High School Elementary Team Help Please

[mws4u]

I know this is the high school thread but I am hoping you all do not mind. I help coach this elementary team and this season we are attending US finals for the second year in a row. I would love if anyone would be willing to give any helpful advice or critiques that could help our routine. Thanks so much in advance!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

1. Work on their voices. The first couple counts of the cheer I had no clue what they were saying. Yell from your bellies.

2. Timing on dismounts.

3. Just because you have some girls who can only execute round offs, doesn't mean you can't have variety and combo passes. Ex: Instead of just a running round off, maybe a round off FWO/BWO/forward roll combo of some sort?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Your motions in the dance are really well synchronized. Your motions in the cheer need to be just like that.

I'm not sure what your division's guidelines are with elementary/rec, but possibly incorporate some signs into your cheer?

 

[mws4u]

Thank you all for your suggestions

 

[Tealxblack25]

They are so cute!
My suggestion would be to give them some motions or "flare" while they are walking to each section.
I see lots of dead time - It will make your routine seem faster and will help your transitions/flow of routine

 

[AScheer]

Clean up little timing on barrel rolls at beginning. Dips are off. I'd stress a catch and freeze count, followed by a dip count. They're all catching differently and dipping at different speeds so they can't help that they're off.

Does the opening stunt center front spot do anything before the video cuts on? If she isn't needed I would put her behind the stunt or even behind the back left stunt. If she's not assisting and her next spot is really far, why keep her up there to have a distracting transition? It's also a little distracting how far away she's standing from the group when the other fronts aren't

Can the girls transition without turning their back to the audience? Sometimes unavoidable, but I always try to prevent that if at all possible.

Do they transition with their heads down? They either all need to be down or all up. If you want down, I tell my kids to make their chin physically touch their chest to make them uniform. I suggest heads up though to give a look of confidence and make eye contact with judges/crowd. It's hard to sell a routine staring at the ground!

Jumps - work on landing every jump with feet all the way together. The snap down is just as important at the jump! Also make sure everyone's spacing is right and they don't jump out of formation! If they're moving while jumping, then they're trying to pull the body position of the jump before they finish pushing through their toes. The usual comment of point toes, straighten legs and watch timing there too.

Clean up little timing in the elite stunt. Watch flyers motions in the air! If high v's aren't going to be clean in a skill, consider other things to do with arms.

Pike jump, make them all land with heads down or up. One side is down, one is mostly up.

Moving to stunt in cheer - give them a word to set and flyers grab. They're bending, reaching, and grabbing for each other while walking. Makes it look messy and rushed.

Left flyer in the full up is doing something crazy with her arms. It's all I watched during that part.

Watch clapping in the cheer. Make them tighter and cleaner. They shouldn't look like they're trying to catch bugs when they clap! Something I find little ones struggle with!

Watch center pyramid trick girls libs. Make sure they're always straight to the front and her foot is touching her other leg.

Overall though I'm really impressed this is an elementary school. I wish our local elementaries had a team like this! Good luck!

 

[mws4u]

Clean up little timing on barrel rolls at beginning. Dips are off. I'd stress a catch and freeze count, followed by a dip count. They're all catching differently and dipping at different speeds so they can't help that they're off.

Does the opening stunt center front spot do anything before the video cuts on? If she isn't needed I would put her behind the stunt or even behind the back left stunt. If she's not assisting and her next spot is really far, why keep her up there to have a distracting transition? It's also a little distracting how far away she's standing from the group when the other fronts aren't

Can the girls transition without turning their back to the audience? Sometimes unavoidable, but I always try to prevent that if at all possible.

Do they transition with their heads down? They either all need to be down or all up. If you want down, I tell my kids to make their chin physically touch their chest to make them uniform. I suggest heads up though to give a look of confidence and make eye contact with judges/crowd. It's hard to sell a routine staring at the ground!

Jumps - work on landing every jump with feet all the way together. The snap down is just as important at the jump! Also make sure everyone's spacing is right and they don't jump out of formation! If they're moving while jumping, then they're trying to pull the body position of the jump before they finish pushing through their toes. The usual comment of point toes, straighten legs and watch timing there too.

Clean up little timing in the elite stunt. Watch flyers motions in the air! If high v's aren't going to be clean in a skill, consider other things to do with arms.

Pike jump, make them all land with heads down or up. One side is down, one is mostly up.

Moving to stunt in cheer - give them a word to set and flyers grab. They're bending, reaching, and grabbing for each other while walking. Makes it look messy and rushed.

Left flyer in the full up is doing something crazy with her arms. It's all I watched during that part.

Watch clapping in the cheer. Make them tighter and cleaner. They shouldn't look like they're trying to catch bugs when they clap! Something I find little ones struggle with!

Watch center pyramid trick girls libs. Make sure they're always straight to the front and her foot is touching her other leg.

Overall though I'm really impressed this is an elementary school. I wish our local elementaries had a team like this! Good luck!

It's hard to believe Ive watched this routine so much at practice and have missed so many of the things that you brought up. Thank you so much for all the info!!

 

[AScheer]

It's hard to believe Ive watched this routine so much at practice and have missed so many of the things that you brought up. Thank you so much for all the info!!

Fresh eyes! I always try to bring in other coaches to watch my routines to see what I can't see. I'll even watch our videos from last year and wonder how I missed stuff, but I was too in it at the time to see it. I was afraid I was typing too much and it would seem like I'm tearing the routine apart. They really do a lot of things well!! When your used to watching "struggle Sally group" you miss "what are you doing with your arms Whitney" on the other side of the floor. It's really easy to miss stuff on your own team!

 

[mws4u]

Fresh eyes! I always try to bring in other coaches to watch my routines to see what I can't see. I'll even watch our videos from last year and wonder how I missed stuff, but I was too in it at the time to see it. I was afraid I was typing too much and it would seem like I'm tearing the routine apart. They really do a lot of things well!! When your used to watching "struggle Sally group" you miss "what are you doing with your arms Whitney" on the other side of the floor. It's really easy to miss stuff on your own team!

I do not feel like you tore it apart at all, I am really thankful for all the ideas! I know some people see it as " it's only an elementary team" but these girls have worked so hard to go to US finals. I will take any advice I can get to help them