Jr. teams at worlds

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I agree, I feel like there are a lot of talented young kids but at the same time when they are so young going to worlds i don't think it's the same as going when you are older
 
I feel that juniors can definitely wait until they are 12 to go to worlds. Yes there are amazingly talented 9, 10, 11 year olds out there but they can compete now at All levels or US finals and that can be their "worlds". Which one of those 2 will be the more popular choice this year for those junior 5 team I'm not sure. I feel that they need something to look forward to. After winning 2 world championships at the age of 10 and 11, what's the motivating factor to continue?
 
They took the jr division out at worlds to give the younger athletes something more to look forward to, once they've arrived at the high level. (sr.)
 
I agree with Tyler.. Worlds should be a privilege.. it's bad enough that everyone and their mother can get a bid passed down to them, once all the actual good teams get them. Then, we all have to sit through hours of terrible "level 5" teams like Top Notch and FCA Rubies.. Sorry, those teams shouldn't even be in the same state as Top Gun, Stingrays, California, or even Orlando All Stars. Not everyone gets to go to the Olympics, so not everyone should get to go to Worlds.. Yes, some of the junior girls are just as good as the senior teams, but there are age requirements for the Olympics, and nobody complains about that. I think Jr. Worlds would be a cool idea, but I definitely think that Worlds should be reserved for THE best senior level teams.
 
Wow.. really well said! I'm going to go out on a limb here, but as long as we're being honest- Special needs should not go to world. Now, I understand it is important to recognize special needs (and every competition should), however, worlds is not about that. There are no special needs at the olympics, and there shouldn't be at worlds. P.s.. Agreed with the level 5 teams that shouldn't be there. I have no idea how those teams got a bid. You're exactly right- worlds should be reserved for the best senior level teams.
 
This is the newbie section so no one gets blasted, but I want to point a few things out.

Teams at any gym in the country work hard just for the right to go to Worlds and show up. The kids at Top Notch and FCA Rubies deserve credit for their accomplishments. The Top Gun, Stingrays, California and Orlando All Stars athletes are nice to anyone they meet at Worlds, so I hope everyone else would as well.

It's ok to state opinions about how things can be better, but just like the rules suggest, please try not to point specific gyms or athletes out. There is nothing positive about that.

Finally, along with this theme, the cheer world is built around supporting a positive atmosphere. Special Needs teams work as hard or harder than most of us in everyday life, then they put a lot of effort to put together their cheer routines. Anywhere is the perfect place to showcase our support of their efforts and I am personally happy to seem that Worlds has a place for them.
 
Right. And by no means was I saying that special needs do not work hard. However, just because teams work hard doesn't mean you are allowed to compete at the most prestigious competition cheerleading has to offer. Just like with school. If you get straight C's, but bust your butt to get those C's, that doesn't mean you get to go to Harvard- sorry about it. Same with cheer. If you cant produce more than 2 doubles, or team standing back, then you don't deserve to be at worlds. Just because any level 5 team thinks they "deserve" to go to worlds, doesn't mean they should.

More about special needs. I appreciate them, and think that every opportunity there is to honor them, and let them get a chance to compete, we should let them- EXCEPT, worlds. If the cheerleading worlds is trying to be the most prestigious event and highlight the best athletes of that sport, such as the olympics for gymnastics, the super bowl for football, or the world series for baseball, then it needs to do exactly that. This might sound cold, but there is logic behind this. Now, should worlds have a separate event to highlight special needs? Sure. But this is not just another competition, and you can't intermix them with the athletes that are the best of the sport. At the end of the day, worlds is supposed to be the biggest event. It loses its meaning if we let anyone just sign up to perform.
 
Everyone is trying to say that cheerleading should be a sport, but when someone tries to bring rules/ideals/standards from other sports into cheerleading, people freak because it's not "uplifting." Yes, the typical game day cheerleader ideal was built around positivity, spirit raising, and other things of the sort, but in highly competitive cheerleading, that's not what it's about, sorry.. Girls don't join all star teams because they want to spread smiles across America, so I really don't think that should be a standard for a highly competitive event. The standard should be about the skill level. Think about it.. There is some track athlete at some high school, that's running a 6 minute mile.. He's probably working really hard to make those 6 minutes.. Struggling to keep his pace without losing his breath, having to walk around in circles with his hands above his head to get his heart rate back down when he's finished. If it were easy for him to make 6 minutes, he'd probably be running a 5 minute mile.. Nobody would flip out if I said, "He shouldn't be in the Olympics." Why? Because he SHOULDN'T.. There are standards.. Does that kid deserve a chance to compete at other high level competitions? Yeah, sure.. He's pretty good at what he does.. Does he deserve to be in the Olympics? No.. Absolutely not.. He'd get smashed in a 1600 race at the Olympics, where the average time is barely over 4 minutes..

So my question is: Why would people agree with me when I say that the kid running a 6 minute mile shouldn't be in the Olympics, but 100% disagree when I say that a team that doesn't have more than 3 doubles shouldn't be at Worlds? Oh, because we're cheeeeeerleaders, and cheerleaders have feelings, and shouldn't be told that they aren't at the talent level of the best teams in the nation/world.

EVERYONE works hard.. There probably is not a single gym in this country that would say they don't work hard.. That doesn't mean that they should all be competing in this so-called "cheerleading olympics."

If you look at most sports in the Olympics, the scores/times are usually pretty close.. There aren't often countries or athletes that come in expecting to get last.. Why? Because EVERY athlete/team at the Olympics is the cream of the crop.. They expect to win, or at least come close. There are no randoms that slipped through the cracks because they "worked hard" and "deserve" to be there.. The teams that go to worlds KNOWING they have no chance of contending for even top 10 shouldn't be there. You cannot consider yourself to be among the best of the best, if you genuinely know that more than half the teams there will be leaps and bounds more talented. It is what it is.. If cheerleaders want to be recognized and respected as a sport, they need to sack up and be able to take it, when someone says they just aren't good enough yet.
 
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