All-Star Controversial Topics From 2017

[AlwaysLearning]

I would like to see a rule where a gym had to register the team's division before a certain date (say Oct 15 or before the first bid events). Allow for 1 change during the season, but the gym would have to file a request for the change with an explanation why and the request would have to be approved.

Yes it may result in a missed comp or being "stuck" in a division you can't perform well in, but that's the way things work sometimes. We don't need to have rules that let teams do whatever they want to win a comp each week. In cheer and other sports my kids have forfeited games or withdrawn from comps, played with not enough players or competed with a hole in stunts due to a lack of subs , creamed their competition, and been creamed by their competition. That's the nature of competitive sports. It teaches lessons and builds character.

As for soccer tournaments, you can request the division you want, but you also have to send in your league standings and previous tournament results and the tournament director places the team in the division they think is best. You can petition to move, but your final division placement is at the discretion of the director.


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[Cheermom1969]

Why do they need to suffer a consequence for losing the whole first half of the season before moving to the correct division?

I'm all for limiting the number of levels you can move or only allowing you to move levels once in a season, but telling a gym they can't drop down to the appropriate level is asinine.

But doing it near end of their season? Hmmmmm. Seems like if you're going to drop a level because the team is struggling, you would do that towards the beginning of the season.

 

[Cheermom1969]

When stunts become obviously unsafe , you admit you made a mistake, you need to put safety before pride of staying your current level.

The stunts in 4 are the same difficulty in 4.2.

 

[Ashley]

But doing it near end of their season? Hmmmmm. Seems like if you're going to drop a level because the team is struggling, you would do that towards the beginning of the season.

A team from my gym recently dropped. They weren't doing it to sandbag, they didn't win. They had lost a few people and needed to drop. It happens.

 

[Keep_Believing]

The stunts in 4 are the same difficulty in 4.2.

The team I was referring dropped from a r5 to a 4.

 

[Lovemyoagirl]

In our state not only are teams dropping down a level (or 2) at the end of the season for a bid, but gyms are creating sandbagged teams from the beginning of the season. For example, level 2 teams are filled with kids who are also on levels 3, 4, and 5. This way each kid gets to compete on a higher level AND win every competition and be garunteed a bid on the lower level. If/when the higher level team earns a bid, the teams are rearranged so that all athletes are within the one level range required by the Summit. If the higher level team does not earn a bid, no problem, everyone on those teams is going to the Summit on a level 1 or 2.

Varsity needs to implement rules that eliminate both types of sandbagging.

 

[cherita.cheerology]

I think everyone has different perspective on what is ethical. In my opinion, dropping a level mid season if the current leveling isn't scoring well isn't any less ethical than a team that makes a level 4 team with majority athletes that are working on doubles and 2 to fulls at beginning of season.

I think that's great to spell out what's expected of each individual but what happens if they are short a back spot or flyer? Do they make exceptions? So you have 22 junior age level 4 athletes- with all required skills per tryout package. 5 flyers, 12 bases and 5 back spots. Do you tell the 2 extra bases they have to be on a lower level team or front spot on said team since there won't be enough stunt groups. Or do you try to find a backspot and flyer that can stunt level 4 but not tumble? Or is the gym large enough that there are multiple teams at the same level?

You're right. Perception is everything! I don't think someone would hold themselves back by being on a lower level team though. It happens because of other athletes at the gym. But if there was a team full of athletes that had standing tucks but were competing level 2 doesn't seem like something people would/should do.

 

[njallday]

I would like to see a rule where a gym had to register the team's division before a certain date (say Oct 15 or before the first bid events). Allow for 1 change during the season, but the gym would have to file a request for the change with an explanation why and the request would have to be approved.

Yes it may result in a missed comp or being "stuck" in a division you can't perform well in, but that's the way things work sometimes. We don't need to have rules that let teams do whatever they want to win a comp each week. In cheer and other sports my kids have forfeited games or withdrawn from comps, played with not enough players or competed with a hole in stunts due to a lack of subs , creamed their competition, and been creamed by their competition. That's the nature of competitive sports. It teaches lessons and builds character.

As for soccer tournaments, you can request the division you want, but you also have to send in your league standings and previous tournament results and the tournament director places the team in the division they think is best. You can petition to move, but your final division placement is at the discretion of the director.


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In theory, great. But USASF barely handles its current responsibilities so adding more work seems like a disaster.

Also, no one is going to declare their reasoning as "sandbagging." They'll say what everyone else says; we were too ambitious, lost kids to injury or quitting, not successful, routine isn't hitting, etc. Whose to say they're lying? In your idea would you require video review? Who polices this?

