All-Star Prepping For The Cheerpocalypse: What Will We Do When Shtf?

[Official OWECheer]

lol Thank you I don't I will be opening a gym any time soon! not enough experience on my end. They're already enough bad coaches who open gym with little to no experience. I don't want to be in that category. If I can get good quality help from certified people then maybe one day :) but even that is hard to find.

So true.

 

[dance_extreme_94]

So true.

I think the cheer world would be better and safer if USASF actually took the measures to make sure gyms were only running if they had qualified/certified employee's. Even if their jut volunteers.

I'm not saying that they should tell someone how to run their gym, but to make sure its running safely would be for the better of this sport.

Make sure everyone has sprung mats,
make sure everyone is using proper tumbling equipment even if its just collaborating with a local gymnastics facility,
make sure all coaches who are spotting, or instructing students are certified through the level in which they are teaching need I continue? just these simple changes would make this market a better place. I don't see USASF making sure of any of that. I'm sure someone will still figure out loop holes to go through with the new rule of only certified coaches are allowed in warmups. USASF does a lot I must admit, but it seems like its not enough at the same time.
Forgot to mention insurance. Its so unethical to run without insurance

 

[Official OWECheer]

I think the cheer world would be better and safer if USASF actually took the measures to make sure gyms were only running if they had qualified/certified employee's. Even if their jut volunteers.

I'm not saying that they should tell someone how to run their gym, but to make sure its running safely would be for the better of this sport.

Make sure everyone has sprung mats,
make sure everyone is using proper tumbling equipment even if its just collaborating with a local gymnastics facility,
make sure all coaches who are spotting, or instructing students are certified through the level in which they are teaching need I continue? just these simple changes would make this market a better place. I don't see USASF making sure of any of that. I'm sure someone will still figure out loop holes to go through with the new rule of only certified coaches are allowed in warmups. USASF does a lot I must admit, but it seems like its not enough at the same time.
Forgot to mention insurance. Its so unethical to run without insurance

Not just unethical--stupid. Even the most selfish person in the world would get insurance, if only to protect themselves.

 

[Lisa Seye]

Question. How are clinics different than Woodward and cheerleb staff?

 

[tumbleyoda]

Question. How are clinics different than Woodward and cheerleb staff?

All depends on the credentials of the person running the clinic. In the past I put my USTA and USAG credentials up against USASF any day of the week. I definitely choose those over USASF. There are many other certifications and training sessions you can get other than USASF. My suggestion is that a coach get what they can to supplement USASF until they start to take tumbling seriously. Go find a tumbling coach that is doing it right and be mentored by them.

Personally I would rather have the person that coached the athlete to be amazing than the athlete. Because the chances are if the coach was able to build one amazing athlete, he or she could build others. They would have more instruction for me and my athletes other than believe in yourself, don't give up, try it again. Anybody can coach an insanely talented athlete that just needs a push. Bit the athlete that nobody wants to work with, the one you want to cut from your team, the one you think aren't going to make it past level 1....show me the coach that can turn that athlete into a level 3-5 athlete with minimal injuries, positive attitude and great technique. I will sit at their feet any day.

This is not going to be a popular opinion but IMO the greater pull of the cheerlebrity fad is to capitalize of their popularity and and make money for the gym. Instruction takes a second seat to that. They want the name and the looks first. I say that because every one that has reached out and called my gym or emailed me (and I am not on any mailing list, nor do I follow them on social media or subscribe to their videos so the only way they got my direct info is from USASF) always push the raising money for your gym or the "we will be in your area and would like to stop by line." Nope. Not gonna happen.

Now I realize that I can not put uniformly all in the same box. I can only comment on the ones that have intentionally reached out trying to get in our doors. Because of them I have no desire to try the others out. And I don't feel as if that is causing my athletes to miss out. They have gone to some and the stories they tell me, tell me all I need to know about this current fad.

 

[CheerBank]

Question. How are clinics different than Woodward and cheerleb staff?

My cp just came back from Woodward. Want to know who the "cheerlebrities" were this past week? The Rosarios. My cp's tumbling coach? Victor. Couldn't get much better than that.
In the past "special guest athletes" at Woodward typically didn't have the role of coaches as they seem to at their own clinics; they were just there tumbling with the rest of the kids and talking to them about their own experiences; for some they were inspiring while others like my cp really didn't care.

 

[Lisa Seye]

Thanks y'all.

 

[Official OWECheer]

I think that a lot of people are under the impression that in order to become as good as XYZ Cheerlebrity, they must be taught by him/her instead of the people who trained him/her. Which makes no sense to me.

And @CheerBank Victor is a BEAST! I love coaches that can fill a spot in a level 5 routine, and TG has an excellent philosophy on technique.

 

[gofriars610]

@tumbleyoda's post reminds me of something I said during the standing full "ban" of 2012. Varsity cannot profit off of tumbling (hence why it's barely even mentioned at NCA camp), and tumbling is a biiiiiig skill gap to fill. Varsity would have benefitted off of an "even" playing field for tumbling, hence the skill restrictions.

