All-Star It Is That Time Of Year...tryouts!

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

This is going to sound harsh but if you are a parent:

Stay in your lane.

Worry about YOUR athlete.

Do not obsess over/concern yourself with other kids and their skills, levels, etc.

I was just hanging out with the MS comp cheer coach who had a mom ask: "Do you know which 7th graders can already fly in a lib? In particular do you know if Meredith ____, McKenna ___ and Carly ___ can?"

Now I can see if you are friends with some moms from the team your kid wants and they give you a general scoop like "Everyone on R5 this past season already had their 2 to full." Or "all the incoming 6th graders can base libs." But going out of your way to scout out specific skills from specific kids is a bit much.

It's easy to get caught up in the comparison trap of:

"Do all the other 8th grade flyers have their half up lib? Omg she doesn't. We need to start privates."

"How many Y2s are working their tuck? She doesn't have hers yet. Ahhh!"

"Looks like everyone trying to make J5 takes privates with Jim. That's it. We're booking him 2x a week."

Don't worry about what tumbling your kid's friends have. What everyone her age has. What everyone on her team from last season can do. Which class they're enrolled in. Who they take privates with. Focus on your child.

 

[emo_wifey]

CP tries out on Monday, and then practice groups for I think 6 weeks this year. I'm only slightly stressed because we're both tired of the prep scene, and last year when I thought she would be on an AS team they asked her to move back to prep. Partly because she was still tiny aged and they needed her, but also she wasn't as coordinated as the other minis and didn't have her BWO yet. She still doesn't have her BWO [emoji24] but she has matured a lot (I think) in the last year.

 

[driverto6]

I have not commented much on tryouts for my (HS Varsity) team this year as I've really switched things up and it has ruffled feathers.

I can tell you that people start to freak out when you go from a traditional tryout model (with clinics leading up to it) to more of an "evaluation throughout your clinic week and open gyms and results on Saturday" model.

What they don't realize is that I've/we've ALWAYS been watching during the week, just that now, what I/we see affects whether you'll make it.

You can't give half an effort all week, then wow me on Saturday anymore. You also cannot chuck your tuck that day, get lucky, and get full points for tumbling. It requires sustained effort now and that makes athletes and parents uncomfortable. But it gives us all a better picture of a candidates:

*true abilities.
*true coachability (for the incoming girls I have never coached.)
*ability to be a team player.

On a sidenote: coupled with changes in the process, at least 80% of this year's JV is doing Varsity evals and trying to move up. Background: JV and Varsity are by skill and not grade. They also have separate eval weeks. JV is sideline only with one comp and exhibitions so it is a true JV (meant for those who maybe are gaining experience.) It is also tumbling optional. A third of them come onto the team with a BHS but there are many girls who come onto JV in 9th with no tumbling and work super hard over the next 2 years to prep for Varsity. This year, there are some hard working girls going into 10th and 11th who are HUNGRY to move up and have been taking privates and classes to get their tuck or series running to tuck. I've seen a few of them at JV BB and they're solid. Solid enough to knock off a few of my veterans. Esp. a few who have actually LOST skills since our last comp. Ex: I have one coming back from an injury who has had an off/on mental block since her return, and is now not tumbling at all. This is going to be interesting.

Curious how you evaluate the 'coming off an injury' kids? I watched my daughter's HS tryouts yesterday. That's typically never allowed, but we are starting at a brand new school and the building isn't finished so tryouts were held at a local cheer gym and the parent room is open due to classes...so many HS parents watched.

I noticed one of the girls trying out for Varsity did no tumbling at all. She had a knee injury last September and apparently still is not tumbling. Her cheer was fine, her dance was fine. She is tall and strong and my daughter says she's the best back spot trying out. So...does she get put on Varsity with no tumbling at all? It's been quite a while since her injury, so idk if she's ever tumbling again??

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Curious how you evaluate the 'coming off an injury' kids? I watched my daughter's HS tryouts yesterday. That's typically never allowed, but we are starting at a brand new school and the building isn't finished so tryouts were held at a local cheer gym and the parent room is open due to classes...so many HS parents watched.

