All-Star Why Are Tryouts Tumbling Only?

[Just-a-Mom]

I see people say on here all the time that there is more to making a team than tumbling. That you may not have the tumbling but if you're the most beast base or backspot you might be placed higher...or for attitude you might be placed lower...etc. etc. etc.

Well, if this is the case, then why are most tryouts JUST tumbling? We've been to tryouts at a few gyms in our time, and every one of them the tryouts were tumbling only. I know they may know some of the kids' skills based on the previous season, but what about newer kids? Or kids who have been working reeeally hard in the break to perfect those non-tumbling skills? Or a new gym just opening up?

Why not just offer a stunting/jumping/dancing section too?

 

[Deleted member 1556]

I think a big reason sis because your tumbling shows your individual talent. With stunting, it's a group effort, and you can't really showcase just one person (Besides the flyer, but I think you know what I mean ). Tumbling shows each persons indivdual talent, and you don't requie anyone else.

 

[adorablessmilez]

Welll i cnt speak for other gyms but at my gym we do tryouts by age which is only tumbling and... but the reason we do this bc we have 2 weeks placement practice where all ages are mixed up but in there level to see how they stunt ppl with their level and ability

 

[newcheerdad]

Our tryouts were pretty evenly weighted between jumps, dance, stunts and tumbling. In fact, since the coaches know where my daughter is tumbling-wise, they actually had her do very little of that. But we have tryouts spread out over several weeks, too.

As far as tumbling being the be-all/end-all; I know for a fact that there were girls placed on level 3 and level 4 teams without the requisite tumbling - most likely because of their stunting skills. And I also know girls placed on level 2 or 3 teams that had the tumbling to be on a higher level team. So clearly the coaches are taking other things into account when placing kids - like ability in other areas, or general attitude. That's a good thing.

 

[AshleyErin]

At my gym we do stunts, jumps, tumbling and dance at our tryouts, and your placed on a team from there. I really enjoy it because I'm not the best tumbler on my team, but I have really good jumps and I'm a good stunter and dancer, so it really allows my true level to show. I think this is really because we only have one tryout.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

I think a lot of teams do tryouts by tumbling only to see what level you are tumbling wise, and then have all of the people that are like level 2 and 3 and then 4 and 5 practice together for awhile to see how they stunt and tumble. And then they make the teams.

I wish the gyms we've been to would have done this. So far all we've seen is you go in, get a number stuck to your tummy or chest, wait in line. Then when it's your turn you throw your best running tumbling. Same process for standing tumbling and jumps.

Within 48 hours after that complete team rosters are posted and that's that. Practice with your team starts the next week. Of course, I guess some kids get moved around during the season, but I think this is fairly limited.

 

[Kimpii]

Those kinds of try outs suck for people like me, who dont tumble but are very good stunters, dancers and even point jumpers. Does those hours we put down on being the best we can be in all areas but tumbling not count? And its not like I havent tried to learn how to tumble (speaking for myself now, since i dont know for sure about everybody else) .
I know tumbling is a huuuge part of cheerleading and it is probably the easiest way to pick people for the team, like a girl may be a beast base but doesnt work well with the other base she got paired up with at the tryout. Tumbling depends only on an individual, and you see right away what skills a girl has, it doesnt depend on who she is paired up with or anything. (does this make sense? Lol)

Maybe coaches think "oh, so she cant tumble, she is probably scared and lazy and dont work hard to achive her goals", idk.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

At my gym we do stunts, jumps, tumbling and dance at our tryouts, and your placed on a team from there. I really enjoy it because I'm not the best tumbler on my team, but I have really good jumps and I'm a good stunter and dancer, so it really allows my true level to show. I think this is really because we only have one tryout.

I would love this! My daughter is not an amazing tumbler (basic level 2/3 skills - and she's still perfecting those, so definitely won't be moving on to higher tumbling soon or anything) but every other area she's really good at. Her jumps and dancing are awesome. She's a base or a backspot, which she's very good at.

Fortunately she's not overly concerned with what level team they put her on. She's happy on any level - she did a coed 3 this year and LOVED it; and last year she did a Senior 2 and a 4.2 - also loved those.

Her (and my) biggest concern is that she only has 2 seasons until she ages out. Then she'll HAVE to have some skills so she can do an Open team, and I think those are only Levels 5 and 6, correct? So if she doesn't get the tumbling, does that mean she'll have to stop cheering?

