All-Star Coed Stunting Expectations At Tryouts?

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Keep_Believing

Staff member
Cheer Parent
FBOD:LLFB
Apr 11, 2011
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I am posting here because hardly anyone looks at or replies to the Collge section. What CoEd stunting skills do Coaches expect to see at tryouts? Which skills are impressive? Do Coaches expect athletes to come in with the difficult College baskets? If so, any advice for learning these prior to tryouts?

Thanks
 
It will depend on the coach and the program. Check in with them ahead of tryouts to see if there are any expected skills required, or what they are looking for. I'd also ask if there are open gyms within their organization, or that their athletes attend and see if you can stunt there with people. That is a good way to practice as well as to get to know other athletes trying out and their style of stunting
 
Many schools have clinics you can attend and get an idea of what the team is like and what the coach’s expectations are. You can also go to the tryout link from the previous year where you will usually find a list of the minimum stunting and tumbling skills that are expected at tryouts.

We are going through the process now. As cp makes schools, she teaches out to the coaches, introduces herself and asks about any upcoming clinics she might attend as well as if there is any other pertinent information she should know at this time.

If schools are involved in bowl games, you might not hear back right away - usually once a team’s football season is over is when they start posting information about the upcoming season’s clinics and tryouts.
 
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Thanks for the great advice. I love the idea about asking about open gyms, clinics, and asking them what they are looking for. Is there an organized list anywhere for College Cheer Clinics?

The only thing I noticed is the minimum required skills listed don't seem to be a true representation of what they expect. They seems to expect much higher than what they list.
 
As others have said, there is no standard. Schools vary widely. As a guideline, schools that place in the top 3 at UCA/NCA college nationals are going to have far higher requirements for skills and "presentation" (size, looks, etc). Some top game programs have lesser skills requirements and focus more on appearance. I don't believe baskets are done at tryouts for most schools. Skills needed also depends on who attends tryouts and how many spots they need to fill - and both of those can vary greatly - the year my CP tried out there were only 2 spots available. This past year there were several and the requirements were lower than in years past. Like others have said, contacting the coaches of the programs your CP is interested in to introduce yourself (the CP should contact the coach - not the parent) and attending clinics are the best ways to give yourself the best possible advantage to make the team.
 
When we visited colleges, we attended games and met with the cheerleading coaches. We found their contact information online and they were all very responsive. At some of the schools they even had her attend a practice with the team.
 
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Thanks, CP is in 9th grade. She will have enough credits to graduate a year early, but I am pushing for her to take her full 4 years before she moves off for College. She had planned on contacting Coaches in 11th and 12th grade, but working on her skills now. When did y’all reach out to Coaches?
 
If you are applying to a top contender UCA or NCA school, don't go by what you see listed in the official requirements on their sites and such.

Go to the clinics.

Look at what the candidate pool is throwing/putting up.

That is your standard.

Ex: website may say speciality pass to layout. But if you show up to a clinic, and everyone is whipping through to OMG to double, that is your standard.

Sort of like when you're in high school and it says "no tumbling required" but everyone at clinics has a tuck.
 
Thanks, CP is in 9th grade. She will have enough credits to graduate a year early, but I am pushing for her to take her full 4 years before she moves off for College. She had planned on contacting Coaches in 11th and 12th grade, but working on her skills now. When did y’all reach out to Coaches?
Cp started this fall and is continuing to do so as she gets accepted for fall 2018. Also if you know anyone who cheers for a school yours is interested in, see if they will speak with the coach about cp and put in a good word.

I know you have a few years to go, but make sure the school she wants to go to would be one she’d be happy attending even if she didn’t cheer.
 
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I know you have a few years to go, but make sure the school she wants to go to would be one she’d be happy attending even if she didn’t cheer.

This is so important, not just from the standpoint of she may not make the team..I've seen A LOT of college cheerleaders get to junior/senior years and decide to quit or not tryout for their season because they want more time for their sorority/extracurriculars/internships/studying/working/applying to grad school, etc. When you're 15/16 and cheer is your whole life it's hard to imagine your life without it, but once you get a taste of the real world and all of the opportunities out there for you, a lot of kids do realize there are other things just as fulfilling as cheer. But without cheer, will she still love being a student at "XYZ University," proud to call herself alumni of the school, etc.? That's what matters.
 
This is so important, not just from the standpoint of she may not make the team..I've seen A LOT of college cheerleaders get to junior/senior years and decide to quit or not tryout for their season because they want more time for their sorority/extracurriculars/internships/studying/working/applying to grad school, etc. When you're 15/16 and cheer is your whole life it's hard to imagine your life without it, but once you get a taste of the real world and all of the opportunities out there for you, a lot of kids do realize there are other things just as fulfilling as cheer. But without cheer, will she still love being a student at "XYZ University," proud to call herself alumni of the school, etc.? That's what matters.
Agreed. Also, injuries happen, and programs can change drastically due to cut funding, coaching changes, the AD suddenly deciding the team should be ground bound, etc. There are very few scholarship opportunities out there for cheer, so if you have to pay for your education, that's exactly what you should be doing - paying for the education and not the cheer experience.
 
The local university here (strong UCA School) has clinics down to age 12 at CP’s cheer gym every month or two once football season has passed, in addition to the official pre-tryout clinics that are just for incoming students. It’s also nice for kids on all-Girl teams to have the chance to try some co-ed stunting.
 
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Thanks, Great advice. We definitely value education and want a college that is the right overall fit for her.

@oncecoolcoachnowmom All the Cheer teams we have looked at don't allow doubles. They use & compete specialties to fulls.
 
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