All-Star Do You Get A Break?

[cheerdadof4]

It's very interesting to see the variation from each program! My kids are all done now. (No bid this year.)
My niece on the other hand has practice up until the fourth day of tryouts, and then starts 2015/2016 on the following Monday.

 

[SL&AM]

Happy Sunday everybody! Just a quick post, out of curiosity, I was wondering how end of season practices vs. tryouts are spanned out at your gyms? Obviously Worlds athletes continue until after Worlds, but for the other athletes/everyone, when do you have your last practice. And when does your gym host tryouts in comparison? I know from being a cheer parent for quite a while now, most athletes need a bit of recuperation time, especially as they progress and get older. Cheers!

What is 'down time'? Seriously---CP came from a gym that had their last comp and the very next week started try-out clinics for a few weeks, then try-outs, then practice.

She was on half season this year because of our move so I've been 'done' with cheer since last weekend; but it backed up to an open house type thing for Dance for younger. Now that that is over, she gets 3 weeks 'off' before try outs which are the 2nd week of May. If she was not on half season, she would still have practice through the month even if she wasn't going to World's or Summit.

She is still going to her weekly tumbling and whatever open gyms they have scheduled until try-outs. Youngest starts does her 'try out' for dance the same week CP has try-outs for Cheer. To my understanding, the next week for both is parenting meeting and fittings, first week of June starts team practices for both.

 

[cheer25mom]

We have about a month between last comp and tryouts. There are clinics during that month by level for those who want them. We have been doing CP's regular tumbling class and private lesson plus one 2 hour clinic a week. With dance in full on recital prep mode, that's all we can handle.


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[TheVipersMom]

Last year 4 of our 8 teams went to the summit since they only allowed paids last year to go.

We have 2 weeks of tryouts (it works just like practices as they are multiple required dates and times per level)

Last year they stuck tryouts three works before summit so summit people didn't get any break and did double practices for 2 weeks and non summit people got the week of summit as break. We started full team practices once they returned home.

This didn't work out as well I don't think because summit people were probably tired and also people not happy with their new team placements the week before the summit weren't happy at the summit ...


This year every team is going to the summit so they are doing tryouts after summit.
Literally the week we return will finish and tryouts start that weekend and last 2 weeks and team practices start right after tryouts so no break but it's not requiring all the kids to do double the practices so it's much better I think


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[WinstonsGirl]

Bahahahaha!!!! This post made me crack up at the thought of a break. Seriously though. Worlds, then 3 week till tryouts. I started training for next season seriously about 2 weeks ago, getting back into serious weight training, tumbling classes and privates. That will continue for the next month till tryouts. We tend to get a break in August.

 

[Sparkscheerma]

My CP's team did not get a bid to the Summit this year. Therefore, we have about 4 glorious weeks of what I call "downtime" before tryouts. I am basking in the relaxation of non-mandatory practices and completly enjoying not having to go to the gym on the weekends. We are still at the gym at least 2 days a week with clinics and tumbling. Therefore, I don't really consider it "time off" but at least we have slowed down and comp season is over.

This year in particular I am ok without going to the Summit. My CP makes her Holy Communion this weekend. I don't think I would be very sane right now if I still had to deal with cheer practices and communion details. It's nice to have the time to focus on non-cheer related events for a change. I do miss the rush but I know it will be back very soon.

Our Summit teams are still going strong. They will only get a 2 week break prior to tryouts. Our Worlds team is about to head to Disney. So excited for them! Our gym is still a buz with excitement...but for us...we are enjoying the "down time" and CP has plenty of time to perfect her skills come tryouts in mid-may.

 

[CheerDad18]

Teams that do not compete at Summit are done after our last scheduled competition at the end of March. There are classes but no scheduled practices. Teams going to Summit have one week off before tryouts, tryouts last about 5 days before teams are announced. From the time teams are announced till practice starts is about two weeks.

 

[notyourcheermom]

Our gym is closing the week after Summit for one week this year, I believe completely closed. We close a week at the 4th of July. They close two full weeks at Christmas. They close a week for spring break. The breaks are nice. Really and truly the kids are all dying to get back in the gym after each time they close like that. It works.

 

[njallday]

CP has a 7 week break between her last competition and tryouts. During this time, the gym has twice-weekly, non-mandatory practices by level. The only teams that are still practicing are those going to Summit. The Summit teams will have a two-week break before try-outs.

CP's team isn't going to Summit, so she has just been going to her private lessons and tumbling class and then dropping into the practices when she wants to. Okay, honest moment: CP is always up for going to the gym, so she goes to the practices when I feel like driving her... It is my break, too. CP is in year-round school so it is nice for us to have the whole month of April off from school and cheer. I have to admit, I think our whole family would be burned out by now if she was going to the Summit.

i love this! (a substantial break from cheer AND year-round school)

besides the ASTRONOMICAL cost of all star, the risqué uniforms, the makeup, and the theatrics/pageantry of it all - I think the lack of off season is one more thing keep families away from this activity for their children. especially young children.. when they're older they can commit to other sports' travel leagues and more extensive commitment, but littles? you want to expose them to a lot of things, not commit to a full year of one activity that their child may not even love.

Half year teams were probably the best thing for the growth of the industry, IMO. andddddd sorry for that off-topic rant. I support long breaks and a true "off-season."

 

[driverto6]

Six weeks "off" because we are not going to Summit. During those 6 weeks she is in the gym 2 days a week for tumbling class and one for a private. But having the weekends off is like a vacation for us...so it's nice!!!

 

[HeatUniqueJ]

Since i'm from Europe this might not be as interesting but we don't really have an off season either, the last competition for our gym is in july, between the end of july and the beginning of september a lot of families and girls are on vacation so practices are more or less optional for those who are there but we do practice if possible
Right now our Level 6 Team is preparing for Tryouts which are not till june but they are done with the season so practices are solely for the purpose of getting ready for Worlds Team Tryouts. Level 5 still has a competition coming up and so do the younger Teams. So overall we do not have a real official off season but we do have two weeks off for christmas , and i think that's more than enough because in January we can always basically start from scratch since everyone is out of shape

 

[Cheerfun2]

Is the reason we don't really have an "off-season" because the athletes can regress if they aren't working the skills? My dd gets antsy if she doesn't tumble for more than a few days....she is always saying, "Mom, I will lose my "insert current skill" if I'm not at the gym!" Is that why gymnasts train almost daily? Seems to me like muscle memory would protect the skills, but dd says no.

 

[Cheer Dad]

Is the reason we don't really have an "off-season" because the athletes can regress if they aren't working the skills? My dd gets antsy if she doesn't tumble for more than a few days....she is always saying, "Mom, I will lose my "insert current skill" if I'm not at the gym!" Is that why gymnasts train almost daily? Seems to me like muscle memory would protect the skills, but dd says no.

In my opinion still regression is one reason but I also think that athlete retention is a bigger reason. The less time you give them to checkout other programs the less likely they are to leave


**Can I be my own clique**

 

[Emily]

We have a 3 week break during summer (timing is determined by when most kids are not in town due to familie vacations) and about a week and a half off for Christmas/New Years. I also tell families/kids to take time off if they need to during school breaks (so we basically have non-mandatory practices during school breaks). Until now our competitions were never right after a school break so it worked out pretty well. Some kids need to come to every single practice they can, and some kids need a week or so off here and there.

 

[momma2mycheerprincess]

Our last gym we had no break at all....flew hoe from summit and went right from the airport to clinics. Tryouts were that Saturday, teams posted Sun and practices started on Mon.