High School To Go Or Not To Go: Nationals

[cheerchicaubrey]

so me and my squad this summer went to an NCA cheer camp(im captain). At awards the last day we got a bid to Nationals in Texas! yaaayyy! Our squad is not competitive but I want to try. We are a junior high team from florida and we only have 8 girls on the squad because we have a small school. i would love to go but some of the girls dont want to go! I have tried to argue eveything with them and they think its too much money and not worth it . my other captain doesnt even want to go! help! what do I do?!?

 

[Official OWECheer]

It would have been much smarter to go to UCA camp and receive a bid for UCA, which is in Orlando. You wouldn't even have to leave the state. NCA, while it is very competitive, does not seem to get as much respect as UCA (which, by the way, gets televised on ESPN). Plus, you mentioned that you are not a competitive squad. No offense, but cheerleading in Texas is NO JOKE. I'm serious. Most schools spend years competing and increasing their skill level before even considering going to a nationals. I strongly suggest you go on YouTube and look at videos to get a sense of the kind of talent that shows up to UCA and NCA Nationals. Listen to your teammates, @cheerchicaubrey . It's never a good idea to go to Nationals if you aren't sure you will make it to finals (most teams don't, that should tell you something). If you do seek to be nationally competitive, start by competing as a non tumbling team (there is a junior high non tumbling division at UCA). There are SO MANY unexpected costs that come with competing. The comp fees are enough for someone to shake their head and say, "nope, maybe next year" but then you have to consider the cost of food, plane tickets, hotel fees, etc. Also, I don't think you realize that the divisions at NCA (unlike those at UCA) limit your tumbling and stunting skill a lot. So if you have novice tumbling but advanced stunts, you have to do novice stunts and compete in the novice division. Most of the teams at NCA are from TX (and lots of kids on middle school and high school teams in TX also cheer at Spirit of Texas, Cheer Athletics, Woodlands, etc.). I don't mean to insult you, but seeing as you are not competitive, you guys wouldn't stand much of a chance against a lot of teams. UCA is a much better option, and the teams really do come from all over the country. The top teams tend to come from Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana. Take your teammates' advice. Also, look up Live Oak Middle School Cheer at Nationals, Discovery Middle School Cheer at Nationals, Burlington Township Middle School Cheer at Nationals, and Southern Middle School Cheer at Nationals to get an idea of what you'll be up against at UCA. Some of those teams I listed have kids throwing standing fulls. You guys will need to spend years preparing yourselves to compete against teams like that in the small junior high division at UCA. Nationals isn't something you just decide to go to. It is a HUGE time and money investment. You guys aren't quite ready yet. Getting a bid is relatively easy, and the fact that you have one doesn't mean that you should go. Winning is much harder than it looks, it's a brutal struggle. There's a reason that winning teams bawl their eyes out when their names are called in first.

Take it from me: to middle and high school cheerleaders, white satin is worth more than black leather.

P.S.: you would be much more successful with 12 girls than 8.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

It would have been much smarter to go to UCA camp and receive a bid for UCA, which is in Orlando.

I agree with everything but you can not receive bids to Nationals at UCA camp, only at a UCA Regional and in extreme situations, video.

Also, I feel like they Bid everyone that is half decent at NCA camp for nationals.

 

[Hscoach10]

Totally agree that UCA is best bet and that 12 girls is much more effective than 8. Is there anyway you could hold a 2nd try out? Nationals is a huge time and money commitment and my guess is if you really have to beg teammates to go that they aren't going to have the commitment level needed for any national competition. One of my teams is allowed to go for a bid for the first time this year and they have been practicing all summer to prepare for the season. We did lose a few girls who were not able to handle the commitment that came with nationals and I completely understood and respected their decisions. It is a great opportunity but it is extremely tough and requires everyone on the team to be on board.

 

[yooolizzi]

I feel like everyone is ignoring the fact that NCA and UCA are extremely different animals in terms of styling and how you compete.

@cheerchicaubrey, did your team receive a Special Event invitation?

 

[Official OWECheer]

I feel like everyone is ignoring the fact that NCA and UCA are extremely different animals in terms of styling and how you compete.

@cheerchicaubrey, did your team receive a Special Event invitation?

