All-Star Save Youth 5

[mstealtoyou]

As everyone probably knows, the Youth 5 division is on the proposed rule changes up for a vote right now. Voting ends on Jan 7th.

If you've ever cheered Youth 5, watched Youth 5 in person, seen a Youth 5 video on youtube, or just thought to yourself WOW, just WOW when you've seen 1 of these amazing teams please make your Facebook status Save Youth 5.

If you agree with the people who are trying to do away with this division then you don't do a thing.

It's simple.

Please help if you can!

 

[CF1erce]

Voted to save Youth 5 today! We don't have a Youth 5 yet...but one day we will! Amazing little athletes!

 

[NoOneSpecial]

As everyone probably knows, the Youth 5 division is on the proposed rule changes up for a vote right now. Voting ends on Jan 7th.

If you've ever cheered Youth 5, watched Youth 5 in person, seen a Youth 5 video on youtube, or just thought to yourself WOW, just WOW when you've seen 1 of these amazing teams please make your Facebook status Save Youth 5.

If you agree with the people who are trying to do away with this division then you don't do a thing.

It's simple.

Please help if you can!

I would vote to keep Youth 5 but if restricting breeds more competition at this level then bring it on.

 

[King]

I would vote to keep Youth 5 but if restricting breeds more competition at this level then bring it on.

I am gonna agree with this. There are four(maybe five??) youth 5 teams in this year? Getting rid of it I don't think is the answer, but maybe a few restrictions.

I am gonna say the general push was for restrictions, not for getting rid. So I dont know if this save is for save it as it is or save it by making it have more competition with single fulls?

 

[PghxCheer2]

I completely agree with the theory of "getting rid of it as a whole is not the solution to this problem". Everyone knows those coaches are going to bump those athletes up to Junior, which is an even MORE difficult and demanding division. In turn, creating more stress on their bodies than is at all already being put on it, and putting them in an even more dangerous position by having to compete more difficult stunts and such. If the whole movement is at all based on trying to get kids to not burn out, it is almost sure to backfire. I wouldn't necessarily be completely against doing say, level 4 stunts, pyramids, and tosses except up to fulls for tumbling. But I wouldn't want them to restrict tumbling like they want to in Senior Restricted. I think the youthies should still be able to do standing fulls and full through to full and stuff like that. Just no doubles.

 

[KB_Legend]

yes I think youth 5 needs to stay but it needs to have some limitations

 

[Rudags]

I voted to save Youth 5, but agree with restricting stunting/baskets/pyramid aspect of the division.

 

[Ceacoach]

The View from Backstage at the NACCC...

by Courtney Smith-Pope on Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 1:06am​

I don't have a fishbowl or a secretary, but what I am about to write may very well land me saying "you had me at hello" to my lone employee Jerry Macguire style. I'm all about falling in love, so I think I could live with that result ( especially if Celine Dion can sing the soundtrack to my movie ). What I cannot live with are the behind the scenes politics and self serving agendas that drive the force of the sport I love. What I cannot live with are the ways the system is manipulated and maneuvered in the name of kids safety when the bottom line begs the question..."Who does this benefit?".​

I am Courtney, I own Cheer Extreme, and it has come time to put my foot down. If you care about allstar cheerleading, if it has made a difference in your life, please read what I have to say and pass it along.​

For your information, the "rules cycle" has several components.​

Step 1: This season's began in Doral, a posh resort in Miami, where several gym owners frequently inhabit. There we discuss the matters that lie at the "heart" of allstar cheerleading. There in the seclusion of palm trees where anyone can attend, but few can afford we hammer out the details of the proposals to be presented at the NACCC. The conversation is manipulated in such a way to present on the surface that is about the industry as a whole, but inevitably what ACTUALLY is discussed turns out to precisely the matters which affect those in attendance ( almost exclusively very successful Level 5 gym owners ).​

Step 2: "We" as a people are allowed to submit rule proposals. The USASF and NACCC went to great lengths to include all proposals on the voting slate. Hats off to them for their time and effort and the slate itself was very well put together.​

Step 3: The "naccc inaugural committee" which is composed of those people who were on the original committee...years, and years, and years ago meets the night before the actual meeting. Most of those people aren't even in the sport anymore. Those that are chosen to replace retired members are self selected by the leadership of the NACCC. This was supposed to be a voter process by the masses, but for some reason that didn't occur and instead people were placed in these positions. I will leave my commentary on that out of my argument. Regardless, behind closed doors that committee decided which of the 50 or so topics for vote were worthy of discussion for the webcast.​

Step 4: On Tuesday, we all got the chance to hammer out our viewpoint for the world to see.​

Step 5: We all get to vote.​

Step 6: The votes are added up and the rules committee meets in April to decide how to proceed based on the the way the votes are cast.​

Step 7: Whatever differences exist between the rules committee and the NACCC are looked over by the board of directors. The last time this all went to a vote, by the board the NACCC members were granted complete autonomy to override whatever decision was made by the masses and got to in effect "line item veto" the result of cumulative agreement in favor of what was best for their particular program. This year, steps have been implemented to prevent this....we think.​

