All-Star Practice Length?

That's insane! My gym's worlds team practice 2 and 1/2 hours twice a week and sometimes that can take its toll!

One of our local gyms has held upwards of 5 hour practices for their youth team and longer for their older teams. When I read that I almost fell out of my seat. While it is true that some kids are gymrats and would/do live in the gym, I believe that is a few and far between scenario. These kids are being set up for burnout big time.

Is this going to be every week? We don't practice on a cheer mat so sometimes we ask a nearby team if we can use their practice space. So we do it on a Saturday or Sunday over Christmas break, it will be about 5 hours long. But we have a snack/gift exchange break in there.

I couldn't even imagine a 6 hour practice especially on a sunday (i always feel so lazy on sundays). I am on two teams this year & it's starting to make me SO tired. I practice sundays for 4 hours, monday for 2, tuesday for 2, wednesday for 2, thursday for 2, and saturday for 3. That equals up to 15 hours a week of practice. Anyways back to the original point of this thread, i do agree with you that 6 hours in one day is SO much especially for little 10 year olds. I would try explaining your concerns to your coach and see where it goes from there. Maybe they won't make it like a really hardcore practice since it will be so long?!

FierceIsTheName said:

Level 2. I could understand this for level 5, but level 2? Ehh.

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You better be the sickest level two I have ever seen! And you let me know how that goes trying to get a 10 year old to focus for 6 hours...holy moly!!

kickdblcj said:

Lol my team was known for our crazy long practices usually 4-6 hours on friday and 3-4 hours sat and sun. But it was an IOC5 team. I doubt that a 6 hour practice would be beneficial for lower level teams/ younger athletes. Youll prob only get a good 3 hours worth of work and the rest will prob be pointless since everyone will be dead tired.

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I hear that, I was right there with you. Our other worlds teams are 4 days a week, tuesday thursday sat and sun all for 3-3.5 hours.

In our gym, our worlds 5's have every sat n sun, other 5's are 3 days a week with every sun, and 2-4's are mon/wed and every other sunday for 3-4 hours.

HOMIE DON'T PLAY!

Do you have a lot of people that travel a long way to be on the team? If so, I can understand one long practice a week (although six hours is a little extreme). If everyone is local, I don't see why you can't split it into two separate days unless practice space won't permit it.

Only if it's Youth Silver.

StarshipTrooper said:

Only if it's Youth Silver.

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This just made my day!!!!

It depends on the kids and coaches. If the kids are driven, they will step up and benefit from a well run 6 hour practice, even at level 2. They will also fall asleep on the way home every night for weeks. What do I mean by well run? Conditioning, tumbling instruction, targeted building practice, as well as running the routine, where they are almost always moving. Keep changing them up, do conditioning that feels like play when they get tired, keep them distracted, keep it developmentally appropriate and they will keep moving.

If they extended to a 6 hour practice because they're too disorganized to fit a half hour's worth of practice into 3 hours, then I'd be peeved.

WHOA tiger said:

Do you have a lot of people that travel a long way to be on the team? If so, I can understand one long practice a week (although six hours is a little extreme). If everyone is local, I don't see why you can't split it into two separate days unless practice space won't permit it.

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Everyone is local. (furthest about is around 20 min drive)

I Love Cheer Practice! I love My Teamates, so i hate it when practice ends and then i have to go back home.. Because i have no life.

They just told us to bring a lunch, cause now we have a 30min lunch break/ free time! Wish me luck at this practice.... I'm sick and have to get my bhs...

How many hours are mandatory tumbling hours for these teams? This is outside of normal cheer practice? Also do you practice by team or by level when it comes to tumbling.

i have practice 3x a week and just this past weekend, we had a 6hr practice that also included our junior ten! its honestly not that bad if you dint think about how it was a 6 hr practice ! try not to look at your phones clock!