All-Star Usasf Feedback

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

Bingo! That is why the whole "not so many bids" idea is never going to fly... All those at large/wildcard etc. bids are what is bringing in the revenue (both summits and worlds). It does not behoove the powers that be to cut down on these. These comps are not about just the best of the best but also about making the most money possible (and I would guess that the money > ) It is nice to try to envision USASF as this altruistic, in it for the kids, benevolent organization. But the reality is that it is Varsity (for all intents and purposes) and it exists to make a profit. Your kindly gym owners also exist to make a profit so we must all banish the idea that they would bonfire dollar bills in the name of our "athletes".

And this is why it's not a legitimate competitive organization, focus on money as opposed to creating a competitive atmosphere.

ETA: the sad thing is: I think they would make even MORE money by retaining customers and earning corporate sponsorships, etc if they created a legitimate competitive environment and earned a smidgen of mainstream respect.

 

[Lisa Seye]

But even with 1100 teams at summit isnt NCA bigger? Granted there are world level teams at NCA but the gyms keep going despite the size of the comp. Even if some think summit bids are handed out like candy, I think our 3 full year teams had a difficult enough time snagging even 1 bid. If gyms want to keep trying to get a bid and that means there is more competition in each division, doesnt that truly show that the winner really is the best of the best because they beat out soooo many? There may have been a team out there for whatever reason didnt get a bid but is just as good. I truly would want to know that I did compete with the best and if that means more bids and more teams...... I know my kid was more happy last season when her team won in a division of of 25 than in a division of 2 or 3. It solidified her confidence in the team's skills and when they came in 2nd by .04 last year's Summit, she knew they had done their absolute best and truly could be proud to say they were 2nd in the nation knowing how many teams were in her division. So yeah, it makes more money for the EP, but it truly does seem to make the winner know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were the best in that moment in time.

 

[Lisa Seye]

But let's talk about stay to play. Come on, give parents a break. We already pay a bunch for our kids to compete, then pay more to get in, can we please choose a value hotel because stay to play is not working for me. Yes they get discounts at the pricey hotels, but as a cheer parent, I dont use those pricey ones anyway. The discount is out of my price range. If cheer gets more expensive, average folks are gone and cheer is left to the rich ones. Do you want to sustain growth of cheer? Then please stop pricing average folks out. We enjoy cheer just as much as the next one but many of us have to give it up. My kid would not have been in it this season if not for a scholarship and me sharing hotels with two and three other families. I Love cheer. My daughter loves it. I want to be able for her to stay in it until she graduates in 4 years but if it keeps getting higher and higher to fund, there goes another cheerleader out of the sport.

 

[luv2cheer92]

But even with 1100 teams at summit isnt NCA bigger? Granted there are world level teams at NCA but the gyms keep going despite the size of the comp. Even if some think summit bids are handed out like candy, I think our 3 full year teams had a difficult enough time snagging even 1 bid. If gyms want to keep trying to get a bid and that means there is more competition in each division, doesnt that truly show that the winner really is the best of the best because they beat out soooo many? There may have been a team out there for whatever reason didnt get a bid but is just as good. I truly would want to know that I did compete with the best and if that means more bids and more teams...... I know my kid was more happy last season when her team won in a division of of 25 than in a division of 2 or 3. It solidified her confidence in the team's skills and when they came in 2nd by .04 last year's Summit, she knew they had done their absolute best and truly could be proud to say they were 2nd in the nation knowing how many teams were in her division. So yeah, it makes more money for the EP, but it truly does seem to make the winner know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were the best in that moment in time.

For comparison, this past season NCA had 1,024 teams, The Summit had 970, and D2 Summit had 779.

 

[mamabear]

Sorry guys yes I didn't just mean NCA, I meant cheersport and other large comps as well. My thoughts weren't fully put together since I had just woke up when I posted earlier.


However if they are not going to cut bids drastically by saying these comps only have 2 bids and stuff then I would like to see that no bids are passed down. This for worlds bids as well.


