All-Star From Courtney Pope - "the View From Backstage At The Naccc..."

[keepdreamin]

Youth 5 teams have almost always been my inspiration. On youth 2 when i was little i thought to myself, if people the same age as me can do a great routine at level 5 then i could do one at level 2. I thought the same next year on youth 3, then youth 4, and finally on j5 i thought about how kids almost half our age were doing the same skills as us which inspired me that if they could do it so could we. I still think the same thing on senior 5. and I hope they can continue to inspire me.

 

[j3r4h]

There is NO NEED to argue about all of this.
If you got inquiries . . . do ask . . . but don't attack others with their opinions
If you got your opinions . . . say it . . . but dont expect everyone will love you for it. . .
We look at topics from different angles. . . what shud be happening right now . . .at this thread. . . is to expose those angles so that the world can see. . .
Let us be done with the arguing.
Just saying

 

[PghxCheer2]

I disagree that the WC vs. CEA was a bad thing to bring up. Is she opening a can of worms? yes. Is it an important can of worms to open? absolutely. It brings out the "politics" that everyone always speaks of. If you have constantly been beat by a team, then you finally get good enough and beat them and all of a sudden they decide to change the rules, I'd be upset too. I guess my biggest discrepancy on this issue is if you are going to eliminate or restrict youth 5, you need to eliminate or restrict ALL athletes that age doing level 5 skills. A 7 or 9 or 11 year old on a junior team shouldn't be allowed to double if a 7 or 9 or 11 year old on a youth team can't. I bet there is just as many youth aged kids on junior 5 teams from lesser known gyms, or just gyms without youth 5, that have doubles and practice or compete them constantly, yet nobody wants to put a bottom age on Junior 5? Not once have I seen that get much discussion. I think regardless of what you do with this division, coaches will still be hesitant to put out a youth 5, not because they think it's dangerous, but because "CEA is in that division" or "Rays is in that division". I see plenty of Senior teams go level 5 because they have 1 double and 5 fulls, yet nobody wants to start a youth 5 unless they have 20 fulls. I just don't get it? And the only conclusion I can come up with is that teams would rather compete down and let their 10 year olds walk away with jackets then have to go up against the Mega-gyms. I say bravo to teams like Mavericks, Allstar Legacy, and FCA for, in past years and current, going up against gyms 2 or 3 times their size. Like Debbie Love said, if taught correctly and with the right technique, tumbling shouldn't be as dangerous or difficult as people make it to be. We do need to focus more on progression in the sport, but eliminating or restricting a division and, making those athletes do even harder skills and be under even more pressure in the Junior division(because you know that's what these coaches will do to keep parents happy) just doesn't seem like the "it's all about the athlete's safety" that everyone wants to make it out to be. There IS a better solution to this, we just still need to find it.

 

[notimeforthat]

I disagree that the WC vs. CEA was a bad thing to bring up. Is she opening a can of worms? yes. Is it an important can of worms to open? absolutely. It brings out the "politics" that everyone always speaks of. If you have constantly been beat by a team, then you finally get good enough and beat them and all of a sudden they decide to change the rules, I'd be upset too. I guess my biggest discrepancy on this issue is if you are going to eliminate or restrict youth 5, you need to eliminate or restrict ALL athletes that age doing level 5 skills. A 7 or 9 or 11 year old on a junior team shouldn't be allowed to double if a 7 or 9 or 11 year old on a youth team can't. I bet there is just as many youth aged kids on junior 5 teams from lesser known gyms, or just gyms without youth 5, that have doubles and practice or compete them constantly, yet nobody wants to put a bottom age on Junior 5? Not once have I seen that get much discussion. I think regardless of what you do with this division, coaches will still be hesitant to put out a youth 5, not because they think it's dangerous, but because "CEA is in that division" or "Rays is in that division". I see plenty of Senior teams go level 5 because they have 1 double and 5 fulls, yet nobody wants to start a youth 5 unless they have 20 fulls. I just don't get it? And the only conclusion I can come up with is that teams would rather compete down and let their 10 year olds walk away with jackets then have to go up against the Mega-gyms. I say bravo to teams like Mavericks, Allstar Legacy, and FCA for, in past years and current, going up against gyms 2 or 3 times their size. Like Debbie Love said, if taught correctly and with the right technique, tumbling shouldn't be as dangerous or difficult as people make it to be. We do need to focus more on progression in the sport, but eliminating or restricting a division and, making those athletes do even harder skills and be under even more pressure in the Junior division(because you know that's what these coaches will do to keep parents happy) just doesn't seem like the "it's all about the athlete's safety" that everyone wants to make it out to be. There IS a better solution to this, we just still need to find it.

Who ever said that WC wanted to change it? Just because they agree with it doesn't mean they initiated it.

 

[CharlotteASMom]

Didn't I read that the Rays staff support a restriction for Youth 5?

 

[cheer2win]

There has been no 'safety change' in Youth 5 in the past few years. The real truth is that WC cannot consistantly compete and win in that division.....So they don't want anyone else there. Simple as that.

 

[rallycat97]

There has been no 'safety change' in Youth 5 in the past few years. The real truth is that WC cannot consistantly compete and win in that division.....So they don't want anyone else there. Simple as that.

Uh oh...... get ready...............................

