All-Star New Changes - Divisions For Worlds

[UCFKnights07]

I just dont understand why they would make it during worlds weekend, it sounds more like a better division suited for ICU weekend, and would probably fit in schedule wise better during the ICU competition.
I thought they were finally fixing the madness of overcrowding at worlds by building the new stadium and now they just want to overcrowd it again. I just think its a mess, but like all things, it comes down to money, is going worlds weekend more expensive then going ICU weekend? i know nothing about ICU fees, etc.

 

[WinstonsGirl]

I know the goal of this is to allow other countries a better chance of being competitive as compared to the bigger gyms, eventually leading to Olympics participation, but if anyone thinks that the big gyms aren’t going to field teams in these divisions too, they’re out of touch. Cheer is a business, for USASF/IASF, for gyms, etc. This is just another globe to win and put on display. I know people with fulls and doubles who didn’t tumble on big teams cos their tumbling wasn’t good enough. I get where the intention is coming from, I just don’t see it being the benefit it was intended to be.

Look what happened last week when the x-small division was opened up. Instantly there were posts about biggergums fielding teams. And these big gyms definitely have the athletes, whether they tumble or not to make up another team in the NT division

 

[cheermomforever]

I know the goal of this is to allow other countries a better chance of being competitive as compared to the bigger gyms, eventually leading to Olympics participation, but if anyone thinks that the big gyms aren’t going to field teams in these divisions too, they’re out of touch. Cheer is a business, for USASF/IASF, for gyms, etc. This is just another globe to win and put on display. I know people with fulls and doubles who didn’t tumble on big teams cos their tumbling wasn’t good enough. I get where the intention is coming from, I just don’t see it being the benefit it was intended to be.

Look what happened last week when the x-small division was opened up. Instantly there were posts about biggergums fielding teams. And these big gyms definitely have the athletes, whether they tumble or not to make up another team in the NT division

Yep one gym already posted they are entering this division...

 

[icequeen]

Yep one gym already posted they are entering this division...

With a pyramid of dream unless we are talking about two separate gyms.

 

[njallday]

With a pyramid of dream unless we are talking about two separate gyms.

That one kind of disappointed me. With her past advocacy for keeping skills legal, fighting tooth and nail to keep Y5, and outrage when skills, specifically tumbling skills, were removed from level 5 I expected a public outcry and demanding more and higher standards for her kids. I'm not being judgmental of them choosing to utilize a division that is open to them, more so when these rules were announced there were just a handful of coaches/gyms I expected to be mad/trying to change things and I was taken aback by her support of the division.

Girl does love her pyramids, though, I'll give her that.

 

[cheermomforever]

That one kind of disappointed me. With her past advocacy for keeping skills legal, fighting tooth and nail to keep Y5, and outrage when skills, specifically tumbling skills, were removed from level 5 I expected a public outcry and demanding more and higher standards for her kids. I'm not being judgmental of them choosing to utilize a division that is open to them, more so when these rules were announced there were just a handful of coaches/gyms I expected to be mad/trying to change things and I was taken aback by her support of the division.

Girl does love her pyramids, though, I'll give her that.

nothing about what gyms do surprises me anymore...........

 

[njallday]

nothing about what gyms do surprises me anymore...........

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Whether we like it or not, USASF added it as a worlds division for next season, and while I'd love to see the bigger players decide they won't be lowering their standard for worlds teams and sit this one out, reality is a lot of gyms will probably jump on the opportunity for a title.

 

[Melissa Starke]

Personally im really happy with the international NT division, it is an opportunity for international teams that don't have full team tumbling to the level required in the usasf international division to be competitive and can now play to their strength, which is stunting.And while i agree, the division wasn't created for big gyms, It does give them the opportunity to keep athletes that can stunt on a high level but have lower level tumbling, or no tumbling at all, especially once they are too old for the jr division and don't have the tumbling for 4.2.

