All-Star Tryout Stress Anyone?

[SL&AM]

I totally understand. I am so happy when I can drop and run but at the travel distance we are looking at I would have to wait out the practice time rather than go home. I guess I would end up at every store and coffee shop eventually!

Target, starbucks, the local park/gym quickly become your BFF. I drive my CP just under 2 hours roundtrip for practice so there is no going home for me either, but you'll rarely find me in the gym unless it's to drop off food on the days she does tumbling back to back with practice.

 

[acecheermom]

Well it is nice that you have options though. Where we live it is all small gym programs. We are part of a large multiple location gym however each location is fairly small.

We enjoy our current program very much. But it's always nice to have options. We don't have a different "large" or mega gym program within driving distance of us at all.

 

[seajack]

@seajack not sure how this is gossip. Did you accidentally rate it?

Yes. My bad. I didn't even know there's a gossip rating.

 

[seajack]

@seajack not sure how this is gossip. Did you accidentally rate it?

Which one is for gossip?

 

[purplecheer]

Which one is for gossip?

The two blue birds, second last.

 

[seajack]

Thanks Just out of curiosity what are 2 to the left of the birds and the one to the right of it?

 

[acecheermom]

2 to the left is "informative" and one to the right is "bullying"

 

[Keep_Believing]

Sorry, not sure where to put this. I believe when you have competed with a gym all season they should give you warning if your CP will be moved down/demoted. Continually telling you that your child is awesome and a rock star, then moving them down is misleading and hurtful.

 

[Crazy Cheer Mom]

Sorry, don't sure where to put this. I believe when you have competed with a gym all season they should give you warning if your CP will be moved down/demoted. Continually telling you that your child is awesome and a rock star, then moving them down is misleading and hurtful.

I'm being very daring even replying to this since I posted something similar on another thread and it received a lot of feedback. We were warned of the move down and as promised she is in level 1 practices for the next 2wks until teams are announced. However my CP feels like a 'loser'in her words to be moved down, and 'it's embarrassing'. I have thought a lot about what the posters told me on the other thread and decision is her. Honestly I'm sick of seeing her cry. This is supposed to be fun and enjoyable and she is crying. Last yr she was good enough for lvl 2 bc there weren't enough people at tryouts for lvl1 but this year there is so she is bumped down due to tumbling. IRONICALLY I find out that another cheerleader is being asked to move to higher level that doesn't have the tumbling for that level, after we were told gym placements were by tumbling level. I guess its good for some and not others. Needless to say, decision is on CP if she wants to do it or not until team reveal. So in all yes it's misleading but if our CP are truly at the level they're moved to then can we really be mad at that, or mad they were put on the wrong level the previous season. Honestly I'm just over it for my CP and it may be end of road for me if she decides not to do it.

 

[Beans100]

Sorry, not sure where to put this. I believe when you have competed with a gym all season they should give you warning if your CP will be moved down/demoted. Continually telling you that your child is awesome and a rock star, then moving them down is misleading and hurtful.

I kind of agree. I don't think that athletes shouldn't still be complimented or recognized for achievements if they are going to be moved down a level. Athlete X might have a bad mental block and moving from level 4 to level 2. But, that same athlete might have great jumps and stunting skills, which should still be recognized as "awesome." However, I do think it is fair for coaches to give a group announcement about tryout requirements and that all athletes are subject to change levels, up or down.

 

[Keep_Believing]

@crazeecheermom I don't have any answers that make anything better. I wish I did.

 

[amy1k]

I'm going to cautiously comment...as the parent of an athlete who doesn't always have every skill on the team on which she is placed and knowing that I may be experiencing the same feelings tomorrow evening.

I understand why a kid would be moved down in this situation and I also understand why coaches would be super encouraging during the season...even if the athlete was not 100% ready for their team. What I do NOT understand is why it wasn't made abundantly clear during the season that the child was put where they were for a specific reason (for my kid, I'd assume there wasn't another athlete available for that spot with all skills). I would hope, if I'm correct about what has happened, that the athlete and parents would be warned, well in advance and in a kind way, that this could happen. Like even at the time of original placement on a higher level team...I would have liked a warning.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I think that on some level, there is (at some gyms) a general miseducation/miscommunication about levels.

People tend to think that Levels are like grades in school and that every season, their child should move to the next.

It helps to think of them more as a continuum than a collection of grades.

However, I don't think this line of thinking is a parent's fault. Gym culture may be a "level per year" culture. So when Suzy doesn't "move up" it's like "What gives?"

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

In terms of "warning if your kid isn't going to move up," it helps to always think of cheer as a SEASON TO SEASON activity.

It is fair to warn kids of they are going to move kids to a new team in the MIDDLE of a season. I'll admit it.

However, once you embark on tryouts, the previous season is over and we are now placing kids for an entirely new set of teams. You should expect some changes.

Last season, a gym may have pulled some Level 1 kids onto L2 because they were lacking L2 tumblers.

Maybe this season, there is so much Level 2 talent that they can't justify putting a non-tumbler on Level 2. It's not as personal as it may seem.

 

[amy1k]

I understand the not moving up...and I ALSO understand being moved DOWN...but I don't think it should be a surprise if your athlete is moved down. What ICM is saying is that she was surprised her daughter made a lower level team after a season of props and complements about her performance on a higher level team. I'd also be miffed, as a parent, in that case. Especially because we parents often aren't super knowledgable of the details of scoring and levels.

So...knowing parents will likely not understand, I think it could be beneficial to know WHY they were placed on Awesometeam 5 at the beginning of the season. Not in an Everyone's Replaceable way, but in a thanks for stepping up your game for the season, see you on Appropriateteam 4 (or whatever [emoji23]) next year.