All-Star Level 5 Crossovers At A Worlds Bid Comp

[ponderblue22]

So how do most of you feel about level 5 crossovers during a Worlds Bid competition? Can understand when injuries happen at the event, but when you stack two teams with the same kids just to improve your chances at a bid, isn't that unfair to you own teams as well as others? Would just like to know how others feel.

 

[Cheer4lifeex]

I think each person should only be able to obtain a bid for one team, that's it. If a team needs someone to fill in for an injured person find someone not on a team seeking a bid.
Just my opinion-agree or disagree I think this is the most fair way. I just wish you usasf cared about things like this and would do something about it. Who I am kidding if the usasf had a rule on this issue it wouldn't be enforced, they aren't that organized.

 

[tumbleyoda]

So how do most of you feel about level 5 crossovers during a Worlds Bid competition? Can understand when injuries happen at the event, but when you stack two teams with the same kids just to improve your chances at a bid, isn't that unfair to you own teams as well as others? Would just like to know how others feel.

Honestly it is very hard to know the motivation for why a program may do this. Unless you ask the program directly all you can do is assume that "intentionally stacking two teams with the same kids just to improve your chances at a bid" is why they did it. Different programs do what works for them in house even if it is not always understood or agreed with by those on the outside looking in.

 

[ultimatelegacy]

Sadly, many gyms do this.

Another reason why I am proud to be affiliated with UA. 4 level 5 teams, not 1 crossover.

 

[tumbleyoda]

Before there was a Restricted 5 division my old gym had two, then three level 5 teams. One Junior team. Then a Large Coed 5 and then the "best" of the Large Coed were pulled together to form the Small Worlds team. The "in house" intention of the Large 5 was not for a Worlds Bid as the OP said, but to serve as a training team to work the skills and mindset necessary to be a Level 5. This was also to give them a place to work their higher level skills without losing them to other gyms in the area because they were not strong enough to make the Worlds level 5 team. This was where the potential alternates were groomed, pushed and developed.

The way the level system was set up, unless the coach declared that a team was not going to accept a bid no matter what, then if you entered a bid competition you were entered into a Worlds division. Didn't matter if you were just going for experience, or what not.

Now it is slightly different with the addition of the Restricted division. But again in house intents may be different than what we see from the outside.

 

[Mamarazzi]

I suppose I see this a couple of ways -
For one, a gym is a business whose client base is local. If the gym can say "Come join us! We had 3 (or 4 or whatever) teams compete at The World Championships of Cheerleading this season!" Many parents would say kWhoa, that's awesome...I want Susie to go to Disney, too!" The gym gets new athletes. Doesn't really matter if those teams placed at the bottom on preliminary day - they still went to Worlds, and a gym can use that as a marketing tool to pull in local clients.
Two, the gym isn't making money off of performing well at Worlds, for the most part. If crossovers are used to get a bid, they can't be used at Worlds, and in all liklihood won't perform as well at Worlds. That's a disappointment, to the athletes on that team, if nothing else. Plus, it sucks for that team that could have had the bid, had the team not used the crossovers.
So, at the end of the day, a gym does what it does for business, not necessarily for the love and appreciation of the cheer world.

 

[imrichhowboutu]

I feel like there was a thread on the last year. And people said the thing anout not being able to swap out as many kids. If its a stacked small team, you can trade out 10 kids of 20. If half of your team has changed, its not really the same team.

Sent from my Galaxy S III

 

[cheermeup]

So how do most of you feel about level 5 crossovers during a Worlds Bid competition? Can understand when injuries happen at the event, but when you stack two teams with the same kids just to improve your chances at a bid, isn't that unfair to you own teams as well as others? Would just like to know how others feel.

I see this happen a lot where I live. It seems like they use the other kids for tumbling. I feel bad for the less skilled team, because come Worlds, they will lose a large percentage of their tumbling and struggle. I can understand if they are counting on kids to get skills before Worlds, but when I watch through the season I don't see anyone with new skills.

 

[tumbleyoda]

I feel like there was a thread on the last year. And people said the thing anout not being able to swap out as many kids. If its a stacked small team, you can trade out 10 kids of 20. If half of your team has changed, its not really the same team.

Sent from my Galaxy S III

You are right about that thread. I have seen the situation that the OP talked about first hand,in the manner and reasons they described. I just wanted to shed light that it could also be a whole different reason which is why it is best to ask the program directly.

 

[Mclovin]

I don't think there should be ZERO crossovers at a worlds bid comp, but I think some gyms take the crossover thing WAY too far. If gyms are in fact taking 15-20 athletes from a large worlds team to create a 2nd worlds team, that is just wrong. But as in the issue with our gym, we had more than 40 kids try out for Obsession and only 30 could make the team. We had 10-12 left over that were decent level 5 kids. They pulled some older juniors and had them double team, but they were still left with a couple spots for flyers and they couldn't use anymore junior aged kids because of the crossover restrictions at NCA. So 2 of our Obsession flyers crossover to Destiny. Once we're past NCA, I'm sure those 2 girls will be replaced by 2 junior aged flyers for worlds (assuming they get a bid). In that instance, I think the crossovers were used for a legitimate reason. But if we had taken 15 of our Obsession kids and put them on Destiny, that's abusing the rule, IMO.