I had typed so much that I didn't even bother to mention it. But yes, @cheerchicaubrey if you guys don't know how to use signs, poms, and megaphones in a crowd-leading cheer, making finals will be more than out of the question. NCA resembles an all-star competition in format, while UCA requires all teams to perform a minute-long crowd-leading cheer (the other 1:30 is performed to music). It counts for 35% of your score, and should be easy points, but so many teams lack the gameday skills to perform their cheers properly. Seeing as you guys are only a sideline team, UCA would be the better option. UCA is geared toward clean choreography with good technique.

@yooolizzi What's a Special Event Invitation?

 

[SparkleSpankies]

NCA Still requires a cheer, unless that is new for the 2014-2015 season.

 

[yooolizzi]

I had typed so much that I didn't even bother to mention it. But yes, @cheerchicaubrey if you guys don't know how to use signs, poms, and megaphones in a crowd-leading cheer, making finals will be more than out of the question. NCA resembles an all-star competition in format, while UCA requires all teams to perform a minute-long crowd-leading cheer. It counts for 35% of your score, and should be easy points, but so many teams lack the gameday skills to perform their cheers properly. Seeing as you guys are only a sideline team, UCA would be the better option. UCA is geared toward clean choreography with good technique.

@yooolizzi What's a Special Event Invitation?

A Special Event Invitation is an award given to teams who qualify for them at camp. Ways to qualify include All American team members and nominees, to captains, to trophy and plaque winning teams. Some of our Special Events include Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NCA and NDA's Christmas Extravaganza held in Disney World, and the Varsity London Tour. Individuals can attend, even if it was a team award that qualified them.

 

[cheerchicaubrey]

@Official OWECheer

thank you so much for saying that! I totally agree with everything you said! I think my teammates were trying to tell me that but I guess I needed someone else to say it. Your idea to go to UCA is great! I thought that sense NCA is one of the biggest competition in all star i thought it was the same with school. Ill defiantly bring it up the team and my coach! thank you so much

Ps. our school usually goes to uca camp but it was full so we had to go to nca camp

 

[cheerchicaubrey]

@Hscoach10

we cant hold second tryouts we have already ordered alot of stuff and our coach simply refuses. we would have a bigger squad but my class is sooo small! i go to a private school and the 8th grade class have 14 girls!! im lucky to have eight. I would LOVE to have 12 girls but we just cant.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

@Official OWECheer


Ps. our school usually goes to uca camp but it was full so we had to go to nca camp

Aww that sucks! I'd say if you typically attend a UCA camp then UCA nationals is the way to go!!

 

[Official OWECheer]

@Official OWECheer

thank you so much for saying that! I totally agree with everything you said! I think my teammates were trying to tell me that but I guess I needed someone else to say it. Your idea to go to UCA is great! I thought that sense NCA is one of the biggest competition in all star i thought it was the same with school. Ill defiantly bring it up the team and my coach! thank you so much

Ps. our school usually goes to uca camp but it was full so we had to go to nca camp

@cheerchicaubrey
Ask your coach to find out whether the FHSAA allows you to create a joint program with another school, since your is too small to field a sufficiently large team.

I'm currently reading this: http://www.fhsaa.org/sites/default/.../16/node-175/1314_competitve_cheer_manual.pdf . Your coach can (and should) call them to ask questions.

 

[SmileCat]

Where in Florida are you from? Some counties don't allow school teams to compete and some only allow at regional and state. Your school seems like a private school with the size you mentioned so I don't know if private schools are treated differently.

 

[cheerchicaubrey]

@cheerchicaubrey
Ask your coach to find out whether the FHSAA allows you to create a joint program with another school, since your is too small to field a sufficiently large team.

I'm currently reading this: http://www.fhsaa.org/sites/default/.../16/node-175/1314_competitve_cheer_manual.pdf . Your coach can (and should) call them to ask questions.

hmmm... interesting! I've never heard of schools joining! Im sure that my school probably wont like it but Its worth a try. Where do you see the rules about that?

 

[cheerchicaubrey]

@cheerchicaubrey
Ask your coach to find out whether the FHSAA allows you to create a joint program with another school, since your is too small to field a sufficiently large team.

I'm currently reading this: http://www.fhsaa.org/sites/default/.../16/node-175/1314_competitve_cheer_manual.pdf . Your coach can (and should) call them to ask questions.

hmmm... interesting! I've never heard of schools joining! Its worth a try to talk to my coach. Where do you see the rules about that?