All-Star Taking A Year Off To Focus On Skills?!?!

[Allstarmom2002]

Hi everyone! Wanted to get the boards' opinion on this...

My daughter currently cheers on an Junior L2 team, she is 9. We have been working on her skills over the past several months, both in privates and a weekly class on top of her weekly team practices. She is a solid L2 tumbler now but still has a lot to work to get to a L3.

We are thinking about pulling her from All-Stars for the next year so that she can really focus on her tumbling and get more comfortable on the floor. Our issue is, that we aren't sure that her not being on a team is a good idea for length of time? But then again, the only way for her to really improve, in my opinion, is for her to be able to dedicate time specifically to tumbling and her skills. We can't afford to continue both All-Stars and Privates/Classes so we are definitely torn. Is it best to put her back in All Stars where she will be on a L2 team again or pull her for a year and get her skills up to a L3 and have her try out?

Would love to her your thoughts, thanks!

 

[AZCheerMom]

Just from what I have seen personally, the kids that take the time off to just tumble actually do not progress as fast as the kids that are working with the team every week. On top of the tumbling they learn, they are also building stamina, upper body strength, and get more confortable on the floor by competing more. In turn makes them a better cheerleader overall. Just tumbling does not make them a certain level cheerleader. I say keep her on the team, being level 2 for another year will help her in stunts, jumps and performance. That way she will be more confident when she moves up! Good Luck!!

 

[Mamarazzi]

I think pulling her from a team for a year is pretty counter-productive. First, tumbling isn't all there is - just as AZCheerMom said. There's stunting, jumps, dance, motions - not to mention the fact that she gets NONE of the warm fuzzies from competing or being part of a group and forming friendships. At age 9, it's rare to find a child that's so hyper-focused that she only wants to tumble and cares nothing about having a good time. Besides, would it be so bad to have her on a Level 2 team again next year?
Hope y'all work werk it out!

 

[CD FOREVER AND EVA!]

WE TOOK OFF A SEASON DUE TO MOVING AND SHE COMPLETELY WENT BACKWARDS ... WE DID TUMBLING ONCE A WEEK AND FEW PRIVATES .... SHE LOSS A LOT OF HER FLEXIBILITY (NOT MUCH TO BEGIN WITH LOL) AND SHE LOSS THAT PERFORMANCE ASPECT ... WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE PART OF A PROGRAM WITH ROOM TO GROW ... TAKING THE YEAR OFF HURT HER SKILLS ...BTH SHE IS ALSO 9 AND HAS SOLID LEVEL 2 SKILLS AND HAS MOST LEV 3 SKILLS (JUST NEED TO CLEAN THEM UP) ... WE WILL BE HAPPY ON A LEV 2-3 YOUTH OR JUNIOR TEAM

 

[Allstarmom2002]

Thanks for the reponses, I'm a little surprised by them, so I'm glad I asked! I never once considered it to be counter-productive to pull her away to work on skills. We were considering allowing her to do Pop Warner (we have a strong PW team in our community) for a year so she could continue being on a team that does work on stunting/team building/flexibility, but still having the privates/classes to work on her tumbling skills so she could transition back into All-Stars.

Thanks for your opinions!

 

[addicted2cheer]

Hi, overall is there a problem at the gym you're at having her on a jr level 2 team again next year? being she's only 9 she's still very young for that age bracket. she should be tumbling every week with her team anyway and working on progressing skills if her level 2 skills are clean and strong. I would keep her in and let her enjoy the experience of cheering. She will have many, many years to move up levels and be involved with the more intensive demands of higher level teams. If your gym does not seem to offer an option for her to progress her skills within the tumbling program provided in your tuituion or does not have many teams for her to grow into perhaps seek another gym in your area.

 

[Allstarmom2002]

Hi, overall is there a problem at the gym you're at having her on a jr level 2 team again next year? being she's only 9 she's still very young for that age bracket. she should be tumbling every week with her team anyway and working on progressing skills if her level 2 skills are clean and strong. I would keep her in and let her enjoy the experience of cheering. She will have many, many years to move up levels and be involved with the more intensive demands of higher level teams. If your gym does not seem to offer an option for her to progress her skills within the tumbling program provided in your tuituion or does not have many teams for her to grow into perhaps seek another gym in your area.

I would say that I do not have warm and fuzzies about our current gym and maybe that's part of my hesitation. I have not seen a lot of progression in her team practices as they rarely work on tumbling and have not worked on L3 tumbling at all. All progression in her tumbling has been from her classes/privates.

 

[addicted2cheer]

I would say that I do not have warm and fuzzies about our current gym and maybe that's part of my hesitation. I have not seen a lot of progression in her team practices as they rarely work on tumbling and have not worked on L3 tumbling at all. All progression in her tumbling has been from her classes/privates.

