All-Star Lack Of Specialty Passes Lvl 5

[YourNewObsession]

So today I was watching old Worlds videos, Worlds 04', 05' & 06'. I'm not sure if it was just me but it seems like so many more athletes threw speciality passes through to full or double then in recent years. I also think that there was more of a concentration on perfecting said skills before moving on to something harder. Thoughts?

Examples...






*I'm not talking about certain gyms, I'm referring to the industry in general.*

 

[JUSTICE]

The change has come because of the new focus on synched tumbling!! I think the individual specialty passes are gonna be few and far between!!

 

[AllHeartxo3]

Over the summer someone had a video of some gym where they were doing specialty passes and I asked this same question. Someone told me that it was because they needed the energy to do the rest of the routine, so a simple tumble pass was all that they needed to do. It's logical, but a sorry excuse. That's like telling your offense (football) that you are going to run the football for the rest of the quarter because the quarterback is too tired to throw the ball.

 

[CheerBabe8925]

ohhh Jags <3

 

[MomOf2ThatsMe]

So today I was watching old Worlds videos, Worlds 04', 05' & 06'. I'm not sure if it was just me but it seems like so many more athletes threw speciality passes through to full or double then in recent years. I also think that there was more of a concentration on perfecting said skills before moving on to something harder. Thoughts?

I think a lot of that has to do with the industry-wide race to the top, and the perception that the success of a gym is measured by the number of level 5 teams a gym has. Whereas a gym may have had one or two level 5 teams in the past, now they have 4, 5, or more. I think many posters on here have noticed a serious lack of technique when it comes to tumbling, and many gyms are willing to let athletes perform with said questionable tumbling skills because they want the prestige of getting a Worlds bid- which becomes signifigantly easier as the season progresses due to other teams having earned one but continuing to compete and the whole "passing down" phoenomena.

 

[chyeeaaa69]

I also think that the more specialties you have, the more time you spend on running tumbling, less time you spend on stunting (which seems to be where the points all lie in most divisions).

 

[CGAcheer]

I think you'll see the specialty pass make a comeback in the medium division, but it will be randomly throughout a routine, since you are allowed 30 kids and only need 28 for the stunts.

But as it is now the possible points vs available 8 counts ratio just isn't in favor of a lot of solo specialty passes.

Just based on watching the twisters vid, the stunts were a basic straight up stunt with a double down, now there are full ups tick tocks inversions reload switch up hit 4 positions then double down, which leaves a lot less time for lots of solo passes.

 

[tumbleyoda]

The few competitions I have been to so far this this year have been sorely lacking in the technique category of tumbling skills in all levels. But since tumbling is being strategically de-emphasized via the score sheets, to me it is what is to be expected. The programs that can afford good tumbling coaches committed to proper progressions and technique will continue to be strong. Other programs, will just throw the skills out there to get those points, take the hit on technique and move on. What I don't want to see is a return to the just chuck it mentality being put on the competition floor. I realize that there is plenty of time to clean it up still for this season, but still some of it is just plain scary to watch.

As has been said earlier, the solo specialty passes while fun to look at just does not hit the current score sheet the same way a group of synchronized passes will. Add in the time needed for more extreme stunting (not necessarily a bad thing) and you have less time for it.