Local Small Gym Or Bigger Gym
- Thread starter 123jump4!
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dawgshow
Cheer Parent
- Oct 14, 2010
- 5,463
- 14,298
Good because she can't go until she's 12
- May 10, 2011
- 5,994
- 24,173
This season....Good because she can't go until she's 12
Cheer Dad
Cheer Parent
- Dec 15, 2009
- 9,652
- 15,625
But you are talking a mini 1 team at either gym. Also sounds like at the small gym there may be the opportunity to advance mid season if cp really shines.I'm trying not to Cheer Dad (to be judging)... but like I said, it was definitely not what we expected! I guess I thought that you have to have some basic skills before you can join a cheer all star team. But I now realize that's not always the case, at least not for level 1. Also I'm more than aware that my CP is definitely not an advanced cheerleader. Far from it. But she is great at roundoffs, she's practicing them as I type this...
As a parent you want to find what you think will work best for your child. She gets bored easily and possibly has ADHD. That's why I feel it's important for her that the level is high enough. Not because I want her to go to Worlds at age 10... lol.
Pebbles49
Cheer Parent
- Jan 27, 2014
- 2,016
- 2,730
After reading through all the posts - I have to agree with what I believe Helen said, compare the different teams and what each gym offer... I think with your daughter's young age and little cheer experience use this season as a learning year and make sure she has lots of fun, so look at the small gym as a starting gym and then next year with the cheer foundation then look at the big gym, which will probably have a Mini 2 team-but she will need to learn bhs, multiple bhs, etc, plus more stunting, jumps and motions.
Additionally, If you are afraid that your daughter will get bore being around children who are beginning tumbler, place her in open gyms, etc... Don't sweat it so much, she is only 6 and may decide to want to do something else, hopefully not, but it happens.
Serious note: Level 1 cheerleading requires so much from the athletes, but it is not a stressful environment - When my daughter started cheerleading, she came with 5 years of gymnastics experience with plenty of tumbling skills and she started on a level 1 team - In the 1 year, she learned how to perfect her stunting, learning choreograph, jumps and motions and performance. To be honest, if your daughter is so advanced in her tumbling skills, which compare to my daughter when she started, I don't think so, these are important areas that she should focus on.
Additionally, If you are afraid that your daughter will get bore being around children who are beginning tumbler, place her in open gyms, etc... Don't sweat it so much, she is only 6 and may decide to want to do something else, hopefully not, but it happens.
Serious note: Level 1 cheerleading requires so much from the athletes, but it is not a stressful environment - When my daughter started cheerleading, she came with 5 years of gymnastics experience with plenty of tumbling skills and she started on a level 1 team - In the 1 year, she learned how to perfect her stunting, learning choreograph, jumps and motions and performance. To be honest, if your daughter is so advanced in her tumbling skills, which compare to my daughter when she started, I don't think so, these are important areas that she should focus on.
Last edited:
- Jan 9, 2010
- 3,846
- 5,827
I'm responding to this one as a former mini level 1 coach.
Minis are little sponges because they're eager to learn and can pick things up pretty quickly. My team of 11 went from having 2 BWOs at the beginning of the season to 7 by the end. Many kids couldn't forward roll in June and had cartwheels and round offs by April. Level 1 is for the true beginners, which it sounds like your daughter is, even with her gymnastics background. Everyone has to start somewhere! I would caution you not to take too much stock in what the team can do now. Your most important focus should be how the coaches coach because a good coach knows how to teach skills correctly so they come smoothly.
I also want to warn you, because I don't think you know, that you're sounding a little bit like a "Suzie's Mom" and you may want to make sure these thoughts aren't coming out at the gym. Everyone thinks their child is the best, but it's not a good idea to express that to other parents, especially when your knowledge of the sport is limited. While I know that you're looking out for the best interest of your child, you have to understand that the coaches know where to place her appropriately. A roundoff and cartwheel are middle of the pack level 1 skills. In order for a kid to be considered an advanced level 1 tumbler they need to have multiple connected BWOs, FWO, CW BWO, back extension rolls, etc. A RO is dandy, but it actually only scores in the mid range on a scoresheet.
I'd give the larger gym a try for sure but don't discount the smaller gym either. At that age it's most important to find a nurturing environment with good coaches. Winning comes second. Most of the little ones don't even know whether they've won or lost...
