College Just Curious On Opinons...

[King]

Is the fact that the top couple programs win repeatedly in college almost every year a bad sign for how little college cheer has grown? The top programs themselves are amazing! But there seems to be huge dropoffs after the top winning teams, who seem to win year in and year out. Why aren't there more challengers? D1A just lost the last national champion.

PS - This is nothing against the winners, who ARE amazing. But, I consider myself from a pretty amazing program and we have times when we lose. The win percentages for college is INSANE for certain programs. Is it because there arent enough challengers?

 

[ACEDAD]

Is the fact that the top couple programs win repeatedly in college almost every year a bad sign for how little college cheer has grown? The top programs themselves are amazing! But there seems to be huge dropoffs after the top winning teams, who seem to win year in and year out. Why aren't there more challengers? D1A just lost the last national champion.

PS - This is nothing against the winners, who ARE amazing. But, I consider myself from a pretty amazing program and we have times when we lose. The win percentages for college is INSANE for certain programs. Is it because there arent enough challengers?

It's because most schools are like Alabama and even when they win, they don't care.

 

[SharkDad]

My opinion:

There is no organization in College cheerleading. College teams attend comps in preparation for NCA or UCA nationals. But why are their two different types? Just to let different colleges keep their favorite format?

The trial last year told everyone what needs to happen for College level Competitive Cheer to get recognized as a sport: governing body (there is none), get organized (there is none), one single competitive format. Notice changing the name was not part of the legal criteria.

I would hope that college coaches would one day get together and agree to a single competitive format that their athletic directors would recognize (the school administration has to approve it or it won't happen). That way programs like Alabama, UK, and UofL can one day be considered full sports at their schools.

 

[coachrah]

Is the fact that the top couple programs win repeatedly in college almost every year a bad sign for how little college cheer has grown? The top programs themselves are amazing! But there seems to be huge dropoffs after the top winning teams, who seem to win year in and year out. Why aren't there more challengers? D1A just lost the last national champion.

PS - This is nothing against the winners, who ARE amazing. But, I consider myself from a pretty amazing program and we have times when we lose. The win percentages for college is INSANE for certain programs. Is it because there arent enough challengers?

I think you can equate this to a sport like UCONN and Tennesse Women's Basketball. The most talented kids want to be a part of the historically best college teams. Couple this with excellent coaching and parity is going to be hard to get up and running. It is only recently that other women's basketball programs are gaining steam, probably because incoming freshman don't like the idea of being a potential bench warmer, and therefore begin committing to less established programs. When those programs gain better players who pioneer to play, the field becomes more even.

 

[cheersafety]

My opinion:

There is no organization in College cheerleading. College teams attend comps in preparation for NCA or UCA nationals. But why are their two different types? Just to let different colleges keep their favorite format?

The trial last year told everyone what needs to happen for College level Competitive Cheer to get recognized as a sport: governing body (there is none), get organized (there is none), one single competitive format. Notice changing the name was not part of the legal criteria.

I would hope that college coaches would one day get together and agree to a single competitive format that their athletic directors would recognize (the school administration has to approve it or it won't happen). That way programs like Alabama, UK, and UofL can one day be considered full sports at their schools.

Don't we have two competing governing bodies? NCATA and USA Cheer?

As for college coaches making the decision to a member of NCATA or USA Cheer or selecting a format, University Presidents/ADs make that type of decision not the coach.

Does USA Cheer even have members? How does a school sign up to be member and having voting rights?

 

[King]

Well this got off track fast.

 

[SharkDad]

Well this got off track fast.

Sorry, didn't answer your question. NO

I don't think it has near as much to do with the same schools winning as how the whole competitive aspect to college cheer is so poorly organized.

Better?

 

[ztaprincess]

Don't we have two competing governing bodies? NCATA and USA Cheer?

As for college coaches making the decision to a member of NCATA or USA Cheer or selecting a format, University Presidents/ADs make that type of decision not the coach.

Does USA Cheer even have members? How does a school sign up to be member and having voting rights?

There are 2 that are trying to become THE governing body, but in my opinion they are too early in the game to be considered the governing bodies.