I want you as a voter or an allstar and most especially a parent to take a good HARD look at what was actually discussed on the webcast. I want you to ask yourself who those rules benefited and who got to manipulate the order of discussion. There are SOOOO many things that are relevant to everyone in our sport regardless of level that are on that slate, and yet the main ideas discussed ( except for small gym issues ) were almost all about Level 5. Level 5 teams make up a microscopic portion of our industry, yet the words "eliminate youth 5" are listed a grand total of 7 different times because the people on the stage want it to go away. There are at most 200 athletes in the sport that this effects yet we spent a huge part of the day on this topic. The discussion of Super Senior Aged limits is directly relevant to coed boys eligibility....it is nevertheless presented as a safety concern for younger kids. Level 5 issues dominated the discussions because the people in charge of the agenda have their own agenda. With all due respect to seniority and the grassroots effort that these same leaders have made in our sport, and to their credit there are many of them, I ask that you step back from the process and examine the reality.​

Before you vote, remember that every time we change a rule an unexpected consequence results. There are many things on this voting slate that could forever change our sport and they are presented in a way that doesn't do justice to their long term effects. The debates are endless on many topics and there are advantages to every angle. The reality is that for the most part, we have it right right now and if we leave it alone ( like a great cheer routine ) it will only clean up and get better and more consistent. If we change things that don't even need to be changed, the long term effects are unknown and the time we spend making the change and dealing with the consequences will be lost forever. You have the power to deny those with an agenda and think of our industry as a whole. We are not an industry that is grassroots anymore. We are only limited by our own expectations. Every coach reading this has the power to reach any goal they set. Don't let rules and limitations hold you or our athletes back. Believe in each other and our kids and let their actions and skills speak for themselves. Is it "Day X" yet? I don't know, but it feels like we are being worked over from the inside and someone had to call it out.​

Courtney Smith-Pope​

 

[mstealtoyou]

Personally I could live with the restrictions IF and only IF it produces more teams to compete against. If it won't then I would want to keep it the way it is.

 

[King]

Personally I could live with the restrictions IF and only IF it produces more teams to compete against. If it won't then I would want to keep it the way it is.

I am not sure there is a way to know until we get there. Again, I dont feel like any of the people who have youth 5 want it to go away, just want restrictions SO there are more teams in it. Recitals get old.

 

[mstealtoyou]

I am not sure there is a way to know until we get there. Again, I dont feel like any of the people who have youth 5 want it to go away, just want restrictions SO there are more teams in it. Recitals get old.

You're right unfortunately. Nobody will know until it happens. 1 of the programs with a Y5 said, the division is dead. That to me sounds like someone that wants out. IDK. Maybe I missunderstood.

I don't know what's happening in other programs for sure but all I can tell people is.........the division is alive and well in Kernersville NC. And we want to keep it that way. That's all!

 

[King]

You're right unfortunately. Nobody will know until it happens. 1 of the programs with a Y5 said, the division is dead. That to me sounds like someone that wants out. IDK. Maybe I missunderstood.

I don't know what's happening in other programs for sure but all I can tell people is.........the division is alive and well in Kernersville NC. And we want to keep it that way. That's all!

I can say we do enjoy the division and it is not dead, but need more teams to get out of ICU. I think some restrictions making it more inviting for others to get into it would be a great thing.

 

[just_kay_today]

I think youth 5 started to die off when the age cutoff was changed. But, I digress.

Here are my questions: I am seeing more and more 8 -10 year olds with double fulls, unless they cross over, will they cheer juniors only? And if so, when will they learn their kick doubles? And if they learn them on Jrs, what kind of Starlites and JCE will we be looking at in the future: Tiny flyers who can't kick double, but tumble really well? Good front spots with doubles?

 

[KB_Legend]

I think restricted youth level 5 means a smaller jump from level 4 enticing more people to take that leap.... Going from layouts and kick full baskets to arabian through doubles and switch kick double baskets seems pretty daunting... If you just need to get single full twisting layouts and kick double baskets that (hopefully) makes it seem a lot more possible to a lot more gyms... And when I am considering the rules that is the NUMBER ONE thing that I am thinking about, creating more competition

I also think this gives young tumble stars a reason to slow down a little bit and perfect their skills to try and lower the number of crazy double fulls out there (it's an epidemic IMO) and a reason to focus on their jumps, stunts, baskets, motions etc... Will some programs take their 10 year old with a double and bump them right up to Juniors?? Probably but people do that anyway because they don't have a youth 5 team so why not try and put things in a position to encourage proper progressions and more well rounded athletes WHILE creating more competition in a dwindling division??

Last one... I hate to think that a young girl is competing a double full and winning major national championships on a level five team when they are youth aged, and then have ALL of juniors and seniors with VERY little too look forward too... I recognize that there is a certain level of prestige being on an older team and there is obviously worlds, but it's hard for some people to get really excited about doing the exact same thing for 8 years... JMO

 

[yourfavoritebackspot]

I think youth is to young for level 5 just my opinion, how much experience, body and muscle control do you really have when your that young im 14 and id say between 12-now i ve learned good controll and technique, maybe they should have restrictions but how could you properly progress through levels when Minis only go up to level3 so some jump into a youth 5? I think they must be on a youth 3 and then 4 then be allowed to move onto a fierce 5 team. Im young what do i know just my thoughts