All-Star Just A Thought…

[Amanda_JerseyAllStars]

1.) I think there should be a Junior Restricted Level 5 division with the same rules as Senior Restricted. I know I have a bunch of Junior/Youth age kids throwing fulls who just are not ready for a true level 5 but a year of restricted would help them advance and yet still remain with their age group. I would love to see Junior age kids remain with their own age group and not forced to go to a Senior Restricted just because they are not ready for a true Level 5 team.


2.) (for a two day competition) A judge (on the Varsity Score Sheet) should be able to change a team's difficulty section on the score sheet regardless of whether or not they change a skill in their routine. Why?
After seeing all teams in the division judges may score a team higher than planned based on either forgetting an earlier teams difficulty, scoring too high at the start of the division, and/or human error. Yes, they may put you into the high range in which case you can not even complain because you can not argue points rather than ranges but those .1 or .3 may be the difference of a 1st place or a Grand Championship for your team. I do love most of the score sheet and think that Varsity has done a great job so far coming up with a fair scoring system however there is always room for improvement. I really hope this changes for competitions especially with The Summit. How can you possibly score the difficulty fairly with a group of lets say 20 teams? You can't! The scores for difficulty should be able to change regardless of changes made.

Just my thoughts!

 

[SparkleSpankies]

For difficulty, judges should not be comparing difficulty to other teams, it should be based directly on skills done. If the squad wether they go 1st or 20th has all of the skills in the high range and shows the score sheet and grid requirements, it should not be based on what the team before them did. As a judge, I typically cancel out in my brain what the team before did and just look at the exact skills performed. I do keep notes on execution and also a grid of my scores in each category so I know where teams scored, but for difficulty in all-star judging I typically do not use the numbers on my grid for difficulty. You have to be as concrete as possible.

 

[hawkeye87]

I really like the idea of a junior restricted 5. It would be great in terms of development for the kids who may have the tumbling skills but need to work on their stunting or whatever. I really think coaches should try to keep kids within their age groups. That way kids can do things with kids their own age and avoid some of the older problems sometimes associated with older kids.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I kinda like the idea of junior restricted 5, however I feel like Junior 5 is already fairly small in itself that adding more divisions will spread it even thinner. However, I'm just against adding more divisions in general, there are more than enough as it is.

 

[stuntjumptumble]

I kinda like the idea of junior restricted 5, however I feel like Junior 5 is already fairly small in itself that adding more divisions will spread it even thinner. However, I'm just against adding more divisions in general, there are more than enough as it is.

Agreed 100%. Small, large, small gym, large gym, prep, etc....eliminating divisions will make cheer much more competitive. Sorry but you are not a "national champion" if you went against one other team. That's one of my biggest pet peeves.

 

[cheercurl]

Watering down a division that is already so small would just make it less fun and so much less competitive for all involved....I also think that locally and at smaller Nationals you could probably be fairly competitive with a Jr. 5 team even with just a hand full of fulls as long as you had the stunting.

 

[SuzieQ]

I would NOT like to see a Junior 5 Restricted. My daughter is on a J5 team, and we have to travel far and wide in order to compete against another squad, as opposed to a score. We are traveling 2.5 hours to Richmond this weekend to a Worlds Bid event and were hoping to have another J5 squad there, but the schedule just came out yesterday and no other J5 squad is attending.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I like junior restricted 5, except I'd worry about there not being much competition.

 

[catlady]

If they did a Jr. 5 Restricted, they could do away with Youth 5, which is basically restricted, and make it a larger division overall.

 

[Amanda_JerseyAllStars]

For difficulty, judges should not be comparing difficulty to other teams, it should be based directly on skills done. If the squad wether they go 1st or 20th has all of the skills in the high range and shows the score sheet and grid requirements, it should not be based on what the team before them did. As a judge, I typically cancel out in my brain what the team before did and just look at the exact skills performed. I do keep notes on execution and also a grid of my scores in each category so I know where teams scored, but for difficulty in all-star judging I typically do not use the numbers on my grid for difficulty. You have to be as concrete as possible.

