All-Star Level 6 Should Require Certain Aspects

[lovexyoux234]

We always do a "for fun" open team every year. Almost everyone is from a college background. I dont feel anything we do is unsafe. I wish more open teams would take this route....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdxMDa47oqg

if only if only we could take the same route in which you follow. lol. your "for fun" open team could kick some major butt. hahahaha

 

[GymCoach]

This is what happens when you all practice 2-3 hours per week, go to school full time, work part/full time, and all star cheerleading was in its infant stage when you grew up. An 18 year old cheerleader and a 25 year old cheerleader grew up with a very different sports with vasty different expectations.

 

[Ignis Pater]

What if these people just love cheering on a competition team and this just their way of enjoying themselves? Like me going to a local basketball court and getting in a pick up game. I say let them have fun.

 

[Num1Stunta]

Don't get me started on this! I've stated in many threads that the leveling system should stay in place for the 18+ crowd. Offering Levels 3+ for older athletes would be a good option, I think. With all of the stress we put on safety- putting athletes in levels that match their skills, not competing skills that they can't hit, etc, why do we suddenly find it acceptable to ignore all of that once you hit a certain age? A 17 year old with level 3 skills isn't going to be put on a Senior 5, but the next week when she turns 18 we can put her on a Level 6 team?

It's illogical, and I think it would be a great way to keep people in the sport/add more people to the sport past the age of 18 if there were more options to suit varying skill levels.

 

[GymCoach]

Would be nice to have some levels but reality is there is not enough cheerleaders at this level to do it. No one would ever get to compete.

And there are plenty of people on level 5 that are not true level 5 cheerleaders i.e. the golden nugget jumps during everyone else's toe touch backs.

 

[Rudags]

if only if only we could take the same route in which you follow. lol. your "for fun" open team could kick some major butt. hahahaha

I guess we will have to agree to disagree! I dont think we are all that. We literally threw that routine together in three practices. Practice 1 was choreography. Practice 2 was normal practice and replacing all the quitters. Practice 3 was we got our music and our shorts and Tshirts and practiced the day before the comp. LOL! I assume MOST open teams do this format of routines. Were not pushing for crazy skills. What you walk in the door with and can safetly throw - is what goes in the routine. I feel like sometimes coaches try to push Open 6 teams do get a bid when they arent ready. I guess it depends on geographics. There are no World Bid Comps within a 5 hour circumfrence of STL (Chicago is the closest, followed by Indy, and Columbus) - So that is why we cant be a Worlds team (besides not having time) but the poor college kids cant afford a $150 Comp Fee, Plus Hotel, travel, and Per Diem to not get a bid.

 

[Rudags]

And there are plenty of people on level 5 that are not true level 5 cheerleaders i.e. the golden nugget jumps during everyone else's toe touch backs.

Thats different. Most level 5 teams practice year round and have a TRUE coach that teaches skills. I am assuming A LOT of Level 6 teams have a coach that is on the team, or not at all. I know A LOT of Open 6 teams who are self coached or the coach is on the team. Thats how we did ours - I coached our Open 6 team and was on it - but again, I dont feel our routines are unsafe - We might be sloppy, and have "normal errors" (Touchdown, Bobble, etc) but we dont kill each other.

 

[MyssMyst]

Don't get me started on this! I've stated in many threads that the leveling system should stay in place for the 18+ crowd. Offering Levels 3+ for older athletes would be a good option, I think. With all of the stress we put on safety- putting athletes in levels that match their skills, not competing skills that they can't hit, etc, why do we suddenly find it acceptable to ignore all of that once you hit a certain age? A 17 year old with level 3 skills isn't going to be put on a Senior 5, but the next week when she turns 18 we can put her on a Level 6 team?

It's illogical, and I think it would be a great way to keep people in the sport/add more people to the sport past the age of 18 if there were more options to suit varying skill levels.

I agree with this. There aren't enough shimmies. I realize that there may not be enough adults, but this is sure one sport that kicks you out the door when you turn 18 unless you're elite. Not everyone gets to play college hoops, but several schools still have intramurals or other ways to build the skills needed.

 

[AcaseA]

What I think needs to happen is the current Senior 4.2 division needs to be slightly modified and made into an International Open 4.2 division. The division was made to cater to high school girls that weren't strong tumblers but have good stunting backgrounds possibly from school cheer. If the age range was changed to 14+ it would create a better outlet for these older athletes that are not elite level.

I think the coaches need to think about why they have this team.
Alot of these level 6 teams try to push pyramids/stunts/tosses that are out of their reach in efforts to "stay competitive" or win. If these teams aren't a "true" level 6 team, winning shouldn't be the focus. For the team I coach we stick to safe, clean stunts they can perform. This ensures they have fun, don't look a hot tranny mess on the comp. floor, and MOST importantly is SAFE.

