All-Star New Idea To Boost Participation In All Star Cheer.

[Mamarazzi]

Parents that have a committed kid will do what's necessary to keep them in the sport, but the options for people to "try" all-star cheer at a price point that's affordable are non-existent. To me, that's the number-one issue regarding participation.

Half-year teams sort of fill that niche. But the nature of all star doesn't allow it to be a sport that can be dabbled in, like with classes, or something.

 

[Aussiekat]

Half-year teams sort of fill that niche. But the nature of all star doesn't allow it to be a sport that can be dabbled in, like with classes, or something.

We're dabbling with the idea of "cheer class" for our gym. Cheer isn't very well known down here, so we're trying to design it as a way to get kids in the door without commitment, charge a little more than you'd pay for the equivalent time spent in the gym as an allstar but without the cool uniform and going to compete. The idea is you come in, do some warmups and bonding games, then basic tumbling, learn some motions, dance and jumps, basic stunts and it takes an hour and a half of your Saturday morning. All youth/junior level 1, maybe level 2, which is the bread and butter of our gym anyway. It's easy for cheer class kids to see how their Saturday class can turn into a something more competitive with a bit more commitment, and if the commitment isn't there on the team you have ready-made kids to step up and take their place. Kinda works as a motivator for your allstars to work a bit harder to be better than the class kids. Also the more heads you get through the door the more possibility they'll want to come to more classes to improve tumbling, or commit to a full year team the following season.

The other big benefit is getting parents used to the idea of cheerleading divorced from all the stereotypes. Having a kid do a term of cheer class will hopefully do wonders in breaking down negative perceptions. The idea is still in planning stages, so if anyone has any suggestions or thinks it's a terrible idea, please share!

 

[Mamarazzi]

We're dabbling with the idea of "cheer class" for our gym. Cheer isn't very well known down here, so we're trying to design it as a way to get kids in the door without commitment, charge a little more than you'd pay for the equivalent time spent in the gym as an allstar but without the cool uniform and going to compete. The idea is you come in, do some warmups and bonding games, then basic tumbling, learn some motions, dance and jumps, basic stunts and it takes an hour and a half of your Saturday morning. All youth/junior level 1, maybe level 2, which is the bread and butter of our gym anyway. It's easy for cheer class kids to see how their Saturday class can turn into a something more competitive with a bit more commitment, and if the commitment isn't there on the team you have ready-made kids to step up and take their place. Kinda works as a motivator for your allstars to work a bit harder to be better than the class kids. Also the more heads you get through the door the more possibility they'll want to come to more classes to improve tumbling, or commit to a full year team the following season.

The other big benefit is getting parents used to the idea of cheerleading divorced from all the stereotypes. Having a kid do a term of cheer class will hopefully do wonders in breaking down negative perceptions. The idea is still in planning stages, so if anyone has any suggestions or thinks it's a terrible idea, please share!

I think it's a great idea, and I've seen similar things work with rec-type cheer. It definitely makes good business sense.

 

[BlueCat]

Making USASF (or whatever governing body we have) sanction all local state championships is a start to making us lower costs. Keep the ideas coming!!!!!!

I am also for taking a look at whatever ideas at out there. However, I dont follow how getting the USASF involved would lower the costs. The one USASF event we have is far and away the most expensive one we go to each year.

 

[notyourcheermom]

I would put a little video or something that repeats over and over small clips of a cheer comp, and call it competitive all-star cheer. We compete however many times, show stopping, heart racing, whatever, whatever. We really need to find a way to distinguish it from school cheer. But when I was in high school, we didn't compete, and now I see high school teams at comps, so, hmmmm. What to say? What to say? But, if you get those girls to one comp, they'll be in and so will their parents.

 

[notyourcheermom]

I have one more comment to make. Is anyone advertising? Putting up signs anywhere? I took a pic at the entrance to our elementary school that showed soccer sign-ups, pop warner football and cheer, and swim team, but not one mention of an all-star cheer/hip hop program. I just happened to see a hand-made sign for cheer tumbling summer camp two years ago, or I probably still wouldn't have known anything about it. I am not suggesting an advertising campaign, but are you letting people know you're there? Our gym does a lot of the team games, and really promotes relationships between the girls, too, and, wow, all-star turns your cp into a true believer of herself. I did not fundraise the first year, when given the opportunity, but then after mainly all the hotel stays, which I never shared a room, this year I said I'll fundraise, and, sure, we'll share a room with you.

 

[kristenthegreat]

We're dabbling with the idea of "cheer class" for our gym. Cheer isn't very well known down here, so we're trying to design it as a way to get kids in the door without commitment, charge a little more than you'd pay for the equivalent time spent in the gym as an allstar but without the cool uniform and going to compete. The idea is you come in, do some warmups and bonding games, then basic tumbling, learn some motions, dance and jumps, basic stunts and it takes an hour and a half of your Saturday morning. All youth/junior level 1, maybe level 2, which is the bread and butter of our gym anyway. It's easy for cheer class kids to see how their Saturday class can turn into a something more competitive with a bit more commitment, and if the commitment isn't there on the team you have ready-made kids to step up and take their place. Kinda works as a motivator for your allstars to work a bit harder to be better than the class kids. Also the more heads you get through the door the more possibility they'll want to come to more classes to improve tumbling, or commit to a full year team the following season.

