All-Star Anyone Else Notice Alot Of 12 Year Old Flyers On The Floor?

[onetrupairing]

fetuses have always been around (aka kelsey rule her first year on Stars) but now theres even more. IMO i feel like certain areas like Georgia and Mid-West gyms dont have that many compared to West Coast gyms. GA has always had bigger girls in the air. TG use to have big girls in the air, now they have fetuses. it seems like its a generation thing too. kids are just not growing as fast haha

It's really hard for midwest gyms to keep level 5 teams, cheer just isnt huge here. So it always seems like we have a lot of younger people put on senior teams cause its either that or not having enough people to compete. Plus young people have *beast* skills anymore IMO

 

[Num1Stunta]

It might be unpopular but maybe not having age grids that overlap and kids having to stay within that age group until they age out would be a solution.

I like this idea, but I think we'd need less age divisions in order to make it work. For instance:

8 and under- Youth
9-12 Juniors
13+ Seniors

 

[cpsmom]

Warning, this is going to be very blunt and to the point! Please read the whole post, I do get nice at the end.
Ok, after reading through this entire thread. Here is all I have to say to you people that keep defending the "peanuts:"
- This thread is focusing on Senior level 5 worlds eligible divisions. Therefore, your daughter who is on senior 4, but would really be on Junior 3 with the new age grid at your gym is not on topic! If your daughter is on senior 4, then she would stay on senior 4 even with the new age grid!!
- The young ones that are fierce, talented, flexible, amazing, have super fierce hair flips, deserve to be on the team (right now, with the 12 yr old age grid) simply because they are great. However, if the age grid changes, then their fierce hair whips will have to wait until they are 14. As far as I'm concerned, if your daughter is that good, has that much drive, but is not 14 for you gym's senior worlds division, she will still be that good, if not better when she is 14!
- Many other sports have strict age restrictions for a reason. I cheered on a senior team that had an 11yr old (years ago, it was still legal). It was a disaster! Almost every practice she left crying because "someone was mean to her." 12 years old isn't much different. If your daughter is mature enough to where she doesn't leave crying the majority of the time, great! You are lucky and so are her teammates!!!!!

Long story short, as of right now, I love flyers that deserve to be on the team simply because they are good in all the sections of the score sheet. Not just good because they know how to stay up in the air because they weigh 60 lbs. Yes, visually, it looks funny. However, if a flyer has body control, flexibility, is tight, and has all the other skill requirements to be on that team in other divisions of the score sheet, then I'm her biggest fan.

FWIW, when I used the example of my daughter I was responding to the poster that had said that ALL kids should have to stay within their age level...not just Senior level 5's. Not sure you read the whole thread

 

[socratesofcheer]

I like this idea, but I think we'd need less age divisions in order to make it work. For instance:

8 and under- Youth
9-12 Juniors
13+ Seniors

You are on to something.

The only way to make divisions work for everyone, is to have less divisions. This includes age and skill.

 

[socratesofcheer]

That would be terrible!!! If you don't have enough kids to make at least 2 teams in each age range you'll have kids with no skills on level 5 teams or kids with doubles on level 1 teams, just because they are stuck with their age.

Then cheerleading would be just like other sports. Every player on a 11 year old baseball team isn't the same quality. Some are great( level 4-5), some play right field (level 2-3) and some ride the bench (level 1-2).

Since this would be a drastic change to the all star world as we know it, coaches, kids, and routines would have to adjust.

 

[yourfavoritebackspot]

That would be terrible!!! If you don't have enough kids to make at least 2 teams in each age range you'll have kids with no skills on level 5 teams or kids with doubles on level 1 teams, just because they are stuck with their age.

But like I stated just because I know how to drive and can shift gears and drive a stick shift, does that mean the state should give me my license early? I love my junior teams flyers but there is definatly a big difference between them and our 14 yr olds that fly, experience, body control and overall maturity.. why big a little fish in a big sea when if you wait ou can be the whole sea eyes on you? I wish my high school would allow me to try out and make varisty because I know I could EASILY but they wont consider it because of my grade and age. Freshman I remain.

 

[yourfavoritebackspot]

You are on to something.

The only way to make divisions work for everyone, is to have less divisions. This includes age and skill.

I think 3/4 yr olds should still be on a Tiny's team though! Love that age breakdown. 13 is still a teenagers with other common interest as other teenagers, but 12 yrs old arent you still in elementary school- 6th grade? I dont like 6th graders with girls who graduated on a senior team.. just wierd

 

[SharkDad]

Remember lots of this discussion is relative to your situation. I'm not defending it, but in some places they make it work.

 

[soFIERCE08]

I like this idea, but I think we'd need less age divisions in order to make it work. For instance:

8 and under- Youth
9-12 Juniors
13+ Seniors

isn't this how it used to be?when it was peewees, youth, junior and senior. and i do like this idea, though i'd toss in a mini division too. and then make youth 5-8 and mini 4 and under.

 

[tgfam]

It seems the problem is that as the sport continues to grow, you have more and more kids that are learning skills at a much younger age. Many parents have their kids cheering at 4 and 5 years old. Unless they simply don't teach the kids to learn bigger and better skills, kids with talent will progress quickly enough that by the time they are 10 - 11 they are ready to compete at current level 5 skills. However, because a lot of gyms don't have Jr. teams, the only choice they have is to hold the child back and have them compete below their skill level or put them on an open team. Many parents don't like this because they feel like they are paying for their child to progress and perform at their skill level, not below. In gymnastics, this isn't as much of a problem because you have so many more skill levels, all the way up to level 9.

