All-Star Summit Reflections And Recommendations

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I hated the idea of the Summit when I heard about it. But I cant say I feel the same way.

I like that the teams that attended feel like they got great competition and it sounds like things ran smoothly. Coming from a small gym at one point, it wouldve been great to say we went to the Summit because around here all everyone used to care about was Worlds, but now that every team in the area goes to Worlds, the Summit can be a great marketing tool and maybe gyms wont feel so hard pressed to push a team that isnt ready into level 5. There is so much complaining about teams going to Worlds that arent good enough to be there. Maybe this would help?

I dont like the timing, I have to be honest after NCA College Nationals, UCA Nationals and Worlds, I just didnt have it in me to watch the Summit but if I was there with my CP I wouldve thought it was the most important comp. Plus its tryout time or the week off you have before tryouts, too much

I still dont like comps at theme parks, Im one of those "you are here to work, we traveled to compete" Did it require a room package too, cuz thats another deal breaker for me, you should be able to stay where you want. I dont like any comp that does that. Even Worlds.

Lastly, Why does everything have to be on the East Coast?! Besides being across the country, the humidity, just cant handle it.
 
I attended both events and I can tell you that the Summit clearly hurt Worlds this year as far as attendance and overall excitement. I have been coming to Worlds for 5 years and it was very sad for me. Final sessions at Worlds had empty seats. I realized that so many skipped Worlds as a result of competing at the Summit the next weekend. Add to that to the crazy/unclear high priced ticketing at Worlds and the sports premier event was clearly under attended. The Summit seats were also not completely full at any point that I saw. Seeing Worlds competitors also competing on lower level teams at the Summit did not sit well with me either. Until that is changed the Summit will never have the prestige of Worlds or even NCA for me. The Summit needs to take place before Worlds and I hope that change is made going forward.

IMO what hurt Worlds' attendance on the final day was the COST FACTOR. If someone wanted to take their CP to watch all day of Monday's final rounds, it would have cost them $260 just to get in, never mind the cost of food and drinks and stuff there. Greed is what is hurting the Worlds attendance. My CP desperately wanted to go support her gym on Monday, but I wouldn't pull er out of school for it and I couldn't afford to spring the money on it.
 
I wish there was a way to NOT have to pay the Disney park price unless you want to go to the parks. Here is what I have been thinking:

USASF / Varsity has a contract with Disney to be there. For international teams for Worlds they have it there because its all inclusive and is a vacation for them. So there are great things about it. I just hated paying all that money to never go see Mickey because I didn't care too.

Just take out the park hopper price and make it an entrance into Wide World of Sports price. #boom #solution
 
I must have missed all The Summit brackets, and the year long discussions on which Small Youth Level 1 division was going to bring home the ring, and the rule that said if Elvis performed at a certain arena no one else can.
No offense to those that have strong opinions on this topic but, we went to The Summit and there were no lines wrapping around the Field House at 6:00 AM waiting for the Junior Coed level 5's to go on at 9:00 AM. I could have filled every seat for a few rows with backpacks and no one would have given it a second thought other than, "oh look, behind that row of backpacks, there are 20 empty rows." Please keep this event in perspective, it is not Worlds, it is a National for all levels, it takes place at the WWOS and it has a ring as the incentive. I think there are some World athletes that feel as though their moment was cut short this year and overshadowed by a new event. I truly believe that is a valid point and Worlds needs to be the season closer so those that have worked so hard can bask in the post World conversations and spotlight a little bit longer.
 
There may not have been the long lines and big crowds but remember this is the first year for The Summit. IIRC, the first year of Worlds there were only a few teams and it has grown to what it is now...so to compare Summit today to where Worlds is today...well there is no comparison. I don't think Varsity was trying to compete with Worlds....it is another competition for non-Worlds team. Why or how does that diminish Worlds????? And as far as the comparison to the Olympics...there are other championships that take place before the Olympics and individuals make it there that never make it to the Olympics so to tell them that they can't or shouldn't have those because it's not the Olympics doesn't make sense to me. And some of those events take place in the same venue as the Olympics.

I agree that the timing could have been better and it should have been before Worlds so that Worlds would be the culminating event and maybe that can be changed in the future. Let those who competed at The Summit enjoy that without degrading it because you don't think it is an accomplishment.
 
