All-Star Curious About Tryouts

[acecheermom]

I'm curious how other big programs run the tryout process.

Are tryouts a single day/event?
Do you do tryouts for current returning athletes?
What happens after the initial tryout?
How long between tryouts and team announcements?

I'm just genuinely curious. Every gym we've been with has done it differently but our current gym is the only large gun program we've been involved with so just wondered how others do it.

 

[emo_wifey]

I'm curious how other big programs run the tryout process.

Are tryouts a single day/event?
Do you do tryouts for current returning athletes?
What happens after the initial tryout?
How long between tryouts and team announcements?

I'm just genuinely curious. Every gym we've been with has done it differently but our current gym is the only large gun program we've been involved with so just wondered how others do it.

Tryouts ran from Wednesday to today. Everyone signs up for a time slot, new and returning. They show their jumps and tumbling, and if they want to fly there is a separate flyer tryout.

After the tryout they were assigned a practice group (TP1, MP1, M1, etc.) and they'll practice in these groups (but may move) for the next three weeks. Teams are supposed to be announced by May 31, but I think it took a little longer last year so well see.

ETA: CP's gym is big but not mega, just saw you asked for large programs.

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[LateKate3]

CP just finished tryouts today at CA. Extremely organized, I was very impressed!
Flyer tryout was one day for about an hour. Then 2 days of regular tryouts for an hour one day and 1.5 hours the next. 3 sessions were offered (fri/sat, sun/mon, tune/wed). We did the first session which was May 6&7, the last session is May 10&11....team placement results by May 19th. It is going to be a very long 11 days at my house, lol.

 

[dawgshow]

Our last gym is a large gym. They had 2 weeks of clinics by age, 2-3 times a week. They would start grouping kids after day 1 into possible teams. The last day was the actual tryout with tumbling and dance performed in front of coaches. Placements were emailed within the next week.


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[TheVipersMom]

Our gym is not that big, last season we had close to 200 on teams, and yesterday we had about 300 come through those doors. I'm just guessing, I didn't actually count.

We have tryouts broke down by level-

You come to level'd tryouts for what team you think you are ready for.
You come to all tryouts for those days.

So it's 6 days of 3 hour tryouts each day each level. They put you with a stunt group, and they teach you a mini routine, with jumps, dance, tumbling, and you have a stunt sequence. You are being evaluated all 6 days. The final day you perform your routine with just your group.

We have a lot of kids traveling far this season, and we use to only do 4 days of tryouts.
We have had a bunch yesterday that couldn't make it because prom. We have a few others, one with a prior commitment to his last team, so we actually have allowed people to miss a day or 2 of tryouts this year. They aren't allowed to miss practice generally but these were all pre arranged so it was allowed for now but almost everyone is there for every tryout. I think the last tryout day is in a couple weeks on a Thursday and results are to be posted by that Saturday with team practices on Sunday.


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[NerdMobile]

I think our program is a medium sized gym (500, maybe 600 kids)- I know you said large but for our area it is pretty big.

They have had preplacement clinics available since I believe the end of April. Each session is 3 hours and seem to have just about every coach running it. Some nights seem better organized than others (we have only attended 2 sessions, but have still had team practice and class times so have observed other sessions). Athletes can rotate through stations and work on whatever they like- standing tumbling, running tumbling, jumps, conditionning. The last third a stunt station is added.

Next week are placements. Returning or new you attend your session based upon age. 11 and under go one day and 12 and over another. The 12 and over group has 2 sessions-paperwork says must attend both but parents say the second day is call backs. We have never been 12 or over so I don't have first hand knowledge to say how it really goes. Regardless of age group the sessions appear to be 3 hours each.

Our placement packet indicates a change in the structure of the sessions. Athletes will not simply go to stations and show skills. They will do 8 counts of conditioning then the jumps then 8 counts of conditioning moves then running tumbling, 8 counts conditioning moves then standing tumbling, 8 counts conditioning moves then dance. The packets says they want to assess stamina as a key part of placement. We will go to a clinic this week to get a look at what this means in execution-I can't picture it at all. My daughter seems unconcerned by it so I am guessing it is nothing much.