Loving the feedback coming from a judge, however being that I have questioned some of my scores at multiple events (which many gym owners and coaches do) I was told that the purpose of having a "range" was so that the judges could give a team a higher score based upon opinion. I really like the fact that you keep a grid of your scores in each category I think that makes everything a little more fair. I do not agree though with the fact that teams shouldn't be scored based on other teams. For example, If 2 teams score in the high range but the second team comes out and does something a little more WOW I think they should be rewarded and have a higher score. This would then be based upon the team performing prior to them. Also coming from a judge I would love to hear your opinion on difficulty. What do you find more difficult for a level 4 team…. Full ups or 1 1/2 to prep level? Which do you find more impressive? I feel like it's over kill to do both in a routine unless the team is very skilled at twisting so I am always questioning which one to use.

 

[Amanda_JerseyAllStars]

I kinda like the idea of junior restricted 5, however I feel like Junior 5 is already fairly small in itself that adding more divisions will spread it even thinner. However, I'm just against adding more divisions in general, there are more than enough as it is.

I agree to some degree. I do think the prep divisions are a bit much and should not be around. I vote lose the PREPS gain RESTRICTED J5!

 

[yooolizzi]

Loving the feedback coming from a judge, however being that I have questioned some of my scores at multiple events (which many gym owners and coaches do) I was told that the purpose of having a "range" was so that the judges could give a team a higher score based upon opinion. I really like the fact that you keep a grid of your scores in each category I think that makes everything a little more fair. I do not agree though with the fact that teams shouldn't be scored based on other teams. For example, If 2 teams score in the high range but the second team comes out and does something a little more WOW I think they should be rewarded and have a higher score. This would then be based upon the team performing prior to them. Also coming from a judge I would love to hear your opinion on difficulty. What do you find more difficult for a level 4 team…. Full ups or 1 1/2 to prep level? Which do you find more impressive? I feel like it's over kill to do both in a routine unless the team is very skilled at twisting so I am always questioning which one to use.

I would assume it would be best to do both, even if it is overkill, because it's more level four skills. The level four team I was on last year did 1 1/2 to prep, bump down, full up stretch, full down, switch up, scorpion, arabesque, backspot grabbed the foot and we doubled. That was five level four elements in a single stunt section. Yes it might be overkill, but its getting the points. Lord, if we stopped when we thought things might be slightly close to being overboard, we wouldn't have half the crazy pyramids (Senior Elite-its a mad house, I get lost because there is just so much to watch)

 

[luv2cheer92]

I agree to some degree. I do think the prep divisions are a bit much and should not be around. I vote lose the PREPS gain RESTRICTED J5!

I don't agree, there are a decent number of prep teams and I believe they provide a good amout of benefit to allstar cheer by introducing kids to the sport. I don't think having a JR5 would produce anywhere near the benefit, as there would MAY be a handful of teams and it would be spreading an already thin competition even thinner, where the prep divisions aren't taking away from any other divisions.

Also, if I were a coach I would much rather be going against a scoresheet that way I know exactly what I need to do and not have to worry about what my competition is doing. I also wouldn't want part of my score depending on the order of competition. That's exactly what happens at worlds and it causes a lot of problems and controversy.

 

[Amanda_JerseyAllStars]

I don't agree, there are a decent number of prep teams and I believe they provide a good about of benefit to allstar cheer by introducing kids to the sport. I don't think having a JR5 would produce anywhere near the benefit, as there would MAY be a handful of teams and it would be spreading an already thin competition even thinner, where the prep divisions aren't taking away from any other divisions.

Also, if I were a coach I would much rather be going against a scoresheet that way I know exactly what I need to do and not have to worry about what my competition is doing. I also wouldn't want part of my score depending on the order of competition. That's exactly what happens at worlds and it causes a lot of problems and controversy.

the score sheet ranges are guidelines. Once in the range based on skill it is the opinion of the judge. That's where the issue is.

 

[DaniV]

the score sheet ranges are guidelines. Once in the range based on skill it is the opinion of the judge. That's where the issue is.

Do you have any suggestions on how to eliminate the difficulty ranges? Jw...

I think that is 100% necessary to have difficulty ranges because some teams go above and beyond what is required to get in to the high range and they need to be rewarded for that. Also, that range allows for creativity and pushes our teams to not settle for just the 2-3 required elite skills. Coaches need a reason to be pushing the grey area and coming up with new and creative skills, and should be appropriately rewarded for it.