Minis are little sponges because they're eager to learn and can pick things up pretty quickly. My team of 11 went from having 2 BWOs at the beginning of the season to 7 by the end. Many kids couldn't forward roll in June and had cartwheels and round offs by April. Level 1 is for the true beginners, which it sounds like your daughter is, even with her gymnastics background. Everyone has to start somewhere! I would caution you not to take too much stock in what the team can do now. Your most important focus should be how the coaches coach because a good coach knows how to teach skills correctly so they come smoothly.
I also want to warn you, because I don't think you know, that you're sounding a little bit like a "Suzie's Mom" and you may want to make sure these thoughts aren't coming out at the gym. Everyone thinks their child is the best, but it's not a good idea to express that to other parents, especially when your knowledge of the sport is limited. While I know that you're looking out for the best interest of your child, you have to understand that the coaches know where to place her appropriately. A roundoff and cartwheel are middle of the pack level 1 skills. In order for a kid to be considered an advanced level 1 tumbler they need to have multiple connected BWOs, FWO, CW BWO, back extension rolls, etc. A RO is dandy, but it actually only scores in the mid range on a scoresheet.
I'd give the larger gym a try for sure but don't discount the smaller gym either. At that age it's most important to find a nurturing environment with good coaches. Winning comes second. Most of the little ones don't even know whether they've won or lost...
mamabear
Cheer Parent
- Jul 10, 2012
- 4,000
- 8,295
A GREAT reminder for us all!
- Feb 24, 2010
- 1,915
- 2,471
If I were you, I'd be paying attention to 3 points:
-How the coaches coach
(do they seem encouraging? patient? are they focused on correct technique before progression? does their teaching style mesh with you daughters learning style?)
-How organized & professional as a business the gym is
(what are they telling you up front? do they already know the competition schedule? (they should). What about the practice schedule? How organized do practices look? Is it a well oiled machine or something barely scraping the ground? You pay a lot for all star cheer, so you want to be getting your money's worth.....nobody has time for the headaches of non-organization in this business.)
-How the gym environment is
(Look at the other parents, older kids, other people involved in this program: This is potentially your child's future if you cheer there. You will be dealing with these people fairly closely. Make sure you like what you see in their attitudes, demeanor, etc. because this is the environment your child could grow up in. You want it to be a positive, nurturing one.)
Now for some personal advice:
Bigger does not always mean better. There are many great small cheer gyms out there with nurturing coaches and staff.
Do not get sucked into a team that is not going to be run professionally or actually teach proper skills however.......That is a waste of time and money imo. There are many gymnastics gyms or dance studios that throw together "cheer" teams without the coaches having proper knowledge of stunting or how to truly be competitive with a cheer competition scoresheet. Make sure the coaches are certified to teach cheerleading skills (USASF level 1 certification, AACCA safety certification, etc.), not just "so and so cheered for her high school or middle school when she did dance lessons". That goes for the larger gyms as well though! Ask what kind of certifications/knowledge they have. Chances are, the larger ones should have the credentials. The good smaller ones will too. (US All Star Federation: HOW TO GET CREDENTIALED )
-How the coaches coach
(do they seem encouraging? patient? are they focused on correct technique before progression? does their teaching style mesh with you daughters learning style?)
-How organized & professional as a business the gym is
(what are they telling you up front? do they already know the competition schedule? (they should). What about the practice schedule? How organized do practices look? Is it a well oiled machine or something barely scraping the ground? You pay a lot for all star cheer, so you want to be getting your money's worth.....nobody has time for the headaches of non-organization in this business.)
-How the gym environment is
(Look at the other parents, older kids, other people involved in this program: This is potentially your child's future if you cheer there. You will be dealing with these people fairly closely. Make sure you like what you see in their attitudes, demeanor, etc. because this is the environment your child could grow up in. You want it to be a positive, nurturing one.)
Now for some personal advice:
Bigger does not always mean better. There are many great small cheer gyms out there with nurturing coaches and staff.
