All-Star Tiny Level 1

[AliciaM]

Ok!! Good news! We are going to be Tiny Prep since it's our first tiny team!

How many 8 counts should be in a 2 minute routine. I counted only 29 but that doesn't seem right I think I was counting too slow LOL someone told me 38 is that right?

 

[JJA]

Ok!! Good news! We are going to be Tiny Prep since it's our first tiny team!

How many 8 counts should be in a 2 minute routine. I counted only 29 but that doesn't seem right I think I was counting too slow LOL someone told me 38 is that right?

44 is a typical 2:30 routine so I would say roughly 36!


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[AliciaM]

Ok! Thanks :)

 

[JJA]

Ok! Thanks :)

That's at a typical routine speed though! Could be less if you slow down your music! :)


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[cheer25mom]

That's at a typical routine speed though! Could be less if you slow down your music! :)


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Our gym slows it down for tiny prep. I think it's a good idea b/c they are just soo little. Makes it much easier to clean a routine.


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[AliciaM]

I've already asked my gym owner to slow it down :) he knows not to make it too fast

 

[SLM]

Here's a little chart to help. How Many 8 Counts In Cheer Routine Music | Cheerleading Music Mixes | Cheer and Dance Mixes

 

[cRayCheerDad]

As a parent of a three year Grape Ray. What ever you decide make sure and set the bar high, adhere to consistent expectations and tell them they will be amazing everyday. Trust me they will be [emoji4][emoji524]


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[AliciaM]

As a parent of a three year Grape Ray. What ever you decide make sure and set the bar high, adhere to consistent expectations and tell them they will be amazing everyday. Trust me they will be [emoji4][emoji524]


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We definitely have! My owner wants them to still have a fast routine. 38 8 counts in 2 minutes. I give them more time to get to each section and more pauses in between some things but most of their motions are 2 count motions but don't fast. I sped up their counting by a lot today. I was counting slow before. Their jumps are normal count jumps as well they have a triple jump and then move formations and do a pike. I only have 6 so they don't run into each other so moving isn't too busy, which is nice lol

 

[cheer25mom]

At this age it's sometimes hard to balance high expectations and age appropriate. A 6 year old who has been cheering for 2-3 years is very different that a new 3 year old. Bigger gyms like Rays have the luxury of spreading their Tinys out over 2-3 teams, separating by ability. Most small gyms don't and everyone 3-6 is on the same team. You just can't do the same things in that situation. Sometimes you just have to meet kids where they are and work toward realistic goals. A Grape Rays routine isn't realistic for a team of new 3 year olds, but that's ok. As long as they are working, progressing, and having fun.


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[cRayCheerDad]

At this age it's sometimes hard to balance high expectations and age appropriate. A 6 year old who has been cheering for 2-3 years is very different that a new 3 year old. Bigger gyms like Rays have the luxury of spreading their Tinys out over 2-3 teams, separating by ability. Most small gyms don't and everyone 3-6 is on the same team. You just can't do the same things in that situation. Sometimes you just have to meet kids where they are and work toward realistic goals. A Grape Rays routine isn't realistic for a team of new 3 year olds, but that's ok. As long as they are working, progressing, and having fun.


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This year is the first year we have had a Tiny Prep team(Berry) . We have only had one tiny team the Grape Rays 4-5 yr olds (up until last year) with the age change (now4- 6yr).

We do not actually have multiple tiny teams. (That is a common misconception) My little started at an early age of 4 and was inserted on day one with no experience. There have never been any "cuts" from tryouts. They all start from the same spot and experience level. The average number of kids has ranged from 10-15 kids on a team. The team that finished a close 2nd to us last year at NCA had 6 kids on it.

I guess my point being. The size of the gym does not come into play at this age level. Just focus on having fun and doing you best and you can do amazing things.


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[cheer25mom]

This year is the first year we have had a Tiny Prep team(Berry) . We have only had one tiny team the Grape Rays 4-5 yr olds (up until last year) with the age change (now4- 6yr).

We do not actually have multiple tiny teams. (That is a common misconception) My little started at an early age of 4 and was inserted on day one with no experience. There have never been any "cuts" from tryouts. They all start from the same spot and experience level. The average number of kids has ranged from 10-15 kids on a team. The team that finished a close 2nd to us last year at NCA had 6 kids on it.

I guess my point being. The size of the gym does not come into play at this age level. Just focus on having fun and doing you best and you can do amazing things.


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The gym size DOES certainly play a role. It changes the resources you have available to train your kids, and the caliber of kid you get even trying out for teams. The expectation for Grape is pretty clear, and from what I understand many on that team are coach's kids, children of people with a cheer history, or kids with older siblings that are with the program. That makes a huge difference in what kind of knowledge and skill they come in with, and how committed the kids and parents are initially. Those kids KNOW what is expected and their parents are committed to doing whatever it takes to get them there skill wise. Don't they practice more than the typical 3 hours a week for tiny?

