All-Star Trending Towards "mega-gyms"

[King]

@King as much as I am HUGELY in favor of higher qualified recruitments. How are we trust "stiffer" regulations with the current system? I'm not saying I don't like it I'm saying I don't trust it.


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I guess I am just asking the question... does every gym deserve the right to field a Worlds team even though most shouldn't?

 

[yojaehs]

I guess I am just asking the question... does every gym deserve the right to field a Worlds team even though most shouldn't?

I see your point (especially in using gymnastics as a model). My issue is the education to teach cheerleading safely isn't hard! But it is ruined more times than not. My hopes are that Summit being the way it is now may allow some gyms to focus on levels they could more appropriately tackle.

Issue is (in the cheer world) how many coaches do you know that don't "think" they DESERVE a Worlds team?

Can the USASF create a TRUE test to separate coaches by level of knowledge? I tested up to 8 in gymnastics (years ago) and that was HARD. I honestly believe our newest Tiny with a white crayon could pass the current "tests".
So to ask them to properly qualify coaches is a stretch. USASF doesn't want to tell anyone "you aren't good enough for me to take your $".


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[King]

I see your point (especially in using gymnastics as a model). My issue is the education to teach cheerleading safely isn't hard! But it is ruined more times than not. My hopes are that Summit being the way it is now may allow some gyms to focus on levels they could more appropriately tackle.

Issue is (in the cheer world) how many coaches do you know that don't "think" they DESERVE a Worlds team?

Can the USASF create a TRUE test to separate coaches by level of knowledge? I tested up to 8 in gymnastics (years ago) and that was HARD. I honestly believe our newest Tiny with a white crayon could pass the current "tests".
So to ask them to properly qualify coaches is a stretch. USASF doesn't want to tell anyone "you aren't good enough for me to take your $".


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I think Worlds education should be hard. There should be a cutoff and failure amount. If there aren't real consequences no one is motivated to get better.

Case in point: after Ice at Worlds will anyone make the mistake of hugging someone again?


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[yojaehs]

I think Worlds education should be hard. There should be a cutoff and failure amount. If there aren't real consequences no one is motivated to get better.

Case in point: after Ice at Worlds will anyone make the mistake of hugging someone again?


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Honestly, I'm not sure cheer is prepared to handle it. By that I mean if you walk into an ELITE gymnastics gym it has a very different feel than most. I know many gyms think they could handle it but in my heart of hearts I just don't think cheer is ready. If a gym were to qualify as "elite" I think business models would need to change. Practice times would change etc. etc. Cheer parents complain about 6 hrs a week. If I pay to test and qualify as an "elite" program I would increase price/time commitment etc. I personally would LOVE it! Those that currently eat, sleep, breath it would. Those that never feel they know enough and want the best for the SPORT would LOVE it.

I feel it takes 10+ years to become "elite". College cheer, high level of gymnastics and a combination of many other things allow coaches to achieve this. Cheer is very I pay now I want results now.

I hope it can get there one day, just not sure when.


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[littlemisscheerleader]

This year it seems like many athletes are relocating to top name programs. In our region it is getting more difficult to field a coed team due to so many athletes moving across the country strictly for cheer. What impact will it have on the average gym on a National level or at bid competitions? What happens if it gets to the point where Worlds being dominated by a handful of programs and they are the only ones in the medals in each division? Thoughts?

In my opinion, if a level 5 athlete has the potential to compete on a Worlds-winning team, and they're able and willing to make the sacrifice to drive/fly to cheer practices at a mega-gym, then they should. They don't have a moral obligation to cheer at a local gym. The gyms are still businesses, and the athletes are customers.

 

[p.o.k.]

I do not have a problem with people making a long distance journey to be on whatever team they want to on. My husband always says "level 5 got to drive". The bigger question why isn't this talent being developed for the most part in house. When I see explicit twitters from gym owners offering freebies including housing to several athletes in a season, primarily males, it is concerning on so many levels. These are not one off's it is a significant number of athletes.

 

[Dj_Drew]

I do not have a problem with people making a long distance journey to be on whatever team they want to on. My husband always says "level 5 got to drive". The bigger question why isn't this talent being developed for the most part in house. When I see explicit twitters from gym owners offering freebies including housing to several athletes in a season, primarily males, it is concerning on so many levels. These are not one off's it is a significant number of athletes.

In my gym, we have super strong level 1-4 teams but we have yet to have a strong level 5 team. Within an hours drive there are about 4 or 5 gyms that already have strong worlds teams. It's not that we have a problem creating the talent for a level 5 team, we just have a problem keeping the level 5 kids in the gym long enough to create a decent team. We lose a good hand full of kids with level 5 skills every season.