 

[Just-a-Mom]

Those kinds of try outs suck for people like me, who dont tumble but are very good stunters, dancers and even point jumpers. Does those hours we put down on being the best we can be in all areas but tumbling not count? And its not like I havent tried to learn how to tumble (speaking for myself now, since i dont know for sure about everybody else) .
I know tumbling is a huuuge part of cheerleading and it is probably the easiest way to pick people for the team, like a girl may be a beast base but doesnt work well with the other base she got paired up with at the tryout. Tumbling depends only on an individual, and you see right away what skills a girl has, it doesnt depend on who she is paired up with or anything. (does this make sense? Lol)

Maybe coaches think "oh, so she cant tumble, she is probably scared and lazy and dont work hard to achive her goals", idk.

My daughter is the same way. She does work on the tumbling - actually more than she works on anything else. The rest comes naturally to her. She's muscular and tall, so she's never had trouble learning how to base anything or jump beautifully. And she's a naturally good dancer - always has been. But she didn't start cheering until she was 13, so the tumbling just isn't coming for her. She takes tumbling classes, privates, practices at home...she's just not a tumbler. I just don't want to see her have to quit cheering in 2 years.

 

[notimeforthat]

I would love this! My daughter is not an amazing tumbler (basic level 2/3 skills - and she's still perfecting those, so definitely won't be moving on to higher tumbling soon or anything) but every other area she's really good at. Her jumps and dancing are awesome. She's a base or a backspot, which she's very good at.

Fortunately she's not overly concerned with what level team they put her on. She's happy on any level - she did a coed 3 this year and LOVED it; and last year she did a Senior 2 and a 4.2 - also loved those.

Her (and my) biggest concern is that she only has 2 seasons until she ages out. Then she'll HAVE to have some skills so she can do an Open team, and I think those are only Levels 5 and 6, correct? So if she doesn't get the tumbling, does that mean she'll have to stop cheering?

have you seen alot of open teams perform? Usually they are formed for kids that do not cheer in college that enjoy the sport and want to keep competing. I have not seen to many that have even close to 1/2 the team throwing level 5 and 6 skills. I think to be on an open team you just have to have the desire to want to continue with cheer. Of course there are some that are more elite and compete at worlds but the amount of teams that do it for fun are far more.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

have you seen alot of open teams perform? Usually they are formed for kids that do not cheer in college that enjoy the sport and want to keep competing. I have not seen to many that have even close to 1/2 the team throwing level 5 and 6 skills. I think to be on an open team you just have to have the desire to want to continue with cheer. Of course there are some that are more elite and compete at worlds but the amount of teams that do it for fun are far more.

I haven't seen many perform at all actually. Usually they either aren't at the competitions we go to or they're so late in the day that we're long gone. So I've only seen the great ones on youtube (Top Gun anyone???)

I guess that's good news and bad news then! Good news for my daughter ...bad news for those teams.

 

[Kimpii]

My daughter is the same way. She does work on the tumbling - actually more than she works on anything else. The rest comes naturally to her. She's muscular and tall, so she's never had trouble learning how to base anything or jump beautifully. And she's a naturally good dancer - always has been. But she didn't start cheering until she was 13, so the tumbling just isn't coming for her. She takes tumbling classes, privates, practices at home...she's just not a tumbler. I just don't want to see her have to quit cheering in 2 years.

Sounds like we're the same.
I started cheeering when i was 11(im 18 now) and i started in a non-competetive team and then started competing level 1 about 1,5 years later. I got stuck in level 1 for 3 years cuz my "gym" only had a junior 5 and a senior 6 team and i wasn't good enough. We NEVER had tumbling classes or did anything more advanced then up to round-offs and by the time i moved up to the junior 5 i was so tall and big that it was really hard to learn a back handspring and ofc its way more scary then if i would tried it when i was 11. I hate those coaches for not teaching me when i was young and dumb enough to do it. Now im on sr 6 and trying to learn a back handspring. Not that easy when youre old and big.

Somehow though i've learned how to backspot pretty much anything and jump high and i am a good dancer.

 

[SheCheers]

Our tryouts were pretty evenly weighted between jumps, dance, stunts and tumbling. In fact, since the coaches know where my daughter is tumbling-wise, they actually had her do very little of that. But we have tryouts spread out over several weeks, too..

this is how it's done at our gym, too. basically all people wanting to be level X go to "class" for 2 hours 2 days a week for 3 full weeks. they stretch, warm up tumbling, tumble, work on jumps and then put a few stunt groups together and rotate people in an out and work on stunts. at the end of the 3 weeks, they post team placements and it's not always where you tried out...LOL.

 

[lolsmileyface_backAGAIN]

its a lot easier to train someone to be a so called "beast base/back spot" rather than tumble.

 

[AllHeartxo3]

I'm the same way. I was a great tumbler when I was little. I stopped cheering, started cheering for school and didn't tumble much because it hurt on the concrete and hardwood floor. I haven't taken classes and I don't want to just throw a skill and wing it. I also want to be put on a team I belong on overall, not just because I don't have great tumbling.