Competition Video Review?

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sherpamelissa

Cheer Parent
Jul 19, 2013
57
19
Hi there! I am a Head Coach for a Rec team that is 10/11 year old girls. My squad had 12 girls this year with four that had never cheered. We came in 4th at competition, apparently missing 3rd by one point. We only scored a 7 in tumbling and 8/8.5 in just about everything else. I am hoping to get some honest reviews about where we need to improve. Please keep in mind this is a RECREATIONAL team with average kids and no try-outs. I have to work with what I have. I have plans to improve the tumbling next year, hopefully. I never know who I will have the squads change every year based on who signs up.

 
If you could post the score sheet and the rules of this competition, I can help. Feel free to pm me - I've been coaching rec forever and I love helping other rec coaches. Thanks for volunteering your time - you make more of an impact on those kids' lives than you know.


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My cheer director hasn't scanned the score sheet and sent it to me. Also, I have no idea what the rules are, which is aggravating. I have a Spirit rules book, but it just discusses what stunts are legal. My director said that if we had one back handspring we would have scored an 8 in tumbling. I had a girl with a back handspring, who was scared to do it. If I would have known it was an extra point we would have done it. I am working on very little information. I asked AGAIN for my score sheet, so hopefully I'll get it soon.
 
My cheer director hasn't scanned the score sheet and sent it to me. Also, I have no idea what the rules are, which is aggravating. I have a Spirit rules book, but it just discusses what stunts are legal. My director said that if we had one back handspring we would have scored an 8 in tumbling. I had a girl with a back handspring, who was scared to do it. If I would have known it was an extra point we would have done it. I am working on very little information. I asked AGAIN for my score sheet, so hopefully I'll get it soon.

Oh, I just meant the generic score sheet for the competition to see where you might improve. It is hard to tell you things you might change to improve your score if I don't know what they're scoring you on :) As to the back handspring... I wouldn't have a kid do a skill she was afraid of to get an extra point. It's just not worth it. Encourage her to take extra tumbling classes (or really focus on the skill with her if tumbling classes are never going to happen - I know that is often the case with rec kids) so that she becomes more comfortable with it.

As for the rules, you must have the rules in order to make a routine. You have to know what is legal and what is not so that you make sure you're within the boundaries of legal. So if your spirit book only discusses legal stunts, it doesn't discuss tumbling at all? What about tosses - nothing there? That seems crazy to me. (Not you - the spirit book!) No discussion of tumbling legality, to me, means that anything is legal. Which is just, well, unsafe. Not your fault, obviously. See if you can ask around, maybe the coaches of the teams that scored above you or another coach in your program who has been around for a while to see what rules they're following.


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Rec is hard to coach. I think it's has to be a perfect balance of high school (cheer) and all star (music). Plus a lot of girls don't take tumbling classes on the off season. I would try and put in some more flashy parts like in the beginning and the dance. And try and show more the teams strengths. What level are they? Is did pop Warner, ayc, other?
 
Rec is hard to coach. I think it's has to be a perfect balance of high school (cheer) and all star (music). Plus a lot of girls don't take tumbling classes on the off season. I would try and put in some more flashy parts like in the beginning and the dance. And try and show more the teams strengths. What level are they? Is did pop Warner, ayc, other?

Thanks. Our kids don't even have PE in school anymore, they lost it due to budget cuts, so some of them can't even do a proper jumping jack. It's sad! We didn't have the skill for the flash this year, but I am hoping next year I will. We move up a level to Varsity which is 7th and 8th graders and my 8th graders are good. (My daughter is 11 and 6th grade this year.) Our level is JV which is 5th and 6th graders. We don't do Pop Warner or AYC. My book says "Spirit Rules". There are only 7 teams and we all cheer for local football teams. Our league doesn't even have a website that works because someone left the organization and took the login/password info with them. It's ridiculous. But my daughter wants to cheer with her friends, so here we are, year after year.
 
Thanks. Our kids don't even have PE in school anymore, they lost it due to budget cuts, so some of them can't even do a proper jumping jack. It's sad! We didn't have the skill for the flash this year, but I am hoping next year I will. We move up a level to Varsity which is 7th and 8th graders and my 8th graders are good. (My daughter is 11 and 6th grade this year.) Our level is JV which is 5th and 6th graders. We don't do Pop Warner or AYC. My book says "Spirit Rules". There are only 7 teams and we all cheer for local football teams. Our league doesn't even have a website that works because someone left the organization and took the login/password info with them. It's ridiculous. But my daughter wants to cheer with her friends, so here we are, year after year.
The rontince was clean and that's one of the hardest part about coach new cheerleaders. I would look up tumbling classes in the area at a local all star gym and send them to the parent. I know not all girls with be able to take the class every week but at least you will put it out there. The girls can same in shape and maybe learn new skills. Can you do more comps as a rec team. Like all star comp but in a rec division . We do that an only practice about once a week and be one or two local comps. The team gets really close and they get new skills together . And you guy will be really for the season next year.
 
