All-Star Ep Review - Uca Greensboro, 11/17

[icheer8796]

The UCA regional in Kentucky sounds very similar. I have been there 2 years in a row and I was so glad when it when it wasn't on our competition schedule this year. The lighting is absolutely TERRIBLE! Definitely the worst lighting of any competition I've been to. The seating and sound aren't much better. The competition isn't too cheap so you'd think the production value would be better. Also, the amount of teams attending continues to decrease every year. Our teams had little to no competition the two years we went. The awards were slow and boring. I'm glad the only UCA competition I'll be attending this year is the UCA Championship in Florida.

 

[BowsnBling]

This does not surprise me at all. Whenever we attended a UCA event it was the least exciting and had the least amount of frills. That is why Varsity had to buy out a ton of comp companies that actually know how to put on fun events.

 

[just_kay_today]

I agree, was kind of shocked a gym like CEA would go to a UCA Regional. They seem to attend larger events.

Well, you know that all teams have to go to locals to get their scores, jitters and mat experience before leaving for the big comps. Besides, it's nice for family to be able to see the teams in an arena close to home. But, considering that this is one of the bigger arenas in this area, you would THINK they would try to put on a better production. It really was a lazy half-@$$#% effort on the EP part. :cow:

 

[JessicaL]

Posted on the parking booth when I drove in..........$5 for cheer parking. $8 for Disney show.

And I think I paid $6 per person to get in the door.

Edited to say the reviews are right on! I was bored. The people around me were bored. I resign myself to having to go just to get the teams on the floor but.....If I had to vote....I'd vote no. LOL Bright spot of the day was stopping at Ghassan's for dinner. Best steak and cheese subs ever!!!

If I pulled in and saw those signs (and was headed to Disney) I sure would be saying "cheer" and handing over $5!!!

 

[BowsnBling]

Well, you know that all teams have to go to locals to get their scores, jitters and mat experience before leaving for the big comps. Besides, it's nice for family to be able to see the teams in an arena close to home. But, considering that this is one of the bigger arenas in this area, you would THINK they would try to put on a better production. It really was a lazy half-@$$#% effort on the EP part. :cow:

I took a team to that event about 11 years ago and I can bet it has not evolved past what it was back then. It is super close for CEA teams though. =)

 

[alexamarysouza]

I'm almost positive one of my coaches was the EP, she's the district director so I would assume so (she had on a headset and we weren't allowed to talk to her). So I honestly think that's one of the only reasons we go to this one.
No hate to UCA, but I just feel like I'm expecting so much more out of their competitions..after going to cheer camp freshman year when I did school cheer, and having such an awesome experience, you would think their regionals would be just as great. I'm praying that Nationals in TN next weekend will be better.

 

[12stepCheermom]

I'm almost positive one of my coaches was the EP, she's the district director so I would assume so (she had on a headset and we weren't allowed to talk to her). So I honestly think that's one of the only reasons we go to this one.
No hate to UCA, but I just feel like I'm expecting so much more out of their competitions..after going to cheer camp freshman year when I did school cheer, and having such an awesome experience, you would think their regionals would be just as great. I'm praying that Nationals in TN next weekend will be better.

I stalked some YouTube videos from last year just try try and see the venue and set up for Sevierville. At the very least it has a raised stage and the lights are off with stage lighting, so that's a big improvement already. Can't really tell anything else. I'm looking forward to the performance order, from the video list has teams we really haven't seen before so maybe well get to meet some new gyms if the same people are coming back.

 

[alexamarysouza]

I stalked some YouTube videos from last year just try try and see the venue and set up for Sevierville. At the very least it has a raised stage and the lights are off with stage lighting, so that's a big improvement already. Can't really tell anything else. I'm looking forward to the performance order, from the video list has teams we really haven't seen before so maybe well get to meet some new gyms if the same people are coming back.

that's a plus! I was going to be a little upset if the stage wasn't national style. That makes me more excited for this one!!

 

[xtremeteal4life]

Posted on the parking booth when I drove in..........$5 for cheer parking. $8 for Disney show.

And I think I paid $6 per person to get in the door.