Anywho back to the question. It it kind of sad for myself because I love college cheer. I know that when UCA and NCA come around I usually only watch the top teams that I know will have amazing teams year after year. I think a lot of is that the younger generations are looking for more of an allstar look. When I was growing up College cheer meant a lot more to me then all star ever did. Now you ask most cheerleaders and allstar is where it is at. The NCA teams may have more of an allstar feel, but it just doesn't equal what they want to a lot of athletes. They don't want to cheer the games they want to compete. I think that for a lot of athletes the NCATA and STUNT formats won't make them want to cheer in college either. The only think that will be appealing are the scholarships and other funding.

As much as I would hate to see the UCA and NCA formats go (they fit certain schools so well) I think in order to pull more athletes in they need to go with a more allstar appeal.

 

[Jillosh]

This may be true for some divisions but I know division 3 all girl is a BATTLE year in and year out. Some teams have been in this division for a while (like Umass Dartmouth & Elmira), some just entered this division in the past couple years (Bridgewater State), some always look great and make atleast top 5 (Montclair and Lindenwood) and the 2010 national champions, Azusa Pacific, are not returning this year because of acrobatics & tumbling. This division is always really close!

 

[nycheer3]

This may be true for some divisions but I know division 3 all girl is a BATTLE year in and year out. Some teams have been in this division for a while (like Umass Dartmouth & Elmira), some just entered this division in the past couple years (Bridgewater State), some always look great and make atleast top 5 (Montclair and Lindenwood) and the 2010 national champions, Azusa Pacific, are not returning this year because of acrobatics & tumbling. This division is always really close!

I agree I love being in Divison 3 all girl and battle is perfect word to describe this divison .. There no set team expected to win its a toss up with who hits their routine. It makes competing at nationals so exciting to me. Id say a lot of the teams in this divison (at least the top 5) are pretty even when it comes to skills so when we go down there it pretty much comes down to who hits a clean routine in finals when it matters.

In regard to the 1st question in my opinion there aren't many challengers because well it takes a good amount of time to build a program that has as much talent as the teams that do win year after year and as a college athlete that is only going to be there for four years my 1st choice wouldn't be a team that is going to go down to Daytona and know that bringing home a national championship isn't even in question. But again that is the kind of athlete I am and that is why I chose to go to a college that competes divison 3 all girl because I know that coming back with a national championship is a goal that could be attainable. I just think it is hard for coaches and programs to recruit athletes for their teams when they have a short amount of time to build the program to be a contender with the big dogs. I just think of all-star programs and how athletes can be with the same program for years and years as to builds to be a power house program and in college you only have 4 years to be with a program.

And this doesn't really have to do with this thread but Azusa Pacific (2010 National Champions) are not returning in this division because they give their athletes money to cheer there and in Division 3 athletics you are not allowed to give money to your athletes.

 

[Ashley]

I agree I love being in Divison 3 all girl and battle is perfect word to describe this divison .. There no set team expected to win its a toss up with who hits their routine. It makes competing at nationals so exciting to me. Id say a lot of the teams in this divison (at least the top 5) are pretty even when it comes to skills so when we go down there it pretty much comes down to who hits a clean routine in finals when it matters.

In regard to the 1st question in my opinion there aren't many challengers because well it takes a good amount of time to build a program that has as much talent as the teams that do win year after year and as a college athlete that is only going to be there for four years my 1st choice wouldn't be a team that is going to go down to Daytona and know that bringing home a national championship isn't even in question. But again that is the kind of athlete I am and that is why I chose to go to a college that competes divison 3 all girl because I know that coming back with a national championship is a goal that could be attainable. I just think it is hard for coaches and programs to recruit athletes for their teams when they have a short amount of time to build the program to be a contender with the big dogs. I just think of all-star programs and how athletes can be with the same program for years and years as to builds to be a power house program and in college you only have 4 years to be with a program.

And this doesn't really have to do with this thread but Azusa Pacific (2010 National Champions) are not returning in this division because they give their athletes money to cheer there and in Division 3 athletics you are not allowed to give money to your athletes.

Azusa Pacific is also part of NCATA. None of those teams can go to NCA because of their own nationals. And you can't have more than one national title event if you're going to be a sport.

 

[Ashley]

I think people are more willing to move across the country for college than they are for their child's all-star program. So we see pockets of talent that changes over the years. But in college, you just move to the best, you don't have to try and make a program near you the best.