All-Star New Age Grid Suggestions

[SheCheers]

Curious about what the soccer divisions mean? Like what set of skills do state cup individual team members have that competitive rec team members don't have? I don't understand what criteria is used to divide them. (sorry about the quote, can't scroll down on my iPad)

That being asked...lol...I really don't feel super strongly about this, I just think maybe the big picture isn't always being considered and that change is usually good when it really needs to be changed, but I think a change like this would possibly create a new set of problems.

Soccer is divided by age yearly. u4-U19...and is divided by skill levels. There is strictly recreation teams, which usually only play other teams within their own club and age level - do not travel out of the club. Three travel team levels - teams from different clubs play each other based on like skill level and same age group. Competitive rec, region cup teams and then state cup teams. Used to be called A, B, and C. A is the highest level, B mid and C lowest.. The Birthday cut off for Soccer is Aug 1. My son has a July Birthday, he is 15 - so he plays U16. Had his birthday been Aug 2, he would play U15. So, he is usually one of the youngest on his team. Players can play "up" in age level but only up to 2 years. So a true U16 player could play up to U18 - but to play up requires the club and coach to allow it. Players can never play down below their age group. Sorry for the long, boring post, but just trying to shed light on how its done in soccer lol - I am as much a soccer mom as a cheer mom. :)

Edit - Divisions are declared at the beginning of the season - meaning if you are a state cup team (high level) you only play other state cup teams, and so forth -

 

[SheCheers]

The problem with these statements is that they are purely opinion. Stating opinions as fact is very misleading. This is very similar to when the age floor was put on level 5 teams for worlds. There was an uproar on how it was going to kill worlds and how horrible it would become. Now people are clamoring for LESS teams at worlds. Clearly the age floor did not hurt the sr level 5 teams.

Oh yes, totally, it is just my opinion. Lol. I was not involved in cheer when there was no age floor for worlds teams. I suppose, though, there are teams/gyms that may have been unable to field a worlds team since it's inception. And there are small gyms everywhere that don't even have level 5 teams (no, I don't have stats, I'm guessing based on my knowledge of gyms around here and other places I've visited, with the possible exception of Houston....that place breeds cheerleaders...lol)...so expanding age floors to every division, in my opinion, could hurt many gyms. I will refrain from using our gym as an anecdotal example...lol.

 

[SaraDee023]

I think Tinies deserve to compete if they so choose. Some tiny teams are quite good :) Also, it would have to be made clear that it is exhibition level 1. Level 1 skills still apply. Your tinies can not throw tucks and baskets. And I definitely believe there needs to be a Mini. Also, putting age floors that don't overlap eliminates crossovers between age division. No more Mini 2 and Youth 3. They could only cross within their age group.
I propose a system with a 1 year overlap between each level. That way kids who are more mature or have high skills still have a chance to cross
Tiny- 3-5
Mini- 5-8
Youth- 8-11
Junior 11-14
Senior 14-18

I AGREE WITH EVERYTHIGN U SAID!!!!! every age deserves to compete...(i have taking jrs out of worlds!!!) and this age grid is wonderful.....of course you would see people mad about the sr...but it keeps it fair with all ages cheering with eachother.

 

[Nothanks]

other sports DO allow players to move up one age division (at least around here) when parents feel they're skills are compatible with older divisions.

but currently, we allow 12 year olds (and younger without the age floor in 1-4) to move up, potentially 3 age brackets, and definitely two from youth to senior.

 

[Katybugmom]

Another problem with younger kids on older teams is the ability to handle the stress of practices. Practices are normally longer and more strenuous. I don't think that is always good for the development and bodies of the younger kids.

 

[flcheermom]

You mean they can't decide before a tournament that they don't want to compete as a state cup team for whatever reason and drop a division ;) I'm sure that if XYZ soccer club had two U14 teams of differing skill levels that it's probably frowned upon and discouraged to take players from their A team and put them on their B team as well...

When I played softball as a kid we had something similar. There were rec teams and travel fast-pitch teams. It was against the rules for a kid to come off of a fast-pitch team and join a rec team in the same season. The fast-pitch season ended before rec, so it was not uncommon for rec teams to try and pull pitchers and beast batters from those teams once their season ended.