Edited to say the reviews are right on! I was bored. The people around me were bored. I resign myself to having to go just to get the teams on the floor but.....If I had to vote....I'd vote no. LOL Bright spot of the day was stopping at Ghassan's for dinner. Best steak and cheese subs ever!!!

Pfft...that's what you get for ditching me for a while!

 

[cheercurl]

Well, you know that all teams have to go to locals to get their scores, jitters and mat experience before leaving for the big comps. Besides, it's nice for family to be able to see the teams in an arena close to home. But, considering that this is one of the bigger arenas in this area, you would THINK they would try to put on a better production. It really was a lazy half-@$$#% effort on the EP part. :cow:

:cow: I just wanted to add another cow for emphasis.

 

[TheVipersMom]

I just want to add to this

We also went to a UCA southwest regional which was a very bland competition the same weekend as this.

I'm disappointed this comp yall went to actually gave out high points and medals because our UCA regional didn't. However this sounds just as boring... Lol

But here is my biggest GRIPE-

Why can NCA have a great website with easy to find info and results

BUT UCA can't have a nice decent website? Oh and I can't even find results. This is very annoying. Anyone want to help me find the results for the UCA southwest regional the same weekend just the day after this comp??!

 

[ShutItDown]

question: how long has UCA and ill throw in NCA been doing these little state/regional competitions? I never really saw anything UCA unless it was their Nationals and anything from NCA unless it was Nationals too. Cheersports had these types for a long time and I really enjoy going to them! Jamfest most of the time is the same too, Ive only read once or twice where a Jamfest was held at a bad location like a ymca and it turned out awful.
If this UCA small comp thing is new then maybe they need to really do their homework for their next ones. I only seen one prior to this one and it looked like the same set up as last years.
I would think that for some teams their just there to see how they score according to UCA standards if they planned on trying to get a bid for their nationals, but cea never attends their nationals...so...idk...it def doesnt look like anything special besides the fact that its UCA.

 

[mstealtoyou]

We went for the same reason everyone goes to little things like this. For judges feedback on the routines and to get the kids on the floor.

 

[TwistersPride]

I 100% agree with these UCA frustrations. We are competing at a UCA comp on Saturday, and in past years it has always been exactly like described. Bland is the perfect word for it. It has been suggested that you get what you pay for, but i disagree. Even paying the last minute pricing for each- UCA is $70/ athlete vs $82/ per athlete that we paid for JamLive in Chicago. The production doesnt get anymore night and day, and for an extra $12/ athlete? Give me the JamLive atmosphere and ill gladly shell out and extra $12. Honestly, the main reason we keep UCA on our schedule is that it is close and there are other good programs to compete against.

 

[ASCheerMan]

I feel like you get what you pay for in terms of comp companies... Even the best companies have a couple horrid competitions.
We went to UCA two weekends ago, and it was similar. There was a stage, but all the lights were on and the sound was a mess. My kids were DEAD. I don't think any of my minis had a facial expression beyond boredom for their entire routine. We did well, qualified for nationals, and all the rest, but performances suffered big time just because of the bad set up.
I normally think of NCA as the best competitions around, but we went to one of the worst NCA competitions ever last year. It was honestly one of the worst competitions I've ever been to under any company (sorry Justin). We were in a middle school gym with no lighting, stage, nothing. We had to stretch in the hallway. The judging was awful. If you added cheergrams it could have been a youth league/pop warner competition. But, it was cheap and we thought "well we have a gap in competitions so let's add it!"
If it's cheap to attend, they are giving up something somewhere to make it that way. Do I think competitions should be $100 a day? No, that's just as ridiculous. There is a happy medium I've found between good price and good production, but you have to do your research.

I wish there were a button REMOVE shimmies from your profile, CoachTamara. LOL

There is a production quality difference between our Classic model (like NCA Wildcard Classic) and our Regional/Spirit Championship model (normally held for High Schools IN a high school like your Battle of the Crossroads Spirit Champ you reviewed in your post). We'll never drive an all star program to a Spirit Championship/Regional, but we also won't turn them away if they attend. More or less, you get what you pay for.
And I won't even ask what a cheergram is, but I don't think we'll be offering that at any of our competitions.