Competition In October, How Early To Start Practicing

[Shellie Nichols]

I posted early about tumbling for a comp routine, but wanted to get a little more feedback on practicing. We have our youth league competition in October. I am already working the choreography based on my registration numbers from last season and "promised" registrants for this season. Traditionally I know how many I can expect for the season. So based on that I am working on as much as I can now. That said....how early would an AllStar team start practice for a routine 4 months away? We are not AllStars by any stretch of the imagination but I want them to look like AllStars and given the girls I have, I think they can, so long as I do my job as a coach. So just wanted someone else's thoughts on how soon to start practice and how often.

 

[TheVipersMom]

I posted early about tumbling for a comp routine, but wanted to get a little more feedback on practicing. We have our youth league competition in October. I am already working the choreography based on my registration numbers from last season and "promised" registrants for this season. Traditionally I know how many I can expect for the season. So based on that I am working on as much as I can now. That said....how early would an AllStar team start practice for a routine 4 months away? We are not AllStars by any stretch of the imagination but I want them to look like AllStars and given the girls I have, I think they can, so long as I do my job as a coach. So just wanted someone else's thoughts on how soon to start practice and how often.

Our Allstar teams first compete in October we had tryouts immediately after the summit and have been practicing since. We have choreo in a few days .. So we are already practicing for October.


Most teams are already practicing (even teams that don't compete till nov and December) so Allstars would likely have already started.


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[DaniV]

Our prep teams (half year all-star teams) start practices in November, learn their routine almost right away and continually until their first comp at the very beginning of January.

Our full year all-star teams started practice a month ago, will have routine choreography at the end of August and will compete the first weekend in December. We will spend the summer working on basics and putting together skills that they will then be able to do when the choreographer comes in to create the routine.

 

[Shellie Nichols]

Well, we are by no means an AllStar team. We cheer sideline for youth football team. We have 15 organizations that play under our "Parent" organization CTYFL, we are the Cowboys. So CTYFL has a competition for all the organizations that have a cheer program. However we are all regulated to USASF Level 1 across divisions (mascot 4 y/o, Peewee 5-6, Rookie 7-8, Junior 9-10, Senior 11-12) the restriction to Level 1 is so that all teams have equal chance of placing. We can't start practicing any sooner than August 1st and no more than 4 meetings with the kids, this includes game day, SO 3 practice days and 1 game day. This limits what I am allowed to do, so I guess the better question is How do I make the most of the practice time I have? I have already decided that cheers and chant practice can happen during warm ups, but what else can I shorten to get more time to work on their routine. I am thinking maybe using the jump portions and dance portions as part of their cardio. ANY suggestions are welcome.

 

[crazzyeyesassypants]

Well, we are by no means an AllStar team. We cheer sideline for youth football team. We have 15 organizations that play under our "Parent" organization CTYFL, we are the Cowboys. So CTYFL has a competition for all the organizations that have a cheer program. However we are all regulated to USASF Level 1 across divisions (mascot 4 y/o, Peewee 5-6, Rookie 7-8, Junior 9-10, Senior 11-12) the restriction to Level 1 is so that all teams have equal chance of placing. We can't start practicing any sooner than August 1st and no more than 4 meetings with the kids, this includes game day, SO 3 practice days and 1 game day. This limits what I am allowed to do, so I guess the better question is How do I make the most of the practice time I have? I have already decided that cheers and chant practice can happen during warm ups, but what else can I shorten to get more time to work on their routine. I am thinking maybe using the jump portions and dance portions as part of their cardio. ANY suggestions are welcome.

Do you guys tumble? Around our area it seems like Rec/pop warner struggles with their tumbling, I know some rent space from All Stars gym and that really seems to help, I think you are in the right track because you seem to have a plan, I think it really helps to have a schedule and try to stick to it as much as possible.
Also if you guys do tumble you can use that as their cardio also.


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[Shellie Nichols]

yes we tumble, we have our own mats that we roll out and roll up when we finish practice. We are working on our skills though. We can CW, FR, BR, some have RO and BWO. I am working on the others to improve their skills and go on to the next set. I really don't focus on anything other than those though because we are restricted to Level 1 and cannot do more than those skills listed.

 

[Perkyninjamomma]

Can you have a local all star gym do a choreo camp? Just a one day camp to really get a jump start? Help with technique and motions? Our gym has a community service committee. All girls have to volunteer at something through the year and all seniors are required to do a project to be eligible for the gym scholarships


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[Shellie Nichols]

I worked with a gym last season but turned out to be not such a great thing. We felt like our teams got minimal attention during our time. We paid to have an hour with the coaches but they routinely would give our team a skill, show it to them once or twice then tell them "now you work on that and I'll come check on you in a minute" THEN they would call in girls from their elite team and work with them. Eventually the coach would come back and it would be like 5 min left of our hour and coach would be like "oops" looks like we ran out of time, we'll work on such and such next week. In the end I ended up learning the Rookie routine and coached it at our practice facility and one of my parent helpers learned the Junior routine and helped teach that, as it was my Junior squad didn't even learn their last 5 eight counts until the NIGHT BEFORE competition!!!! They did place though in 3rd so that's something. But now our league funds are in short supply so I am doing most of this alone with help from other volunteer coaches.

 

[GCJess22]

I coached a highly successful youth team for 4 years. The small time frame to learn the routine is very difficult!

In my opinion, the best course of action that I learned was to be super organized. I think what you are doing with choreographing the routine before the season even begins is great! All- Star and youth are much different because the athletes are all at such different skill and physical ability levels. Begin the season knowing what skills your team needs or wants to accomplish. Set the goal high! Spend the first 2-3 practices getting to know each athletes skill level by jumping, working stunting and tumbling. Then begin the routine. Go into each practice with every 8 count decided and their formations for every section mapped out already, place the athletes, and teach the sequences. As for conditioning, implement it into the last 10-15 mins of their practice time.

My goal was to always have the entire routine learned by September and doing full outs multiple times at each practice the entire month of September up until their first competition in October. We did begin practice in July but I believe that if you go in with a plan, it will all work out just fine [emoji4] Good luck!


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[Shellie Nichols]

So looked at new rules...would a kneeling liberty with a base and spot be allowed, surely it is legal. What if it pops down and back up to arabesque? Is that okay?

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[Shellie Nichols]

I coached a highly successful youth team for 4 years. The small time frame to learn the routine is very difficult!

In my opinion, the best course of action that I learned was to be super organized. I think what you are doing with choreographing the routine before the season even begins is great! All- Star and youth are much different because the athletes are all at such different skill and physical ability levels. Begin the season knowing what skills your team needs or wants to accomplish. Set the goal high! Spend the first 2-3 practices getting to know each athletes skill level by jumping, working stunting and tumbling. Then begin the routine. Go into each practice with every 8 count decided and their formations for every section mapped out already, place the athletes, and teach the sequences. As for conditioning, implement it into the last 10-15 mins of their practice time.

My goal was to always have the entire routine learned by September and doing full outs multiple times at each practice the entire month of September up until their first competition in October. We did begin practice in July but I believe that if you go in with a plan, it will all work out just fine [emoji4] Good luck!


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Thanks! I am lucky in that 99% of the girls I have also go to tumbling classes, so that helps. I have also been coaching them since they were 4 and 5 yrs old. So thankfully I already have a pretty good idea of what they are able to do now and what I can get them to by September. The wild cards are going to be any new kiddos. But my philosophy is to "coach them up" so that's what I 'll do and then we'll see[emoji4]

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