Do not get sucked into a team that is not going to be run professionally or actually teach proper skills however.......That is a waste of time and money imo. There are many gymnastics gyms or dance studios that throw together "cheer" teams without the coaches having proper knowledge of stunting or how to truly be competitive with a cheer competition scoresheet. Make sure the coaches are certified to teach cheerleading skills (USASF level 1 certification, AACCA safety certification, etc.), not just "so and so cheered for her high school or middle school when she did dance lessons". That goes for the larger gyms as well though! Ask what kind of certifications/knowledge they have. Chances are, the larger ones should have the credentials. The good smaller ones will too. (US All Star Federation: HOW TO GET CREDENTIALED )
123jump4!
Cheer Parent
- Aug 24, 2014
- 2,505
- 2,513
- Thread starter
- #24
Wow... so many points! Thank you all, it really means a lot since I have no one in real life with any knowledge to discuss this with.
Firstly, I apologize if I sounded b*tchy, that's really not my attention and I'm very far from it. And I would NEVER say anything to anyone in the gym of course. It just takes a while to get used to something if you were expecting something else. Ideally I would want a mini 1 team with ages 6-8 with most of the kids being better than my daughter. With her being the youngest, she should logically be one of the "worst" this year, and be inspired by the older & more advanced girls. But now it looks like she would be one of the oldest and best in her team and I don't think that will be the ideal scenario for us. However, I know the coaches well and I like them all. So that's definitely a good point! (Don't like the manager though so that's also a small influence.)
Also, I think I've been too hung up on the cartwheel / RO thing. I guess it's because it literally took years for my CP to learn this properly, I'm thinking that the other kids won't be able to learn it in a few months... but they might. We need to learn BWO, I'm assuming this will only take a couple of months but I could be totally wrong, she might not even get it at all this season. I never said she's nothing else than a cheer beginner, I just said she has some basic skills.
"You pay a lot for all star cheer, so you want to be getting your money's worth....." quote from cheerforeverever. Yes that's it. So, after trying out the other place tomorrow, at least we'll have something else to compare to. You made other very good points to keep in mind cheerforeverever, thank you for those.
I heard someone say today that the new place stinks and that they have no air conditioning. OMG... things are getting worse!
Firstly, I apologize if I sounded b*tchy, that's really not my attention and I'm very far from it. And I would NEVER say anything to anyone in the gym of course. It just takes a while to get used to something if you were expecting something else. Ideally I would want a mini 1 team with ages 6-8 with most of the kids being better than my daughter. With her being the youngest, she should logically be one of the "worst" this year, and be inspired by the older & more advanced girls. But now it looks like she would be one of the oldest and best in her team and I don't think that will be the ideal scenario for us. However, I know the coaches well and I like them all. So that's definitely a good point! (Don't like the manager though so that's also a small influence.)
Also, I think I've been too hung up on the cartwheel / RO thing. I guess it's because it literally took years for my CP to learn this properly, I'm thinking that the other kids won't be able to learn it in a few months... but they might. We need to learn BWO, I'm assuming this will only take a couple of months but I could be totally wrong, she might not even get it at all this season. I never said she's nothing else than a cheer beginner, I just said she has some basic skills.
"You pay a lot for all star cheer, so you want to be getting your money's worth....." quote from cheerforeverever. Yes that's it. So, after trying out the other place tomorrow, at least we'll have something else to compare to. You made other very good points to keep in mind cheerforeverever, thank you for those.
I heard someone say today that the new place stinks and that they have no air conditioning. OMG... things are getting worse!
- Jan 9, 2010
- 3,846
- 5,827
@123jump4! Good luck! Unfortunately, many many cheer gyms don't have air conditioning. Eek! As long as the parent room is air conditioned (most are) you'll be good.
Cheer Dad
Cheer Parent
- Dec 15, 2009
- 9,652
- 15,625
Not sure where you are located but if I recall correct Brandon Allstars and Top Gun in Florida do not have AC in the gym.
Cheer Dad
Cheer Parent
- Dec 15, 2009
- 9,652
- 15,625
Really. My info on Brandon may be a bit behind the times but when a friends kids were there a few years ago there was no AC.
- May 10, 2011
- 5,994
- 24,173
I live in a hot, humid southern climate. Our last two programs (current and last program) don't have A/C. Both are very well known programs. It's actually very common for them to not be air conditioned. In my experience the smaller programs in smaller spaces tend to have it before the large programs in large volume spaces do. That's nothing but economics.
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