All-Star Rumor Control-senior Age Change

[cheerislove8]

Hmm maybe this example will help some people understand this...

http://fierceboard.com/threads/who-...it-three-days-before-posting-elsewhere.12240/

 

[bburke1]

Thanks Mamarazzi and tuckxandxtwist. And @cheerislove8 is that example referring to maturity level...or am I completely missing it? Haha I'm afraid I don't get it...

 

[we_stand_alone]

Hmm maybe this example will help some people understand this...

http://fierceboard.com/threads/who-...it-three-days-before-posting-elsewhere.12240/

i tried to keep king in the newbie section.....sighh
hahahaha kidding :)
that thread made me laugh all over again.

 

[cljacks99]

nooooo!!!!! I think it is very hard to take any sport/game seriously when the rules can be made up or changed when ever it seems to benefit some people. Whatever age they decide on will be just fine. I just wish they would make a decision and call it permanent. Its not easy asking kids to follow rules that are constantly changing... just my opinion

 

[armycheermom]

But they are not going to thrown into high school at 12 unless they are educationally strong, correct??? If I am not mistaken, you have to go through 9th - 12 th grade before you graduate, unless you are a superstar/brainiac, right? How are you jumping from 6th grade to graduation. As for cheer, only 12 yr olds that belong should be on Sr. Teams. If they have the skills they should be denied to allow a 14+ yr old with lesser skills be on the team?

You are correct. My daughter just turned 17 and is finishing her 1st year of college. When she was younger, she was able to test out of 8th grade and was able to go to high school as a 12 year old. But did she go to a regular public high school? No. She had the book smarts to hang with the big kids, but was too young in every other aspect to go to high school. My husband & I decided, just because she was smart enough to be in 9th and 10th grade classes, didn't mean she was physically or mentally ready to be in a high school setting. So we sent her to the local middle school for 3-5 hours a day. After lunch, instead of going back to class, I picked her up and then she would study with a private tutor. While the middle school work, was beyond easy to her, she was able to grow and figure out who she was, with her peers and then in a private setting, she was able to do the harder work.
To me, cheer & school, would be treated the same. If you have a gifted 12 year old who is a beast at level 5 skills, keep her with a junior team, even if it is under her skill level and then get her in private classes and let her do a individual, so she can use her skills.

 

[cheerislove8]

Thanks Mamarazzi and tuckxandxtwist. And @cheerislove8 is that example referring to maturity level...or am I completely missing it? Haha I'm afraid I don't get it...

Yeah, more maturity level than anything in this example. First thing that popped into my head when people were talking about how the age isn't fair or whatever.

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

I would fully support this. As above, 12 year olds have no business hanging out with 18 year olds. Ever. I was only 2 years older than my brother and I distinctly remember some of the garbage I pumped into his head.... There are plenty of gyms with J4 & J5 teams that would be more appropriate. I still don't understand what the "rush to the top" is in regards to being on a senior team. I almost feel like putting the little ones on older teams only sets them up for disappointment in a couple years when they are replaced by the next pre-teen flyer. I'm sure we have all seen or at least heard of those tantrums too. I *love* seeing teams that look like they are maxed on the ages of the athletes! I swear it's almost like it's taboo to still be at the max age for your division (unless senior). I don't want my 8 year old hanging out with middle schoolers in the neighborhood, so what's the difference with sports?

 

[Mamarazzi]

Hmm maybe this example will help some people understand this...

http://fierceboard.com/threads/who-...it-three-days-before-posting-elsewhere.12240/

That is the best.thread.ever! Prime example of everything anyone has ever complained about on here!

...sorry, @cheermommaRN , not trying to hijack your thread...:)

 

[cheer8]

This sounds great to people but it would suck for small gyms that can't produce junior level 5 teams at the moment... but i am very sure this is just a rumor but you never know what these days:eek:

 

[kristenthegreat]

Why is the age requirement 14 for the IO5 and IOC5 teams but 12 for all the senior level 5 divisions? I don't get why there's a difference if they're both level 5. Honest question..

I think it also might have something to do (don't quote me on this, I could be SUPER WRONG) with the fact that many of the current participants in the ACTUAL, outside-the-us international teams tend to be older. They COULD be in the club divisions, but because not a ton of them are starting young (like we have been doing in the US) and the lack of proper tumbling to give them the progressions the int'l model is the best for them.

Personally, if Worlds was min 14 I would dance and shout and shake my body down to the ground..literally. Ground. With tears of joy streaming down my face. Although if they did I'm sure they'd grandfather in 'cause the grid was already released..