 

[lovexyoux234]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree! I dont think we are all that. We literally threw that routine together in three practices. Practice 1 was choreography. Practice 2 was normal practice and replacing all the quitters. Practice 3 was we got our music and our shorts and Tshirts and practiced the day before the comp. LOL! I assume MOST open teams do this format of routines. Were not pushing for crazy skills. What you walk in the door with and can safetly throw - is what goes in the routine. I feel like sometimes coaches try to push Open 6 teams do get a bid when they arent ready. I guess it depends on geographics. There are no World Bid Comps within a 5 hour circumfrence of STL (Chicago is the closest, followed by Indy, and Columbus) - So that is why we cant be a Worlds team (besides not having time) but the poor college kids cant afford a $150 Comp Fee, Plus Hotel, travel, and Per Diem to not get a bid.

we definitely agree on the fact of only throwing skills you know you can do. that is what my open team accomplishes at competition. im just saying if only we had that kind of talent. hahaha. then our for fun team would look just as good as yours. so actually, we agree. haha

 

[Allstarcesi]

I dont think Open 6 should be placed under more regulations, I think that if you can't hit the skills, then they should not be performed in the routine until they hit solid. Thats what most other lower level teams do right? If your flyer cant double down, do a single twist, dont try to double and take out your entire stunt group in the process.
I'm on an AG open6 team, and we're not GT or ECE, but our girls stay in the air and we execute our stunts. cleanly.
I get what you mean about some looking like the teams were just put together because a lot of the time, they are...take for instance my team, we just got a (hopefully) finalized roster 2 weeks ago, and we've been practicing since the summer. Like others have said before, the level of commitment is totally different than those seen on lower-level teams. We have many more/other "real" commitments (college, work(fulltime), kids, coaching other teams...etc.) So cheer isn't our only responsibility like it was when we were younger. And on top of that we only practice once a week. So being on that type of time constraint + people dropping and adding left and right + people missing practice just puts a lot of obstacles to overcome.

We thankfully take advantage of the 2.5 hrs/week of team practice and some girls (including myself) put in extra time to get in more tumbling, helping new girls, outside of that.

Not all open 6 teams are tragic.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

Why is there Open 6 when adults can cheer on IOC5?

 

[KRECCheer]

This thread and all the comments about tragic open 6 teams makes my blood boil. We have said it time and time again, if there was a division for a level 3 tumbling, level six stunting team, most open teams would probably enter that division. To say that you dont want to see people who have never cheered all star in your all star competition is simply rude. I cant pull fulls out of my teams butt. But they can hit a solid 2 and a half high pyramid. I cant get them to hit some of the stunt sequences top gun does, but they can throw solid tuck, layout, and full baskets. Many open teams work with what they have got. And if those teams are anything like ours, the "coach" is someone who happens to be on the team. And theyre probably dealing with some male egos who think they should be throwing hard one man stunts when honestly, you just barely hit that full up in a group stunt. In that case, the "coach" has the option of putting their foot down and saying no, we are hitting basic before we move ahead, or they run the risk of letting their team put a shaky routine on the floor.
Please, I beg of you, cut open 6 some slack. They work hard not only in the gym, but raising their children, working 40 hours a week, and living their lives. Its fun for them and thats all that matters.

 

[Allstarcesi]

This thread and all the comments about tragic open 6 teams makes my blood boil. We have said it time and time again, if there was a division for a level 3 tumbling, level six stunting team, most open teams would probably enter that division. To say that you dont want to see people who have never cheered all star in your all star competition is simply rude. I cant pull fulls out of my teams butt. But they can hit a solid 2 and a half high pyramid. I cant get them to hit some of the stunt sequences top gun does, but they can throw solid tuck, layout, and full baskets. Many open teams work with what they have got. And if those teams are anything like ours, the "coach" is someone who happens to be on the team. And theyre probably dealing with some male egos who think they should be throwing hard one man stunts when honestly, you just barely hit that full up in a group stunt. In that case, the "coach" has the option of putting their foot down and saying no, we are hitting basic before we move ahead, or they run the risk of letting their team put a shaky routine on the floor.
Please, I beg of you, cut open 6 some slack. They work hard not only in the gym, but raising their children, working 40 hours a week, and living their lives. Its fun for them and thats all that matters.

yay i feel like open 6's advocates lol i was trying to keep myself from getting worked up...im thinking...we put in work too!

 

[cheerKT]

Go Level 6!

I never cheered level 5 or cheered in college. Majority of people in allstars never do either of these things. So just because I turned 18 I should never be able to cheer allstars again? Hm.

Like it was stated above. A lot of level 6 athletes are busy in school full time, working full time, or raising a family. Sorry they aren't up to your "standards".