All-Star Not A Rule... But Request It From Event Producers: Combine Large And Small Gym

[Carrie]

Below is a link to the results from Spirit Celebration (company owned by Billy Smith who was at the meeting) this year and how the awards are called out. My daughter went for several years to this competition and it works well. No one is confused and everyone understands what is going on. Look All-Star Level 1 and notice the high point is a small gym and also second place and beyond.
http://n1media1.files1.jamspiritsites.com/46299/14785786594ce2b814d034c.pdf

 

[Rudags]

I dont like the "two firsts" idea. I suggest that for competitions who hold GRAND per level(s) that they do a Small gym and Large Gym GRAND vs. every division. For comps that DONT do Grand I would suggest a "High Point" Plaque for each small Gym High Point team per division.

I started my Allstar coaching Career at a gym with TWO teams (Junior 2, Senior 3) and we NEVER competed small gym. We could beat our local large gym competition, and we could beat teams at bigger nationals. Im not bragging, I was by no means an amazing coach at that point in my life, nor do I claim to be now, but I was educated in scoresheets and could make my routines accordinling!

 

[Deleted member 382]

Below is a link to the results from Spirit Celebration (company owned by Billy Smith who was at the meeting) this year and how the awards are called out. My daughter went for several years to this competition and it works well. No one is confused and everyone understands what is going on. Look All-Star Level 1 and notice the high point is a small gym and also second place and beyond.
http://n1media1.files1.jamspiritsites.com/46299/14785786594ce2b814d034c.pdf

But then look at youth level 3, junior level 3, and senior level 3. Only two teams and they both won. I am guessing these teams walked into the competition knowing regardless if they marked their routine or had a great performance they were going to get first. Also this appears to be a large local competition. (Or maybe averave size for Texas! ) In our area we are more likely to see a competition with 30 teams total. At the competition we are going to this weekend the largest division is 5 teams with small and large being combined. The majority of our program is competing against one other team. Why break this down farther into small gym and large gym?

I think Andre said in another thread that the average number of teams in a division is 2.6. Again, this is obviously subjective somewhat to what division you are in and where you live, but still if you take all the divisions and average them, why would you feel the need to divide a average division of 2.6 further?

If you put some sort of criteria on when to award small gym/large gym I would be fine. Maybe you need to have 50 teams at your competition or maybe you need at least 4 teams in a division. I would prefer to go with Rudag's suggestion though.

 

[Mrs.CheerExtreme]

Did you understand the marathon reference? That pretty much sums up the idea. Everyone at a marathon is competing at the same time, all with eachother. And then after the BIG winner, there is winners per class. So this isnt a radical not done before idea. It is one done by another sport.

so is there just the ONE small gym winner or is there a second and third place and so one for the small gyms too??? that would make sense for just the one winner with the marathon reference.

 

[NJ Coach]

so is there just the ONE small gym winner or is there a second and third place and so one for the small gyms too??? that would make sense for just the one winner with the marathon reference.

There would just be one small gym winner and one large gym winner. The others would place where their scores dictate in the combined division.

 

[Mrs.CheerExtreme]

aha moment!!! i thought it was the other way! My bad!!! that makes A LOT more sense.

 

[CGAcheer]

I would set it up with the small gym high point winner and Large gym High point winner and have results color coded in order such as:

1. Small Town Allstars - Small Gym High Point Winners
2. Main Street Maulers
3. Big City Bikers - Large Gym High Point Winners
4. Podunk Pirates
5. Megatron Mollies

for awards announcements I'd say and coming in 3rd place...... and our LARGE GYM HIGH POINT WINNERS.... The Big City Bikers!!!!!!!! and give them a placement Trophy and a gym size high point plaque

there isn't 2 firsts, varying sized gyms are recognized while still competing and being ranked on the basis of their performance rather than the number of kids within in a gym.

 

[CGAcheer]

^ that system is probably the only set up where I would list our gym as a small gym.
As it is now, even though we have only 60 kids, I prefer to compete with everyone. To me, its like letting a handicap define who you are and all the things you can't do. Its saying that because we are small we stand no chance against the big guys, so lets make our own division.

I remember a guy on one of the videos from the regional meeting that was out west, who was for raising the small gym limit to 100 because TRYING to keep his numbers under 75 to maintain small gym status was making it hard for him to be profitable. That comment made my jaw drop, he is TRYING to keep his business from growing so that he can avoid competing with the big boys.

 

[Katybugmom]

I like the way Cheer America does it. We all compete against each other but then they name an overall small gym high point leader for Level 1 no matter, mini, youth, jr, sr , Level 2, etc. We didn't win our division but we did get high point out of all the level 2 small gyms that performed. A large gym won Sr 2 division. We are truly a small gym with only 20 athletes so this was a huge accomplishment for us