball seasons. That many of you have made it work gives me some encouragement that CP might be able to make it work herself next year, should she decide. Thanks!

It is definitely possible, just very time consuming & busy! Using every available moment of your time wisely is key. No wasting time sitting around and just waiting for classes to start or end. No sitting around watching TV. Any time you are just sitting, you can be doing homework or catching up on some z's......... You have to use every moment efficiently! It does require a lot of sacrifice. That being said, if cheer is truly a passion, many of us would not have it any other way :)

 

[MissCongeniality]

I am impressed with those of you who have fit in both a demanding HS and an AS cheer program along with a demanding high school schedule. My CP is in the IB program at her high school and 6 hours of homework on some nights is not uncommon, with weekends often upwards of 12-15 hours. The HS cheer team at her school is highly competitive, doing as many competitions as her AS program, along with full football and basketball seasons. That many of you have made it work gives me some encouragement that CP might be able to make it work herself next year, should she decide. Thanks!

CPs HS was not competitive, so that helped schedule-wise. (Lol at past tense as CP is still in HS but we moved so new HS, new challenges, new things to be figured out)

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Another thing to consider is that if your kids even THINK that they want to cheer in college, that high school experience is PRICELESS.

The game day/crowdleading portion of college tryouts is often what makes or breaks kids.

Honestly, every kid at a competitive college tryout has the tumbling/stunting, but it's that PRESENCE and ability to lead that often moves kids from "maybe" to "yes" in coaches' eyes.

That's part of the reason why a lot of all star coaches are working hard to make it possible for kids to do both.

With that said, for school cheer to benefit you, you need to be actually participating. If you tell a coach that you did school cheer for 3 years along with all stars, when in all actuality you did like, one game every season and the comps, it shows when you're next to the girls who were in school cheer at least 70% of the time and have perfected their presence.

See also: TRYING OUT FOR UCA AND NCA STAFF. If you ever think that's something you want, school cheer is going to benefit you immensely.

 

[njallday]

thought of two more random things just to think about when making the decision:

does the HS CP will attend have any traditions they do before games that would take time away from all-star? for example: at my high school (Varsity only) each cheerleader "had" a football player. had meaning during games, we had signs with all their last names we would use during band dances/if someone got a touchdown, but we also were responsible for decorating the locker room/individual locker/individual home/car of EACH player (you were responsible for your 1 player, but my friends and i went decorating together so we did like 3/4 houses each time) for friday games, this was thursday nights and it wasn't optional. you did it or got someone else to do it for you. the football parents also threw pasta parties for the boys and invited the cheerleaders on Thursday nights and our coach required us to attend. Thursdays seem to be a very popular all star practice night, so that could be a problem if the school does anything similar.

another thing to think about and talk with CP about is that she may miss out on the fun, team bonding type things. if one day after HS practice, the girls all go out for ice cream and you need to get CP 50 miles away in under an hour, she can't go. they may have team sleepovers on AS comp weekends, etc. etc. is it a big deal to miss those things? for some, no, not at all. but for others, yes. it may cause her to not totally feel like a part of either team if she is missing out on just hanging and being silly with them outside of cheerleading.

 

[CheerBank]

I am impressed with those of you who have fit in both a demanding HS and an AS cheer program along with a demanding high school schedule. My CP is in the IB program at her high school and 6 hours of homework on some nights is not uncommon, with weekends often upwards of 12-15 hours. The HS cheer team at her school is highly competitive, doing as many competitions as her AS program, along with full football and basketball seasons. That many of you have made it work gives me some encouragement that CP might be able to make it work herself next year, should she decide. Thanks!

Not sure how far along your cp is in the IB program, but it is no joke! And gets more demanding as they move into their junior and senior years. I do not know if former-cp would have been able to handle traveling for AS, cheering for HS and doing the full diploma.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Yes! Don't forget about school.

I jokingly tell parents that having a whip arabian through to double and the most amazing game day presence known to man is not a resume item.

Also, you will not be able to explain to colleges: "Gee whiz I only had a 3.2 in high school because of HS cheer and all stars but I AM a 2014 World Champ and HS State Champ!"

or

"I didn't take the ACT/SAT because that was Homecoming + All Star practice doubleheader weekend, but you'll still admit me, right?"