All-Star Prep Teams

[JocelynsMama1]

Can someone help clear this up. Ive emailed USASF but waiting for a response. I have always heard prep teams were half year teams. Is this not the case? Can they be year round?

 

[luv2cheer92]

Can someone help clear this up. Ive emailed USASF but waiting for a response. I have always heard prep teams were half year teams. Is this not the case? Can they be year round?

Yes, prep teams can be full year. They just tend to be lower cost, less travel, etc with shorter routines

 

[JocelynsMama1]

Yes, prep teams can be full year. They just tend to be lower cost, less travel, etc with shorter routines

so theres no regulations on them except routine time?

 

[luv2cheer92]

so theres no regulations on them except routine time?

Athletes on a prep team can't crossover to a non-prep team at the same comp and they aren't allowed to do basket tosses at any level. Other than that there isn't much else.

 

[cheer25mom]

There are several gyms in our area that register their full year teams in the prep division. Most of them do it because they are tiny and cannot be competitive in the Allstar division. There is one gym however that takes advantage of the fact that there is no rule against it and cleans up in the prep division. I feel like there should be more rules about how prep is handled.


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[Sparkle Mom]

There are several gyms in our area that register their full year teams in the prep division. Most of them do it because they are tiny and cannot be competitive in the Allstar division. There is one gym however that takes advantage of the fact that there is no rule against it and cleans up in the prep division. I feel like there should be more rules about how prep is handled.


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It may be just me but there seems to be many more prep teams compared to when my CP started competing. It also seems to be that the mini and youth prep teams are likely to be full year in many gyms right now. My friend has a child on a prep team that is routinely frustrated by the competition as some of the teams are much more advanced than the non-prep counterparts. If I was a coach of the team I would be concerned that the difference in ability and competitveness may be off putting to new athletes and their families. I would think it would be a downer to consitently feel as though they have no chance against the other stacked teams. Winning isn't everything but if our first year we came in dead last every time I'm not sure we would have had as many return for the next season.

 

[Nikki Moore]

When CP was doing Prep, we went to one competition where the two big gyms in our area had a team in every division (sometimes multiple since they have 3 locations each). Pretty sure they took first in most of them. Kind of annoying to have no chance against those big gyms - but they tend to win in non-prep so we just figured it's to be expected.. I do know that they are true half-season since they don't have try-outs until November at least.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

When CP was doing Prep, we went to one competition where the two big gyms in our area had a team in every division (sometimes multiple since they have 3 locations each). Pretty sure they took first in most of them. Kind of annoying to have no chance against those big gyms - but they tend to win in non-prep so we just figured it's to be expected.. I do know that they are true half-season since they don't have try-outs until November at least.

I know who you're talking about. The good gyms use prep teams as feeder programs, so they're coached by the same people who coach regular season teams. Good coaches = good teams.

 

[SL&AM]

It may be just me but there seems to be many more prep teams compared to when my CP started competing. It also seems to be that the mini and youth prep teams are likely to be full year in many gyms right now. My friend has a child on a prep team that is routinely frustrated by the competition as some of the teams are much more advanced than the non-prep counterparts. If I was a coach of the team I would be concerned that the difference in ability and competitveness may be off putting to new athletes and their families. I would think it would be a downer to consitently feel as though they have no chance against the other stacked teams. Winning isn't everything but if our first year we came in dead last every time I'm not sure we would have had as many return for the next season.

CP was on a prep team at her first gym and they were all year round teams. Our current gym also has a full season prep.

 

[TheVipersMom]

Our prep teams last 10 months, so not half year but not the full 12 like our full year teams.

Last season we had 3 prep teams I think it was youth 1, junior 2, and senior 3, and they all won basically everything and won NCA prep nationals. They were good. Not the same as our full year teams but great for prep.

I think most of them saw that and almost all of them moved to full year teams this season. We didn't have enough athletes to make anymore than just a youth 1 this year. And most of the prep youth 1's actually tried for full year and didn't make it.

We have prep for a cost effective alternative and for those that don't have the same amount of time for full year teams, also prep helps prepare those wanting full year to know what we expect and what we require of them and most will be ready for full year this season if they want to switch. Hopefully we get more prep kids this year though.


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[emo_wifey]

This is CP's third year on a prep team and we're currently debating about if she will do prep or all star next year. With the new age grid and other things it really depends on the tryout packet.

All our prep teams except for one are full year. We usually have a half year S2 prep for girls who can't/don't want to do school and all star at the same time. Prep teams are a cheaper alternative, not just for beginners. There is always the discussion of families being priced out on here, prep is one semi solution to that.

*edited for typos
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[123jump4!]

This is CP's third year on a prep team and we're currently debating about if she will do prep or all star next year. With the new age grid and the way things have been handled at our program this year it really depends on the tryout packet.

All our prep teams except for one are full year. We usually have a half year S2 prep for girls who can't/don't want to do school and all star at the same time. Prep teams are a cheaper alternative, not just for beginners. There is always the discussion of families being proceed out on here, prep is one semi solution to that.

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I take it you mean priced out. Here it seems to be a mix of school cheerleaders, beginners and people who think full year allstar is too expensive & too time consuming. Most prep is half year here, starts in Nov. My CP was on full year before we moved, we moved late in the summer and she could not join a full year. I love half year prep! It's a third of the cost and so much more freedom. Looks like we will do another season of prep next year which will save $$$ for sure.

Prep was originally meant to be an intro to allstar I think, but a lot of gyms have teams that are far from beginners. It would be hard to make more rules for it? But I get that prep teams that are all new to cheer can think it's unfair sometimes?

(Question marks because I'm not sure what I think, just that it's an interesting discussion.)

 

[emo_wifey]

I take it you mean priced out. Here it seems to be a mix of school cheerleaders and people who think full year allstar is too expensive & too time consuming. Most prep is half year here, starts in Nov. My CP was on full year before we moved, we moved late in the summer and she could not join a full year. I love half year prep! It's a third of the cost and so much more freedom. Looks like we will do another season of prep next year which will save $$$ for sure.

Prep was originally meant to be an intro to allstar I think, but a lot of gyms have teams that are far from beginners. It would be hard to make more rules for it? But I get that prep teams that are all new to cheer can think it's unfair sometimes?

(Question marks because I'm not sure what I think, just that it's an interesting discussion.)

Ha thank you yes I did, fixed it!

We are not a "new" team, 4 new and 6 vets, and still it seems unfair the level we go up against sometimes. We have to compete against our other location's team and they seem a lot better than us. I can see how coming in last as a first year athlete/family would turn someone away, but the same thing could happen if it was only for beginners.

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[Amie815]

My CP is on a full year prep team. Tuition is less, local travel only, shorter routine and a few other restrictions. It is great for kiddos who aren't ready for the full experience but want more then 1/2 year cheer.