All-Star Worlds Age Change???

[Ashley]

Personally, as a mom of a 12 year old who has a September birthday this Worlds age change is upsetting. Our gym is a small gym, and can't field a jr 5 team. So she is once again crushed because she has her double but won't be able to compete level 5 again. To me the only people this age change helps are the mega gyms. I honestly feel like those are who are helping to make all of these decisions only have the best interest of those gyms in mind, and not all the other gyms and athletes they are not looking out for. My child shouldn't have to leave the gym she's cheered at her whole life to compete as a level 5.

I also feel the same way about calling it D1 vs D2. It should be called Mega Gym and then a division for everyone else.

There's a lot of gyms that aren't "mega gyms" that aren't D2. My gym has no desire to compete D2, even if they had the size to do so.

Don't forget that XS is now a worlds division and that was done specifically for the small gyms.

 

[DropAndRun]

So Droplet has an august birthday.. turned 12 a few days before the cutoff making herself worlds eligible by a hair for this season.

And then.. OMG.. they didn’t put her on a Worlds team!!

She tried out with several years of level 5 experience as a base and both unrestricted standing and running tumbling passes.

But she “only” made j5.



Anyway- we are closing out a delightful year on arguably one of the country’s strongest j5 teams. We’ve won big, we’ve lost big.. we’ve even won a few times just for showing up because we were the only ones! Lol. We have had a blast and at absolutely no point this season have I felt like we were missing out. We were excited to head to summit and finish our year and have been looking forward to seeing what next season will bring.

A few days ago, the gym owner called me and offered Droplet a spot on Coed Elite. It meant she’d have to leave her j5 team and forego competing with them at summit. She did end up accepting the spot, but it came with lots of soul searching first. She is thrilled for the opportunity given to her but was completely happy on j5 as well.

I would have no problem with her being on the other side of the age change. (And she was 3 weeks early so technically she should have been!)

Don’t get in such a hurry for them to grow up. Let them love the sport and compete with their friends.. win some, lose some. All of it will help them grow and as with most things, I think you will look back on it some day and remember that it was about the journey, not the destination.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

So Droplet has an august birthday.. turned 12 a few days before the cutoff making herself worlds eligible by a hair for this season.

And then.. OMG.. they didn’t put her on a Worlds team!!

She tried out with several years of level 5 experience as a base and both unrestricted standing and running tumbling passes.

But she “only” made j5.



Anyway- we are closing out a delightful year on arguably one of the country’s strongest j5 teams. We’ve won big, we’ve lost big.. we’ve even won a few times just for showing up because we were the only ones! Lol. We have had a blast and at absolutely no point this season have I felt like we were missing out. We were excited to head to summit and finish our year and have been looking forward to seeing what next season will bring.

A few days ago, the gym owner called me and offered Droplet a spot on Coed Elite. It meant she’d have to leave her j5 team and forego competing with them at summit. She did end up accepting the spot, but it came with lots of soul searching first. She is thrilled for the opportunity given to her but was completely happy on j5 as well.

I would have no problem with her being on the other side of the age change. (And she was 3 weeks early so technically she should have been!)

Don’t get in such a hurry for them to grow up. Let them love the sport and compete with their friends.. win some, lose some. All of it will help them grow and as with most things, I think you will look back on it some day and remember that it was about the journey, not the destination.

First, congratulations!

Second, I agree.

There is a lot to be said for a few years of experience on a J5, J5R, Y5, S5R before a Worlds team.

 

[DropAndRun]

First, congratulations!

Second, I agree.

There is a lot to be said for a few years of experience on a J5, J5R, Y5, S5R before a Worlds team.

Thank you! In my mind she’s still on Youth Elite so I’m not sure what happened. lol. Lil Drop is not so little anymore!

 

[DaniV]

If I remember correctly, they alternate rules changes and age-grid changes year to year. So this time next year should be a rules change & not an age grid change. However, *should* is the key word because they made changes to level 4/5r tumbling this year .

 

[swmom01]

First, congratulations!

Second, I agree.

There is a lot to be said for a few years of experience on a J5, J5R, Y5, S5R before a Worlds team.