The last of the 3 sessions of placements is Saturday. The season ending banquet is Sunday. Placements are posted Sunday night. New team practices begin Monday. Did I throw in there every team had a comp this weekend? It is non stop cheer right now!

 

[acecheermom]

I think our program is a medium sized gym (500, maybe 600 kids)- I know you said large but for our area it is pretty big.

They have had preplacement clinics available since I believe the end of April. Each session is 3 hours and seem to have just about every coach running it. Some nights seem better organized than others (we have only attended 2 sessions, but have still had team practice and class times so have observed other sessions). Athletes can rotate through stations and work on whatever they like- standing tumbling, running tumbling, jumps, conditionning. The last third a stunt station is added.

Next week are placements. Returning or new you attend your session based upon age. 11 and under go one day and 12 and over another. The 12 and over group has 2 sessions-paperwork says must attend both but parents say the second day is call backs. We have never been 12 or over so I don't have first hand knowledge to say how it really goes. Regardless of age group the sessions appear to be 3 hours each.

Our placement packet indicates a change in the structure of the sessions. Athletes will not simply go to stations and show skills. They will do 8 counts of conditioning then the jumps then 8 counts of conditioning moves then running tumbling, 8 counts conditioning moves then standing tumbling, 8 counts conditioning moves then dance. The packets says they want to assess stamina as a key part of placement. We will go to a clinic this week to get a look at what this means in execution-I can't picture it at all. My daughter seems unconcerned by it so I am guessing it is nothing much.

The last of the 3 sessions of placements is Saturday. The season ending banquet is Sunday. Placements are posted Sunday night. New team practices begin Monday. Did I throw in there every team had a comp this weekend? It is non stop cheer right now!

Wow that conditioning thrown in with skills. What a cool idea! Totally makes a difference in what some kids throw and definitely how well. I think that is such s smart idea!

 

[acecheermom]

It's very interesting to me how each program does things so differently. I see such cool really useful ideas in all of those tryout experiences.

Ours seems relatively tame in comparison to some. Lol

Thanks guys really neat to get a peek inside how other places do it.

 

[Pebbles49]

When my daughter tryout 2 years ago at a gym with about 1,000 athletes, they had 3 rounds- The 1st round covered 3 days - 1st day- Youth and Minis or ages from 5 to 11, and then you come by levels, which are based on tumbling skills 1-2, usually early hours, then 3-4 and last 5, later hours. 2nd day same format- Junior and then level, 3rd day, Seniors with lower levels come in early hours and higher levels later hours. After you tryout, you are given a paper instructing you what time to come in for the 2nd rounds.
The 2nd round- The athletes come back usually on a Saturday for a day of stunting, usually based on age, with the younger athletes coming in early and the older athletes are scheduled later.
Lastly,
After you tryout, you are given again, a slip of paper for the 3rd round for team reveals. After team reveals, the coaches tell all the athletes that changes might be made and these are really just practice groups for now....All in all, the tryout or evaluation is done over 1 week and after that week, you know what team the coaches are considering placing you on...Typically, an athlete will come in for 3 total days and it did not seem very stressful...
Good luck!

 

[Cinn124]

Our tryout "prep" begins about a month in advance of actual evaluations. Every athlete performs a 1:30 minute routine at their individual evaluation. It includes jumps, jumps to tumbling, standing tumbling, transition tumbling, running tumbling and a dance. You perform the tryout routine appropriate for your level. Video examples are posted on the website showing what is required for each level. Evaluations are run much like a comp. Every athlete, prospective and returning, have to register and is assigned a date and specific time to return to perform their individual evaluations. After all individual evaluations are complete, there are leveled practices that the athletes are invited to. Stunting and group evaluations are for 3 weeks during leveled practices. The team reveals are the beginning of June.

