College Why do colleges compete on hard floor?

[YoGlow2nca]

Here's actually another thing to thing about... Nowadays teams are a lot closer to catching the teams at the top, prime example this year. But back when that wasnt the case, one of the main seperations were all of those illegal tricks. When those tricks got taken away, it definitely leveled the playing field so to speak.

I think it was the last year before the rule change happened, Kentucky not only was pretty much squad fulls, but had 8 doubles on the floor, and 4 trick double baskets. Those types of things teams just couldnt compete against. And thats how it was with all of the "big dogs," they just excelled in those areas like baskets and doubles on the hard floor whereas other teams just simply didnt have the numbers.

So if a spring floor were to be implemented, and doubles allowed again, I would say prepare for the huge separation between the teams again

 

[Diamond]

sideline cheerleading and competitive cheerleading are two different things. why not have spring floor? if colleges cant afford it they could go to an all star gym to practice. and whats wrong with practicing on a hard floor (since you cant afford a spring floor) and competing on a spring floor? that would be awesome. just imagine going to state and at the last minute they tell you the floor is a spring floor. i doint think anyone would be upset with that=)

 

[King]

Here's actually another thing to thing about... Nowadays teams are a lot closer to catching the teams at the top, prime example this year. But back when that wasnt the case, one of the main seperations were all of those illegal tricks. When those tricks got taken away, it definitely leveled the playing field so to speak.

I think it was the last year before the rule change happened, Kentucky not only was pretty much squad fulls, but had 8 doubles on the floor, and 4 trick double baskets. Those types of things teams just couldnt compete against. And thats how it was with all of the "big dogs," they just excelled in those areas like baskets and doubles on the hard floor whereas other teams just simply didnt have the numbers.

So if a spring floor were to be implemented, and doubles allowed again, I would say prepare for the huge separation between the teams again

So the reason there should be no spring floors and double fulls is so other people can win besides Kentucky or U of L?

 

[caa10]

I think that the numbers in college cheer may rise if it were spring floor. I know I'd be more will to cheer college if it were spring.


And it'd be so much better on peoples knees/ankels/wrists/backs. I know the hard floor kills my knees, it must kill some of you older people

 

[YoGlow2nca]

No, that’s not the reason at all. I was at SFA for four years, one of the teams where if doubles were legal, although we already out-tumbled the competition, the allowance of dbl's would have put us in a completely different league.

Also, as happy as ppl were to finally see the powerhouses come down, it seems as if ppl prefer closer competitions rather than dbls.

My thing is that its college cheerleading, college is fighting hard to stay "college" and not be "all-stars," and something added to college cheer like a spring floor, I believe would change the face of college cheerleading, and not really for the benefit of college cheer.

 

[King]

Well, I have kinda considered college cheerleading to have gone down since the early 2000's. Maybe I am wrong? The number of participants for all the coed divisions seems to have diminished and the number of all girl divisions seems to have grown (as well as small coed). Those types of participants, I imagine, would come from Allstar. So as far as I figure any growth in college has manly been from allstar. If I am off, let me know. These are more observations than direct data.

 

[GDaddyLS]

This may seem like an overlly simplistic view of the topic but my opinion is cost... With reference to Cheersport that competition is mainly an Allstar competition not to mention the largest competition in the world with multiple performance floors as we all know. So the spring floors are already there for the allstar teams. For Cheersport to rent another hall for a dead floor to put a hand full of colleges on would not be cost effective for them so they just put them on a spring floor.

Likewise for NCA and UCA... The ONLY thing going on at those college events are college cheer and dance... The cost of sending multiple spring floors would include more than likely a whole other tractor trailor truck to ship the floor, no to mention the labor to help set it up and break it down. Based on cost its much more effective for NCA and UCA to do dead floors.

Not to mention the idea that dead floors are "safer" (not necessarily my opinion) than spring floors... I'd love to see College on a spring floor personally but I doubt it happens anytime soon if ever... Again all of this is simply my opinion I don't really have any facts to back this up.

 

[XtremeAthlete]

I think that the numbers in college cheer may rise if it were spring floor. I know I'd be more will to cheer college if it were spring.


And it'd be so much better on peoples knees/ankels/wrists/backs. I know the hard floor kills my knees, it must kill some of you older people

Old? I'd be offended by this... if it wasn't so true =/

I can't imagine how it makes king feel.....

 

[XtremeAthlete]

I have to run, but I have a feeling I'll be back to comment on this one...

In short:

Most of the reasons have already been covered. Colleges do not compete on a spring floor for most of the same reasons alot of High School State Athletic Associations have banned HS teams from performing on spring floors... not everyone has access to them, or to gyms that can provide them. But everyone left out the biggest reason that safety is an actually issue. Yes, I agree that a spring floor is safer to compete/practice on than a hard floor. However, it is the degree of difference between the floors for the team that never practices on a hard floor and then has to perform on one that causes a concern.

Your muscles memory is trained by constant repetition. If you are accustomed to throwing a pass or skill a certain way and then it is changed by the addition of a spring floor, than you elevate your chances of being injured. Since a majority of these teams at the HS and College level fall into a category of not having consistent access to spring floors, I don't see this changing.