Perhaps as the sport evolves, they will have to add in some more levels, maybe going up to level 7 or 8. This way kids could continue to progress but stay with other kids their age level. I don't know that this is the answer, but it seems to me that as the sport grows in popularity and more people begin putting their kids into the sport at such a young age, this will continue to be an issue. The only option will be to hold the kids back from their true skill level, or have them compete on open teams.

What does the rest of the board think about adjusting the levels and adding a few more in? This would mean today's level 5 might actually become level 6 or 7. It would perhaps slow down the injuries as well and allow for more expansion among gyms in the sport. What do you think?

 

[brittthetumbler<3]

i cant really complain bout this, because i'm 12, and i'm on a senior 3 team but i am tall for my age so people mistake me for 13 sometimes 14 years old. the youngest girl on my team is 11, she has an 8 pack and she's pretty tall for her age so we all kind of blend together because there isnt that huge difference in height. but some of those senior teams have like 7 year old flyers and man do they get some height! but it does look awkward when a senior team is on the floor and you have for the most part 13+ and you have a tinyy flyer that doesn't tumble. it just doesnt seem right to me... they dont have the opportunity like the other girls to do everything in the routine besides stunt and dance. *just my opinion*

 

[brittthetumbler<3]

also, you guys are saying have them compete in their age group, but you cant have each age group have a level 1-5 team (ex. jr 1,2,3,4,5) say your gym has a Tiny 1, Mini 1, Youth 2, Junior 2, Senior 3, Senior 4. if a 9 year old girl who would fall into the age group of youth has mastered all level 1, 2, and 3 skills including stunting, jumping, tumbling, then she deserves to be on that senior 3 team. if the girl only had some level 2 tumbling and jumping and just a little bit of level 3 stunting, no she does not deserve to be on that level 3 senior team. but say you have a tiny 1, mini 2, youth 2, jr3, and sr4. the 9 year old girl with the mastered skills would go on jr3. it shouldnt matter how old the girls (or guys) are, but if they are put in the correct team based on skill. *just my opinion*

 

[F!ERCE]

It seems the problem is that as the sport continues to grow, you have more and more kids that are learning skills at a much younger age. Many parents have their kids cheering at 4 and 5 years old. Unless they simply don't teach the kids to learn bigger and better skills, kids with talent will progress quickly enough that by the time they are 10 - 11 they are ready to compete at current level 5 skills. However, because a lot of gyms don't have Jr. teams, the only choice they have is to hold the child back and have them compete below their skill level or put them on an open team. Many parents don't like this because they feel like they are paying for their child to progress and perform at their skill level, not below. In gymnastics, this isn't as much of a problem because you have so many more skill levels, all the way up to level 9.

Perhaps as the sport evolves, they will have to add in some more levels, maybe going up to level 7 or 8. This way kids could continue to progress but stay with other kids their age level. I don't know that this is the answer, but it seems to me that as the sport grows in popularity and more people begin putting their kids into the sport at such a young age, this will continue to be an issue. The only option will be to hold the kids back from their true skill level, or have them compete on open teams.

What does the rest of the board think about adjusting the levels and adding a few more in? This would mean today's level 5 might actually become level 6 or 7. It would perhaps slow down the injuries as well and allow for more expansion among gyms in the sport. What do you think?

Gymnastics is different, though, as it's an individual sport. You need at least 20 roughly equally skilled athletes to form a cheer team, not just one person. If we add more levels with different skills, we'll narrow the skills each level allows. I think you'd find fewer and smaller groups would have the same skill sets if we got more "specific". IMO, more divisions is not the answer.



Most 12 year olds do not have level 5 skills. Most youth aged kids don't have level 4 and 5 skills. In a perfect world, there would be a perfect skill and age level for everyone, but that's simply not practical. So, do we cater to the exception? Or do we set the age grid to what MOST athletes will fit?

Keeping the age grid centered around those rare little ones who have a double at age 12 doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[tgfam]

Gymnastics is different, though, as it's an individual sport. You need at least 20 roughly equally skilled athletes to form a cheer team, not just one person. If we add more levels with different skills, we'll narrow the skills each level allows. I think you'd find fewer and smaller groups would have the same skill sets if we got more "specific". IMO, more divisions is not the answer.


Most 12 year olds do not have level 5 skills. Most youth aged kids don't have level 4 and 5 skills. In a perfect world, there would be a perfect skill and age level for everyone, but that's simply not practical. So, do we cater to the exception? Or do we set the age grid to what MOST athletes will fit?

Keeping the age grid centered around those rare little ones who have a double at age 12 doesn't make much sense to me.

True... didn't think about the fact that gymnastics is individual. So perhaps then, since it's more of an anomoly, then it should just stay the way it is. Truth is, no matter what you change the age grid to, there are always going to be exceptions and situations that don't work. I know some 13 year olds who are more mature than some 16 and 17 year olds, so there's always an exception to the rule. At the end of the day everyone will have their opinion anyway, and you can never make all the people happy all the time... that is a certainty!

 

[F!ERCE]

True... didn't think about the fact that gymnastics is individual. So perhaps then, since it's more of an anomoly, then it should just stay the way it is. Truth is, no matter what you change the age grid to, there are always going to be exceptions and situations that don't work. I know some 13 year olds who are more mature than some 16 and 17 year olds, so there's always an exception to the rule. At the end of the day everyone will have their opinion anyway, and you can never make all the people happy all the time... that is a certainty!

There will always be exceptions, but should we base the whole system on the few exceptions?

Definitely agree that you can't make everyone happy though! Lol