 

[quitthedrama]

I'm not really understanding all the hostility towards this new division

It's not so much the creation of the new division - I think most understand (whether they agree or not) the thought process behind it. There are two factors that make the division concerning: It doesn't belong at Worlds. It belongs at ICU -if and only if the reasoning is to help other countries be competitive on the international stage. I am not buying this is the reason since tumbling is valued so little on the International score sheet to begin with. It is very true that many facilities in other countries can not compare to what we have making tumbling difficult to train. However, those are the same gyms who will not be able to afford to attend worlds if it is still going to be held in Florida every year. The more concerning reason is that this will be what the "new cheer" will look like, and I think that eliminating tumbling altogether will have a huge impact. Whether it's 80% or 5% of the scoresheet, people LOVE to watch the tumbling sections of a performance. It's the majority of the wow factor whether it's bounceback passes or tumbling in to stunts or baskets. This industry is on the decline nationally when it comes to enrollment. Kids don't get in to cheer by going to events because it's way too expensive to just be a random spectator. They get in to cheer either because they have friends who recommend it or because they watch videos of the best teams in the world. I guarantee that even if those kids can't tumble - it's the tumbling that made them say "yeah - I want to do that!"

Personally, I don't buy the argument that "some kids won't ever have elite tumbling and they deserve to go to Worlds". They can be on a worlds team and be a VERY valuable member of that team without elite tumbling, so there really is no basis for creating a new Worlds division and it absolutely cheapens the event.

 

[luv2cheer92]

It's not so much the creation of the new division - I think most understand (whether they agree or not) the thought process behind it. There are two factors that make the division concerning: It doesn't belong at Worlds. It belongs at ICU -if and only if the reasoning is to help other countries be competitive on the international stage. I am not buying this is the reason since tumbling is valued so little on the International score sheet to begin with. It is very true that many facilities in other countries can not compare to what we have making tumbling difficult to train. However, those are the same gyms who will not be able to afford to attend worlds if it is still going to be held in Florida every year. The more concerning reason is that this will be what the "new cheer" will look like, and I think that eliminating tumbling altogether will have a huge impact. Whether it's 80% or 5% of the scoresheet, people LOVE to watch the tumbling sections of a performance. It's the majority of the wow factor whether it's bounceback passes or tumbling in to stunts or baskets. This industry is on the decline nationally when it comes to enrollment. Kids don't get in to cheer by going to events because it's way too expensive to just be a random spectator. They get in to cheer either because they have friends who recommend it or because they watch videos of the best teams in the world. I guarantee that even if those kids can't tumble - it's the tumbling that made them say "yeah - I want to do that!"

Personally, I don't buy the argument that "some kids won't ever have elite tumbling and they deserve to go to Worlds". They can be on a worlds team and be a VERY valuable member of that team without elite tumbling, so there really is no basis for creating a new Worlds division and it absolutely cheapens the event.

Interesting. I've never considered or even heard tumbling being the wow factor for people. It's always the stunting/pyramids. For me, tumbling is for the most part the same skills in each routine at every level (I know, not always), building is where a lot of the creativity/wow factor comes out.

I've got mixed feelings about the division in general, but I will say that I'm excited to see the routines.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Random question:

With the new IO divisions is the "3 max from your country advancing to finals" rule still a thing?

Will it remain a thing under one governing body/division and not the other?

 

[luv2cheer92]

Random question:

With the new IO divisions is the "3 max from your country advancing to finals" rule still a thing?

Will it remain a thing under one governing body/division and not the other?

I don't think anything has been confirmed. My assumptions would be that all IASF divisions (including all the new ones) would remain top 3 from each country. And all USASF divisions would be top 10 regardless of country.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I don't have a dog in the fight on this but I do wonder how/if this is going to extend the weekend seeing as it takes through Monday already.

With that, how is that going to affect parental travel, missed school, etc? Especially for those who go to Summit as well. It is also a heavy season for college tryouts, proms, finals, PSATs for underclassmen, etc.

The logistics of how this is going to work will be quite interesting.

I feel like this is leading into Varsity introducing a new event of some sort. Ex: Separate IASF Worlds Weekend, Open Worlds, etc.

 

[catlady]

I'm just tossing some thoughts out there on NT, but...
1) NT could be a great avenue to retain the higher level blocking, chronically injured, or NT athletes that are now put on lower levels because of the current mastery skill percentages needed to be competitive on all levels.
2) With the current level of competition on all levels requiring mastery skills across the board, it is slowing progression and reducing the number of openings to newer athletes. NT could provide an avenue to those that become bored remaining on a level if they hit their skill ceiling.
3) Bangkok. I'm not a fan of their tumbling, but their stunting definitely belongs at World's. I'd love to them in a NT division where their tumbling is replaced with more stunting!

 

[AndyT_T]

I mean idk how I feel about there being a non-tumble division at worlds but I do know that if someone around me fields one I’m coming out of retirement