For example: if the declarations just says 2 paid bids for the highest 2 scoring teams. And then 5 at large bids for the next highest scoring teams.
Then it shouldn't filter downwards if teams already have bids.


So if the highest scoring teams in order were

Stars j4 (paid from another comp)
Cali j3 (paid from another comp)
ECE s2
Cja j3 (at large from another comp)
World Cup y2
Cheer athletics y2
Spirit of Tx s4 (at large from another comp)
Laredo s3
Cheerforce j4
Top Gun y3

So with my recommendation about no passed down bids-
Then the two PAIDS would be lost because both those teams that earned them at this comp already have paid.

Then ECE, WC, and Cheer athletics would get the 3 of the 5 at large bids. The other 2 wouldn't be handed out because cja and spirit of Texas already have at large bids.

So unfortunately Laredo cheerforce and top gun all wouldn't get bids.

In the current situation that they have been using for bids they would have gave ECE and CJA the paids.

The WC, Cheer athletics, laredo, cheerforce, and top gun would all get the at larges.

At the end of the season when a lot of the strong ones have bids already then some bids are being handed out to teams that wouldn't normally belong there creating huge divides in the type of the teams at the summit.




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As much as I like this exact scenario (since CP would win either way!) I would prefer the Varsity passing it down because she would have a paid LOL

but all kidding aside, I think your idea would affect the larger gyms who travel with their entire program. Think of how hard it would be for a level 2 team to score highest in Youth, if a Y5 was there. Same goes for a lower aged team scoring high enough to beat out its ssenior-level counterparts. I guess it would be possible, but not that common, even for a winning younger teams to get the bid. It would also affect teams that have coaches who coach all levels, because their teams would probably end up going to two different comps each weekend trying to chase bids. It would not only take away some of the fun that happens when everyone travels together, but it would make parents question why we were spending money to attend if there was no chance at the reward.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

But let's talk about stay to play. Come on, give parents a break. We already pay a bunch for our kids to compete, then pay more to get in, can we please choose a value hotel because stay to play is not working for me. Yes they get discounts at the pricey hotels, but as a cheer parent, I dont use those pricey ones anyway. The discount is out of my price range. If cheer gets more expensive, average folks are gone and cheer is left to the rich ones. Do you want to sustain growth of cheer? Then please stop pricing average folks out. We enjoy cheer just as much as the next one but many of us have to give it up. My kid would not have been in it this season if not for a scholarship and me sharing hotels with two and three other families. I Love cheer. My daughter loves it. I want to be able for her to stay in it until she graduates in 4 years but if it keeps getting higher and higher to fund, there goes another cheerleader out of the sport.

Again, focus on money instead of being a legitimate competitive organization. Where would LeBron have ended up if event producers had priced his 16-year old single mother out of the competitive experience?

 

[Official OWECheer]

I saw a tweet from Scott Foster about declining participation in all-star. I suspect that rising costs are the main factor behind it.

 

[CheerDivaMom88]

But let's talk about stay to play. Come on, give parents a break. We already pay a bunch for our kids to compete, then pay more to get in, can we please choose a value hotel because stay to play is not working for me. Yes they get discounts at the pricey hotels, but as a cheer parent, I dont use those pricey ones anyway. The discount is out of my price range. If cheer gets more expensive, average folks are gone and cheer is left to the rich ones. Do you want to sustain growth of cheer? Then please stop pricing average folks out. We enjoy cheer just as much as the next one but many of us have to give it up. My kid would not have been in it this season if not for a scholarship and me sharing hotels with two and three other families. I Love cheer. My daughter loves it. I want to be able for her to stay in it until she graduates in 4 years but if it keeps getting higher and higher to fund, there goes another cheerleader out of the sport.

