All-Star New Nca Rule. No Sandbagging!

[SheCheers]

How often does sandbagging actually happen? Seems like it would be a lot of work. I've never been aware of it, but I could never pay close enough attention to notice a crossover (unless they have on a different uniform).

 

[cheerfan27]

I love it! We have to start somewhere so this is a good start. It could be an air tight rule and someone will always find a way around it

 

[King]

so, another devils advocate...

how many athletes need to change before you can say its a different team all together competing for the first time? or if you don' bring your Sr2 team to dallas but have your Sr3 compete in 2.

or at a local cheap regional with free cross overs- cross over the whole team to whatever other level.

or Sandbag the comp before Dallas too and play it as getting the lower level routine down before going to Nationals.

I think its a great rule! I couldn't imagine trying to adjust our Sr 3 routine to a level 2 routine, sure the tumbling is no biggie, but the stunts would have to just be a completely different stunt and our pyramid isn't even remotely legal at 3, I think the Preps are the only element that are legal at 2.
Just pick the right level and stick with it!

i think if you have the same music and choreography you could probably tell.

 

[yojaehs]

Love the rule, if you have to work that hard to "legally sandbag" you'll probably lose anyway. NCA is as competitive as it gets and year after year teams attempt to sandbag which I think makes them look bad. Now there is a rule in place, if they break it they will be known as "the sandbagging gym" they hurt themselves. It will continue to occur but thank you NCA for doing SOMETHING to say its just not right. There will be tons of "what ifs" but NOW there is something that we are all talking about that will increase integrity (might take a few years) but I believe this will help and catch on.

Also, although an answer hasn't been clarified, I'm all for teams "stepping up" in divisions so I hope that this doesn't hinder teams from moving UP in levels to challenge themselves and their programs.

 

[lovexyoux234]

I think you should have to compete in one division all year...like sign up for that level at the beginning of the year. Obv if you start as large and lose kids, you can move to small but I see teams do this all the time- dropping 1 or 2 levels for the big comps just to win and it is heartbreaking for the teams who are legitimately in those lower divisions.

But what about the teams who truly struggle in a higher division and drop to a lower level when they realize where they truly belong level wise? this happened to my old gym many times where we tried to push level 4 and after the first few comps had half the team injured and a low morale after continually placing quite low on score sheets and placements. unfortunately, teams do it just to win or "sandbag" teams or whatever, but there are other situations where dropping, or even upping for that matter is in the best interest of the athletes.

 

[kobegirl]

I've seen a level 5 team drop to 3 (youth). That is true sandbagging. And I found a video of the level 5 routine and it was a good routine. Guess they didn't want to go against the rays or CEA in 4 or 5 ha!

 

[King]

But what about the teams who truly struggle in a higher division and drop to a lower level when they realize where they truly belong level wise? this happened to my old gym many times where we tried to push level 4 and after the first few comps had half the team injured and a low morale after continually placing quite low on score sheets and placements. unfortunately, teams do it just to win or "sandbag" teams or whatever, but there are other situations where dropping, or even upping for that matter is in the best interest of the athletes.

It would be February.... I would think a coach would figure it out before then?

 

[Nothanks]

But what about the teams who truly struggle in a higher division and drop to a lower level when they realize where they truly belong level wise? this happened to my old gym many times where we tried to push level 4 and after the first few comps had half the team injured and a low morale after continually placing quite low on score sheets and placements. unfortunately, teams do it just to win or "sandbag" teams or whatever, but there are other situations where dropping, or even upping for that matter is in the best interest of the athletes.

I know this would be hard to monitor, but eventually (when we have one real governing body that officially oversees and enforces things 100%), when a team enters the season at level X, and then decide they need to drop for the betterment of the team, once they compete at that lower level, they need to stay at that lower level for all national competitions, and if they go back up they (unless there is some sort of clearance from that governing body for a legitimate reason why they dropped--I know, this is a long way away when every team must be registered and not in the near future) they face some sort of repercussion.

hopefully this makes somewhat as much sense as it does in my head. haha

 

[worldsring09]

How often does sandbagging actually happen? Seems like it would be a lot of work. I've never been aware of it, but I could never pay close enough attention to notice a crossover (unless they have on a different uniform).

Sr level 2, 3 yrs ago NCA. I would need to double check my records (cut and pasted prior comp results for the winning team, I still have them in my email lol), but I believe they competed 3...yes I said 3....levels down. Guess they REALLY wanted those NCA jackets.

 

[ShoWStoppeR]

http://nca.varsity.com/all_star_nationals.aspx

I am quite a fan! Thoughts??

this is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
or in cheerleading terms, this is the greatest thing since nfinities.

 

[worldsring09]

Hey! Just had a thought...maybe if they put the level you win at NCA in BLAZING letters/numbers across the NCA jacket, maybe it will deter sandbagging, too.

 

[lovexyoux234]

It would be February.... I would think a coach would figure it out before then?

some smaller gyms, such as mine, may not start competing til January. So by February, we're trying to figure whether or not it's a good idea. i'm talking about the rule if it became what the person i had quoted before said. that if you entered a year in a level, you had to stay in that level. my gym has no interest really in going to NCA, so it probably won't ever apply to us. i was just looking at it in a broad spectrum.

 

[Senior5Allie]

In a perfect world that would be ideal but realistically there is no way to monitor that. This way is a legit first step.

well, it should be a perfect world! j/k I hear ya though!

 

[cheermommaRN]

Last year after the schedule was posted for NCA I started researching teams in our division...low and behold one of the gyms competing didn't have a Jr 2 listed on their site but they did have a Junior 3.....they had been competing that level the whole season and dropped down just for NCA. They still lost.

 

[Mamarazzi]

So, no fewer than 5 people have asked how this rule (if enforced sport-wide) would affect teams incentive to level-up for for a comp or two, but no answer. Is there a possibility of something like a 90% rule, where you must compete as that level 90% of the time, or for 90% of the season before you can level-up?