College New Rules For Uca College Nationals?

[UKCheerdad]

Until last year (or year before) UK hadn't finished first in taping perhaps ever.

I should have said, UK finished first in taping perhaps every year until last year or year before.

 

[yojaehs]

I think any move toward NCA style is a HUGE mistake. Keep them separate as they should be. They are two very distinct styles and they both should be maintained. I for one love the more traditional UCA style and do not care for the NCA "dance" style. Cheerleaders cheer, first and foremost!

Also new this year - as I have been told - ALL teams will have to go through prelims and not get a pass straight through to finals. Can't offer any proof of that but my daughter told me that yesterday.

As for the new way bids are awarded, in my mind, its another way to level the playing field and bring folks to a more competitive chance against UK. Until last year (or year before) UK hadn't finished first in taping perhaps ever. Call me biased, but these moves are partially to loosen UK's dominance in UCA. And it will probably work.

Your personal preference and you can believe what you want to believe, but my belief is that cheerleaders "cheer" for others for 11 months and 30 days out of the year, nationals is the ONE day that cheerleaders should get to show off their skills, put down the signs. Now this is my opinion. Let me add I have rings from both UCA and NCA and I prefer NCA 100%. Thank you, that is all.

 

[UKCheerdad]

I'm glad you have rings from both, that is a testament to your ability. But as I said, it is MY personal reference.
But my "belief" that cheerleaders cheer first and foremost is hard to refute. I don't have a problem with them showing off thier skills, in fact I think its pretty cool.

So you would say take them off the field/court and just have a competition squad? You want to abandon everyhting that cheerleading was founded upon - cheering? Whatever. That's your opinion, and I've given mine. Neither or right or wrong, they are just opinions!

 

[Deleted member 15]

I should have said, UK finished first in taping perhaps every year until last year or year before.

They haven't finished 1st in taping as often as many would think. They finish hign enough to get a paid bid, but not often 1st.

 

[yojaehs]

I'm glad you have rings from both, that is a testament to your ability. But as I said, it is MY personal reference.
But my "belief" that cheerleaders cheer first and foremost is hard to refute. I don't have a problem with them showing off thier skills, in fact I think its pretty cool.

So you would say take them off the field/court and just have a competition squad? You want to abandon everyhting that cheerleading was founded upon - cheering? Whatever. That's your opinion, and I've given mine. Neither or right or wrong, they are just opinions!

Let me start by saying, I in no way mean for this to come across as "bashing" you in ANY way. I completely respect everything you are saying, everyone is entitled to their opinions and this is a great forum to debate, I only mean to speak my opinion. My rebuttal is simply, yes, it is a "competition" squad. Teams that take the floor at Nationals are often (not always but often) not the same teams on the sidelines at games for one reason or another. And again, yes, they are "Taken off the field" to compete on a "competitive" surface, so do I want to see the skills, yes. If I want to hear who can yell the loudest through a megaphone I'll go to a high school game and sit in the middle of the field during "We got spirit yes we do, we got spirit how bout you" chants. I want skills, whether it be UCA's in your face elite stunts, or NCA's flashy, dancy, tumbling. I don't really like one over the other, the ONLY thing I Don't like is stopping the skills for the cheer, (which might I add in Daytona the "45 second chant/cheer" might be the dumbest thing in college cheerleading)

 

[yojaehs]

They haven't finished 1st in taping as often as many would think. They finish hign enough to get a paid bid, but not often 1st.

Isn't that enough? More often than not you brought home the only 1st place that mattered and you got to go for free, I'm jealous bc I had to sell more donuts and calendars than any one person should ever have to suffer through!!

 

[Kentucky Girl]

Definitely. Squads like UCF and Alabama have seriously challenged UK for the right to win the South Region. The South Region is loaded with perennial powerhouses like UK, Bama, UCF, LSU, Memphis, Tennessee, Ole Miss, WKU, Mississippi State, and Florida State.

 

[Mightymouse34]

ok, so I'm confused. If this bid process is based off of the last 3 years then that really doesn't promote new up and coming teams, or teams who have not been as successful in the last three years. I have already heard of one school who has made the switch to NCA because of the new bid process. I'm not 100% if its rumors or truth. It just doesn't seem to reward the teams with what they have THIS year. Its a new team every year, whats the point of judging off the past? I could totally be wrong and just misunderstanding the new process but I'm just wondering.

