All-Star Anyone Else With Low Ambitions For Their Cp's Cheer Career?

[Andrea]

My CP is starting her 8th year of cheer and is on her 3rd year of a Sr 2 team going into 11th grade. She loves cheer, is highly committed to the gym and team, but tumbling does not come easy for her. She's got all the skills solid for a lvl 2 team and is a great base, but she will have to put a lot of extra tumbling effort in to get to a lvl 3 team (if that's what she wants) for her final season next year. Many of my cheer mom friends have kids that moved up the level ladder, but I'm happy as long as CP's happy, challenged, and has a successful team.

 

[IACheerMom]

My CP is starting her 8th year of cheer and is on her 3rd year of a Sr 2 team going into 11th grade. She loves cheer, is highly committed to the gym and team, but tumbling does not come easy for her. She's got all the skills solid for a lvl 2 team and is a great base, but she will have to put a lot of extra tumbling effort in to get to a lvl 3 team (if that's what she wants) for her final season next year. Many of my cheer mom friends have kids that moved up the level ladder, but I'm happy as long as CP's happy, challenged, and has a successful team.

Andrea - I know your kid - in fact she has based my Gracie in the past. She is an awesome girl!

 

[Pebbles49]

After thinking about your post and its title @alpaca, I strongly believe that the introduction of the Summit event opened that door to allow athletes to feel okay with staying on levels 1-4 for their entire AS cheer career. I think parents are now not feeling that they need to assess their child progression based on levels and how quickly their cp moves through the levels. Now progression is assess by skills and perfection within the levels... Matter of fact, I even think that the discussions and angst about flyers vs. Bases/backspots will soon be nullify too in the near future with athletes experiencing time in different positions on appropriate leveled teams. I even starting to notice reading fierce board now compared to when I first started reading the posts 3 or 4 years ago, I noticed a lot less discussions on levels and more discussions on gaining skills and becoming a whole AS cheerleader on a team, instead of specialty cheerleader... Furthermore, I also noticed the SMs are not predominating the attitudes anymore like before and athletes are not feeling so pushed to move up when they are not ready... Now, parents are able to feel comfortable and celebrate their cp efforts and not compare them to other cps.

 

[alpaca]

After thinking about your post and its title @alpaca, I strongly believe that the introduction of the Summit event opens that door to allow athletes to feel okay with staying on levels 1-4 for their entire AS cheer career. I think parents are now not feeling that they need to assess their child progression based on levels and how quickly their cp moves through the levels. Now progression is assess by skills and whether they I even noticed reading fierce board compared to when I first started reading the posts, I noticed a lot less discussions on levels and more discussions on gaining skills and becoming a whole AS cheerleader on a team, instead of specialty cheerleader.

Furthermore, I also noticed the SMs are not predominating the attitudes anym0re like before and athletes are not feeling so pushed to move up when they are not ready... Now, parents are able to feel comfortable and celebrate their cp efforts and not compare them to other cps.

Yeah, I really missed the mark with my title. I regret not thinking that through more. But it sparked some thought/ discussion so at least some good came from it.

I agree that Summit and D2 allow people to celebrate success in all the levels. Slowing down progression through the levels and not rushing through them could also have the added benefit of reducing injuries. I wish there was some data available for that.

 

[sniffles1973]

My CP started tumbling at the gym when she was 11. They did a summer cheer skills program that year and she begged us to let her go. She fell in love with the sport and after more begging she tried out for the team. (That gym did try-outs in Aug.) This was a very small gym and there were only two teams mini 2 and junior 4. So she was a level 1 on a level 4 team. She struggled all year to at least get her BHS and finally towards the end of the season she got it. She thought next season will be better so she still stuck with it and worked all summer on her skills. By try-out time she is a strong level 2 well that year they decided to only have one team and it was a youth 2. So she did individuals that year, hated every minute of it, and helped coached the youth team, but still stuck with it. Again, last summer she worked hard on getting her tuck and the gym decided not to have a cheer team that year.

