All-Star What Are The Pros And Cons Of Level 4.2?

[littlemisscheerleader]

Personally, I think it's great for athletes who may not have all of their tumbling but have ability to learn higher level stunts. That said, I don't think it benefits high-level flyers that much. If you're a already a level 4 flyer, I wouldn't want to do a 4.2 team, I'd want to do something more challenging. I would focus on improving flying skills overall and trying to join a level 5 team instead

 

[Audrey]

I had a random thought regarding 4.2 today. And I hope this is on topic enough and I'm not derailing. But does anyone else think open 4.2 would make a lot more sense than open 4? If the purpose of open 4 is to provide a way for those who don't want to/can't do international 5 to keep cheering, I feel like downgrading from fulls to layouts doesn't make that much of a difference.
4.2 seems like it'd be such a good way to let older people continue in the sport in a more relaxed environment. Minimal impact on your older body from tumbling but still interesting from level 4 stunting. Plus, I'm 19. I aged out with a backhandspring and I'm realistically never going to get past a backhandspring, my body just won't let me. But I'd really like to keep cheering and I'm sure there are a lot of people on the same boat.

 

[littlemisscheerleader]

I had a random thought regarding 4.2 today. And I hope this is on topic enough and I'm not derailing. But does anyone else think open 4.2 would make a lot more sense than open 4? If the purpose of open 4 is to provide a way for those who don't want to/can't do international 5 to keep cheering, I feel like downgrading from fulls to layouts doesn't make that much of a difference.
4.2 seems like it'd be such a good way to let older people continue in the sport in a more relaxed environment. Minimal impact on your older body from tumbling but still interesting from level 4 stunting. Plus, I'm 19. I aged out with a backhandspring and I'm realistically never going to get past a backhandspring, my body just won't let me. But I'd really like to keep cheering and I'm sure there are a lot of people on the same boat.

I agree...I feel like on IOC5 and 6 you either make it for 2 reasons: you're a good stunter (especially open 6), or you're a good tumbler...or both. I'm guessing a lot of gyms probably aren't that strict with who they accept for IOC4 since it's not a worlds division, like they may accept people who don't really tumble or stunt that much...in which case, 4.2 makes way more sense. Plus, people who actually have a full set of level 4 skills are probably already working on fulls and jumps to back, and also can probably do a lot advanced stunting already. So most likely they would rather look for a level 5 team than 4 anyway...

 

[luv2cheer92]

I agree...I feel like on IOC5 and 6 you either make it for 2 reasons: you're a good stunter (especially open 6), or you're a good tumbler...or both. I'm guessing a lot of gyms probably aren't that strict with who they accept for IOC4 since it's not a worlds division, like they may accept people who don't really tumble or stunt that much...in which case, 4.2 makes way more sense. Plus, people who actually have a full set of level 4 skills are probably already working on fulls and jumps to back, and also can probably do a lot advanced stunting already. So most likely they would rather look for a level 5 team than 4 anyway...

Yes I was on an open 4 team two years ago and maybe about half the team had a back handspring and we had like 5 with layouts. It was still a trial division then so there was nobody we were competing against, but I would have felt way more comfortable on a 4.2 team.

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[Glamorazzi44]

WOW! I don't come on for a while and my little question turns into this huge thread

Anyway, the thing that I've noticed with 4.2 teams is that your team can either be good or bad. What I mean by that is a "good" 4.2 team would have clean double downs (I hate seeing double downs with floppy legs. *shivers*) and stunts that don't drop or bobble every 5 seconds.

A "bad" 4.2 team will have floppy-legged double downs,stunts that drop or bobble every 5 seconds, and the bases look like they're struggling.

 

[littlemisscheerleader]

Yes I was on an open 4 team two years ago and maybe about half the team had a back handspring and we had like 5 with layouts. It was still a trial division then so there was nobody we were competing against, but I would have felt way more comfortable on a 4.2 team.

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Yeah 4.2 would have probably been better in that case...I feel like a lot of athletes on 4.2 overall are more level 2 than "4.2" if that makes sense, I assume that a lot of people on 4.2 haven't really tried level 4 stunting yet.

 

[littlemisscheerleader]

WOW! I don't come on for a while and my little question turns into this huge thread

Anyway, the thing that I've noticed with 4.2 teams is that your team can either be good or bad. What I mean by that is a "good" 4.2 team would have clean double downs (I hate seeing double downs with floppy legs. *shivers*) and stunts that don't drop or bobble every 5 seconds.

A "bad" 4.2 team will have floppy-legged double downs,stunts that drop or bobble every 5 seconds, and the bases look like they're struggling.

I definitely agree...I also know a lot of the good 4.2 teams are actually more like "real" level 4, though. For instance, I know of this one gym that changed their team from 4 to 4.2 for NCA so they'd have a better chance at winning.