The rontince was clean and that's one of the hardest part about coach new cheerleaders. I would look up tumbling classes in the area at a local all star gym and send them to the parent. I know not all girls with be able to take the class every week but at least you will put it out there. The girls can same in shape and maybe learn new skills. Can you do more comps as a rec team. Like all star comp but in a rec division . We do that an only practice about once a week and be one or two local comps. The team gets really close and they get new skills together . And you guy will be really for the season next year.

Thanks! I am working with the organization to get a tumbling workshop next year. Plus, I'm going to take my daughter to a place and if we like it, I will recommend to my parents. We cannot do more comps. That is set by the organization and it is not going to change.
 
I coach rec- I totally understand your struggles, a few things even if your level of difficulty cant score high, you can score high in execution. Drill the jumps, the girls dont need to have the highest jumps they just need to be in scync, have them yell hit at the correct time so they get when they should be hitting at the top of jump. You can start by doing t jumps with hit being at the top and then add the actual jump into it.
Also in cheer when the girls walk backwards (turning their voices away from the judges) they loose their voices and it now fluctuates in sound, and doesnt look as nice. They did a good job staying forward in dance so they can do it.
maybe in cheer (check your rule book) the preps can spin? a moving stunt is more points than a still stunt.
and lastly if you can do more footwork in dance- or level changes it could up your score . good luck
 
I coach rec- I totally understand your struggles, a few things even if your level of difficulty cant score high, you can score high in execution. Drill the jumps, the girls dont need to have the highest jumps they just need to be in scync, have them yell hit at the correct time so they get when they should be hitting at the top of jump. You can start by doing t jumps with hit being at the top and then add the actual jump into it.
Also in cheer when the girls walk backwards (turning their voices away from the judges) they loose their voices and it now fluctuates in sound, and doesnt look as nice. They did a good job staying forward in dance so they can do it.
maybe in cheer (check your rule book) the preps can spin? a moving stunt is more points than a still stunt.
and lastly if you can do more footwork in dance- or level changes it could up your score . good luck

I still have not been able to get a copy of my score sheet from my Cheer Director, but I do have a copy of the blank shore sheets.

These are my scoresheet: Dropbox - Score Sheet.pdf
And my deduction sheet: Dropbox - Deductions.pdf

Also, I have found the following rules information that we were given:

Our bylaws state the following:

IHSA Spirit Rule Book is to be used as a guideline for mounting. Since this is a
recreational league, final mounting approval must come from the cheer directors. If there
is any question about a mount, it needs to be discussed by the cheer directors at a
regularly schedules meeting and voted upon. If there is a question regarding a mount
(DON’T do it). A 15-point deduction will be taken for illegal mounts or stunts.

18. The following cheerleading actions are allowed, cheers, partner stunting, pyramids,
dance, jumps, kicks, splits, leaps, turns and tumbling. The following, splits, round-offs
and cartwheels are considered tumbling stunts and if an attempt is made a minimum of 1
point will be given. No team will be given a zero on a judges score sheet if that attempt
is made.


19. All stunting and tumbling must be performed completely on the mat. All tumbling
approach must also begin and end on the mat. A deduction will be taken for any tumbling
and/or stunting done off the mat. (Amended 3/3/2010)

20. All pyramids are limited to a maximum of 2 high (base+1). No participant is allowed
to individually support the weight of 1 or more teammate. A pyramid more than 2 high will result in an immediate disqualification. Each participant above the shoulders or
extensions must have their own back spotter. All bases and spotters must be competing
squad members on the floor. Coaches may be safety guides if needed.

21. Body drops to the ground WILL NOT be allowed. A body drop is a straight drop to the
ground without any hand support.
 
For crowd leading- can you have the 3 girls in the front use 3 seperate colored poms - a blue set a gold set and a white set- or maybe signs? so the crowd knows when to do the call backs?
look up my team its an old video but we won uca nationals with this routine- commack elite divas 2012- bridgewater nj maybe you can get some pointers. hope this helps
 
For crowd leading- can you have the 3 girls in the front use 3 seperate colored poms - a blue set a gold set and a white set- or maybe signs? so the crowd knows when to do the call backs?
look up my team its an old video but we won uca nationals with this routine- commack elite divas 2012- bridgewater nj maybe you can get some pointers. hope this helps

Thanks for the reply. We did okay on points for the call backs. We only have one set of poms and they are ancient. We've done signs in the past, but then I worry about them picking them up and stuff, plus I'm not super good at the crafty stuff and I would have to make them. I will check out your video!
 
That was so cute, I wish I could go to where ever you are and add in things and fix things to make your routine better than it is !
So many ideas and thoughts running through my head !

Can that pyramid full lib be done without a front spot ? you could always have 3 groups that way and frontspots tend to up your difficulty score :)

If you message me I can give you a little bit further of some ideas :)
 
That was so cute, I wish I could go to where ever you are and add in things and fix things to make your routine better than it is !
So many ideas and thoughts running through my head !

Can that pyramid full lib be done without a front spot ? you could always have 3 groups that way and frontspots tend to up your difficulty score :)

If you message me I can give you a little bit further of some ideas :)

Thank you! I think most of my front spots had a reason for being there, but we are done for this year. Next year half of my girls will be different, they are older and stronger. I am excited to work with them.
 
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