Rec Pop Warner Divisions

[Deleted member 4831]

This year pop Warner has changed their set up for divisions. In addition to small and large they have added the medium division and changed the level set up. Previously it was novice, intermediate and advance. This year they have levels 1, 2, 3, and 4. What is your view on the change of levels and what level is your team?

 

[Kel Kell]

We are no longer in Pop Warner, rather UYF. The local Rec Circuit of competitions have small medium and large though. I found that this makes the playing field a lot more level. It was always a death sentence to have one girl sign up late and be bumped to a large division. Putting 16 girls against a squad of 34 was always hard.

I like novice, intermediate, and advanced. Right now UYF only has novice and advanced, I've found that the intermediate level makes the bridge to more complicated skills easier. It also provides a working platform for 5th and 6th grade squads that, for whatever reason, are ready to move onto Libs but still not ready for full downs and basket tosses.

What is the difference between 3 and 4? Is it mostly tumbling? If so that's great, some areas parents can't afford tumbling for thier CPs and this will make the play field more level for them.

 

[eliteathletics]

I love/hate having levels- back when we did town there was NO small/large or any level no advanced/intermediate/ beginier it was if you could execute it well it was in routine- so if a child had a full at 9yrs old they could throw it (execution scores still counted) if you had 4 1 legged stunt and visually a half looked good you could do it. Having levels holds some kids back - but could be used to push kids also-
all in all it levels the playing field!

 

[Deleted member 4831]

What is the difference between 3 and 4? Is it mostly tumbling? If so that's great, some areas parents can't afford tumbling for thier CPs and this will make the play field more level for them.

The difference is mostly tumbling. At least thats how we determined our level. The team I coach is level 3. The can do rounding handspring tuls and standing handsprings. Stunt wise they can single out of two legged stunts and do one legged extensions. Full ups are allowed to prep level.

 

[Kel Kell]

The difference is mostly tumbling. At least thats how we determined our level

I think that's great. I remember teams that had full squad standing backs, we would have NEVER beat them... I am lucky to have two RO Back Tucks this year. I do feel like PW is getting a little more like All Star every day, which is good. I like to see programs grow, having more divisions also allows more teams to qualify for Nationals too. PW nationals are BY FAR the best Rec Nationals. I would kill to be able to go back.

 

[Callmeboots]

This year they have levels 1, 2, 3, and 4. What is your view on the change of levels and what level is your team?

I think there are definitely pros and cons to it all. The biggest con being autobids. There are more potential spots to just autobid straight to nationals than before. Two years ago, there were only 6 teams maybe going, now there are 12. We live on the West Coast and our parents always had a really hard time justifying going to Nationals at $1000 a girl if they didn't really "earn" it. In our conference, autobids have been a huge issue because a lot of teams like to compete at JAMZ in January, but if they have an auto bid and choose not to go to Nationals, they're not allowed to compete at JAMZ.

Pop Warner's numbers are down in the cheer world over here and I think that autobids have a lot to do with it.

On the other hand, I think for skill levels it's great, I just wish there was some way that there could be a 3.1 or a 4.2 type level. Tumbling is usually everyone's weak point in rec teams, but I like that they've moved to only 25% needing to have the skill rather than 50% to max out the scores.

I just always had a hard time because we were so advanced at stunting, yet we would only have two girls having back handsprings. It made it hard because I didn't want to hold the girls back based on tumbling, because they would get bored...but I also didn't want to be out of our league when it came to tumbling.

I just wish they would allow release moves in level 3 pyramids besides braced tic tocs, and also full baskets, but then I think that would separate level 2 and 3 too much.

 

[Deleted member 4831]

I just wish they would allow release moves in level 3 pyramids

I agree. I feel like every level 3 team is going to have the same pyramid due to the release and inversion rules. Within my program and the teams that are level 3 the only major difference in out pyramids is that my team cradles out of it.

 

[iCheer247]

Just adding more division give more ways to win or "move on." This leads to more people coming to the higher level competitions that in the end give Pop Warner more money. :rolleyes:

 

[Callmeboots]

Just adding more division give more ways to win or "move on." This leads to more people coming to the higher level competitions that in the end give Pop Warner more money. :rolleyes:

Which leads to more parents saying they don't really "deserve" to go.

 

[Flcheer13]

That's sad that auto bids are a thing. I live in Florida and that's a very rare thing. Our city comp there is barely any teams in each divisions (maybe 1 or 2) so we all go to the regionals. But at that comp the divisions are stacked with teams. Some level 1 divisions had 40 teams last year. And only top 2 go on to nationals.

 

[Flcheer13]

Also they changed the judging to be base on how many girls or guys you have on the team. Is you have 20 members on a team in level 2 you have to do 50%+1 back walkers that's 11. But you don't have to do them all at once. If two girls have back walkovers then they both need to do 11 walkovers total. To get the top score. in That's makes it earlier for team who that the stunting but not that tumbling .