 

[cheermommaRN]

I would like to say that there are kids out there that can handle the pressure of Worlds that are younger...some examples would be @Mclovin and @Level5Mom 's cp's. Both are younger and did a great job working with the older kids. But they are probably a minority, I know my 13 year old would be lost on a team of 16-18 year olds. Pheebs would probably be okay at that age but she is already acting older then her 9 years just being on a Jr team this season...I couldn't imagine what I would have to deal with if she was on a Sr team!
Oh and I don't get upset over hijacked threads. I make them and then release them into the Fierceboard world to grow and be commented on :-)

 

[CGAcheer]

my guess is that the rumor pertains just to this gym. They are probably thinking about switching to the international division for next season so the age would be changing from 12 to 14 for this particular gym.

As for the changing the bottom age to 14, I think it would be a terrible Idea for the following reasons:
Smaller Gyms would not be able to make a Senior Team, We currently have 5 girls who are older than 14.
Most gyms don't have teams for every age and skill level to be able to just put them on a jr 5. Its more likely that its either Sr 5 or Jr 3.
it is not like there is one 12 year old and the rest of the team is 18. If there is a 12 year old on the team there is probably more than one of them and most likely some 13 and 14year olds and some 15 year olds and some 16, 17 and 18 year olds. bell curve most likely

 

[cheermommaRN]

my guess is that the rumor pertains just to this gym. They are probably thinking about switching to the international division for next season so the age would be changing from 12 to 14 for this particular gym.

As for the changing the bottom age to 14, I think it would be a terrible Idea for the following reasons:
Smaller Gyms would not be able to make a Senior Team, We currently have 5 girls who are older than 14.
Most gyms don't have teams for every age and skill level to be able to just put them on a jr 5. Its more likely that its either Sr 5 or Jr 3.
it is not like there is one 12 year old and the rest of the team is 18. If there is a 12 year old on the team there is probably more than one of them and most likely some 13 and 14year olds and some 15 year olds and some 16, 17 and 18 year olds. bell curve most likely

This little guy is new to our gym this year, he came in with a bunch of other kids that obviously have been hidden in a remote location being drilled in fulls because they are all under 12 and fracken amazing! The owner who commented was not one of ours, I think it was the owner of his old gym. I think maybe it was just a rumor passed around that got back to him. Pheebs sent him the link to the age grid along with a funny message about "my mom will figure it out" or something....He's happy now :-)

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I would like to say that there are kids out there that can handle the pressure of Worlds that are younger...some examples would be @Mclovin and @Level5Mom 's cp's. Both are younger and did a great job working with the older kids. But they are probably a minority, I know my 13 year old would be lost on a team of 16-18 year olds. Pheebs would probably be okay at that age but she is already acting older then her 9 years just being on a Jr team this season...I couldn't imagine what I would have to deal with if she was on a Sr team!
Oh and I don't get upset over hijacked threads. I make them and then release them into the Fierceboard world to grow and be commented on :-)

Add gabi to that list - I think she's only 13...and she is DEFINITELY worlds caliber in both skill and maturity (look how she handled not competing). She is probably the main reason I would even consider 12 year olds going to worlds.

But in reality I agree with most people on here...is a couple amazing kids reason enough? No. I would be ECSTATIC to see the age changed to 14.

As for the small gym argument...I am, as usual, probably going to upset some people with this but that's too bad. I'm sorry if your small gym can't field a worlds team if the age is 14. But I just don't think that's a reason. Every time a rule is brought up all the small gyms cry that its not fair to them. Cheerleading is a business, and as with most businesses...sink or swim. Mean? Possibly. But I just think if you can't grow your gym into a worlds gym with kids 14 and over then maybe you just shouldn't have a worlds team. And I know everyone says you can't stay in business without a worlds team...not true. I know plenty of gyms that are thriving businesses, and have been for years, without worlds teams - as a matter of fact most of them don't have any level 5 teams and they do fine. And they are in Virginia Beach and Illinois...so yes, they do have "the huge gym down the street" to compete with.

 

[cpsmom]

Just to add...maybe a change like this would have smaller gyms fostering their 10, 11, 12 year old athletes turning them into strong level 5's rather than throwing all their 12 year olds with level 5 skills on Senior 5's to fly. I know at CP's "smallish" gym if they took all the 12 year olds off their Senior 5 they'd have a fierce Junior 5. I really believe 12 year olds have no business being at Worlds. You compete (and maybe even win) at Worlds at age 12 with say some fierce pass through to double...where do you go from there with a potential 6 years left in the sport?