All-Star Open 4.2

[thetank]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I couldn't find a thread regarding this division.

From my knowledge, open 4.2 teams are unheard of in the US. I'm from Canada and it's not too big of a division, but I think it grows more every year.
What other countries have this division, and if not, any ideas on why?

I always thought that this was a fantastic division, especially for those who join cheer at a later age or have injuries (or whatever other reason), and have weak tumbling skills therefore would not be successful on an open 4+ level team.

Thoughts?

 

[kibago]

It seems like a good idea in theory, but open teams are a bit hard to come by in the first place and adding another division might hurt more than help, especially with the new open small coed divisions. The only way I could see it potentially helping is if it's used to bring college-aged kids into cheer for the first time.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

It's a divison in the uk and for the first time this year it is being utilised by quite a few teams.

 

[f5forever]

I'm still on the "Stop Making Divisions" train. Sorry...not sorry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ashley]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I couldn't find a thread regarding this division.

From my knowledge, open 4.2 teams are unheard of in the US. I'm from Canada and it's not too big of a division, but I think it grows more every year.
What other countries have this division, and if not, any ideas on why?

I always thought that this was a fantastic division, especially for those who join cheer at a later age or have injuries (or whatever other reason), and have weak tumbling skills therefore would not be successful on an open 4+ level team.

Thoughts?

We have Open 4, which doesn't really have very many teams in it. We really don't need an Open 4.2. There aren't many open teams to begin with, and, outside of I5, tumbling requirements usually aren't very strong. It's not very likely you'd be turned away from an Open 4 team (if you can even find one) due to lack of tumbling. Almost half my level 6 team doesn't tumble - and we've gone to worlds for the past 5 years.

I've noticed that countries where cheer is newer tends to have a lot more open divisions. They tend to get a lot more people involved after they've aged out, where that doesn't really happen in the US. Cheer is big enough that you're not really getting anyone into it once they're in college.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

^^^^Right.

There are folks on Open 4/5/6 who can stunt at that level but don't really tumble.

They're not your Worlds medalist teams like Cheerforce/CA/etc.), but they do exist.

Heck, there are teams who struggle to field a full team. They'd welcome someone who is not a strong tumbler as long as they can stunt.

 

[FlexyTumblerMom]

I just imagine that some relatively fit crazy cheer moms might start taking privates to work on level 1/2 tumbling so that they can make the open 4.2 team if there was such a thing - the shorter ones would aspire to fly in a prep in the middle of the pyramid.

Haha - jk about the crazy cheer moms (even though I do bet there would be a lot who would be thinking about it and the only thing that would stop them would be their CPs threatening to quit if they did - I do think it would be good for college kids who are recently starting cheer, or maybe even coaches to keep their stunting skills sharp.

 

[Ashley]

^^^^Right.

There are folks on Open 4/5/6 who can stunt at that level but don't really tumble.

They're not your Worlds medalist teams like Cheerforce/CA/etc.), but they do exist.

Heck, there are teams who struggle to field a full team. They'd welcome someone who is not a strong tumbler as long as they can stunt.

And there's probably a few folks on even some of those world medalist teams who don't tumble, some of the guys especially. Someone's gotta throw that basket in the back during tumbling

 

[SmileCat]

I'm on an open coed 4 team and I'm 99% sure we're the only one in the state of Florida besides Top Gun Miami. We're located in Pasco, about 35 minutes from Tampa, which is four hours from Miami....
We have 16 people on our team and I think 9 actually have level 4 tumbling skills. My only tumbling is a round off tuck lol. Would a level 4.2 help us out? Not at all. We're really just having fun at this point and even have some BSB alumni on the team lol.

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

As @Ashley said its more popular where cheer is newer. The UK has had a cheer scene for quite a while but in only the last year or two have teams started to be more level appropriate with the tumbling as people are starting younger now with the youth divisions booming. This means that older athletes are not making the higher level teams if they can't tumble. Last year there were 2 or 3 4.2 teams now I know of at least 5 and the division is growing every year.

 

[Cheer Dad]

I just imagine that some relatively fit crazy cheer moms might start taking privates to work on level 1/2 tumbling so that they can make the open 4.2 team if there was such a thing - the shorter ones would aspire to fly in a prep in the middle of the pyramid.

Haha - jk about the crazy cheer moms (even though I do bet there would be a lot who would be thinking about it and the only thing that would stop them would be their CPs threatening to quit if they did - I do think it would be good for college kids who are recently starting cheer, or maybe even coaches to keep their stunting skills sharp.

Or r cheer dads..... Lol


**No way that's cool aid, must be crack aid for that level of addiction**

 

[Official OWECheer]

I just imagine that some relatively fit crazy cheer moms might start taking privates to work on level 1/2 tumbling so that they can make the open 4.2 team if there was such a thing - the shorter ones would aspire to fly in a prep in the middle of the pyramid.

Haha - jk about the crazy cheer moms (even though I do bet there would be a lot who would be thinking about it and the only thing that would stop them would be their CPs threatening to quit if they did - I do think it would be good for college kids who are recently starting cheer, or maybe even coaches to keep their stunting skills sharp.

Open Silver? LOL.

 

[dat.jpp]

didn't world cup allstars have Open 4.2 like back in 2008?

 

[NJ Coach]

didn't world cup allstars have Open 4.2 like back in 2008?

There has never been an Open 4.2 division in the US

 

[notyourcheermom]

I'm on an open coed 4 team and I'm 99% sure we're the only one in the state of Florida besides Top Gun Miami. We're located in Pasco, about 35 minutes from Tampa, which is four hours from Miami....
We have 16 people on our team and I think 9 actually have level 4 tumbling skills. My only tumbling is a round off tuck lol. Would a level 4.2 help us out? Not at all. We're really just having fun at this point and even have some BSB alumni on the team lol.

They tried to field an Open 4 here in North Florida this year, still not enough interest for a team. They practiced a little more than a month or so I believe before they decided to call it quits. I don't know how many there were showing up to practice or anything. Didn't practice same nights as my CP.