 

[yooolizzi]

@tumbleyoda's post reminds me of something I said during the standing full "ban" of 2012. Varsity cannot profit off of tumbling (hence why it's barely even mentioned at NCA camp), and tumbling is a biiiiiig skill gap to fill. Varsity would have benefitted off of an "even" playing field for tumbling, hence the skill restrictions.

We as instructors are not insured and trained to work with children for tumbling (everything else, yes!) . Many of us know how to spot, but we are unable to spot due to liabilities. That's why it's not mentioned at camp.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

@tumbleyoda's post reminds me of something I said during the standing full "ban" of 2012. Varsity cannot profit off of tumbling (hence why it's barely even mentioned at NCA camp), and tumbling is a biiiiiig skill gap to fill. Varsity would have benefitted off of an "even" playing field for tumbling, hence the skill restrictions.

Similar to what @yooolizzi said, it's a liability as we aren't trained by Varsity to spot even though most of us can. We aren't allowed to verbally correct for that same reason. We usually had tumble show offs at camp as a transition from different classes because it made it easier to nominate tumblers for All American.

However, I believe NCA speed staff is allowed to spot at their camps. I have never staffed a speed camp but I am friends with staffers who have and have staffed a combined speed/traditional camp.


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[yooolizzi]

Similar to what @yooolizzi said, it's a liability as we aren't trained by Varsity to spot even though most of us can. We aren't allowed to verbally correct for that same reason. We usually had tumble show offs at camp as a transition from different classes because it made it easier to nominate tumblers for All American.

However, I believe NCA speed staff is allowed to spot at their camps. I have never staffed a speed camp but I am friends with staffers who have and have staffed a combined speed/traditional camp.


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Speed staff can spot and coach tumbling!

 

[tumbleyoda]

We as instructors are not insured and trained to work with children for tumbling (everything else, yes!) . Many of us know how to spot, but we are unable to spot due to liabilities. That's why it's not mentioned at camp.

Similar to what @yooolizzi said, it's a liability as we aren't trained by Varsity to spot even though most of us can. We aren't allowed to verbally correct for that same reason. We usually had tumble show offs at camp as a transition from different classes because it made it easier to nominate tumblers for All American.

However, I believe NCA speed staff is allowed to spot at their camps. I have never staffed a speed camp but I am friends with staffers who have and have staffed a combined speed/traditional camp.


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That is more info coming from both of you than has ever been said by Varsity. That is a sound and legal reason not to instruct tumbling. Which of course opens up more issues from someone like me who I have had several of my school athletes in those show offs and win those awards, but I digress.

So my next random thought is - if not insured for it, why even have the show offs to nominate tumblers? Just avoid it all together. I mean an athlete can can get injured doing a cartwheel just like they can a double full - even though I agree the risk is much higher for a double full. If injury and liability are the issue, just say no to tumbling altogether. No awards, no recognition at all for tumbling, no transitions, nothing. That to me would be the consistent, safe and logical choice, given the no insurance issue that you both put forward.

Please know I am not attacking you. The company position makes perfect sense - UNTIL you allow them to tumble at all.

 

[JMW]

The thing with rec though is there is no governing body to separate the "rec" teams that have a practice facility and train vs. the "rec" teams that cheer peewee football all year and compete at one competition for fun. As long as they fit in a generic set of guidelines the EP sets (which can vary by EP) anyone can compete rec.

There is in Illinois. It's called Illinois Recreational Cheerleading Association. They are expanding to other states as American Recreational Cheerleading. California is on board, from what I understand. Although there will never be a completely level playing field, it goes a long way towards that end.

They are really just an EP, but are non-profit, and the only one specifically for rec teams. In a nutshell, all teams must cheer for a sport. There is a 'rec' division for teams who don't conduct tryouts/evaluations and use volunteer coaches, and an 'advanced rec' division for those who do. That's oversimplifying it, but you get the idea....
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[cheermommaRN]

For me the out pricing came from the "extras" gyms demand along with the tuition. For example, if my child is going to Susie's All Stars and all of the gym's coaches travel around charging $3000 a team ($100 x 30 athletes) why in the world am I paying that same amount for them to ship in a choreographer from ANOTHER GYM?!! Use what you have and save your family's money. Why are we charging $350 for a uniform when a one can be purchased for far less? Oh and then let's change them every year.
Oh and then there is the private lessons. Oh you want Susie to PROGRESS this year rather than just do level skills on the team, well that's going to be another $25-35 for 30 minutes.
Then traveling to tons of out of town competitions...a gym doesn't have to do that, they CHOSE to do that to the families. Whether it be for kick backs with Varsity, a special "compete with us 3 times and get a rebate", or a bid.
I don't think cheer is going anywhere, there will always be those parents that will drive a beater and live one step from foreclosure in order for their Susie to cheer. The fact that our society has made a turn to feeling extremely entitled and if you can't afford it "GoFundMe" it just makes the situation worse.