Do you not put 3's on tiny? How do you handle a 3 year old that wants to try out? I just don't think every tiny team full of new 3-4 year olds can keep pace with Grape, nor should they even be trying to do so. Those are a special group of kids with a special set of circumstances at play. It's an amazing team, and a lot of fun to watch but I just don't think very many tiny programs in the nation can get there with the resources at their disposal, no matter how high the expectation.

 

[cRayCheerDad]

The gym size DOES certainly play a role. It changes the resources you have available to train your kids, and the caliber of kid you get even trying out for teams. The expectation for Grape is pretty clear, and from what I understand many on that team are coach's kids, children of people with a cheer history, or kids with older siblings that are with the program. That makes a huge difference in what kind of knowledge and skill they come in with, and how committed the kids and parents are initially. Those kids KNOW what is expected and their parents are committed to doing whatever it takes to get them there skill wise. Don't they practice more than the typical 3 hours a week for tiny?

Do you not put 3's on tiny? How do you handle a 3 year old that wants to try out? I just don't think every tiny team full of new 3-4 year olds can keep pace with Grape, nor should they even be trying to do so. Those are a special group of kids with a special set of circumstances at play. It's an amazing team, and a lot of fun to watch but I just don't think very many tiny programs in the nation can get there with the resources at their disposal, no matter how high the expectation.

I am not sure what your motivation is or your point in trying to compare the two programs. Never once did I do that.

All I was initially trying to do was encourage the coach of a new tiny team. I am not trying to compare her team to Grape or any other team.

No matter what resources or size of the gym she has, her team can be amazing. At the end of the day, she is given some kids who are looking to have fun, a mat and a vision for her team.

My only point is at this age the ONLY thing that matters is that the kids fall in love with the sport.

You are correct in the fact that our tiny team comes in with high expectations and most (not all) parents fully understand the commitment. Every team at Stingrays is slotted the exact same practice time 4hrs per wk (elevated to 5 1/2 closer to comp season). Tiny-Lev 5 that will never change. Yes, we had 2 (out of 15) kids that were daughters of coaches the last two years. 2 kids does not a team make.

I apologize if I came off that I was trying to compare Grape to a brand new program, that was certainly not my intent. Good luck to the new program you will be amazing! [emoji1360]


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[cheer25mom]

I am not sure what your motivation is or your point in trying to compare the two programs. Never once did I do that.

All I was initially trying to do was encourage the coach of a new tiny team. I am not trying to compare her team to Grape or any other team.

No matter what resources or size of the gym she has, her team can be amazing. At the end of the day, she is given some kids who are looking to have fun, a mat and a vision for her team.

My only point is at this age the ONLY thing that matters is that the kids fall in love with the sport.

You are correct in the fact that our tiny team comes in with high expectations and most (not all) parents fully understand the commitment. Every team at Stingrays is slotted the exact same practice time 4hrs per wk (elevated to 5 1/2 closer to comp season). Tiny-Lev 5 that will never change. Yes, we had 2 (out of 15) kids that were daughters of coaches the last two years. 2 kids does not a team make.

I apologize if I came off that I was trying to compare Grape to a brand new program, that was certainly not my intent. Good luck to the new program you will be amazing! [emoji1360]


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thanks. It seemed to me that you were saying everyone can be as awesome as Grape if they are trying hard enough. I just don't think that's the case. Grape is a special case with special kids, and asking a brand new coach with a brand new program to achieve that is a setup for failure.

You are right, what matters is that the kids are falling in love with the sport, learning, and growing. No way we could practice tinys at our gym 5 1/2 hours a week. Parents just wouldn't do it, but if they are having fun, learning something, and growing as athletes in the 3 hours a week they get, I think that's enough.

 

[AliciaM]

Um let me clarify. I'm not a brand new coach at a brand new program. Far from it. I have 9 years of coaching experience. Our gym has been around for 13 seasons now I believe. I'm not new to the gym nor to cheer. I cheered 16 years myself including starting in the US and cheered for MD Twisters before moving to Canada.

So definitely not new by any means. I'm new to coaching a TINY team though. I coached mini once and it wasn't as challenging, even by half, as tiny is. I'm used to coaching senior teams.

I didn't take it as him comparing his gyms tiny team to mine. Stingrays is a very large program with I don't doubt way more people in their area than we have. Even in their very first year I'm sure they had less people than they do now. This is our first year having a tiny team and I'm sure the team will grow as other athletes siblings grow up being in the gym often and want to join. My tiny girls practice for 1 hour in the week and 1.5 hours on Sunday. Choreo was last weekend and this weekend and by the time their practice is the next day they're exhausted. No way could they practice much extra than that. They don't have the focus nor do I expect them to! Obviously my goal is for them to have fun but we also need to get things done and not mess around. If needed my tiny girls get a "time out" where they sit out at the front just like I would give an older athlete for not doing what they're supposed to be doing. Do I have high expectations, absolutely! But I also have to be realistic.