All-Star New Nca Rule. No Sandbagging!

[BlueCat]

I will say I love the rule - enforceable or not.

 

[King]

As an industry, we've never sent a message to athletes, coaches and parents that we frown upon sandbagging. The value in this rule isn't going to be the enforcement onsite, it's going to be that we have an official position out there that sandbagging isn't good.

Many of you immediately began thinking of the different ways around this policy, and I appreciate those comments. Keep them coming so we're prepared for any scenario that weekend. But even if a couple of teams get around the policy, that number is overshadowed by both the teams that had to deliberately move to another USASF Level early to prove their legitimacy (and defend that decision to their customers, the parents) and the teams that decided against dropping levels as they had planned because they came across this policy.

I agree. If you think about it a level 5 team could, in theory, go level 3 all season. The deterrent in all this is parents want their kids competing in a level that challenges them while being competitive. It will be harder to do that now, but not impossible. If it got much stricter I think it would be unpolicable.

PS - what if someone moved up for NCA? Is that now illegal too?

 

[Mclovin]

Or . . . Change your team name.

I've seen this done many times. Go from youth 4 to junior 3 and add 1 kid and presto...new team.

 

[Mclovin]

If parents are already prepared to drop a level for NCA, they aren't going to go ballistic over dropping for 2 competitions instead of one.

 

[King]

I will say I love the rule - enforceable or not.

You have to have competed at an event. So NCA couldn't be your teams first event I dont think.

 

[ASCheerMan]

If parents are already prepared to drop a level for NCA, they aren't going to go ballistic over dropping for 2 competitions instead of one.

They won't be 'ballistic' at all. But when the coach has to explain that NCA has a rule about dropping levels.... it puts the ethical issue in front of parents, who could put pressure on the coaches.

Like I said, the value in the policy is much more in the message it sends and the dialogue it starts...

 

[Mclovin]

They won't be 'ballistic' at all. But when the coach has to explain that NCA has a rule about dropping levels.... it puts the ethical issue in front of parents, who could put pressure on the coaches.

Like I said, the value in the policy is much more in the message it sends and the dialogue it starts...

Definitely not disagreeing with you on the value of the policy. But if the coaches are able to explain the purpose of sandbagging in the first place and make the parents "buy into it" then it won't be hard to make them "buy into" your new reasoning behind competing at one additional competition at the lower level. Local gyms around here do it all the time and they never seem to lose kids over it.

 

[kaylalalaxo]

Absolutely LOVE this new rule!!!

 

[ASCheerMan]

Definitely not disagreeing with you on the value of the policy. But if the coaches are able to explain the purpose of sandbagging in the first place and make the parents "buy into it" then it won't be hard to make them "buy into" your new reasoning behind competing at one additional competition at the lower level. Local gyms around here do it all the time and they never seem to lose kids over it.

You are correct, McLovin. When its all said and done there will still be programs that sandbag.

 

[CGAcheer]

I like the rule, but I bet there are going to be some pretty tough regionals now. Open up the season with a watered down routine at a 30 dollar comp. And call it a warm up to get the first comp jitters out of the way and youre set.

 

[OkCheerCoach]

I think this ia a great rule! There will always be people around that exploit any rule set, but I agree with Justin in that there is now a firm stance/ expectation. As a small gym director in Oklahoma I thi k this levels the playing field a lot. I wish I had 200 kids to pick a mini level 2 team of 20 from, but instead I have to pick my teams and divisions based off of my 50 kids and our overall skill level. I like the idea that when I go to NCA I will compete against other teams that have been in my level, hopefully all year .

 

[King]

While you can never completely stop it, you can reduce it to a much lower level. Not to mention you are adding one more complexity to your season. Those teams that are "sandbagging " are now going to be at a disadvantage going to NCA. They will have put time and energy into having to type of routines. With how competitive cheerleading is nowadays that will put you at a disadvantage.

 

[OkCheerCoach]

You have to have competed at an event. So NCA couldn't be your teams first event I dont think.

NCA is the first event for some teams/ gyms if it's a half year team

 

[King]

And maybe it's just me who thinks about these things but the timing required for each level skills is way different. Running tumbling in level one, for example, takes way more than time then tumbling in level Two. That's just adding so many moving parts.

 

[Mclovin]

While you can never completely stop it, you can reduce it to a much lower level. Not to mention you are adding one more complexity to your season. Those teams that are "sandbagging " are now going to be at a disadvantage going to NCA. They will have put time and energy into having to type of routines. With how competitive cheerleading is nowadays that will put you at a disadvantage.

Good point. Our senior 4 team last year dropped to senior 3 because they just weren't a very good level 4 team ( I would call them a good 3.5). But they then struggled with level 3 because there are so many different elements that go into a level 3 routine that they had no time to train for. In the end, they didn't fair much better at level 3 than they would have at level 4....