It depends on the tournaments. When teams enter a tournament, they will be placed in a bracket comparable to what division they play in for the season - there are all kinds of tournaments...some geared for rec teams, some you have to be invited to or qualify for (like tournaments held at Disney). State Cup level players in most instances are not allowed to play on lower level teams even as guest players. At tournaments, team rosters are given at registration, and only those rostered to play at the tournament are allowed to play. The Ref matches the roster to the player passes before the game. Player passes have the players info with a picture, and what level they play. Some larger tournaments will have separate divisions for rec, premier etc....and the tournament directors place the teams in the division based on what division they play for the season. State cup teams will never play lower level teams in a regular season....but may play them in a tournament. Teams don't always get to decide what division they will play in - it depends on their win/loss record, level of tournaments played and won, etc...that the FYSA will place them. There are pretty strict rules in place :)

 

[CGAcheer]

Don't these other sports also make certain classifications based on skill? I have recollections of my sister playing travel soccer and there being an A division and B division for each Uage..

I may be wrong, but I would think that they are playing under the same rules, just against better players.

 

[flcheermom]

Curious about what the soccer divisions mean? Like what set of skills do state cup individual team members have that competitive rec team members don't have? I don't understand what criteria is used to divide them. (sorry about the quote, can't scroll down on my iPad)

That being asked...lol...I really don't feel super strongly about this, I just think maybe the big picture isn't always being considered and that change is usually good when it really needs to be changed, but I think a change like this would possibly create a new set of problems.

If you have ever seen a rec team play verses a state cup team play - it is very different lol... kind of like a rec team being pop warner, and state cup being all stars ( to compare it to cheer) :) Its the pace of the game, ball movement and possession -passes, speed of players - ball control etc. Sometimes there is not much difference in a region cup teams skill set versus a state cup teams - its just the level they play at. Region cup teams only play teams in their region - Florida is divided into a few different regions - and state cup teams play teams across the whole state. But once you have entered your division - you only play in that division for the whole season. Not every team can be called state cup, alot of different criteria go into determining which teams are - winning records, tournament records, etc.

tournaments are kind of like cheer comps lol...you play against teams at your level - there are as many soccer tournaments as cheer ones :)

 

[SheCheers]

Another problem with younger kids on older teams is the ability to handle the stress of practices. Practices are normally longer and more strenuous. I don't think that is always good for the development and bodies of the younger kids.

I agree with this. Of course, there will always be exceptions of the 13 year old that couldn't handle it, but the 8 year old that could. Stuff like that is very individual, and really IMHO best left up to the parents. I wouldn't allow my cp to be on a sr team, and I didn't really want her on a jr team, either.

I really just don't understand what the age grid does that creates a cheerleading (across the board) problem, and what that problem is. I'm not doubting there IS a problem either, it just may not be under my umbrella of knowledge, but I wish someone with that knowledge would explain it to me :)

 

[thebowqueen]

actually, I dislike the very tiny 8 year old on the senior team. Sometimes you have to think outside the level 5 box.

Sorry. At least at my gym we try our best not to let anyone who isn't 12 on a sr. team. This year we do have one 11 year old flyer on sr 2 because she is a beautiful flyer and would have been crushed to base on youth 2 but is a little bit of a head case in tumbling. And she is so happy to be on that team - works harder than all the older girls and they love having her. And if you didn't know how old she was - you would probably never guess that she was not at least 12.

As for the very young ones, I think that is the personal choice and responsibility of the PARENTS! So many of these arguments are for the "best interest of the kids" but I honestly have not heard from one parent who said "they MADE my child cheer with these older girls and it harmed her psyche!" If that is the only option then you let her cheer and take safeguards so the other girls know there are young ears around - or you shop a different gym. That easy.

 

[StingraysExtremeWoC]

I like the idea of there being a minimum age set on cheer altogether. I'd like it at 5 or 6. Then anyone younger wouldn't be able to try out, at least not for comp teams.
Here's my idea if there were floors:
Senior: 13-18
Junior: 12-14
Youth: 9-11/12
Mini: 5/6-8/9

Something like that. Though I know nothing about how it might work or not. :)

 

[MyDaughterCheers]

As for the very young ones, I think that is the personal choice and responsibility of the PARENTS! So many of these arguments are for the "best interest of the kids" but I honestly have not heard from one parent who said "they MADE my child cheer with these older girls and it harmed her psyche!" If that is the only option then you let her cheer and take safeguards so the other girls know there are young ears around - or you shop a different gym. That easy.

I agree that it is a personal choice and the responsibility of the parents. However, sometimes it works in the opposite way. In the case of my CP, she was on a senior team with 9-11 year olds and about 10 older girls. The 9 year olds had great tumbling, but were not as good as flyers as the older, more experienced girls. However, since the team was full of 9-11 year olds, they became the flyers because they were too small to base/back the older girls. What ended up happening is that them being on the team effectively ended the flying of the older girls. My CP was the biggest flyer on the team but was not able to do baskets. She was the only 15 year old that flew. All of the other flyers were 9-11. We shopped for a different gym. :(