All-Star 2015-2016 Tryouts - Cp Indecisive

[MzLyn23]

So my CP is jumping back and forth, not sure what to do about next season... I know she still has 4 comps left for the season but literally after her last comp, 2 weeks or 2 1/2 wks its tryouts... She's not sure if she wants to return to the gym is cheering at now... try a different gym... go back to recreation (which honestly I dread and quietly refuse to take her under my breath)....

I've looked up different gyms she has shown interest in for distance information and pricing info (the closest All Star gym - suitable but not HUGE gym is 25 minutes away which is the one she attends now... pretty much everything else is further away - about 45 mins plus...)

Once I told her about the different days for tryouts and pricing and what was affordable and what wasn't etc... She's still kinda at odds about trying something else or even the thought of "gym hopping" which I'm also not to fond off...

I can say this... My daughter is NOT a level 5 cheerleader.... she cheered rec for almost 5 years, this was her first year on all star... Originally level 3 team but the team dropped to level 2 (lost girls that had tumbling skills and the rest just weren't up to par with basic tucks etc, they were struggling so understandable situation)... My cp couldn't throw a BHS to save her life... she does now and it has helped to boost her confidence since she's included in the jumps and tumbling sequences... At first she was very shy to make friends but has gotten really comfortable with a few girls from her team and slowly others have opened up to her withdrawn personality lol... which is why she is a bit at odds.... should she try a new team and have to start over with making friends again or give her current gym one more year (while me and hubby discuss our original relocation plans which included MIA and TG which have been pushed back to possibly next year lol)

Be honest and don't kill me for bringing up the gym hopping scenario... her current gym has literally 5 teams only... she only does level 2 flying skills now but at rec she was doing level 3-4 flying skills with no tumbling... i think she is thinking that trying out other places will help her decide whether to stay or go depending what team or level she's placed in and if she's confident going up a level etc... where my inner cheer goddess begins to frown because I don't think its cool or appropriate to leave gyms hanging... lol... IDK... smack my inner cheer goddess for having an opinion lol

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I don't think you're "hopping" if you've agreed to finish your season.

You are also not leaving someone "high and dry" if you switch at end of season/tryouts.

Gyms EXPECT some turnover in that time period.

Now if you're planning on leaving with four comps left on the other hand...

 

[notyourcheermom]

How old is she? CP reluctantly gym hopped, and I had to drag her into her current gym and sign her up to tumble and take her for open gym some and she had to to come to the conclusion that, yes, she would switch when she was 10/5th grade, Y2 to Y2, and it took her a good six weeks of tumbling at one gym and still practicing at her old one and she told no one, she was super loyal to her old gym and her old teammates, but she has had zero regrets and very happy with the switch but it was hard. I liked everyone at old gym but after hanging out on this board for a year and paying attention for a season at comps, I knew what I wanted for her then and for the money I was spending, she just had to come to the same conclusion because DH thought I was nuts driving a 5th grader 45 mins away to cheer at another gym.

ETA: She is in the end of her third season where she hopped to and will be at tryouts there again immediately following Summit.

 

[Pebbles49]

@ MzLyn23, I will ask 2 questions - How old is your daughter? What she looking to accomplish in AS cheer?

My daughter is 12 and she is having some reluctance to want to return to the sport... In her case, AS cheer is not a popular choice in community and my daughter is being recruited hard by both basketball and track coaches, not including all her friends and peers, so I told her to finish the season and then decide later...
So I understand exactly your dilemma...

 

[cheerforeverever]

Perhaps try a tumbling class at the gym she is thinking of switching to for a month or two. That will give you both a decent sense of the gym environment and introduce your daughter to a small group of girls at her level. This could allow for her to be introduced gradually to some fellow girls her age/level & understand if she feels comfortable there before deciding whether to commit fully to a team. You'll never know whether a gym is the right fit for your family or not until you give it a test run imo. Definitely sit in on some tumbling classes if possible at each potential gym & tour the facilities as well. The more research, the better you will be able to weight your options.

 

[Cheer Dad]

Is she, and you, happy with the current gym?


**Less than 8 Worlds bids events remain. May the odds be forever in your favor**

 

[MzLyn23]

I don't think you're "hopping" if you've agreed to finish your season.

You are also not leaving someone "high and dry" if you're wanted to switch at end of season/tryouts.

Gyms EXPECT some turnover in that time period.

Now if you're planning on leaving with four comps left on the other hand...

no no no lol she's finishing the season.. I know what that high and dry feeling is and it sucks!! I would never do that to anyone!!!

 

[MzLyn23]

@ MzLyn23, I will ask 2 questions - How old is your daughter? What she looking to accomplish in AS cheer?

My daughter is 12 and she is having some reluctance to want to return to the sport... In her case, AS cheer is not a popular choice in community and my daughter is being recruited hard by both basketball and track coaches, not including all her friends and peers, so I told her to finish the season and then decide later...
So I understand exactly your dilemma...