At this point I did have very low ambitions for my CP's cheer career. We had no more gyms in town so we went and visited 3 gyms in other cities. I didn't think any of them would even take her because of her age, low skill level, and their try-outs were in May and this was July. One turned her down, one offered a spot maybe only if she took private lessons for her tuck. The last one we went to was a small gym, but they have a worlds team. She was offered two choices, a junior level 1 and she can definitely compete or an alternate on the junior 3 until she got her back tuck and they would put her on the team. She cried when I gave her the choices, she couldn't do the level 1 because their practices were the same nights as the school cheer practice and games so she had to be the alternate for level 3.

Two weeks go by at the new gym and she is working her butt off to get that tuck. I have never seen her so determined before. Right before choreo camp a girl quits and CP is put on the team. She was so happy. She still struggled a bit learning her tuck, but she feel in love with the coaches at the gym and they have helped her so much. She had been working on that tuck for over a year and it wasn't until we switched gyms that I noticed her finally progressing. I think not only does it have to do with the athletes ability to move to higher levels, but also the coaches who take the time and work with each athlete.

This year at try-outs she chose to only throw level 3 even though she has a whip and a layout. She didn't have her standing tuck. She wanted an easy year with little stress. All of her friends moved up to level 4, but she stayed at junior level 3 and she is very happy with it. She is the oldest on the team this year and it is the last year she can compete as a junior.

This time last year I thought she never would make a worlds team, this year I think she might have a chance if she keeps working the way she is working now which since it is summer we are at the gym 4 nights out of the week. She has 5 more years and she just might make it. I could care less if she does as long as she is happy and not coming out of the gym in tears

 

[mamabear]

To be honest , there are days I am fine with whatever my CP's progression is and other days I get sad/ disappointed/ frustrated that so much time and effort don't yield the same results as so many others seem to get fairly easily. We are at a Worlds Gym that has multiple teams. CP has big dreams of wanting to be on our most elite team and supersenioring on what is probably the hardest team to make. She also wants to cheer at a top ten college and then return to our current gym and coach. Big dreams for an eleven year old who has cheered all star for six years and is "only" level two . It could happen, but it might not. The only goal that I have complete faith in is that she will coach someday if she still wants to when she is old enough.

Am I being a negative parent by admitting she might not make level 5? Or delusional for thinking her dreams will happen? All I can do is support her and encourage her. And try to keep my Susie-ness at bay. We make the sacrifices to get her to the best gym that will help her achieve her goals - now it is on her I am just her cheerleader and chauffeur


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[mamabear]

Combined posts above - sorry

 

[luluscamom]

To be honest , there are days I am fine with whatever my CP's progression is and other days I get sad/ disappointed/ frustrated that so much time and effort don't yield the same results as so many others seem to get fairly easily. We are at a Worlds Gym that has multiple teams. CP has big dreams of wanting to be on our most elite team and supersenioring on what is probably the hardest team to make. She also wants to cheer at a top ten college and then return to our current gym and coach. Big dreams for an eleven year old who has cheered all star for six years and is "only" level two . It could happen, but it might not. The only goal that I have complete faith in is that she will coach someday if she still wants to when she is old enough.

Am I being a negative parent by admitting she might not make level 5? Or delusional for thinking her dreams will happen? All I can do is support her and encourage her. And try to keep my Susie-ness at bay. We make the sacrifices to get her to the best gym that will help her achieve her goals - now it is on her I am just her cheerleader and chauffeur


