All-Star No Competition At Competitions?

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Feb 21, 2016
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At the last 4 comps I have attended, I have seen an increasing number of divisions with one team in it. National Champion jackets earned by outscoring no one. There are summit divisions currently with one team in them. Will they even have that division at summit if there is one team? Why does this seem to be occurring so often this season?
 
I’m pretty sure at Summit they’ll combine small/ medium divisions if there’s not enough people in one or both divisions. I’m not 100% on that though
 
At the last 4 comps I have attended, I have seen an increasing number of divisions with one team in it. National Champion jackets earned by outscoring no one. There are summit divisions currently with one team in them. Will they even have that division at summit if there is one team? Why does this seem to be occurring so often this season?

We add divisions and levels much faster than we are add athletes.

Gym owners and coaches will complain that it isn't fair to have to compete against Team XXX because of reason YYY and demand a separate division. Event producers then do it in fear of losing customers.
 
We add divisions and levels much faster than we are add athletes.

Gym owners and coaches will complain that it isn't fair to have to compete against Team XXX because of reason YYY and demand a separate division. Event producers then do it in fear of losing customers.

A symptom of the many problems our society faces as a whole. Kids need to know how to win and how to lose. The unfortunate truth is that the adults in their lives think they’re never supposed to feel any pain, especially such horrific tragedy as losing at an athletic contest.
 
I want to say that you get a ring anyway if you are only team in your division at Summit.

Has anyone ever been only in their division at a major comp before?

Maybe @littlestALLSTAR or @DropAndRun know (being previously Y5 I feel like this has happened to you before?)
 
Also I feel like it depends on the division. Some have tons of teams. Others have one or none. (Ex: when was the last time you saw more than one Y4 at an average sized event?)
 
We were recently the only team in our division but had to hit a minimum score in order to earn the jackets. Ironically it was their highest scores and best routines of the year so far.
 
I want to say that you get a ring anyway if you are only team in your division at Summit.

Has anyone ever been only in their division at a major comp before?

Maybe @littlestALLSTAR or @DropAndRun know (being previously Y5 I feel like this has happened to you before?)

We have been the only team in a division at NCA Nationals multiple times I think. (Level 6 typically)
 
I believe there have to be 2 teams at Summit or they will combine divisions.

The thing that is making me crazy this year is competitions with no competition for Summit bids. We have been to several competitions over the last 2 years where bids don't even get handed out because there are not enough eligible teams (even at large bids!).
 
A symptom of the many problems our society faces as a whole. Kids need to know how to win and how to lose. The unfortunate truth is that the adults in their lives think they’re never supposed to feel any pain, especially such horrific tragedy as losing at an athletic contest.
Can't speak for coaches or owners but as a parent paying and traveling I am disappointed if there is not competition.
 
Can't speak for coaches or owners but as a parent paying and traveling I am disappointed if there is not competition.

I appreciate that.

Let me see if I can explain what I witness on a regular basis. Keep in mind, I’m not a gym owner, all star coach, or parent. I’m a single dude who played mainstream sports his whole life, but also did and now coaches cheer.

Year 1:

Division of 10 teams...

New all star program: Mediocre All stars finishes in 8th place

Parents: “OMG!! You girls did so good! It’s the first competition that you didn’t finish last. We are so proud of you!”

Three years later

Mediocre All Stars has their best finish ever 3rd place

Parents: “I’m so tired of paying for al this stuff and travel and we never win anything.”

Never mind the fact that the team has consistently gotten better over time. These parents only see the win, not the improvement. They want to circumvent the process. People talk about Top Gun...I remember when Victor and Kristen were still in college and Top Gun was in its infancy....20+ years ago

Graves County is one of the stronger HS programs, they went to HS nationals for 20 years before they won one.

If you want to build a consistently strong program, it takes a lot of time doing it the right way...unfortunately too many want instant gratification.
 
I need to know where all these competitions are that don’t have any competition for summit bids! My daughter is in the 4.2/5r/5 level and while it might be the smallest number of teams we’ve never been to a competition with no competition for bids. And while there might not be a lot- 4.2 and senior restricted tend to score high making it difficult for a junior team to get the bid(s). So while a j5/j5R team might not have a lot of direct competition they have to score pretty high around here to even be in the running for a bid.
 
Wanted to add I think gyms are between a rock and hardplace. If you have the skill set to field a youth 4, junior 5r and/or junior 5 (some of the smallest divisions) then the gym gets called out for making teams solely to win jackets, backpacks and rings and on the flip side if you put these higher skilled younger kids on levels 3 and 4 teams the gym gets a reputation for sandbagging.
 
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