As for the changes in the college division rules about what is allowed. To think that it was done to level the playing field is false, although entertaining. Remember the two most dominating teams in both UCA and NCA lost before these rules were established. NCA lost to UNT (I believe, confirmation anyone...) 7 years ago, and UK lost to UCF in 2003, before any of the rules were changed. The changes were made due to the pressure from the NCAA to protect athletes. Unlike All Stars, the NCAA poses a much larger influence on the safety of athletes than the USASF has been able to do (give them time).

I can guarantee we are just ONE catastrophic death, due to a basket toss, away from having baskets become illegal at all levels. Safety first people....

Closing, I don't think college needs to be on a hard floor at all. in fact I prefer to be on hard floor performing, but I am old school. As for the rules on tricks... Go Big or Go Home, I wish they would lift those rules, but that's just wishful thinking.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[King]

Old? I'd be offended by this... if it wasn't so true =/

I can't imagine how it makes king feel.....

Hey, it's not like I'm 30 or something..... Oh wait. Crap.

 

[King]

I have to run, but I have a feeling I'll be back to comment on this one...

In short:

Most of the reasons have already been covered. Colleges do not compete on a spring floor for most of the same reasons alot of High School State Athletic Associations have banned HS teams from performing on spring floors... not everyone has access to them, or to gyms that can provide them. But everyone left out the biggest reason that safety is an actually issue. Yes, I agree that a spring floor is safer to compete/practice on than a hard floor. However, it is the degree of difference between the floors for the team that never practices on a hard floor and then has to perform on one that causes a concern.

Your muscles memory is trained by constant repetition. If you are accustomed to throwing a pass or skill a certain way and then it is changed by the addition of a spring floor, than you elevate your chances of being injured. Since a majority of these teams at the HS and College level fall into a category of not having consistent access to spring floors, I don't see this changing.

As for the changes in the college division rules about what is allowed. To think that it was done to level the playing field is false, although entertaining. Remember the two most dominating teams in both UCA and NCA lost before these rules were established. NCA lost to UNT (I believe, confirmation anyone...) 7 years ago, and UK lost to UCF in 2003, before any of the rules were changed. The changes were made due to the pressure from the NCAA to protect athletes. Unlike All Stars, the NCAA poses a much larger influence on the safety of athletes than the USASF has been able to do (give them time).

I can guarantee we are just ONE catastrophic death, due to a basket toss, away from having baskets become illegal at all levels. Safety first people....

Closing, I don't think college needs to be on a hard floor at all. in fact I prefer to be on hard floor performing, but I am old school. As for the rules on tricks... Go Big or Go Home, I wish they would lift those rules, but that's just wishful thinking.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I unfortunately agree with the basket thing. Ugh.

College cheer in general though has a tenuous existence. I would love for it to go back to the way it was, but i get the unfortunate feeling we are one bad performance away from the NCAA limiting so much that people will start sticking to just open teams. I m already seeing people forgo college for open.

 

[Hi-Phlyer21]

i personally prefer hard floor to spring floor... or that is to say that i did before all-star. now I'm so accustomed to spring floor that i can't even transition from one spot to another the same. like in warm-ups when we're on the big hard floor ansd we have to do the whole routine...
i can't do it i start moving and then realize i'm already tired. lol. and i'm only 19 so the older people....

but like the hard floor hurts now. my wirst when tumbling and well that's about it. it doenst make a dif for stunting depeding on the tunt i suppose. it was also a big adjustment tumbling on the spring floor once i left my college team just because i feel like i had to ease up on my power or i lose control of..myself.

 

[tntdynomite]

I have to run, but I have a feeling I'll be back to comment on this one...

Your muscles memory is trained by constant repetition. If you are accustomed to throwing a pass or skill a certain way and then it is changed by the addition of a spring floor, than you elevate your chances of being injured. Since a majority of these teams at the HS and College level fall into a category of not having consistent access to spring floors, I don't see this changing.

I agree. It's not the about spring floor being safer than hard floor. It's about teams not having access to a spring floor to practice on and the increased chances of mistakes due to the different floor. If I was taking my team to a comp that had a spring floor, I would want them to throw the routine on spring at least a few times before the comp. That means I'd have to pay money to rent someone's space, since I'm not buddy buddy enough with any of the gymnastics places around here (there are no allstar teams that aren't renting from a gymnastics place around here). I'm not trying to pay for anything extra and decrease my budget, competing alone does that enough. I don't want my kids to have to get used to a spring floor at the competition with their adrenaline pumping and crowds and lights. I'd rather they compete on the regular cheer floor. We have that, and therefore can emulate the floor at nationals.

 

[Sitz_Lamos]

they want us to suffer the older we get! thats why! AND thats why cheersport makes us compete at the crack of dawn, the older we get the more they love to see us suffer!! hahaha

 

[KRECCheer]

I would much rather compete at the crack of dawn then later in the evening. Im so worn out from keeping tinys(, mini, youth, junior, senior )in line that when open team rolls around Im dead. So thank god for that spring floor giving me that extra oomph. I would never go back to high school hard floors.
However, I do like teaching on a hard floor.