All-Star How Important Is The Title 'nationals'?

[King]

Does being a national champion, as opposed to a champion, still cary any weight nowadays?

If NCA Allstar in Dallas Called itself the NCA Allstar Cheer Championship and crowned champions, not national champions, would that matter? As the term National Champion is so watered down do we even care anymore? If CHEERSPORT just became the CHEERSPORT Championship (everyone was banned from using the word Nationals) would anyone really care?

I ask because I realized talking to someone the other day that I never used the words 'I am an NCA National Champion'. Instead I said I won Dallas or NCA. I would say 'I won CHEERSPORT'.

Now I speak of college championships (notice I took out the word National) and there are 3 or 4. Can there really be any college national champion because the events exclude everyone who goes to another event? Doesn't a nationals require everyone to be eligible?

 

[dm1225]

Allstar cheerleading is similar to boxing when it comes to crowning champions. We often have multiple heavyweight champions at the same time with each champion being sanctioned by a different governing body (i.e., WBC, IBF, WBO,WBA, etc.). I believe the title "National Champion" is still somewhat prestigious in cheerleading in that it typically denotes the largest competition for a particular event producer.

 

[King]

Allstar cheerleading is similar to boxing when it comes to crowning champions. We often have multiple heavyweight champions at the same time with each champion being sanctioned by a different governing body (i.e., WBC, IBF, WBO,WBA, etc.). I believe the title "National Champion" is still somewhat prestigious in cheerleading in that it typically denotes the largest competition for a particular event producer.

There are also quite a few that have multiple national championships.

 

[WorkToWin]

it sounds good to say to people who don't know very much about cheer... makes bragging more fun

 

[King]

it sounds good to say to people who don't know very much about cheer... makes bragging more fun

That is a very interesting point. Is the title national champion more important to tell non-cheer people who don't know being a national champion comes with a full tank of gas? (I can actually understand that point)

 

[dm1225]

That's true! And unfortunate. Although I believe there are a still a few events where the "National Champion" title (while not being truly national) is meaningful. Most would probably include NCA, Cheersport, Indy, and UCA to that list. Worlds is probably the only truly "National" event we currently have.

 

[dm1225]

That is a very interesting point. Is the title national champion more important to tell non-cheer people who don't know being a national champion comes with a full tank of gas? (I can actually understand that point)

I actually think that it is more important to the non-cheer world, particularly when marketing to prospective parents. I know I was initially impressed as an uninformed cheer parent when a gym would brag about being a multiple national championship winner.

 

[King]

I actually think that it is more important to the non-cheer world, particularly when marketing to prospective parents. I know I was initially impressed as an uninformed cheer parent when a gym would brag about being a multiple national championship winner.

In gymnastics what do people call it when you win the Visa's? or is that just the only Nationals? What does gymnastics call the other championships that are not nationals?

 

[CheerBank]

That's true! And unfortunate. Although I believe there are a still a few events where the "National Champion" title (while not being truly national) is meaningful. Most would probably include NCA, Cheersport, Indy, and UCA to that list. Worlds is probably the only truly "National" event we currently have.

I actually think that it is more important to the non-cheer world, particularly when marketing to prospective parents. I know I was initially impressed as an uninformed cheer parent when a gym would brag about being a multiple national championship winner.

Didn't CTR call themselves national champions in Cheer Perfection?

 

[King]

Didn't CTR call themselves national champions in Cheer Perfection?

Hahaha

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

There are so many events that call themselves "national championship" I think that term can get tired.
At the same time there are small gyms that are in less cheer concentrated and those little 'national championship" events may be there big deal and I really can appreciate that this is those CPs Dallas or Cheersport and it means so much to them.
That said I think once you hit the big comps I think it makes a term like "national championship" at a small event with a company that has abut 10 National Championships does not have as much value to a CP that has been to the larger comps. I think the sport as a whole would be better off not having umpteen national champions, maybe if EPs used more titles like East Coast (West Coast, Mid-West etc.) Championship or used terms like regional championship more often.
I think for my CPs regardless of the title they value how they have done in comparison to their competition. They have had losses where they did great and it was close but they can say the team that beat them really rocked the floor as much as them and they value how they did. They have had wins where they were very good but with no competition and gotten jackets and been like yep got a jacket no biggee because all we had to do was beat a score.
Personally I don't put much stock into title and try to teach the same to my kids - it's the journey not the prize. But I think as a sport it would be better if the term "national champion" wasn't used so loosely.

 

[CGAcheer]

Last yr all 4 of our teams were nca international champions! Who cares about that little national event in Dallas.

But seriously I just list out first places, grand champs as well as numerous specialty awards such as sportsmanship, spirit, program awards, judges choice, etc.

 

[King]

Last yr all 4 of our teams were nca international champions! Who cares about that little national event in Dallas.

But seriously I just list out first places, grand champs as well as numerous specialty awards such as sportsmanship, spirit, program awards, judges choice, etc.

Would it affect your business or your choice of going to an event if the word 'Nationals' was removed from the name fo the event?

 

[Babs]

I think Nationals only "means" something to newcomers. My cp became a National Champion at her VERY FIRST competition ever! She barely knew what she was doing but maybe the excitement of it helped keep her interested in allstar cheer.

National might be important to a gym for marketing purposes, but if it is, isn't it really misleading the newcomers?

I explained competition to a non-cheer friend like this:

• regionals are really local
• Nationals are really regional
• Worlds is primarily national

 

[CGAcheer]

Would it affect your business or your choice of going to an event if the word 'Nationals' was removed from the name fo the event?

Here is how I pick my competition Schedule-
I'm doing CHEERSPORT Nationals
I'm doing NCA Daytona
I look for another 2 day travel Varsity Event for mid to late March that is a reasonable driving distance from us
I try to find a localish Varsity Family plan event to finish out the requirements
and then I fill the gaps with a variety of locals based on price, size, reputation(does this company cancel events) and date

Not really, it seems that a lot of the smaller nationals are starting to drift away from that title anyways. They are becoming battles and clashes and other names, sure you may get a national champion t shirt or sling bag or whatever but it is not promoted as much as Nationals

We all know that Cheersport Atlanta is Nationals, but there is at least one other Cheersport competition in Atlanta, so there should be some sort of delineation. I think Jamfest is the biggest culprit in this, I would not be surprised if they have more nationals then they do non national competitions.