All-Star Too Many Competitions

[Num1Stunta]

There may have been something posted on here before, but I really feel like there are just too many competition companies out there. It's getting to the point where you have 2-3 "major" names going on in the same area on the same weekend (i.e. Cheersport Philly, NJ Masters Philly, and Athletic Championships AC- all within an hour, on the same weekend). We just barely have any competition anymore, and we can try to fix ages and levels as much as we want, but I think it has more to do with the number of competitions than anything else.

It's nice to have options, don't get me wrong. But, maybe we should start treating companies as everyone else in the allstar world (coaches, and now kids) and have them fit a certain credentialing standard. Like, in order to carry the USASF name, you have to attract a certain number of teams, you cannot call yourself a national unless a certain number of states are represented, and your judges all have to be credentialed for one specific way. I know we've gotten into standardized scoring, and that's a great step. But it just seems to me that there could be some kind of rule in place, and some kind of system that is less subjective.

I would love to see a rule that there cannot be more than one Tier 1 company hosting an event within 3-4 hours of another in the same weekend. This would do 3 things: 1- allow competition companies to charge less because they'd be getting more teams, 2- allow them to reach more areas. meaning, they could spread to other areas where there aren't many competitions. 3- it would solve the problem of not having big divisions without compromising age/skill progression

I also think that competitions that are unique to a state or a region (GLCC, Golden State, etc) shouldn't be considered Tier 1... but that's just me.

go ahead, children, discuss...

 

[_haybaby]

I completely agree! How can you call yourself a National if their are only 3 states represented there?

 

[hopskipandjump]

I totally don't agree. I love having choices. And if you are in cheer long enough (Num1stunta -

) come on, you know what a real National is...

 

[Num1Stunta]

LOL.... Yeah, but I think all these "nationals" nowadays doesn't help us with the case to legitimize as a sport. I think it's too many choices. I can remember being in high school and seeing an average of 5-10 teams just at a local. My kids haven't seen more than 4 all season, and that was only once.... only 1 other team the other times! And we have attended ALL Tier 1 events so far...

I totally don't agree. I love having choices. And if you are in cheer long enough (Num1stunta - ) come on, you know what a real National is...

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I agree. It's not necessarily about "being in cheer long enough and knowing what a real national is"--it's about being recognized as a real sport. One of the main reasons that judge made that ruling was that the sport isn't organized and doesn't have an actual "chain" of competition, like most sports. Where you start with local, then regional, then state, THEN National. You don't have to beat out the other teams in your state to go to our Nationals, like you do in any other sport--even our "real" nationals.

And I really don't understand how just any company can decide to hold a competition and call it "Nationals" just so people will want to come.

I definitely agree with this--too many companies, too many competitions, too many "National Champions"--really, have you ever been to a gym that wasn't "National Champs"??? I like your ideas on this...

 

[Num1Stunta]

I definitely agree with this--too many companies, too many competitions, too many "National Champions"--really, have you ever been to a gym that wasn't "National Champs"??? I like your ideas on this...

And don't get me started on BIDS..... anyone that goes to a coastal event gets bids to BATC... just an example... so many companies give out BIDS like they are valentines day cards in the 2nd grade lol

 

[MissBee]

so many companies give out BIDS like they are valentines day cards in the 2nd grade lol

LOVE THIS

 

[MissBee]

My non-cheer friends hate Jan-March for me. Why? Because I can never do anything on the weekends with them. They'll plan something and invite me, and I'll say "oh can't-judging cheer nationals" and they'll say "weren't nationals last weekend" and I say "yup, and next weekend too. And the weekend after that, and the one after that, and the one after that....."

 

[Audrey]

I completely agree. I've always thought having so many "national championships" makes our sport seem way less legitimate. And it makes a national title mean way less than it should. There should be some limitations on what can be called a national like x number of teams from y number of states have to attend one year for it to be called a national the next year and each company can only hold one national championship.

 

[CGAcheer]

I personally don't like the whole regional, state then national thing. American Championships holds a state championship in Daytona, Fl, I'd love to bring my gym to that comp since its a relatively big one and its less than 3 hours away. But we're just barely in Ga, so we can't compete for the Fl state championship.

And with UCA in orlando, I'd like to go but I we need a bid, but to get a bid the closest UCA comp to us before that is also in Orlando and I would rather spread our traveling around.

But Jamfest does have 70 something "National Championships" So I get your point.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Oh i totally agree that each company should only be able to hold one national. I always laugh when i look at a company's schedule and they have 6 nationals on there. One...and you should have to beat SOMEONE to get to go!

 

[hopskipandjump]

Its a business.

 

[nccheerdad]

Calling it a "nationals" doesn't really bother me.

The point about the companies scheduling the competions in the same areas on the same (or very close) weekends is the bigger problem. If competition (or lack thereof) is such a big problem, they need to get some control of who is holding an event, when, and where. The example that you gave in the Philly/NJ area is proof in point. I'm sure there are many more.

 

[BlueCat]

The biggest problem is that many gyms will actively avoid going against difficult competitors if they can. They prefer to go to a small competition and win than a big competition and potentially place lower. This creates the incentive for event producers to keep opening up new events all over the place.

If you could manage to convince the gyms to always prefer the larger events, the problem would probably fix itself in a couple of years. Fewer, larger events would help alleviate MANY problems in our industry.

 

[nccheerdad]

The biggest problem is that many gyms will actively avoid going against difficult competitors if they can. They prefer to go to a small competition and win than a big competition and potentially place lower. This creates the incentive for event producers to keep opening up new events all over the place.

If you could manage to convince the gyms to always prefer the larger events, the problem would probably fix itself in a couple of years. Fewer, larger events would help alleviate MANY problems in our industry.

That's a great point. Simple economics. Funny how supply and demand works, isn't it?