All-Star Warmup Standards

[Ashley]

Send me video and I'll look at it there is a lot that can be seen from that on technique. Take the video from different angles so I can see each base's body position and of course a shot of the flyer.

If you want to actually hire someone to teach baskets Jackie the assistant coach for QU's Acro and Tumbling teaches baskets better than anyone I've ever seen.

Not sure if you're being serious... but I doubt that the owner of Cheer Athletics needs help teaching basket tosses.

 

[NJ Coach]

Not sure if you're being serious... but I doubt that the owner of Cheer Athletics needs help teaching basket tosses.

Not going to disagree with you, but you never know...

 

[BlueCat]

Not sure if you're being serious... but I doubt that the owner of Cheer Athletics needs help teaching basket tosses.

We are never above learning something new from any source we can. That being said, my point was more specifically that I was skeptical of the 20' number for an all-girl JV basket toss.

I do stand corrected on the max toss for coed. We specifically formed our best possible group and flyer and were able to touch 22' with that being the sole goal of the entire trick. (She just went straight up and reached up with one hand.) That was easily the highest toss I had ever seen in person. For what it is worth, everyone there agreed that 99.99% of the tosses would never reach 20' when doing an actual skill, particularly a flipping one.

 

[King]

We are never above learning something new from any source we can. That being said, my point was more specifically that I was skeptical of the 20' number for an all-girl JV basket toss.

I do stand corrected on the max toss for coed. We specifically formed our best possible group and flyer and were able to touch 22' with that being the sole goal of the entire trick. (She just went straight up and reached up with one hand.) That was easily the highest toss I had ever seen in person. For what it is worth, everyone there agreed that 99.99% of the tosses would never reach 20' when doing an actual skill, particularly a flipping one.

So for the purpose of our discussion, what is the average operating height of most baskets in all-star? Excluding the .01%, what is the max range that one can expect for the best assembled baskets in all-star?

17? 18? 19?

If we can say that 18' will cover 99.9% of baskets thrown safely in cheerleading, then how big of a buffer do we add? I appreciate the 5 feet additional because even if a basket NEVER ad the physical ability to hit the ceiling mentally if the flyer thinks she will hit the ceiling the way she attempts the basket will change. So 18' plus 5' gives us a minimum of 22.

On a side note I found out Team USA did hit our lights one time. Our lights are about 22' to 23' feet with our middle of the building about 26'. One day I would like to assemble a super basket and see if we could get it.

 

[BlueCat]

What is the average operating height of most baskets in all-star? Excluding the .01%, what is the max range that one can expect for the best assembled baskets in all-star?

17? 18? 19?

I would guess it is somewhere in that range for senior teams. Practical experience tells me that a 20' - 21' feet ceiling is far enough out of the range of the typical basket toss that no regular team is ever remotely affected. I would also think that any group that regularly throws higher than that would be well aware of their typical height and not throw. I guess it conceivably possible that someone would accidentally hit a 21' ceiling affecting their catch. However, I think there are many other things that should be focused on (making sure EMT/Trainers are there, distance from out-of-bounds to edge of stage, background checks on coaches, etc) that would affect many more athletes and have MUCH more practical effect on safety. Eliminating venues because their ceiling height MAY mean .01% of the teams can't warm up one of their baskets seems to be far down the list.

 

[King]

I would guess it is somewhere in that range for senior teams. Practical experience tells me that a 20' - 21' feet ceiling is far enough out of the range of the typical basket toss that no regular team is ever remotely affected. I would also think that any group that regularly throws higher than that would be well aware of their typical height and not throw. I guess it conceivably possible that someone would accidentally hit a 21' ceiling affecting their catch. However, I think there are many other things that should be focused on (making sure EMT/Trainers are there, distance from out-of-bounds to edge of stage, background checks on coaches, etc) that would affect many more athletes and have MUCH more practical effect on safety. Eliminating venues because their ceiling height MAY mean .01% of the teams can't warm up one of their baskets seems to be far down the list.

So 20' for level 5 and 25' for level 6?

 

[BlueCat]

So 20' for level 5 and 25' for level 6?

The more likely scenario would be that EPs would just ban L6s from the event if this were the requirement and their warmup ceiling was low. Those teams are too few and far between to warrant an EP changing venues.

How about anything lower than 25' - that information must be disclosed in all registration materials and marked with a sign in the warmup area. There also must be SOME area provided for safely warming up tosses that has at least 20' of clear height. (25' if you have any senior or international coed teams.) This would preferably, but not necessarily, be the main warmup mat.

 

[King]

The more likely scenario would be that EPs would just ban L6s from the event if this were the requirement and their warmup ceiling was low. Those teams are too few and far between to warrant an EP changing venues.

How about anything lower than 25' - that information must be disclosed in all registration materials and marked with a sign in the warmup area. There also must be SOME area provided for safely warming up tosses that has at least 20' of clear height. (25' if you have any senior or international coed teams.) This would preferably, but not necessarily, be the main warmup mat.

I think that is a good compromise. Is there any height that is listed as too low? Or is the warning posted than the Gym Owner beware?

 

[NEliteSteven]

In the Dells last year, our Open team went just for fun, and on the comp floor it was 18-20' ceilings. Needless to say we had to water baskets down and try not to throw them, because we didn't want any deaths.

 

[CGAcheer]

I think that is a good compromise. Is there any height that is listed as too low? Or is the warning posted than the Gym Owner beware?

below 15 or 16 is too low, your flyer should not be hitting the ceiling in a stunt

 

[King]

In the Dells last year, our Open team went just for fun, and on the comp floor it was 18-20' ceilings. Needless to say we had to water baskets down and try not to throw them, because we didn't want any deaths.

Three years ago at BUTBT they had some banners hanging for a circus affect. They were probably about 20' feet above the floor. The other open 6 team asked them to be raised and they were (good job all-star challenge for listening!).

So should their be a minimum clearance for competition as well? Should it match warmups?

 

[King]

below 15 or 16 is too low, your flyer should not be hitting the ceiling in a stunt

So all warmups must be a minimum of 17' feet and if below 20' must include a warning on their website?

 

[CGAcheer]

So all warmups must be a minimum of 17' feet and if below 20' must include a warning on their website?

I would think a bare minimum of 16 is workable (our gym is 16 to 18 feet and we haven't had any problems yet, but Sr 3 is our top team)

really tall bases holding extended stunts are about 7.5 and a tall flyer at 6 gives us 13.5' so 16 would give us 2.5' of pop from an already super tall group

 

[King]

I would think a bare minimum of 16 is workable (our gym is 16 to 18 feet and we haven't had any problems yet, but Sr 3 is our top team)

really tall bases holding extended stunts are about 7.5 and a tall flyer at 6 gives us 13.5' so 16 would give us 2.5' of pop from an already super tall group

What about baskets for you?

 

[NEliteSteven]

I would say between 22' and 25' or so should be standard for a competition floor.