All-Star Tryout Season

[Labegg]

After a rough year being an "alternate" on a R5 for most of last season, CP is thrilled to be headed to a new gym and on an appropriate Sr 4 team. First practice is Monday night, yikes!

 

[Jersey Cheer Mom]

I am so excited, my daughter missed cheering so much and decided she wants to tryout...Yip-pee!

Ok, you know I need this tea, asap! ;-)

 

[CheerBank]

I am so excited, my daughter missed cheering so much and decided she wants to tryout...Yip-pee!

Back to same gym? Or trying a new place?

 

[KikiD22]

CP is JUNIOR aged?!?!?! omg no. She was a tiny with pigtails like yesterday.

Good luck to her in tryouts!

Yep, due to her late August birthday, she's a 12-year-old this season. This will be the start of season 8 of cheer for her.

 

[HighPonyFTW]

Trying out at the same gym this year. CP will be youth. NO more minis. She hopes for our Y3 team, but may end up on Y2 and I have told her she's going to be OK with it either way (and she says she agrees).

The gym did evaluations for all our returning athletes during their regular practice time. If you have "upgraded skills" you can come back this Saturday and try out again with the general public, so we'll be over there bright and early Saturday hoping she can land that back tuck.

 

[SarahS]

Start of season 5 for my CP. Hard to believe... I remember when I first wrote to @SharkDad requesting access to the parent board because I was now a cheer parent when CP was a tiny and he was like, what do you mean, now a cheer parent, did you suddenly acquire a child??? (I was a coach long before CP was ever born.) Ah, good times. She just did try outs here and was placed on a level 2 workout group, but we're leaving in the middle of the summer. I'm hoping she will get a chance to be on a mini team in her last year of eligibility - looks like the gym where we will land is likely to have one for the first time ever.

 

[SharkDad]

Start of season 5 for my CP. Hard to believe... I remember when I first wrote to @SharkDad requesting access to the parent board because I was now a cheer parent when CP was a tiny and he was like, what do you mean, now a cheer parent, did you suddenly acquire a child??? (I was a coach long before CP was ever born.) Ah, good times. She just did try outs here and was placed on a level 2 workout group, but we're leaving in the middle of the summer. I'm hoping she will get a chance to be on a mini team in her last year of eligibility - looks like the gym where we will land is likely to have one for the first time ever.

I remember this well. Good luck on finding a great fit for CP on your move!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Not an all star tryout but the struggle is the same:

A coworker's daughter is trying out for her HS team (she does not attend the school where we work but a neighboring private school.)

People know I coach so they like to ask me for tips and such.

This coworker emailed me today:

"Need advice about Katie's tryout? She needs a backhandspring. Never tumbled but she can cartwheel. If we start lessons today will she have it by tryout time?"

Me: "Hmm. It's hard to say. When is her tryout?"

"May 12th."

 

[Pebbles49]

Back to same gym? Or trying a new place?

I was excited when she mentioned going back to cheer, but I had that long convo with my daughter after coming down from:cloud9:... I told her to cheer for herself, not to make me happy... I really started feeling like she wanted to do this for a Mother's Day gift or something..
However, If my daughter comes back begging to cheer again, we already decided to try a new gym... Something with a smaller, family environment feel to it, in NJ, of course with a Worlds team too...(hopefully, she can be on)

 

[Cheer Dad]

Not an all star tryout but the struggle is the same:

A coworker's daughter is trying out for her HS team (she does not attend the school where we work but a neighboring private school.)

People know I coach so they like to ask me for tips and such.

This coworker emailed me today:

"Need advice about Katie's tryout? She needs a backhandspring. Never tumbled but she can cartwheel. If we start lessons today will she have it by tryout time?"

Me: "Hmm. It's hard to say. When is her tryout?"

"May 12th."

And You said..... Of course, May 12 of 2017 or 2018?

 

[CheerBank]

And You said..... Of course, May 12 of 2017 or 2018?

:deathdrop:

 

[UCFKnights07]

didnt know where to put this...

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Another thing is why would you want to force or rush a skill that you have not perfected in order to make a certain team. Chances are you will either lose the skill or plateau and not be able to move on because it is not done correctly. Then the athlete will be upset all year because they won't be contributing to the team, and the coach will be frustrated because the athlete isn't performing to the expectations they put forth at tryouts. Wouldn't you rather be the STAR of the team because you not only perfected the skill that you had on the lower level, but you are working on the higher skills and will be able to do so at a comfortable, realistic pace. I have seen countless athletes do this and all of them have been very successful.

I want. to. slow. clap. this.

Most coaches know not to put kids on teams based on what they hit once at a tryout, but it happens.

If you get lucky and hit a skill at a tryout, that is nothing to be excited about as it puts your kid in a very frustrating position.

Sure, it's great at first. Omg. Suzy hit her double and she's going to be on J5.

Then the competition pressure sets in and now it's super inconsistent.

Before you know it, it's November, and the coaches are having the "Suzy may need to be an alternate" conversation.

Or the "Suzy needs to be on Junior/Youth 4." conversation. Which if you'd been honest with yourself at tryouts, is where she may have needed to be all year.

No one wants to be the kid that is chasing skills all year long and having the "Can I throw it? Am I going to be able to throw it?: mental battle all year long. It's not fair.

All of that to say, be realistic with your kid. Do not push them to throw something that they may get lucky and hit. Or insist that they're ready for a level or team for which you know their skills are inconsistent.

 

[njallday]

didnt know where to put this...

T&S announced an additional all girl worlds team today "Lady Eve." Horrible name.

 

[pcmcheerleader]

My CP is hoping for level 2. This is her 4th year of cheer 3rd at our gym. Only thing holding her back would be her flexability.