All-Star Should Level 6 Exist?

[viralscorp]

I had never cheered all-star before cheering collegiate, L5 and L6 in Canada.

I think as long as we have collegiate & university cheerleading, all-star L6 should exist. I think we should be focusing more on increasing knowledge, safety, and awareness of coaches AND athletes (who are all adults) at this level, as opposed to axing it completely. I feel collegiate and L6 cheerleading is really the soul of the sport ...

There are videos circulating all the time of JV teams, SV, or all-star L2-5 athletes doing L6 skills. There are arenas for these teams to compete the skills they have - but they still attempt those skills. I think even if open L4 gains popularity, the unqualified athletes and coaches attempting L6 skills will persist... for many people, 2.5-high pyramids and flipping baskets are a symbol of prestige, which leads to unsafe attempts being made.

I think the USASF has said an L6 credentialing program is being developed for years!! This is an industry standard for coaches... so where is the follow-through? In the meantime, while we wait, responsible and experienced coaches and industry leaders (and athletes, to some extent) should be speaking loudly about safety in L6.

Additionally, we can educate our younger athletes to understand whether things are safe for them to do... and that they should speak up when they have concerns. (Not tiny and mini, but junior and senior athletes should be mature enough to grasp some of those ideas).

 

[travnation80]

Level 6 is a worth it division hands down. That is all.

 

[XtremeWpg]

I disagree with the "Level 6 has such a small competition in it". Even being from Canada and being on the team that do the Level 6 stunts we find that level 6 has a lot of competition when you look at it in the worlds stage kind of view. It's true that there's not a lot of "competitive level 6" teams in Canada right now but I feel that the 4 or 5 (guesstimate) teams that actually do the level 6 stunting, baskets, and pyramids in Canada strive not to just be the best in Canada but also works hard to be the best in the world. Sure, top 3 teams from each country makes it to the final of the level 6 competition at worlds which can be easy for some countries because they're the only level 6 team competing from their country, but for some country like USA and Canada, who have more than 3 teams competing in this division, it gets very nerve wracking waiting for the announcement of the top 3 teams moving on to the finals round. Just imagine this year, US has a lot of competitive level 6 teams. Nfinity, Stealth, CA, Twist and Shout, Top Gun, Stingrays etc.. only three of them can make it thru.

I am very supportive of the Open 4 idea for the obvious safety reason of teams "trying" to do level 6 stunts when they should just be doing level 4 (sometimes even level 3).

By this I mean, exactly how many complete, maxed out and true level 6 teams are there in Canada? Theres exactly none in my area, but there is 4 level 6 teams. And none of their coaches will profess to be maxed out. Sure, theres lots of teams in the division competing, but how competative on a world stage are they? I think that allowing an Open 4 would eliminate the stress many Level 6 athletes have when they know they cannot win a competition they travel too. Its unreasonable to expect that just because someone is 19, they have the applicable skills for the levels they're being forced into (that being 5 &6).

 

[Ashay]

Im pretty sure I shut my eyes or get this omg look on my face when level 6 teams are competing. I feel like there is always going to be a close call on someone get dropped right on the head. If proper training is done at level 5 first then yes sure do level 6 but if you dont have the training please dont try this!!! It seriously scares me to death! thats why IOC4 should be a true division IMO!

 

[King]

Thing I like about Open 4 is the only division it 'might' steal away teams from is 6 and in general teams that are 6 but would go 4 have no interest in being 6 int he first place.

 

[XtremeWpg]

Thing I like about Open 4 is the only division it 'might' steal away teams from is 6 and in general teams that are 6 but would go 4 have no interest in being 6 int he first place.

Exactly! I can't count how many level 4 routines with a few back tuck baskets and some 221s or assisted 311s I've done, just because my athletes are over 18!

 

[SparkleSpankies]

3. The real lack of quality practice time for most of the teams. We all know that the typical level 6 team is made up of coaches and college students. And many of them live a great distance from the gym that is sponsoring the team. I'm betting most teams have full practices less than 20% of their total times they are together.
4. Another issue isn't with the talent or the team, but the gym. It's a financial, time and focus drain on the gym. I would be astonished if any gym has EVER actually made money on a level 6 team. The gym staff probably also has to devote a great deal more time proportionately than others because there aren't team moms or parents to ensure the travel arrangements and waivers and uniforms are all done.

This right here! These 2 points are what I feel makes Level 6 tough! I almost feel that there needs to be a better credientialing system.

 

[KRECCheer]

4. Another issue isn't with the talent or the team, but the gym. It's a financial, time and focus drain on the gym. I would be astonished if any gym has EVER actually made money on a level 6 team. The gym staff probably also has to devote a great deal more time proportionately than others because there aren't team moms or parents to ensure the travel arrangements and waivers and uniforms are all done..

Our team has to pay their competition fees and for the T Shirt and Shorts they wear. Many of them cant (wont) even pay that.

 

[King]

Our team has to pay their competition fees and for the T Shirt and Shorts they wear. Many of them cant (wont) even pay that.

I can solve attendance and fees all in one stroke. Pick your team and at the first practice have everyone pay the apparel fees and the first competition fees. If they don't have it, use someone else. The second you let someone slack on paying they all slack on paying. As well people don't miss practices for a team they pay for.

 

[KRECCheer]

I can solve attendance and fees all in one stroke. Pick your team and at the first practice have everyone pay the apparel fees and the first competition fees. If they don't have it, use someone else. The second you let someone slack on paying they all slack on paying. As well people don't miss practices for a team they pay for.

The season always starts out strong. Midway into it, everyone is a slacker. I'd like to just not have a team but I cant turn away people who genuinely want to cheer. Do you have any cures for that?

 

[King]

The season always starts out strong. Midway into it, everyone is a slacker. I'd like to just not have a team but I cant turn away people who genuinely want to cheer. Do you have any cures for that?

Three solutions:

1. Shorten your season
2. Compete or exhibition more
3. Be willing to turn people away. Everyone LOVES the idea of competing again... until you start competing again.

 

[KRECCheer]

You make it sound so easy!

 

[JerricaLynn]

kingston this was a great discussion to start!

I think my situation is a great example for this ... right now I'm on a Level 6 team in an area that doesn't have "big gyms" or that is even big into cheerleading but happens to have 2 Level 6 teams very close to each other. Do I love cheerleading, yes. Do I love Level 6, not so much.
About half of my team has never cheered before and the other half is pretty experienced, but none of us were ever elite level college cheerleaders. Do I trust myself and my flyer to do 2 1/2 highs, yes. Does ever other person scare the life out of me, definitely! When you throw people into that level of cheerleading because there is no other option, they don't know how to react when things don't go perfect in competition, they don't understand the risk of injury, so I despise stunting with these people.
But for me, or maybe more for my program/my coach, what would you do? I don't want to quit cheerleading, but IOC5 is a completely different battle. We can easily handle those stunts, but we couldn't be anywhere near competitive because of the lack of tumbling, we only have 2 fulls.
We're left stuck between a rock and a hard place. I think this Open Level 4 sounds like the perfect fit and I hope we're not the only team like this that could benefit from a new division.

 

[King]

You make it sound so easy!

I think it is just easier because I am always willing to not have a team if it won't work out. If a team just won't work or exist, I am not going to put myself and others through it. It stinks at first, but in the end it works out better.