 

[dustinfromdiamonds]

Gym chemistry is everything. If it is your last season (or even second to last) before you age out & moving across the country to be at the "gym of your dreams" is what you want, there should be nothing to hold you back. It's hard to make a 2 hour drive all season to be apart of a team that will give you the chance to "hang" at worlds, when you could relocate and go to worlds & do more than that. Not every athlete is cut out to make that commitment, but those that are should always take that opportunity.


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[cheeromgbre]

When did this become a Smoed bashing thread? Obviously, most of the posts are talking about smoed.

 

[mdcheerdiva]

I do not have a problem with people making a long distance journey to be on whatever team they want to on. My husband always says "level 5 got to drive". The bigger question why isn't this talent being developed for the most part in house. When I see explicit twitters from gym owners offering freebies including housing to several athletes in a season, primarily males, it is concerning on so many levels. These are not one off's it is a significant number of athletes.

Top Gun offers host families to their males, and have been for quite sometime. Why is this a problem all of a sudden? I'm sure that other gyms are doing the same to field large coed teams. The majority of programs that have coed teams scholarship boys these practices are not new.


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[p.o.k.]

Top Gun offers host families to their males, and have been for quite sometime. Why is this a problem all of a sudden? I'm sure that other gyms are doing the same to field large coed teams. The majority of programs that have coed teams scholarship boys these practices are not new.


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This is my opinion whether it is top gun or whatever gym is offering these scholarships to only males vs females on the same team with the same skills. Just because something has be done over a period time does not make it right.

 

[L5cheermom]

This is my opinion whether it is top gun or whatever gym is offering these scholarships to only males vs females on the same team with the same skills. Just because something has be done over a period time does not make it right.

It's a supply vs demand issue. There is just greater competition for the few guys out there with the talent to compete at that level. I will say my son competes at that level and I've paid for every class, practice, competition and uniform in the 7 years he has cheered. We are not motivated by money (which is probably why we don't have any). He is where he is because it is where he wants to be, not because he's getting a free ride.


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[mdcheerdiva]

This is my opinion whether it is top gun or whatever gym is offering these scholarships to only males vs females on the same team with the same skills. Just because something has be done over a period time does not make it right.

I am in no way saying that the boys should get scholarships and not the girls. However boys are much harder to come by in all stars so I understand the why. I'm not complaining a lot of gyms are starting to offer scholarships regardless of gender based on standing fulls and doubles and I'm ok with that.


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[Just-a-Mom]

We do get a few that say they were happy where they were, but simply want a better chance to be competitive at the highest levels. However, that is NOT what most of them say. Most say that they did not enjoy their experience at their previous gyms and had heard from our current athletes how fun it can be. The main point is that "winning" is not as big a factor as most people make it out to be.

I haven't had the chance to talk to those specific athletes, but I would say the situation you have described is NOT what we typically experience with the athletes coming from other programs. That is why I said "most" of their kids.

I'm going to have to wholeheartedly disagree with this. We're not talking about people changing gyms to go down the street (even down the street 2-3 hours). We're talking about hopping on a plane or packing up the moving van. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is moving to another state simply because their gym isn't making them happy - or because your gym is fun (although I have no doubt it's fun, I just doubt anyone is flying there for fun). They're ring chasing. Plain and simple. No one is flying over 758 other gyms that would be just as lovely and pleasant just because they think it will be really nice at mega gym. It has nothing to do with mega gym making promises - I think 90% of the time mega gym makes no promises. Its more the thought of "I want a ring. My gym has globed at Worlds....never. Mega gym globes every year. If I want a ring, I need to be somewhere where chances are high I'll be on a team that wins rings." People fly to Orlando amd Cancun for fun. They fly to Plano and Kernersville for rings.

No way Divisions that is just nonsense. It's like the every Suzie deserves to win mentality.

Not really. It would be like NCAA. They have divisions and it's still prestigious to win an NCAA title. Not 100% sure I am on board with divisions, just giving a closer example.


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[SparkleSpankies]

As a parent, I don't quite understand moving state to state for cheer. With gymnastics and figure skating, I can understand if your child is veering in the direction of potential Olympic talent. You could be setting up their future. We all know who Brian Boitano and Shawn Johnson are...their sports offer the potential of fame and fortune. Is it for a ring? For their 15 minutes of fame as a cheerlebrity who will never be famous outside of the cheer world? I'm trying to understand....

I don't get moving for cheer either. It just seems crazy to me. I get taking an extra drive to a bigger gym for some, but I really don't see packing up and moving for cheerleading. College scholarships are minimal at most, most of the girls don't even want to cheer in college b/c it's so different, the guys I think can get great training and also can develop the skills needed without the families uprooting their life.