Look around, talk to anyone you know in other programs about how their gyms work. I know with the gyms my CP has been the months in the summer/fall they really worked on getting new skills. Once the cheer season/comp time started it was a bit harder to focus on that but there should be plenty of opportunities to work on skills other than just at privates or extra class time. Also consider what teams your gym has... do they have a jr 2, 3 4 etc... or better yet for your 9 year old a youth 2, 3 etc.... you always want to be in a place that allows your child to grow and she will have a future in. Level 2 skills as a 9 year old are still pretty special! My CP took off the last year due to injury and then wanting a "life" as an 18 year old and sr in high school. As much as you plan on getting to those classes, there is nothing like being on an all star schedule that you are required to be there. You are in better physical shape and it forces you to work on those skills. she is back in now for a few months and having the regular structure is getting her skills back in shape much better than her doing it on her own. good luck to you!

 

[socratesofcheer]

Allstarmom2002

Your gym doesn't include some sort of tumbling class with your allstar tuition?

 

[AZCheerMom]

Thanks for the reponses, I'm a little surprised by them, so I'm glad I asked! I never once considered it to be counter-productive to pull her away to work on skills. We were considering allowing her to do Pop Warner (we have a strong PW team in our community) for a year so she could continue being on a team that does work on stunting/team building/flexibility, but still having the privates/classes to work on her tumbling skills so she could transition back into All-Stars.

Thanks for your opinions!

I would be very leary about doing PW. Def. check out the coaches before hand. I'm sure there are some qualified to do the job but more likely than not they are just parents who have no experience. At least from what I have seen and heard. We had a pop warner team that would come into our old gym to practice once a week. They just rented the floor. I would sit there and cring when they would stunt!! Scared me silly!! Being that summer is coming up maybe take some time to check out other gyms in your area like addicted2cheer mentioned . You should be comfortable knowing that your daughter is getting the training that you are paying for in a safe enviroment.

 

[BowsnBling]

Hi everyone! Wanted to get the boards' opinion on this...

My daughter currently cheers on an Junior L2 team, she is 9. We have been working on her skills over the past several months, both in privates and a weekly class on top of her weekly team practices. She is a solid L2 tumbler now but still has a lot to work to get to a L3.

We are thinking about pulling her from All-Stars for the next year so that she can really focus on her tumbling and get more comfortable on the floor. Our issue is, that we aren't sure that her not being on a team is a good idea for length of time? But then again, the only way for her to really improve, in my opinion, is for her to be able to dedicate time specifically to tumbling and her skills. We can't afford to continue both All-Stars and Privates/Classes so we are definitely torn. Is it best to put her back in All Stars where she will be on a L2 team again or pull her for a year and get her skills up to a L3 and have her try out?

Would love to her your thoughts, thanks!

May I be blunt?

I have heard this from parents in the past. Once I really sat down and talked to them the truth would come out and in reality the cheerleader was true level 2 but the majority of her friends were going to move up and they were afraid of being on a lower team or being without friends. So they would say they were going to pull their kids from team for privates and it never helped.

If I am wrong either way I also feel like its counter productive for her to not be on team. If you are not happy with the gym can I ask if you have other options of places to take her for a new more positive experience for all of you?

 

[SparkleSpankies]

Please don't pull her. Just tumbling doesn't make a cheerleader. If it is soley b/c you are feeling like something is missing in cheerleading, see what else is out there that may be a better fit. Wether it is maybe Pop Warner/Rec is the right move or even just a new gym.

Now, please please please I hope I don't offend anyone, but 1: All-Star coaches are NOT the only qualified coaches out there. There are people like me who really feel that cheering games AND competing is fun. I am so sick of the fact that all-star is the BEST mentality. NOT FOR EVERY KID. Yes, check out the PW program and the coaches, maybe it is a better fit. 2: Do what's right for your daughter... it just may be a new gym and different voices and that is OK!!!!!

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

We can't afford to continue both All-Stars and Privates/Classes so we are definitely torn. Is it best to put her back in All Stars where she will be on a L2 team again or pull her for a year and get her skills up to a L3 and have her try out?

Would love to her your thoughts, thanks!

There is no shame in repeating a level. In fact, I am *hoping* that my CP ends up on level 2 again this year. She was on mini 2 and j2 this past season, but I just feel as if we need to put some polish on her stunting and jumps before she moves up. Also, another thing to consider is once she gets to level 3, what will happen after that? Will you feel like you need to pull her for another year to get to level 4?

 

[Allstarmom2002]

Allstarmom2002

Your gym doesn't include some sort of tumbling class with your allstar tuition?

Nope...

 

[Allstarmom2002]

May I be blunt?

I have heard this from parents in the past. Once I really sat down and talked to them the truth would come out and in reality the cheerleader was true level 2 but the majority of her friends were going to move up and they were afraid of being on a lower team or being without friends. So they would say they were going to pull their kids from team for privates and it never helped.

If I am wrong either way I also feel like its counter productive for her to not be on team. If you are not happy with the gym can I ask if you have other options of places to take her for a new more positive experience for all of you?

Maybe I should repharse. I am completely ok with CP staying at a L2 because she that's were her skills are and I want her to have fun. But, I do have a concern that I haven't seen much growth in her skills from being on a team. Does that makes sense? Even on our existing teams, the girls came into the season with l2 skills, they didn't get them from practicing in the off season. Hopefully I'm explaining it right! Bottom line is, I really feel that the majority of her progression comes from classes and privates. Maybe it just comes down to, I'm not sure the gym is helping CP achieve her goals.