 

[CookieMomster]

Our gym doesn't do tryouts for returning athletes. We get a phone call in 2 weeks and the entire season is viewed as a try out because coaches know what they can do. We also receive a tumbling report card for those who do tumbling lessons so they already know what the tumbling skills are (there's also a tumbling assessment during the week of practice to assess any new skills the kids may have gotten since the report cards went home).

New athlete's attend one of our 6 open houses for an assessment (our 3 other locations also hold open houses and run a similar try out process). World's team tryouts are scheduled during 3 specific open houses. There's also a flyer try out (for new athlete's and those who haven't been a flyer before but want to try it. Current flyers don't have to attend because their skills are already assessed). In April there were different leveled try out prep clinics for those new to the gym.

So try out season is low stress and pretty quiet.

In the "off season" we have 4 weeks off from the end of April to the end of May. No practice, no classes, etc. We can purchase a summer class card that's good for May - August and includes a schedule of 16 classes Monday to Thursday that the kids can attend, but it's optional.

After team calls go out there's a parent meeting a few days later with coaches while the girls have a team get together. 1st team practice is the last week in May.

 

[WinstonsGirl]

My gym does tryouts for all athletes, new or old, and you try out for the level/age. Open teams, you try out for all-girl or co-ed, and are placed on an appropriate level team. A question though, for those gyms who do not offer tryouts for returning athletes. How do you asses where an athlete may want to go (mainly open level athletes). For example, an athlete may be worlds level, but can't afford it, or may be looking for a year of less stress while still cheering. Many of our level 5 worlds athletes are looking for a 'year off', on a 5/6 team that doesn't go to worlds (ex., first year Uni but still want to cheer with less commitment/stress than with a Worlds team). How do you gyms manage these situations if there are no tryouts to make this known?

 

[CookieMomster]

My gym does tryouts for all athletes, new or old, and you try out for the level/age. Open teams, you try out for all-girl or co-ed, and are placed on an appropriate level team. A question though, for those gyms who do not offer tryouts for returning athletes. How do you asses where an athlete may want to go (mainly open level athletes). For example, an athlete may be worlds level, but can't afford it, or may be looking for a year of less stress while still cheering. Many of our level 5 worlds athletes are looking for a 'year off', on a 5/6 team that doesn't go to worlds (ex., first year Uni but still want to cheer with less commitment/stress than with a Worlds team). How do you gyms manage these situations if there are no tryouts to make this known?

They attend one of the Worlds team try outs held during the open houses.

 

[cheer25mom]

Our gym is small, we were D2 last year. We do " evaluations" rather than a tryout. You come in during designated level/ age time slots over ax week and are asked to perform all the tumbling skills you have for the level you are trying out for. Flyers do a flyer tryout as well. They pretty much know what returning athletes are capable of. We get an email with team placements that weekend and practices start Monday.


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[TealShades]

Our gym is not that big, last season we had close to 200 on teams, and yesterday we had about 300 come through those doors. I'm just guessing, I didn't actually count.

We have tryouts broke down by level-

You come to level'd tryouts for what team you think you are ready for.
You come to all tryouts for those days.

So it's 6 days of 3 hour tryouts each day each level. They put you with a stunt group, and they teach you a mini routine, with jumps, dance, tumbling, and you have a stunt sequence. You are being evaluated all 6 days. The final day you perform your routine with just your group.

We have a lot of kids traveling far this season, and we use to only do 4 days of tryouts.
We have had a bunch yesterday that couldn't make it because prom. We have a few others, one with a prior commitment to his last team, so we actually have allowed people to miss a day or 2 of tryouts this year. They aren't allowed to miss practice generally but these were all pre arranged so it was allowed for now but almost everyone is there for every tryout. I think the last tryout day is in a couple weeks on a Thursday and results are to be posted by that Saturday with team practices on Sunday.


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I saw I little video of stars vipers' tryout on Instagram. So many new athletes trying out for some of your teams. Quite impressive. And also saw 2 clips of your daughters team- stunts and pyramid. Wow so impressed