I noticed one of the girls trying out for Varsity did no tumbling at all. She had a knee injury last September and apparently still is not tumbling. Her cheer was fine, her dance was fine. She is tall and strong and my daughter says she's the best back spot trying out. So...does she get put on Varsity with no tumbling at all? It's been quite a while since her injury, so idk if she's ever tumbling again??

Everyone handles injuries differently. Some people score based on the tumbling they HAD pre-injury.

I will tell you that I do not.

Not to sound harsh, but pre-injury tumbling is not guaranteed to return so I can't count on it. I score them just like every other athlete. If you have no tumbling, I can't score it. That means that that person gets a zero for tumbling if they do not tumble at all during evals. I can't hold a spot for an athlete based on tumbling they USED to have. This particular athlete will probably be encouraged to tryout for sideline as tumbling is optional for that.

 

[driverto6]

Everyone handles injuries differently. Some people score based on the tumbling they HAD pre-injury.

I will tell you that I do not.

Not to sound harsh, but pre-injury tumbling is not guaranteed to return so I can't count on it. I score them just like every other athlete. If you have no tumbling, I can't score it. That means that that person gets a zero for tumbling if they do not tumble at all during evals. I can't hold a spot for an athlete based on tumbling they USED to have. This particular athlete will probably be encouraged to tryout for sideline as tumbling is optional for that.

That's what I had expected she was doing...but my daughter said she was with the girls stunting all week during clinic. She is an exceptionally good back spot, but idk how having one of the team not tumble at all will affect scoring? Since it's a new school the girls available for the comp team are a bit more limited than they usually would be. I have a feeling this girl will make the team...maybe as an alternate....we only compete with 16 but usually have 18-20 on the team.

 

[these girls]

This is going to sound harsh but if you are a parent:

Stay in your lane.

Worry about YOUR athlete.

Do not obsess over/concern yourself with other kids and their skills, levels, etc.

I was just hanging out with the MS comp cheer coach who had a mom ask: "Do you know which 7th graders can already fly in a lib? In particular do you know if Meredith ____, McKenna ___ and Carly ___ can?"

Now I can see if you are friends with some moms from the team your kid wants and they give you a general scoop like "Everyone on R5 this past season already had their 2 to full." Or "all the incoming 6th graders can base libs." But going out of your way to scout out specific skills from specific kids is a bit much.

It's easy to get caught up in the comparison trap of:

"Do all the other 8th grade flyers have their half up lib? Omg she doesn't. We need to start privates."

"How many Y2s are working their tuck? She doesn't have hers yet. Ahhh!"

"Looks like everyone trying to make J5 takes privates with Jim. That's it. We're booking him 2x a week."

Don't worry about what tumbling your kid's friends have. What everyone her age has. What everyone on her team from last season can do. Which class they're enrolled in. Who they take privates with. Focus on your child.

Yes. Yes. Yes.



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[mischiefmanaged]

Everyone handles injuries differently. Some people score based on the tumbling they HAD pre-injury.

I will tell you that I do not.

Not to sound harsh, but pre-injury tumbling is not guaranteed to return so I can't count on it. I score them just like every other athlete. If you have no tumbling, I can't score it. That means that that person gets a zero for tumbling if they do not tumble at all during evals. I can't hold a spot for an athlete based on tumbling they USED to have. This particular athlete will probably be encouraged to tryout for sideline as tumbling is optional for that.

This is true, CP had an injury were she broke her arm while doing a back walkover. She wasn’t allowed to tumble for the rest of the season, got cleared that July to tumble again and she asked me to take her right away to an open gym at a gymnastics place. She explained to the gymnastics coach she had literally just been cleared to tumble again and was super excited, the gymnastics coach spotted her on a bridge kick over, CP did it once got scared and it took her almost all of last season to get over her mental block to do a back walkover. When she threw one in a competition I was thrilled for her. CP and her coach both said she had it but that she was placed in a spot where she could fake it with a cartwheel but during warm ups she had been throwing a back walkover and so her coach told her if in the moment she wanted to do it she could. It was off count and not the prettiest but her coach said she was proud that she got out of her head enough to do it. The next day she didn’t and the last two competitions she threw it at one and the other she did a cartwheel. This season she is better about it but CP says she still gets in her own head about it and then does things her summer camp coach taught her to help get out of her head. She said her summer camp coach helped a lot last summer because she went through injuries, mental blocks and dropping levels then moving back up.