CP is 11 years old.... She would like to cheer and of course her dream team is CA Cheetahs or Topgun if we move to Miami like we originally planned to do this summer... She always says she would love to be on a level 5 but I think she's just not confident enough to believe that she would actually make it that far because of tumbling although I believe she has more potential then she thinks.... I'm realistic in knowing that if she wants level 5 regardless where or what team she has to commit and commit big... Her biggest step in commitment was when she officially quit dance...She was originally a dancer and was doing rec cheer on the side, then quit dance to focus on cheer... Then once I resigned coaching rec she moved to AS Cheer.... now she's in AS Cheer, she loves the comps especially the big ones like Spirit Nationals etc... She's in gymnastics just for tumbling and is loving it because theres more one on one time so she's actually working on multiple BHS and Standing Tucks.... I think this has pushed the excitement to keep doing AS Cheer....

I think she is in it and now its just finding i guess the right "fit"?

 

[MzLyn23]

Is she, and you, happy with the current gym?


**Less than 8 Worlds bids events remain. May the odds be forever in your favor**

Its taken some getting use to for both of us... She's very introverted... It takes her a while to come out of her shell... She does what needs to be done but is reluctant to trust especially after being coached by me for so long lol... i cut the cord but apparently she was still hanging on a bit....

It took getting use to for me because like I believe most parents encounter, there are things I don't agree with or I don't like how some things are handled but its harder for me cause I'm a "cheer mom" now and the coach inside of me wants to come out sometimes and tell someone how to handle certain things lol.... Even things like technique, how its taught or not taught drives me bonkers, the mom cliques drive me insane, but eventually I took a step back, my DH started taking her to practices so I separated from the situation and I've become close to some moms and we all just happen to be the group that kinda keep to ourselves but Cheer for all the teams and make sure we try to participate in things etc....

What I'm trying to say is I'm not totally disappointed, I was at first, I felt somewhat (and so did CP) in the beginning pushed aside by everyone (cheer parents and possibly some coaches) because I happen to be extremely vocal about things I don't like but since I've decided to shut my mouth on certain things lol its gotten better.... i still voice myself but directly to the coach and avoid the gossip lol (god its hard!!!) CP has also gotten close with the CP's of the mom's I've gotten close with and Maybe thats help to open her up so She's leaning 60% to stay and 40% to try somewhere else... lol I don't want to push her to switch... if she's happy she can stay (mommy will bite her lip and only fight when necessary).... but I also want her to know there are other places and she doesn't need to settle either just because she has 2 or 3 new friends...

 

[cupieqt]

1. Don't apologize for having feelings or opinions about your child and your life.

2. Loyalty is very commendable! And every gym gets ONE year with each kid. After that you're free to move on to other options.

3. Find the best fit. Maybe she just needs a little nurturing of her big, hairy audacious dream from some coaches that have those same kinds of dreams. Exploring options for her is A-OK.

Good luck!


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[Cheer Dad]

Nothing wrong with checking out other gyms that may be a better fit. Are there any smaller gyms that may have a more personal feel that cp could relate too? Sometime in the big/huge gyms you can be a little lost in the shuffle.


**What if gofundme included a double your money performance clause?**

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Nothing is wrong with checking out other gyms. I'm trying to determine what her motivation may be in leaving her current program, and it sounds like she wants a higher level team. Be wary of going to a gym just because they put her on a higher level team. It could bite you for a few reasons:

1. A gym willing to put a level 2 tumbler on a level 3 or 4 team may not have very competitive teams. Too many level 2's on a 3 or 4 means that team isn't competing at their true level.
2. Gyms may reel you in with a higher level team and then switch her to a lower level when she doesn't get the skills they want. Not all gyms do this, but I've seen it more than once.
3. Kids usually think they're more capable than they are. I have plenty of kids who think they're a bomb.com flyer and they're actually only mediocre. They'd be thrilled to move up a level and fly harder stunts, but I am completely aware that they would be a train wreck on a higher level team. Not saying your daughter is one of those kids, but be wary of putting her in a situation where she may be in over her head, especially if she's already low on confidence.

 

[MzLyn23]

I'm trying to determine what her motivation may be in leaving her current program, and it sounds like she wants a higher level team. Be wary of going to a gym just because they put her on a higher level team.

See that's exactly my issue... I coached her... I know what she can and CANNOT do lol but I also know with the right motivation and encouragement she can be even better... I'm not saying Gabbi Butler or any other of her fave all star cheerleaders, at least not for a few years ;-) but I know she had better flying skills before coming to AS Cheer and I've even told my DH, She hasn't done a Full Extension One Legged Since August, Is she still going to be able to do it... She was working on Doubling Down but now not even doing a single, can she still do it? She was doing Tick Tocks on the other rec team she was on (she was a crossover for me and another rec coach) but hasn't worked on it at all.. So all these skills she was doing and learning (full ups, Baskets with skills ie TT, Pike, Pretty Girl, Kick and working the Kick Single) is she losing them by not working on them and I think she has realized that too when she watched the Level 4 team perform and I've heard her say "I use to do that" So i'm not sure if she wants to stay because of the 2 or 3 friends she has made and if shes thinking of leaving to see if she would place somewhere more appropriate for the skills she has or had... I'm more comfortable with her on a level 3 and possibly move up to 4 or even better 4.2 because her tumbling isn't there yet.... I just don't want her to think its gonna happen because it might not...

