I “get” novice and the prep changes more now. We did our first D2 only comp this weekend. At meets with mostly D1 and bigger D2 gyms, usually prep teams look...well, like prep teams. They tend not to have full team tumbling, tend to stunt more conservatively, and just plain are not nearly as good as the similar level non-prep teams. Through the season they improve, and improve a lot, but even in Feb, they often are just starting to look anything like their gym’s level 1 or 2 at the beginning of the season, let alone in Feb. Or, their prep team just started after school cheer ended, and while many of the kids have skills, it’s obvious that they haven’t had all season to pull together.
At some of the D2 gyms, there are no non-prep teams before level 3-4. And they are GOOD. Often better than some of the level 1-3 elite teams at the same competition. They are definitely not just sticking to skills that fall into the “low”range of the scoresheet. Now, that’s great for them, but when you watch the faces of a prep team that is a new to cheer team with a wide skill spread that just hit zero when they watch a team that would have maxed out a full level scoresheet, you realize that this is discouraging those kids from continuing in this sport. It’s sending the message that if you’re not already good, there is no place for you.
I think the changes are in response to this. Novice provides a place for those new to cheer or who need more polishing before they’re really at that level (not sure why the “no rankings” since Tiny Novice is currently ranked, and it seems a mistake at least for level 2 and 3, where I could see kids moving from a level 1 team to a 2 novice team so they can use their skills in a routine if they’re not quite ready for 2 yet). Prep, by being limited on tumbling, provides a place for the shorter schedules, because the coaches can get stunts up to speed and teach a routine, but you’re not going to be able to get school cheer kids on non-tumbling teams up to level 2 and 3 tumbling in the months after their season ends.
Not having full 2 and 3 prep teams recognizes what is often occurring-that level 2and 3 prep often means “we’re a small gym that only competes regionally”. Not “these are the kids who aren’t quite ready for a full level 2 or 3 or who only train half the year”. And I’m guessing they’ll be just fine in a regular division at the same regional comps they are already attending. At bigger gyms, where 2amd 3 prep were the cheaper regional travel teams, it’s going to have to be up to the gym paneled and parents to make sure that such teams still exist.