 

[notimeforthat]

There has been no 'safety change' in Youth 5 in the past few years. The real truth is that WC cannot consistantly compete and win in that division.....So they don't want anyone else there. Simple as that.

You are free to post your opinion on this board. Constant calling out of a gym that DID NOT PROPOSE the rule change is really not called for. I don't see anyone mentioning ECE or Rays who also were at the conference and have youth 5 teams.
The constant attack of WC really makes teal look very green.

 

[supertwink]

There has been no 'safety change' in Youth 5 in the past few years. The real truth is that WC cannot consistantly compete and win in that division.....So they don't want anyone else there. Simple as that.

I stand by my earlier comment, it's the adults in this sport are who are ruining it for all of these kids. The kids just want to compete and make friends and travel and yes, win, but there are so many other lessons to be learned. Please, think long and hard before you make a judgement on an entire organization. My daughter has friends at CEA, as well as Twisters, Rays, ECE, GBE, the list is endless...if the parents would just follow the examples that the children set, it would be a much more pleasant season.

 

[CharlotteASMom]

Well I looked back and there are posts that say Roger, Kingston, and KB support a restriction on Youth 5. If I have this wrong please correct me because I dpn't want to post misinformation.

For the sake of argument, let's assume WC initiated this. Why does Rays support it as well? Do they think their Y5 can't compete with YE either? I've never really known Rays to jump on a band wagon.

 

[specialtpass]

There has been no 'safety change' in Youth 5 in the past few years. The real truth is that WC cannot consistantly compete and win in that division.....So they don't want anyone else there. Simple as that.

I am appreciating all the diverse opinions on this subject. WC has no problem fielding a Youth 5 team year after year. I'm curious why you believe they would want ta abandon what appears to be a sure thing in terms of income?

 

[PghxCheer2]

Who ever said that WC wanted to change it? Just because they agree with it doesn't mean they initiated it.

By "they" I didn't mean World Cup individually, I meant the supporters of the elimination/restriction as a whole. I used them as an example because they are a) the called out team in the post I was referring to, and b) supporters of the division for years. I just want to see solid facts that a substantial amount of athletes are in fact burning out and injuring themselves before those claims are made. And not due to bad coaching, but simply because the skills are too hard. Burning out and just getting bored with the sport are two TOTALLY different things in my opinion. I think a lot of the "burnouts" were really just athletic 9 and 10 year old kids who wanted to try a different sport. I've played tons of different sports growing up and some days I just woke up and didn't want to do it anymore. Cheer being one of them. My parents let me finish the season and I tried something new the next year. I enjoy being a spectator a lot better

 

[supertwink]

By "they" I didn't mean World Cup individually, I meant the supporters of the elimination/restriction as a whole. I used them as an example because they are a) the called out team in the post I was referring to, and b) supporters of the division for years. I just want to see solid facts that a substantial amount of athletes are in fact burning out and injuring themselves before those claims are made. And not due to bad coaching, but simply because the skills are too hard. Burning out and just getting bored with the sport are two TOTALLY different things in my opinion. I think a lot of the "burnouts" were really just athletic 9 and 10 year old kids who wanted to try a different sport. I've played tons of different sports growing up and some days I just woke up and didn't want to do it anymore. Cheer being one of them. My parents let me finish the season and I tried something new the next year. I enjoy being a spectator a lot better

I don't know that I would say there are a substantial amount, although it's been my experience that if "burnout" happens, it usually coincides with the Junior age group, which also coincides with middle school and boys, for what that's worth.

What I do know is that in the youth age group, it is very difficult to be consistent with skills, especially for those children on the upper end of the age range, and I'd assume that it's due to growth more than any other factor. Center of gravity changes, and adjustments have to be made, which are easier for some than others. I know that while yes, there are "scary" doubles in all age ranges, there seem to be more in Youth, and again, I'd attribute that to growth and changing bodies more than bad coaching. I don't know what the right answer is, but I do know that if limiting the skills allowed in Y5 would save the division, I'm all for it.

 

[rallycat97]

You are free to post your opinion on this board. Constant calling out of a gym that DID NOT PROPOSE the rule change is really not called for. I don't see anyone mentioning ECE or Rays who also were at the conference and have youth 5 teams.
The constant attack of WC really makes teal look very green.

Please keep in mind that not everyone attacking World Cup is directly associated with CEA. Some of these people really don't have a clue what they are talking about and are speaking of things they've heard about, but not what they've experienced themselves. Try to keep that in mind. Some of us "Teal" people do try to keep things logical and respectful. On the other hand there are others that insist on stirring the pot. My thing is if people are going to stir the pot, they shouldn't stir it off of what they've heard, but what they've experienced. There are few occassions that I've seen on here, where people speak to their actual experiences. Quite honestly, I don't think it's a matter of calling people out. I think it's a matter of accountability and holding people accountable. There is also a level of honesty and integrity that is owed to us as customers who are quite frankly trusting these people with our children. I have no problems with people speaking their truth, as long as it's the truth. Let's be honest with ourselves as well. We are not as naive as the people we pay money to think we are.

 

[ringchaser]

teal is looking tacky, this has gotten way out of hand and ya'l r looking foolish with all the accusations. the kids read the boards, what kind of example r u sending by pointing fingers? these kids have friends all over allstar gyms, dont ruin it for them! you hate wc, we get it! let this end now its so trashy