Found out about these clinics near us and I told her about them last night (not at her current gym) that we can attend them to see where her skills actually are so that she can maybe shake some rust off before tryouts whether at her current gym or somewhere else and also so she is more confident at any tryout and possibly has chances of placing higher...

The other thing is the flexibility issue... Super flexi on Right, not so much on left... Current teams flies with Right leg scorp.. .most others use left... she has it but has never fully flown so that would hinder her... I'm constantly telling u need to stretch both in order to have your left because 80-90% of teams use the left not the right... maybe we will see what happens at these clinics coming up and I'll see how she feels....

 

[FlexyTumblerMom]

See that's exactly my issue... I coached her... I know what she can and CANNOT do lol but I also know with the right motivation and encouragement she can be even better... I'm not saying Gabbi Butler or any other of her fave all star cheerleaders, at least not for a few years ;-) but I know she had better flying skills before coming to AS Cheer and I've even told my DH, She hasn't done a Full Extension One Legged Since August, Is she still going to be able to do it... She was working on Doubling Down but now not even doing a single, can she still do it? She was doing Tick Tocks on the other rec team she was on (she was a crossover for me and another rec coach) but hasn't worked on it at all.. So all these skills she was doing and learning (full ups, Baskets with skills ie TT, Pike, Pretty Girl, Kick and working the Kick Single) is she losing them by not working on them and I think she has realized that too when she watched the Level 4 team perform and I've heard her say "I use to do that" So i'm not sure if she wants to stay because of the 2 or 3 friends she has made and if shes thinking of leaving to see if she would place somewhere more appropriate for the skills she has or had... I'm more comfortable with her on a level 3 and possibly move up to 4 or even better 4.2 because her tumbling isn't there yet.... I just don't want her to think its gonna happen because it might not...

Found out about these clinics near us and I told her about them last night (not at her current gym) that we can attend them to see where her skills actually are so that she can maybe shake some rust off before tryouts whether at her current gym or somewhere else and also so she is more confident at any tryout and possibly has chances of placing higher...

The other thing is the flexibility issue... Super flexi on Right, not so much on left... Current teams flies with Right leg scorp.. .most others use left... she has it but has never fully flown so that would hinder her... I'm constantly telling u need to stretch both in order to have your left because 80-90% of teams use the left not the right... maybe we will see what happens at these clinics coming up and I'll see how she feels....

A right leg scorpion? As in a "bad leg scorpion" for the majority of people? Wow. I didn't think anyone did that. I guess it would make their heel stretches better - cause the usual move is hit a heel stretch and then pull that same leg over into a scorpion/scale, and it's a lot easier to stretch a heel stretch on the bad leg than it is a scorpion, and most people can balance better on their good leg making the bad leg heel stretch even more ideal. At least this is how my CP explained it all to me after her first few weeks of learning to fly - left leg heel stretch, left leg scorpion/scale are what the standard is.

Does this team your CP is on just happen to have a lot of flyers who are more flexible on their left side?

 

[MzLyn23]

A right leg scorpion? As in a "bad leg scorpion" for the majority of people? Wow. I didn't think anyone did that. I guess it would make their heel stretches better - cause the usual move is hit a heel stretch and then pull that same leg over into a scorpion/scale, and it's a lot easier to stretch a heel stretch on the bad leg than it is a scorpion, and most people can balance better on their good leg making the bad leg heel stretch even more ideal. At least this is how my CP explained it all to me after her first few weeks of learning to fly - left leg heel stretch, left leg scorpion/scale are what the standard is.

Does this team your CP is on just happen to have a lot of flyers who are more flexible on their left side?

I've actually never noticed the other girls... I do know they all balance on left and do their flexibility with the right... I did the same when I coached Rec cause it what was the majority of girls could do... She's flexible on both...

but has a needle on the right leg... like so...

Her bow and arrow is better on her left than on her right... IDK she's just confusing lmao... Her heel stretch is prettier on her left too but she's hasn't developed the back flexibility for the needle on the left and she never flies that way either... as for flexibility on her team... the most flexible girls I've noticed apart from my daughter (with the right or "bad" leg) is like 2 or 3 other girls... I don't know if this affects points during comp but I have seen other teams do it... very little but its been done.


ETA: the girls are flexible but clean flexibility of any skill is only seen in 2-4 girls at most 5 including my daughter, they're flexible per say but there's bent knee scorps instead of pretty tear drop scorps etc... and some heel stretches are a little bent or cat backs to reach for the heel stretch etc... no one's perfect but you know... My cp started as a dancer so she has "turn out" which apparently has helped with flexibility and coming from a double jointed family from both sides me and dh helped too (my son is diagnosed low muscle tone which is the correct term for double jointed-ness and he's extremely flexible for a child that has no actual "stretching" in his life lol)... (my cousin was a contortionist for a circus in her country too and I use to dance and was pretty flexible until childbirth lol) when CP was younger she was very much into bending "in odd places" i would call it or being a "pretzel" however she never balanced out the stretching so only got better with the opposite leg...