- Dec 4, 2009
- 14,108
- 19,303
- Moderator
- #31
Ok, if you insist (lol)
1.) Define a competition season. I would say November 1st to May31st. All sanctioned comps would be in this time frame and no competition would allowed to be held after Worlds.
2.) Rostering - September 1st all teams/gyms are required to submit team rosters. If you leave your team/gym your are not allowed to cheer for another team/gym until the following season. This would solve lots of problems currently in the industry. Can add cheerleaders throughout the season (rostered properly) as long as the have not cheered for another gym.
3.) Universal rules/scoring and punishment for each rule infraction predetermined and strictly enforced. Example: gym enters small gym division but aren't small gym (rostering would define that already) they would be disqualified from the comp immediately. Ignorance would not be an excuse either. This would eliminate all the cheating and/or rule bending that goes on.
4.) Age limits - you can move up one division but only if you are within 2 years of that division. example: your a 9 and the next division age is 12 you could NOT move up until you are 10. Level 5 athletes would be able to move up one division regardless of age.
5.) Crossover limits - age limits would end a lot of crossovers but I would suggest 3 per small teams and 5 per large teams (4 if the size limit is changed to 30).
These 5 rules implemented would make all star cheerleading a sport and give it instant credibility outside of the "industry". Of course there would have to be some allowances but they would be predetermined. Example: If you change addresses mid season and the move is more then 25 miles then you could change gyms.
So now everyone gets to tear me apart.... LOL
1. I am a big fan of this one and already I think gym's self impose this rule. For example at Rays our season was over after Worlds. It was a natural break for us. It also makes organizing and formation of teams a bit easier.
2. I don't think cheerleading can handle straight up rostering for a season. I think you need to be a specific gym member for a season, but not on a certain team. Because of the way cheerleading works a set team roster has ebb and flow. There are very few teams at our gyms that don't gain or lose a kid between each competition (especially on the lower levels). But if someone were to be a gym member specifically I think that would handle all situations better. As well I don't think this can be done by a paper system. There is no way to track it and honestly would be too easy to cheat.
3. Universal scoring will happen, it is just a matter of when. I think a lot of when is when the USASF has true bite in all of this. Besides worlds what truly ties the industry together? Does JamFest really care about Varsity's universal scoresheet? Why would anyone have to remain a member of the USASF if they didn't want to? When there are benefits to everyone being a member of the USASF and having the same scoresheet, it will happen. It is up to the USASF to figure out what those benefits are to the event producers.
4. Interesting take on it.
5. This also wil be a great rule, but somewhat impossible to enforce until we have an electronic way to track all our athletes.