 

[vannahlexis]

I had a random thought regarding 4.2 today. And I hope this is on topic enough and I'm not derailing. But does anyone else think open 4.2 would make a lot more sense than open 4? If the purpose of open 4 is to provide a way for those who don't want to/can't do international 5 to keep cheering, I feel like downgrading from fulls to layouts doesn't make that much of a difference.
4.2 seems like it'd be such a good way to let older people continue in the sport in a more relaxed environment. Minimal impact on your older body from tumbling but still interesting from level 4 stunting. Plus, I'm 19. I aged out with a backhandspring and I'm realistically never going to get past a backhandspring, my body just won't let me. But I'd really like to keep cheering and I'm sure there are a lot of people on the same boat.

I'm in the exact same boat, I will probably never get anything past a back handspring but I would kill to be able to cheer again. Unfortunately only open team in my area is an IOC5

 

[Flexiii_Lexiii]

I had a random thought regarding 4.2 today. And I hope this is on topic enough and I'm not derailing. But does anyone else think open 4.2 would make a lot more sense than open 4? If the purpose of open 4 is to provide a way for those who don't want to/can't do international 5 to keep cheering, I feel like downgrading from fulls to layouts doesn't make that much of a difference.
4.2 seems like it'd be such a good way to let older people continue in the sport in a more relaxed environment. Minimal impact on your older body from tumbling but still interesting from level 4 stunting. Plus, I'm 19. I aged out with a backhandspring and I'm realistically never going to get past a backhandspring, my body just won't let me. But I'd really like to keep cheering and I'm sure there are a lot of people on the same boat.

I may be wrong but didn't you used to be on Cheergyms.com's level 5?


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[luv2cheer92]

Yeah 4.2 would have probably been better in that case...I feel like a lot of athletes on 4.2 overall are more level 2 than "4.2" if that makes sense, I assume that a lot of people on 4.2 haven't really tried level 4 stunting yet.

In my case I had done a lot of level 4 stunting in high school as did a lot of my teammates. It was my first and only year doing allstar so I had no desire to get anything past a back handspring as that was all that was required for my school. IDK about Senior 4.2 as some athletes may be younger, but I have seen a lot of athletes in my area go from high school teams that are doing level 4 stunts but only need a back handspring because that is the norm around here and transitioning to allstar and being perfect for 4.2

 

[Mom2Cheergirls]

I love watching our gym's 4.2 besides the fact that they rock the floor and are one hard working team. In our area High school competitive cheer is already done. Our area has many strong high school teams now because of the growth of the sport and watching them compete is always exciting but then seeing so many of them come together from different schools and create these super teams - it is just really awesome.

 

[cheerislife1]

I can see and agree with both sides on this level. From my experience and the 4.2 teams ive seen they are all not very good level 4 stunters. Actually most of the level 4.2 teams that I have seen are almost scary to watch. It seems to me that at a lot of gyms these are the left over kids that don't have enough to be on a level 4 team or even a level 3 team. So its mostly kids that have never stunted level 4. Going from level 2 stunting to level 4 stunting is a big jump. It just seems like most of the teams I have seen at competitions at this level are not ready to compete the level 4 skills. I do agree that 3.2 divison would be a better compromise. The high school kids that dont have any tumbling or level 2 tumbling can still get to do extended stunts that they would do in high school. And this way you are not jumping 2 levels. This is just my opinion. I have seen a few very good 4.2 teams. But it is only a few.

 

[littlemisscheerleader]

In my case I had done a lot of level 4 stunting in high school as did a lot of my teammates. It was my first and only year doing allstar so I had no desire to get anything past a back handspring as that was all that was required for my school. IDK about Senior 4.2 as some athletes may be younger, but I have seen a lot of athletes in my area go from high school teams that are doing level 4 stunts but only need a back handspring because that is the norm around here and transitioning to allstar and being perfect for 4.2

I guess in that case 4.2 might make sense, since you guys did level 4 stunts but only needed back handsprings. Idk overall I feel like the level 4 flyers aren't far away from being level 5, and those girls would probably try out for level 5 teams if it were just for their flying...and I'm not a base, so I can't really speak for them, but I don't know if being on a level 4.2 vs level 2 would be a big difference for them? I guess they have to do full ups and stuff like that, but they still toss and basket the same and all...

 

[cheernerd5678]

I guess in that case 4.2 might make sense, since you guys did level 4 stunts but only needed back handsprings. Idk overall I feel like the level 4 flyers aren't far away from being level 5, and those girls would probably try out for level 5 teams if it were just for their flying...and I'm not a base, so I can't really speak for them, but I don't know if being on a level 4.2 vs level 2 would be a big difference for them? I guess they have to do full ups and stuff like that, but they still toss and basket the same and all...

Level two and level four basing is very different... Going from half ups to full up extension, prep level libs to tick tocking extended libs that then full down, pyramids would be insanely different too.

 

[Audrey]

I may be wrong but didn't you used to be on Cheergyms.com's level 5?


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No I was on large senior 3