The other big benefit is getting parents used to the idea of cheerleading divorced from all the stereotypes. Having a kid do a term of cheer class will hopefully do wonders in breaking down negative perceptions. The idea is still in planning stages, so if anyone has any suggestions or thinks it's a terrible idea, please share!

I really really like this idea..even in gymnastics you have basics classes. At the end, you maybe put together a mini routine for the girls and give them a performance. On the last day of our gymnastics class, we did the hardest skills we could do on each event. It was a fun day for parents to see all the hard work put into things..

 

[luvhim381]

I see it as a matter of quality control...some gyms really do put out a below par product but the parents of these athletes don't really know that until they witness better programs first hand...@luvhim381 would you care to elaborate? lol

LOL... I've witnessed this a couple of times already and once this year, where a program pulled out of a competition because they didn't want to lose to another program. I would love for this event to happen. It would show how you rank amongst other programs in certaint divisions, in your state. However, people do not want competition in "COMPETITIVE" cheer. I do not understand why you're in a sport and do not want to compete with anyone. Anyway, the program where I coach, we love competition. If someone beats us, it doesn't mean run, it means read your scoresheets and step it up.

 

[nateairnj]

I would put a little video or something that repeats over and over small clips of a cheer comp, and call it competitive all-star cheer. We compete however many times, show stopping, heart racing, whatever, whatever. We really need to find a way to distinguish it from school cheer. But when I was in high school, we didn't compete, and now I see high school teams at comps, so, hmmmm. What to say? What to say? But, if you get those girls to one comp, they'll be in and so will their parents.

I'm a huge advocate for all-star cheer - but lets not knock high school cheer. There are many high schools (that do and don't have kids that cheer allstar) that can knock MANY all-star teams out of the water with their cleanliness and skills!

Just saying...

 

[SarahS]

I really really like this idea..even in gymnastics you have basics classes. At the end, you maybe put together a mini routine for the girls and give them a performance. On the last day of our gymnastics class, we did the hardest skills we could do on each event. It was a fun day for parents to see all the hard work put into things..

I think this is a great idea, like an end of the year recital for dance studios. If you have a couple of gyms in your area, you could even have a mini "competition" or exhibition - no charge for athletes to participate, just charge a spectator fee, have all the kids perform in a team t-shirt or tank top and shorts, give out small trophies or medals for each kid. I know there are TONS of kids dying for an opportunity like this in my area. They cheer on the local rec teams in the fall but really love the performance/competition aspect of cheer and don't care for the sideline cheering so much. There just aren't many all star gyms around here, and the ones that exist, even though on the lower-cost end of the all star scale, are still out of reach for most of them. Classes, though? With the opportunity to perform/compete at the end of the year? There are literally *hundreds* of kids who would do it.

 

[cupieqt]

We host a tumbling competition and an end of the year recital at our gym. For the tumbling competition we invite other gyms to bring their kids but we haven't had any cheer gyms participate. Gymnastic clubs don't mind doing local meets at other gyms bc that's how gymnastics meets work but we all know how super protective cheer gyms are of their athletes.....(we def do NOT try to recruit kids from other gyms-EVER)
Our recital is our gym only but all parents and friends/family can attend. The kids get costumes/uniforms/leotards depending on their class and it's a LOT of fun for everyone. My department (cheer) is represented by our Cheerios (mini aged rec classes), Cheer Tumble (youth-senior rec), Crüe (our pre-team for all stars they exhibition at a local comp too), Cheer Energy (all stars), and two school squads I coach. I stay pretty busy!

We always get 4 or 5 kids wanting to sign up for all stars after the recital so it's a big draw for us right before tryouts.

 

[notyourcheermom]

I'm a huge advocate for all-star cheer - but lets not knock high school cheer. There are many high schools (that do and don't have kids that cheer allstar) that can knock MANY all-star teams out of the water with their cleanliness and skills!

Just saying...

I was not in any way trying to knock high school cheer. I was saying we did not have cheer comps when I was in high school, so I did not know what a cheer comp was, as in, we only cheered for the boys teams, so I was unclear in how you would distinguish all-star from school cheer, when the high school teams are also doing the same thing at comps now, but all-star doesn't cheer for schools, so was not clear in how one at a gymnastics gym, promoting a cheer team, trying to get rid of a preconceived notion of "cheerleading" could quickly, in as few details as possible, present his information. I voted every day during the Playtex Trip for Nationals for one of my daughter's teammate's older sister who is on a fantastic high school team. Jealous we missed out on that 20 years ago to cheer at comps.