*not picking on you or your idea at all, just adding the other side of things. Sometimes great ideas come out of these conversations.

 

[cherita.cheerology]

*All of this debate is hitting literally everywhere inside my brain and is causing my brain to hurt and this might mean that I can't handle future debates as this is too much for me*

How did you read my mind? Lol.

 

[cheermomforever]

We once commented to a coach after we had to wait a long time for his level 2 to compete because majority of team were at level 5 awards winning. He said "I am doing nothing illegal". That's some gyms way of thinking and it will continue.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I like that NCA only allows crossovers to the same level. One of the reasons NCA is my favorite.

 

[quitthedrama]

Those damn parents..... everything would work like a well oiled machine if they didn't exist.....

Every athlete has to pay USASF a registration fee at the beginning of each season. Assuming gyms want to fix this problem (rather than putting all of the blame on parents insisting Susie be at a higher level) and assuming USASF can handle the administration of enforcing the rules (two very big assumptions), then the gym should assign each athlete to a level in September, which is required to be declared at athlete registration. The athlete then would have a USASF id card indicating their level, and would use that rather than passport/govt issued id/amusement park card to show their identity at each competition. Said athlete either can't cross at all to another level or can only cross down one level (this is more realistic) for the competition year. If they lose skills, that is unfortunate but they either need to stay on a team at their level or not compete the rest of the season. Unfair perhaps, but it is really the only way I can see of getting a handle on the sandbagging.

 

[Melissa Starke]

Those damn parents..... everything would work like a well oiled machine if they didn't exist.....

Every athlete has to pay USASF a registration fee at the beginning of each season. Assuming gyms want to fix this problem (rather than putting all of the blame on parents insisting Susie be at a higher level) and assuming USASF can handle the administration of enforcing the rules (two very big assumptions), then the gym should assign each athlete to a level in September, which is required to be declared at athlete registration. The athlete then would have a USASF id card indicating their level, and would use that rather than passport/govt issued id/amusement park card to show their identity at each competition. Said athlete either can't cross at all to another level or can only cross down one level (this is more realistic) for the competition year. If they lose skills, that is unfortunate but they either need to stay on a team at their level or not compete the rest of the season. Unfair perhaps, but it is really the only way I can see of getting a handle on the sandbagging.

I dont believe the consequences of your idea would be workable.
I dont believe parents would be happy for pay for the sport if they ran the risk of loosing the pre-paid competition fees. I would forsee a decline in new athletes and athletes leaving/not advancing to another level if they are prone to mental blocks.
And what about the teams these kids are on? We all know patience among teammates runs out, after a while.
And i dont see many frontspots in say a level 4, so then they should sit out a large part of the routine, making them inefficient and basically a burden to the team.

 

[quitthedrama]

I dont believe the consequences of your idea would be workable.
I dont believe parents would be happy for pay for the sport if they ran the risk of loosing the pre-paid competition fees. I would forsee a decline in new athletes and athletes leaving/not advancing to another level if they are prone to mental blocks.
And what about the teams these kids are on? We all know patience among teammates runs out, after a while.
And i dont see many frontspots in say a level 4, so then they should sit out a large part of the routine, making them inefficient and basically a burden to the team.

You are talking about a very small percentage, and I think most gyms would keep an athlete with a mental block if they were still solid in their other roles. It isn't perfect of course, but to me it makes more sense than setting a level for an entire team and making them stick to that level for the season.
Not sure what you are referring to regarding frontspots - I don't see them often at any level anymore.
At any rate, this is all hypothetical - because I see the gym owners, coaches and the industry causing the sandbagging issue more than anything else, so I don't expect there to be a move to change anything.

 

[TealShades]

Those damn parents..... everything would work like a well oiled machine if they didn't exist.....

Every athlete has to pay USASF a registration fee at the beginning of each season. Assuming gyms want to fix this problem (rather than putting all of the blame on parents insisting Susie be at a higher level) and assuming USASF can handle the administration of enforcing the rules (two very big assumptions), then the gym should assign each athlete to a level in September, which is required to be declared at athlete registration. The athlete then would have a USASF id card indicating their level, and would use that rather than passport/govt issued id/amusement park card to show their identity at each competition. Said athlete either can't cross at all to another level or can only cross down one level (this is more realistic) for the competition year. If they lose skills, that is unfortunate but they either need to stay on a team at their level or not compete the rest of the season. Unfair perhaps, but it is really the only way I can see of getting a handle on the sandbagging.

Ugh those parents just need to close their mouths but not their wallets jk jk