All-Star Open Level 4

[luv2cheer92]

How many Open 4 teams were at NCA (approximately)? Thanks!

10, 6 small and 4 large

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[torycf]

10, 6 small and 4 large

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Thanks!

 

[Ashley]

I would love to see non-level 5 international teams at summit! But another thing to think about is that as of right now, summit has very young children through 18 year olds. Worlds only starts at 12 years old. My coach brought up that Worlds security is being bumped up due to the international 21+ athletes, with being legal to drink and all, especially when it comes to the block party. Might not want to have that around young kids.

Pretty sure it's not the 21+ athletes drinking at the block party causing problems. They don't sell alcohol there and it's all drunk teenagers. I went once (stone cold sober) and it was awful. We drink elsewhere and avoid the kiddos.

 

[Drkilluzionz]

As the founder of the Open 4 division in the sates I don't see it weird or far fetched to have the open 4 division at The Summit. The Summit at one point was advertised as an end of the year competition for all non Worlds divisions and we are just that.

The idea that some teams wouldn't travel to the Summit just creates a cycle where one side doesn't put enough emphasis and energy into the division and the response to that is gyms second guessing the opportunity. The Open 4 division was alive and strong at Cheersport, NCA and UCA this season and gained most notoriety at the All Star Games in Las Vegas b/c Luke Johnson went and recruited other Open 4 teams from outside the US (Where the division is common) to attend under the competitions theme "Year of the Nations."

Open 4 makes sense on so many levels to me that even though I'm happy such strong programs (Top Gun, Spirit of Texas, California All Stars, NorCal, All Star Revolution...we even have a few scattered within a 100 mile radius of our gym) have hopped on board that I'm still baffled why so many don't.

Gym owners...who does your gym have more of: Level 5 athletes or level 3-4 athletes?

We say as an industry if your level 5 and graduate or age out than there's a place for you but hey level 3 & 4 athlete whose given us years of time, energy, finances and support you should go ahead and take up yoga or spinning...why?

Whether it be from an event producer or gym owner looking to increase profits, a struggle bus level 5 or 6 team that's just been put together to have an open team in the gym or in our case a chance to give back to the athletes who've given us so much and have the time, energy and finances to continue doing something than why not?

 

[Ashley]

As the founder of the Open 4 division in the sates I don't see it weird or far fetched to have the open 4 division at The Summit. The Summit at one point was advertised as an end of the year competition for all non Worlds divisions and we are just that.

The idea that some teams wouldn't travel to the Summit just creates a cycle where one side doesn't put enough emphasis and energy into the division and the response to that is gyms second guessing the opportunity. The Open 4 division was alive and strong at Cheersport, NCA and UCA this season and gained most notoriety at the All Star Games in Las Vegas b/c Luke Johnson went and recruited other Open 4 teams from outside the US (Where the division is common) to attend under the competitions theme "Year of the Nations."

Open 4 makes sense on so many levels to me that even though I'm happy such strong programs (Top Gun, Spirit of Texas, California All Stars, NorCal, All Star Revolution...we even have a few scattered within a 100 mile radius of our gym) have hopped on board that I'm still baffled why so many don't.

Gym owners...who does your gym have more of: Level 5 athletes or level 3-4 athletes?

We say as an industry if your level 5 and graduate or age out than there's a place for you but hey level 3 & 4 athlete whose given us years of time, energy, finances and support you should go ahead and take up yoga or spinning...why?

Whether it be from an event producer or gym owner looking to increase profits, a struggle bus level 5 or 6 team that's just been put together to have an open team in the gym or in our case a chance to give back to the athletes who've given us so much and have the time, energy and finances to continue doing something than why not?

The only thing I can think of is that in many (most?) cases, an open team makes no money for the gym. In fact, they usually cost the gym money. At least with an open team in a worlds division you're maybe getting some more exposure for your gym, but that's not very likely to be the case with Open 4.

 

[DancerDude0118]

The only thing I can think of is that in many (most?) cases, an open team makes no money for the gym. In fact, they usually cost the gym money. At least with an open team in a worlds division you're maybe getting some more exposure for your gym, but that's not very likely to be the case with Open 4.

Wait... why do open division teams cost the gym money? [emoji47]

 

[Ashley]

Wait... why do open division teams cost the gym money? [emoji47]

Because the people that do open teams are usually broke. They don't always pay monthly tuition (I don't at my gym) and there's usually a bunch of people that don't pay what they're supposed to, but you only usually practice once a week so there's no time to try and pull someone else in to replace them, and even if you can pull someone else in you're probably going to foot the bill for them. People are constantly quitting, so you're pulling in athletes from other teams to fill those spots, but someone has to foot the bill for their comp fees, etc.

The margins on an open team are very thin because the college kids doing it need to be able to afford it, but then there's not much wiggle room to pay for those who don't cough up their money.

 

[gofriars610]

if CEA Waldorf (the closest gym to my house) had an Open 4 that wasn't overly intense and had a uniform that a person could wear a bra with, I would join. I miss cheer.

 

[luv2cheer92]

if CEA Waldorf (the closest gym to my house) had an Open 4 that wasn't overly intense and had a uniform that a person could wear a bra with, I would join. I miss cheer.

There's a small chance I could be coming out of retirement (again, lol). Haven't made a decision yet, but I miss it too!

 

[gofriars610]

There's a small chance I could be coming out of retirement (again, lol). Haven't made a decision yet, but I miss it too!

would you be moving back here or staying in Texas? / if you're back here please join w/ me so I'm not the team grandma, haha.

 

[Ashley]

would you be moving back here or staying in Texas? / if you're back here please join w/ me so I'm not the team grandma, haha.

Please don't talk about being team grandma! You started college after I graduated!

 

[luv2cheer92]

would you be moving back here or staying in Texas? / if you're back here please join w/ me so I'm not the team grandma, haha.

Haven't decided that yet either (my life is kinda all up in the air right now until I take the PT boards haha). But if I'm in VA I'll let you know!

 

[cachoi]

We say as an industry if your level 5 and graduate or age out than there's a place for you but hey level 3 & 4 athlete whose given us years of time, energy, finances and support you should go ahead and take up yoga or spinning...why?

This. Gyms around me do field competitive open 5 teams so I don't know why an equally competitive open 4 team would be such a stretch. I think they're mostly made up of local university cheerleaders who are level 5 and have already made time in their schedules to continue and lower levels are still being told that they're done once they age out.

Open 4 was a rumor/had just started when I aged out but if a gym around me had seriously put it on the table (not treat it like "let's hang out, play around, maybe go to a competition or just dissolve halfway through the season" which is what I gathered from social media), I would have changed my class schedule and saved every single penny I had to be able to pay for it. Otherwise, I wasn't going to take away my time and energy from my college experience for what is basically just open gym.

 

[gofriars610]

Please don't talk about being team grandma! You started college after I graduated!

Love youuuu

 

[Gnarly_Karli]

I would be so happy if an open 4 team popped up in Orlando. I'm old (will be 25 this year), my body hurts too much to be on a level 5 team.