 

[dawgshow]

I have officially reached the "IDGAF" stage of cheer parenting. As long as CP is safe and happy I don't care what team she's placed on as long as it's not L1. Well, as long as she is on a team that she doesn't nugget on for 3/4 of the routine.

 

[cheermommaRN]

I have officially reached the "IDGAF" stage of cheer parenting. As long as CP is safe and happy I don't care what team she's placed on as long as it's not L1. Well, as long as she is on a team that she doesn't nugget on for 3/4 of the routine.

Level 1 is like watching paint dry most of the time. Every once in awhile you get an KittyKatz or a team that maxes out everything and makes it entertaining but sitting through a whole session of level 1?

 

[cheermomforever]

Curious how you evaluate the 'coming off an injury' kids? I watched my daughter's HS tryouts yesterday. That's typically never allowed, but we are starting at a brand new school and the building isn't finished so tryouts were held at a local cheer gym and the parent room is open due to classes...so many HS parents watched.

I noticed one of the girls trying out for Varsity did no tumbling at all. She had a knee injury last September and apparently still is not tumbling. Her cheer was fine, her dance was fine. She is tall and strong and my daughter says she's the best back spot trying out. So...does she get put on Varsity with no tumbling at all? It's been quite a while since her injury, so idk if she's ever tumbling again??

If she had surgery in September.....she may not have been ok d for tumbling...or taking it safe? Maybe will be cleared by summer and ready for the fall season.

 

[BlockHead]

Level 1 is like watching paint dry most of the time. Every once in awhile you get an KittyKatz or a team that maxes out everything and makes it entertaining but sitting through a whole session of level 1?

Level 1 is my favorite to watch!

 

[omgitssydthekid]

Level 1 is my favorite to watch!

Level 1 was always my favorite level to coach!


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[BlockHead]

Level 1 was always my favorite level to coach!


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I don't mind the upper levels. I just don't understand the rules for upper levels, so that makes it boring to me to watch.

I love beautiful level 1 tumbling.

 

[Melissa Starke]

Curious how you evaluate the 'coming off an injury' kids? I watched my daughter's HS tryouts yesterday. That's typically never allowed, but we are starting at a brand new school and the building isn't finished so tryouts were held at a local cheer gym and the parent room is open due to classes...so many HS parents watched.

I noticed one of the girls trying out for Varsity did no tumbling at all. She had a knee injury last September and apparently still is not tumbling. Her cheer was fine, her dance was fine. She is tall and strong and my daughter says she's the best back spot trying out. So...does she get put on Varsity with no tumbling at all? It's been quite a while since her injury, so idk if she's ever tumbling again??

I would let the coaches worry about how to work the scoresheet.If she gets the spot,then she has earned it with her basing skills, if she is an alternate until the tumbling is back, she may get the spot while working skills on the background.
If you're that curious about her recovery, ask her and find out. If all this,is about her remaking the team without her skills, and you disagree..Let it go.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

That time you're discussing the plan for tryout results (high school) and you get into a convo about how different schools/gyms do it.

In the last few years, I've opted for email (which is what we'll do this time.) I've also done a posted list with numbers but hated having to be the one to post and get out of dodge/avoid humans.

Other gyms and schools: result/team in a balloon and you pop it, gym team reveal dinner and you open your envelope, note to your homeroom, PA announcement, etc.

I'm reminded that there is literally NO good way to deliver unfavorable news - but who wants to be the one to pop the NO balloon. Or the "Mini 2 again" balloon? Yikes.