I agree to a certain extent. I understand progression and staying with their friends. My little one has the skills and she is learning more every day. I told her that you can learn something no matter what team you're placed on. My problem is that the girls that she has been cheering with for the last 2 years will be moving up. They don't offer a youth 4 at her gym, but they have a j4. This year they competed in the ioc level and they've changed the age to 10 as of December 31st. She's cheer age 8 but will not be 9 until December 3 missing the cut off by 3 months. I don't know what teams are being offered but the only way she could be on a level j4 or j5(not likely with the level 5) is if they drop the ioc and I don't think they are. She's going to be devastated by this. She's going to have to watch friends who have become family to her move up without her. It breaks my heart. Sorry, I had to vent. I also hate that they are doing away with y5. She has been working to be on the y5 team since she started all stars 2 years ago!

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[Lablover]

I thought potentially this would increase the number of j5 and j5r teams next season but the more I think about it the less effect I think it will have. The larger gyms already field those teams and will continue to do so. The smaller gyms that don’t currently have them— doesn’t seem likely that just by keeping a handful of 12 years off a worlds team that then creates the ability to field competitive j5 or j5r. However I do think it could entice smaller gyms to maybe not field a worlds team and just compete Sr5R, then you have the ability to have those 12 year olds (and even younger on the team).

 

[HappyGirls]

I agree to a certain extent. I understand progression and staying with their friends. My little one has the skills and she is learning more every day. I told her that you can learn something no matter what team you're placed on. My problem is that the girls that she has been cheering with for the last 2 years will be moving up. They don't offer a youth 4 at her gym, but they have a j4. This year they competed in the ioc level and they've changed the age to 10 as of December 31st. She's cheer age 8 but will not be 9 until December 3 missing the cut off by 3 months. I don't know what teams are being offered but the only way she could be on a level j4 or j5(not likely with the level 5) is if they drop the ioc and I don't think they are. She's going to be devastated by this. She's going to have to watch friends who have become family to her move up without her. It breaks my heart. Sorry, I had to vent. I also hate that they are doing away with y5. She has been working to be on the y5 team since she started all stars 2 years ago!

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If she is 8, then she is eligible for J4...just not J5 or Y5... Is the issue that the gym doesn't have a J4?

 

[Lablover]

If she is 8, then she is eligible for J4...just not J5 or Y5... Is the issue that the gym doesn't have a J4?

If I read the post correctly the j4 team is international

 

[california cheer mom]

That's awesome for those kids who have the opportunity to be on high level youth teams and J5/5R teams. But CP doesn't have an opportunity like that without leaving our gym (and I'm pretty sure leaving the area entirely, as far as I can tell there is no J5 within 200 miles next year).

 

[cheer25mom]

That's awesome for those kids who have the opportunity to be on high level youth teams and J5/5R teams. But CP doesn't have an opportunity like that without leaving our gym (and I'm pretty sure leaving the area entirely, as far as I can tell there is no J5 within 200 miles next year).

This is a big issue for small gyms. There is a child at CP's former gym who will be cheer age 12 next year. She has her double, can fly level 5 stunts, has specialty level 5 tumbling and has for a couple of years. She has just been waiting to be worlds eligible because the only level 5 teams that wouldn't be a 4 hour one way commute are worlds teams. Now she has to wait another year. It's sad for her. She is ready, but the opportunity just isn't there.

 

[these girls]

That's awesome for those kids who have the opportunity to be on high level youth teams and J5/5R teams. But CP doesn't have an opportunity like that without leaving our gym (and I'm pretty sure leaving the area entirely, as far as I can tell there is no J5 within 200 miles next year).

I think I might've heard that Livermore will have o e again this season, but it's just a rumor until after tryouts. Makes sense though since they had a boatload of level 4's this season.


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[swmom01]

If she is 8, then she is eligible for J4...just not J5 or Y5... Is the issue that the gym doesn't have a J4?

This year they had a j4 but it was IOC. They are changing the age to 10.


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[luv2cheer92]

This year they had a j4 but it was IOC. They are changing the age to 10.


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Just to clarify, I think you are meaning to say interntational. IOC implies something completely different.

 

[swmom01]

If I read the post correctly the j4 team is international

Your right. Last year was the first year our gym did international teams. I don’t know why I keep wanting to call it IOC. The j4 is international. I’m hoping they change it this year because all of the teams that changed to international didn’t do as well as they did before the change. That would be the only way a lot of the kids will move up. It effects a lot of kids on j4 and j5 and y5. My daughter will stay on y3 with one other little girl. They are going to be on that team anyway but they were hoping to move up with their friends. This group has been together for 2 years and the coaches want to keep them together. She’s usually on 2 teams and all year she has been told she would be on y3 and j4 then the age grid changed!


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