But there are tons of swimming leagues. Club (aka allstar) teams that compete and qualify to compete. Not all swimmers make it to the Olympics but they still get to compete. Did you watch the Olympics? There are MANY stories of different countries that will not make it past the 1st qualifying round but the opportunity to compete against the best of the best on the grandest of stages is an accomplishment.


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I understand that but those "1st round qualifying events" to me would be the equivalent of the events that give out bids. Olympic athletes have to qualify just to make the team (events such as nationals or the Olympic trials). The bid events are just that. Those athletes that are lower level generally compete against other lower level teams at other events (NCA, UCA, Cheersport, etc). I understand the WANT (a parent's perspective) for a competition like the Summit, I just don't think there's a huge NEED for it. Again, that's just my opinion. Congrats to all the 1st ever Summit Champions!!!
 
I really like the idea of the Summit. It's basically worlds for level 4 and under. There are lots of parents who push their kids to make it to a level 5 team when they aren't ready, just to go to worlds. I think the Summit will allow level 4 and under to enjoy level 4 and under. Maybe we will start seeing less tiny level 5 flyers with level 4 tumbling and jumps.
 
I really like the idea of the Summit. It's basically worlds for level 4 and under. There are lots of parents who push their kids to make it to a level 5 team when they aren't ready, just to go to worlds. I think the Summit will allow level 4 and under to enjoy level 4 and under. Maybe we will start seeing less tiny level 5 flyers with level 4 tumbling and jumps.

I love you for this...IJS
 
I don't understand these people griping about the venue and how only Worlds should be there. There are so many competitions at Disney every year and I don't see people complaining that they need to be moved to a different venue. When I was on a Pop Warner team we competed there for nationals. You can literally never have cheered all star in your life and you will experience Disney. It's an incredible experience for everyone, ESPECIALLY the younger ones, why would you want to limit those experiences for children?
 
I honestly don't see why it is such a big deal that the Summit is held at WWOS? Cheer competitions are held there year round, but that doesnt make those comps just as prestigious as Worlds. Pop warner nationals are held in the exact same arena that large senior competes in, does that make them just as good? No. Worlds will stay just as prestigious and level 5 will still be a goal to work towards.

I think WWOS is a better place for Summit than Worlds because while the older Worlds athletes enjoy going to disney, the younger athletes will probably enjoy the "disney experience" more. The transportation system at Disney also makes it way easier for parents with younger ones.
Whoops, I basically said exactly the same thing you did haha
 
At least there is a competition besides worlds you need a bid to in all-star cheer and not an easy bid at that. This made me happy!

Back in the day you competed for bids to things and if you couldn't raise the $$ you didn't get to go.

So I am excited that this took place :) I think the teams were fantastic and well deserving of the bids and I can only see it growing... and the coaches are hopefully filling out evaluations and talking about the weekend it was if that was a primary issue or location or whatnot. :)
 
For the record- I was only teasing :p

I can absolutely see the merit in a full-scale nationals type comp for levels 1-4. I think it should have an end-of-the-year feeling with some pomp and excitement. Do I think it should be the week after Worlds? No. As for an appropriate setup, I'm not the one to tell you what that might be, although Disney NEEDS to go (even though it won't).

As for pushing ICU onto different weekends from Worlds, you might as well say goodbye to international teams. It's all well and good for us to do that, but let's be realistic: THEY'RE the ones shelling out big bucks to come into our backyard every year. I doubt we'd be singing the same tune if we had to start traveling around the globe :D
 
i think we all agree that Worlds should be the last event of the season. the timing with The Summit was not right this year.

what is baffling me is the amount of people that don't like that this event exists because it's taking away from worlds teams. it's rude. if you don't want to watch a Y1 team...then don't watch. but just because you don't want to watch or just because you don't think it's exciting doesn't mean these kids didn't work their little butts off all season. they should have a nice reward for that. this will never outshine worlds. honestly, levels 1-4 are always treated as the red headed step child, and it's ridiculous. they should have their time to shine too.
 
My take...no one is trying replace Worlds...that will always be the "it" title to win. There will never be another competition to compare!!!

However, I highly support a competition where you know you are competiting against the best of the best. A place where you work for the chance to compete no matter what your level.

Even with the Summit, believe me, those girls who may have just won a level 2 championship trophy still dream of someday competing at Worlds!!!!

Yes it seens there are kinks to work out, but heck..even Worlds still has kinks!!!! I love the idea if starting with Summit and ending with Worlds, the grande finale!!!!!

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