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My CP started at 5 and is uber competitive but AS Cheer was very different back then. I never dreamed she'd throw a full. I figured she'd burn out b4 getting there. She always was a great base/performer/flyer tried her best and loved what she was doing. However she wanted to be a "mermaid" one summer at about 9-10 years old and I didn't push her so she did the minimum that summer. The following year she had Osgood-Schlatter and that held up her tumbling. After that She was tentative and I never pushed her. She mentioned dreaming of being on one of her gyms Worlds teams but never really went for it tumbling wise. She liked having a tiny bit of a social life outside of cheer. I STILL refused to push her. I was over the moon with her level 3 skills! Then she pushed and moved to level 4 but again no huge effort to go all the way to level 5. THEN about 1 1/2 years before HS graduation she decided she wanted to compete at Worlds and cheer at a D1 college with a top competitive cheer team. Ummmm, ok...show me! And holy moly did she! Within 1 1/2 years she went from solid level 4 to level 5 tumbling. Her basing is hard to beat but her gym has a Worlds team that a double full is a requirement soooo she went for their level 6 Team, made that team, NEVER STOPPED pushing and working her tumbling and by the time college tryouts got close she was confident enough to tryout for her dream team. Yes, she had amazing coaches & teammates who pushed her to the top of level 6 stunting but it was HER that put in the work. HER that missed most of her Senior year's social calendar to get her tumbling solid and on hard mat. And she did it! She made her dream come true and is on her dream team as a college freshman. She tells every younger cheerleader who'll listen not to wait like she did because it WAS HARD. But proved to herself and everyone else....it CAN BE DONE if you want it bad enough! I paid for privates and yes I drove LOTS OF MILES. But SHE did the work. So don't count your CP out. She might surprise you. And be careful what you wish for. Because I miss my baby so much & she's REALLY far from home. Do I wish she'd stayed at the D1 school 2 hours from home SIIIGH, NO. That would have been OK for her but not her dream. She's living her dream and after all THAT'S why we put in 13 years with AS Cheer FOR HER. So level 3 or level 6 I'm proud of her years cheering AND summers of being a mermaid. And most proud that we gave her the opportunity to be part of a sport & with coaches that helped to instill the values in her that enabled her to have the confidence, determination and work ethic to make her improbable dreams come true.


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[lifeoftheparty]

To be honest , there are days I am fine with whatever my CP's progression is and other days I get sad/ disappointed/ frustrated that so much time and effort don't yield the same results as so many others seem to get fairly easily. We are at a Worlds Gym that has multiple teams. CP has big dreams of wanting to be on our most elite team and supersenioring on what is probably the hardest team to make. She also wants to cheer at a top ten college and then return to our current gym and coach. Big dreams for an eleven year old who has cheered all star for six years and is "only" level two . It could happen, but it might not. The only goal that I have complete faith in is that she will coach someday if she still wants to when she is old enough.

Am I being a negative parent by admitting she might not make level 5? Or delusional for thinking her dreams will happen? All I can do is support her and encourage her. And try to keep my Susie-ness at bay. We make the sacrifices to get her to the best gym that will help her achieve her goals - now it is on her I am just her cheerleader and chauffeur


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Your CP has had a rough few months. I have ZERO doubt that she will achieve all her goals. The only time frame that matters is hers. I know its hard not to compare but trust me it will only drive you and her crazy. Looking back I would have done things soooo differently. Hindsight is 20/20. She will get there.

 

[THEJOEL]

I won't say my expectations are low I would say they are realistic.
I initially had high hopes for my CP because she took to tumbling very easily at a young age and even at age 10 has a great stage prescence. Well at least through dad's eyes. So of course she was going to be the next Gabi Butler or Kiara Knowlin but that's just not true.
Even though she will most likely have the skills required the fact is we are not willing to drive to Columbia or Atlanta to even try out for a worlds team.
We, as a family, drew a line saying we weren't going to sacrifice her childhood for cheer. Time away from the gym should be spent being a kid not commuting back and forth for allstar. I know many of you do it and God Bless you but it's not something that we felt was appropriate for our child.
Level 3/4 and eventually Friday Night Lights will just have to do.

 

[5monkeysjumping]

I have two girls, two very different paths. My older daughter is 8 and working her lvl 4 tumbling. She's on a youth 2 team and is now learning lvl 3 stunting, looking forward to next year. If she doesn't have a major block or injury, I expect she will be a lvl 5.

My younger daughter was adopted from china at age 3. She has some medical issues, a severe language disorder, and some mild developmental delays (mostly due to orphanage life and her language processing disorder). She is starting a tiny team this year. If she never gets off of level 1, I will celebrate every cartwheel. She has had enough adversity in her five years than most people have in a lifetime. The fact that she is able to participate at all when she struggles to process language (any language, and she also had to learn an entirely new one when we adopted her) is amazing. The kid is my hero. I'll cheer her on and pay for her to participate as long as she's happy with zero expectations