 

[ztaprincess]

ok, so I'm confused. If this bid process is based off of the last 3 years then that really doesn't promote new up and coming teams, or teams who have not been as successful in the last three years. I have already heard of one school who has made the switch to NCA because of the new bid process. I'm not 100% if its rumors or truth. It just doesn't seem to reward the teams with what they have THIS year. Its a new team every year, whats the point of judging off the past? I could totally be wrong and just misunderstanding the new process but I'm just wondering.

The last 3 years is to just get a paid bid. Now that they do it this way ALL teams have to compete during prelims instead of getting an automatic placement past prelims. They also posted that they plan on changing it for next year so maybe they will get rid of the last 3 years thing.
I imagine they did the last 3 years thing because they waited until after camp to make this change so it was something to base it off of for this one year.

 

[Mightymouse34]

The last 3 years is to just get a paid bid. Now that they do it this way ALL teams have to compete during prelims instead of getting an automatic placement past prelims. They also posted that they plan on changing it for next year so maybe they will get rid of the last 3 years thing.
I imagine they did the last 3 years thing because they waited until after camp to make this change so it was something to base it off of for this one year.

ahhh gotcha! makes sense thanks!

 

[AScheer]

ok, so I'm confused. If this bid process is based off of the last 3 years then that really doesn't promote new up and coming teams, or teams who have not been as successful in the last three years. I have already heard of one school who has made the switch to NCA because of the new bid process. I'm not 100% if its rumors or truth. It just doesn't seem to reward the teams with what they have THIS year. Its a new team every year, whats the point of judging off the past? I could totally be wrong and just misunderstanding the new process but I'm just wondering.

What school switched to NCA?

 

[GDaddyLS]

I think any move toward NCA style is a HUGE mistake. Keep them separate as they should be. They are two very distinct styles and they both should be maintained. I for one love the more traditional UCA style and do not care for the NCA "dance" style. Cheerleaders cheer, first and foremost!

Saying NCA is a "dance" style I have to respectfully disagree... I don't know if you've noticed all the skills that are associated with NCA routines or not but the "dance" section that is incorporated in NCA style routines normally last 4-5 eight counts total. Those 4-5 eight counts normally last a grand total of maybe 10-15 seconds of the entire routine... Specifically the winning routine from Louisville this year in D1A, their dance lasted only 12 seconds total of the routine. The NCA style incorporates this thing called "choreography" which uses skills with and during transitions to get from one formation to another. The most you will see as a transition from one set of skills to another is the UK jog(which is actually something Louisville used to do back in the 80's, but we chose to progress away from that) I would contest the slow transitions you see in a UCA style routine with a lot of standing still accounts for at least 12 seconds of the total routine if not more.

I'm in no way trying to belittling the UCA style b/c I agree the two styles are very distinct and also agree they should both be maintained. Also for the record I think the skills that the top 1-2 maybe 3 teams throw at UCA from the top of each division are very impressive. But to say NCA is just a "dance" style in my opinion is factually incorrect.

Lastly I also agree cheerleaders do "cheer" first and foremost but at these competitions where they do get their 1 chance to compete there are no football or basketball teams to "cheer" for. I'm not saying the tradition of sideline cheerleading should be ignored in anyway but again ultimately the way the winning team is chosen is 100% based of how they execute their "skill" b/c if they drop a stunt or pyramid we all know that team more than likely won't win, even if they do get the crowd in the HP Pavilion(aka milkhouse) yelling Blue & White or Black & Gold or T-E-Double N-E-Double S- Double E - TENNESSEE! the loudest...

 

[ztaprincess]

What school switched to NCA?

I am wondering this as well. I heard over the summer that a usual UCA participant was switching to NCA, not sure if it is because of the new changes or if it is the school that was mentioned.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Personally, I was not happy when I heard about this. It eliminates any chance for talented, up and coming teams to get a paid or partial paid bid. It also gives teams that have competed UCA for a longer time an advantage. I don't think that talented teams that hadn't competed before should be penalized this much.

You can say that there aren't any up and coming teams that are talented enough to beat out the top teams. However, there are, especially in small coed. It's very disappointing to train and work skills to get a paid or partial paid bid and then be told mid season that you won't even get the opportunity to compete for one. it is even more disappointing when you have to fundraise to get to nationals and you could have had a decent shot to get at least part of your trip paid for through a paid bid.

 

[GDaddyLS]

I am wondering this as well. I heard over the summer that a usual UCA participant was switching to NCA, not sure if it is because of the new changes or if it is the school that was mentioned.

The one school I heard was switching was a JUCO school Wallace State... They actually won UCA a few years ago I think? Not 100% sure the year they won.