High School Open Or Closed Tryouts Which Do You Prefer?

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Can you elaborate why?

I started to post but everyone has covered it!

And YES to whoever said no-cut sideline is a bad idea.

Trust me, even kids who DON'T CHEER know when your cheerleaders look a HOT MESS at games. If you make sideline an "anybody who wants to do it" activity, even kids who don't know much about cheer will know they don't want to be part of that.

Because all their friends will talk about how it's a joke. They won't touch it with a ten foot pole.

 

[Official OWECheer]

My first year I was told by administration to take 16. No way around it. I wanted more, but it would have been terrible if I didn't think there were 16 worth choosing and had to add kids anyways. Luckily after my first year they let me call all of the shots. I'm similar to you, if I only see 12, then 12 it is. If there are 40 then I take 40. It varies by year, talent, and my sanity level! The least I've had is 16 and the most I've had (on one team not in the whole program) is 38.

ETA: I don't think I would ever do 38 on one team again! 32 is probably the max I could handle unless I brought in more coaching staff.

Just read the last part... How in the world did you manage a team of 38 on your own?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

My first year I was told by administration to take 16. No way around it. I wanted more, but it would have been terrible if I didn't think there were 16 worth choosing and had to add kids anyways. Luckily after my first year they let me call all of the shots. I'm similar to you, if I only see 12, then 12 it is. If there are 40 then I take 40. It varies by year, talent, and my sanity level! The least I've had is 16 and the most I've had (on one team not in the whole program) is 38.

ETA: I don't think I would ever do 38 on one team again! 32 is probably the max I could handle unless I brought in more coaching staff.

I hover around 27 and 3-4 alternates - and I thought that was huge.

Not sure I could do what you do and coach the high school equivalent of Large Senior!

I once choreographed a joint JV/Varsity pep rally performance. About 40 kids. Never again!

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

Or the minority leaves for a place in which they'll actually be challenged.

All the valuable, hard-working kids end up leaving because the coach just HAD to take everybody. The beauty and irony of prestige and standards is that while it may suck to not be a part of a well-respected group, the only reason it sucks is BECAUSE not everyone can get into that group in the first place. If tomorrow, James and Misty said that there would no longer be skill requirements for Louisville Cheer, people would no longer hold the program in high regard. Would ending a decades-long legacy of greatness be worth soothing a few hurt feelings? No. So why have a no-cut program?

Just read the last part... How in the world did you manage a team of 38 on your own?

I was head coach for 36 last year. We treated them as one team all year long, but had to break them up (due to limitations on squad size) into two competitive teams. We separated them a little more definitively as we were nearing competition. I had two assistants, and they were wonderful. We also did a joint performance with our dance team that I did choreography for (48 kids total), that was a bear.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I started to post but everyone has covered it!

And YES to whoever said no-cut sideline is a bad idea.

Trust me, even kids who DON'T CHEER know when your cheerleaders look a HOT MESS at games. If you make sideline an "anybody who wants to do it" activity, even kids who don't know much about cheer will know they don't want to be part of that.

Because all their friends will talk about how it's a joke. They won't touch it with a ten foot pole.

Shimmy x 1 million

 

[AScheer]

Just read the last part... How in the world did you manage a team of 38 on your own?

I wasn't alone... well most of the time I wasn't! I had an assistant who was there more than she wasn't. We had 2-3 tumbling coaches there one day a week. The start of the season (my opinion the most challenging because every group needs so much attention) is very alum heavy. I always have a ton of old kids volunteer to come back in the spring and help break in the new kids. While I teach new stunts, I usually have one to two old girls per group spotting and helping me see things while we cover basics. They don't teach, but know how we do things well enough to make a small correction while I work my way around the room. I love my alum kids! The season of 38, I also brought in a trusted long time parent, who had multiple children cheer for me, to run fundraising. That helped out more than anything! That moms 3rd kid is just graduating with the last girl getting ready to come through.

For large teams in general I try to plan ahead if I know I'm the only coach at practice that day. I utilized groups that rotate to stations so I get one on one time stunting/tumbling. Or I'll plan to work choreography, jumps, conditioning, pyramids and some team building activities. My assistant that year was really on top of letting me know what days she couldn't get off of work, so I usually had time to plan in advance. In my opinion competition season is the easiest time to be alone. When your only running full outs and giving corrections it is easier to only have one coach.

The days that I was alone though made me wonder why I ever thought that many was a good idea! I would leave practice exhausted and drive home in silence. The noise level that 38 teenage girls can make is deafening. That season wore me out, the next year I only took a team of 20 (on varsity) and had another additional part time assistant come in. That next season was a breeze! Never say never, but I will never take 38 on one team again unless I had the right staff in place!

 

[AScheer]

I hover around 27 and 3-4 alternates - and I thought that was huge.

Not sure I could do what you do and coach the high school equivalent of Large Senior!

I once choreographed a joint JV/Varsity pep rally performance. About 40 kids. Never again!

I don't recommend it! The best benefit is that we split up basketball games so during our heavy competition schedule some girls will get nights off that they wouldn't otherwise.

I've had 27 and that was a good number! 28 has been my ideal size a few times. I also like the 23-25 range. We've had camp staffs refer to us as an army! One year a long time ago, we took JV to a separate camp. I think they only had around 12 girls on the team that year. There was another team that had somewhere near 40 on it and I couldn't get over how massive they looked! Then I realized that's probably what people think of us!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

^^^I agree with you about start of season. Those April to July or so when you're still kind of setting groups and such is a rough time.

 

[CoachTamara]

I know multiple schools in my area that have teams of 60-65. One of them actually made cuts too, and they pull a comp team from those kids.

 

[AScheer]

I know multiple schools in my area that have teams of 60-65. One of them actually made cuts too, and they pull a comp team from those kids.

Bless them!

 

[Official OWECheer]

Bless them!

LOL right? I'd be popping Lipitor like tic tacs if I had to coach a team that large.

 

[ncmomx2]

Back to the original topic, closed tryouts at our school have resulted in girls who freeze up at their first few weeks of games. I think they need somewhat of a group to cheer in front of. AS girls have a definite advantage. We have girls on the squad going on 4 years now that if you told half the team to lip sync the cheers, there'd be little sound. Of course I also believe the Captains should understand the game of football. Last year our Captains called for Defensive cheers when we had the
ball ... once during a semi final game of the State playoffs!

(this sign line for rent)

 

[ImALiLRebL]

It's stressful enough when you are performing hoping to be the best of the best. I think all try outs should be closed. I remember drawing a complete blank mid routine @ a tryout because of the added stress from the BS others were talking outside. I'd been on the squad for years & try outs weren't new to me. I think I'd have died if I'd have messed up in front of all of those demon spawn mean girls!!


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