And in the case of big comps like NCA and cheersport, they are charging you triple there regular rate no discount, they are actually hiking the price for stay to play. Last year at nca the Omni had rooms on an online discount site for an average of 99-$149 per night (the week of nca) the only night they didn't have was Saturday.
With the stay to play 3 night minimum it was over $1000 just to stay there. I had friends with empty rooms some nights bc they had to purchase 3 nights and they only needed 2. So $500 a night is absolutely unacceptable! Ok stay to play rant over. It's my absolute top of the list dislike from varsity, they marketed it as a way to help save and in reality it's a way for them to save bc the city owned venue gives you a discount.

 

[TheVipersMom]

I completely agree with the level crossover, that's why I love NCA I know we are all on an even playing field with skill appropriate athletes. Some of these teams at summit are taking there whole 5 crossovers from a level 5 and putting them on there 4 to sandbag it. And that sucks! I think there was something similar in your division this year an I right? My daughter is now officially moving on to worlds but had she not Summit was least favorite comp . Disney aside bc I love Disney

If you are asking it was 10 crossovers r5 to j4 on a small team with less than 20 kids.

NCA is my favorite because it's so prestigious... but I like going to summit because it's like my only vacation ... the whole 1 day we get in the parks lol but I still love it.


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[tumbleyoda]

I saw a tweet from Scott Foster about declining participation in all-star. I suspect that rising costs are the main factor behind it.

The funny thing is when "we" ie small gyms or gyms not aligned with Varsity say that we are trashed and ignored and asked for stats to back it up or else we are conspiracy theorists. When one of their own say it, they nod in affirmation and celebrate this brilliant brand new revelation.

 

[BlueCat]

I saw a tweet from Scott Foster about declining participation in all-star.

Varsity/USASF are really the only ones with enough data to put an intelligent number to that. I am curious where he is getting his information. It may be true, but that hasn't been our experience.

 

[tumbleyoda]

Varsity/USASF are really the only ones with enough data to put an intelligent number to that. I am curious where he is getting his information. It may be true, but that hasn't been our experience.

He is the second or third prominent Varsity/USASF personnel to say this during the Spring of this year. I feel like many of us felt it, saw it, expressed it or experienced it, but I agree they are the only ones with the actual data.

 

[CLynn]

Thought of another item...I understand gyms need to make money in the summer, but truly believe these athletes (and their friends and family) could use a break! Many (like us) returned home from Summit on Monday then had tryouts on Wednesday. A USASF break, similar to baseball all-star break would be most welcome. Gyms could go back at it the Monday after their Summit week (regardless whether or not teams attend), so this year D1 would be off until May 15, d2 until May 22.

 

[cheermomforever]

And in the case of big comps like NCA and cheersport, they are charging you triple there regular rate no discount, they are actually hiking the price for stay to play. Last year at nca the Omni had rooms on an online discount site for an average of 99-$149 per night (the week of nca) the only night they didn't have was Saturday.
With the stay to play 3 night minimum it was over $1000 just to stay there. I had friends with empty rooms some nights bc they had to purchase 3 nights and they only needed 2. So $500 a night is absolutely unacceptable! Ok stay to play rant over. It's my absolute top of the list dislike from varsity, they marketed it as a way to help save and in reality it's a way for them to save bc the city owned venue gives you a discount.

That's the price they pay if they choose to be close to comp. Bottom line stay and play is a $$ maker.

 

[BlueCat]

Thought of another item...I understand gyms need to make money in the summer, but truly believe these athletes (and their friends and family) could use a break! Many (like us) returned home from Summit on Monday then had tryouts on Wednesday. A USASF break, similar to baseball all-star break would be most welcome. Gyms could go back at it the Monday after their Summit week (regardless whether or not teams attend), so this year D1 would be off until May 15, d2 until May 22.

Prior to Worlds/Summit being a thing, there was much more of mental break. Completely understand where you are coming from.

Among many factors pushing for a year-round season: 1. There is the perception that if you don't win or be extremely competitive, you will lose kids and being highly competitive takes 12 months for most teams. 2. Gyms would go out of business without revenue for months and/or coaches can't afford to get laid off for months at a time.