All-Star Worlds Age Change???

[DancerDude0118]

I hope I don’t receive any negative ratings for this, but a current well-decorated team I can see being greatly affected by these changes would be Cheer Athletics’ Cheetahs.

I know that team receives A LOT of negative criticism on Twitter for their flyers to bases-size ratio, but they’re doing everything within the rules; don’t hate the player, hate the game.

I find it funny that people always bring up the size of their flyers, because in acrobatics gymnastics, the top person tends to be half the size of the bases . Either that, or there’s a very clear small-medium-large thing going on for the pyramid building routines.

 

[Keep_Believing]

I think they would be fine because the playing field would be even. All the teams they compete against would have to follow the same rules. People are quick to point out CA, but almost all of the major big gyms utilize smaller flyers on their Worlds teams. Sometimes I hear, Oh I love _________ gym they only use normal size flyers. No, no they don't LOL

 

[CheerBank]

I think they would be fine because the playing field would be even. All the teams they compete against would have to follow the same rules. People are quick to point out CA, but almost all of the major big gyms utilize smaller flyers on their Worlds teams. Sometimes I hear, Oh I love _________ gym they only use normal size flyers. No, no they don't LOL

There’s a difference though between using smaller flyers and prepubescent turned-12-on-August 31st flyers. And I can say that cp’s team historically doesn’t use smaller flyers.

 

[UCFKnights07]

Five years on a Worlds team is a lot! LOL

yes but my point was what about the late bloomers when it comes to skills. It would give them less time in a sense to make a worlds team.

 

[lifeoftheparty]

CP is 12 on a Worlds team and I'm all for the proposed changes.

 

[Keep_Believing]

yes but my point was what about the late bloomers when it comes to skills. It would give them less time in a sense to make a worlds team.

I think I am misunderstanding your post. I am confused. If they are late bloomers in regard to skills, wouldn't it take them longer to make a Worlds team regardless of age requirements.

 

[tealandgold]

yes but my point was what about the late bloomers when it comes to skills. It would give them less time in a sense to make a worlds team.

But wouldn't they be older then by the time they make the Worlds team? So the age change would probably make no difference in that case of a late bloomer, I think it would effect the younger kids with high level skills the most.

 

[catlady]

I find it funny that people always bring up the size of their flyers, because in acrobatics gymnastics, the top person tends to be half the size of the bases . Either that, or there’s a very clear small-medium-large thing going on for the pyramid building routines.

Ditto. I truly do understand parents concerns, but it makes sense to have small flyers just to optimize the ability of the stunt group. I've said it before, but if asked, any person would rather catch and toss a 70 lb flying cannon ball versus a 100+ lb cannon ball. These kids have to live with their joints a long time.

 

[mrstommyp]

That's true. No other sport has an age cup on its highest/elite levels.

Ever since the Tiny age was moved from 5 to 6, I have thought that Mini should be moved to 9, Youth to 12 and Junior to 15 or maybe even 16. And then Senior could have no upper age limit. I'm fine with lower age limits.

Im ok age grid changes in general, but personally I will scream if we have to spend an extra year on mini.
I'm not ok with my 13/14 year old being on a team with grown adults. So removing an age cap on senior teams isn't appealing to me.

 

[quitthedrama]

I hope I don’t receive any negative ratings for this, but a current well-decorated team I can see being greatly affected by these changes would be Cheer Athletics’ Cheetahs.

I know that team receives A LOT of negative criticism on Twitter for their flyers to bases-size ratio, but they’re doing everything within the rules; don’t hate the player, hate the game.

I find it funny that people always bring up the size of their flyers, because in acrobatics gymnastics, the top person tends to be half the size of the bases . Either that, or there’s a very clear small-medium-large thing going on for the pyramid building routines.

I don't know a single person on Cheetahs, but in one of the many recent "fetus flyer" trash talk tweets from a cheer anon someone responded and said there were only a couple of 12 year olds on the team and most were 14-15. I have no idea if that's true or not, but looks can be deceiving. My oldest is a junior in college and is 4'6" and has never seen 90 pounds and will be legal to drink in April. She still gets crayons and a kids menu when she goes out to eat and will be forever known as a fetus flyer.

 

[Keep_Believing]

Ditto. I truly do understand parents concerns, but it makes sense to have small flyers just to optimize the ability of the stunt group. I've said it before, but if asked, any person would rather catch and toss a 70 lb flying cannon ball versus a 100+ lb cannon ball. These kids have to live with their joints a long time.

I do agree with you, but I also see the flip side. My CP's friend recently went to an all girl College Cheer clinic. She flew with girls that are Seniors in High School and hope to make the team. She's 5'1 and about 90 pounds. The girls basing her struggled and joked about how it was their first time to base a girl over 60 pounds (sure they exaggerated some). They shared their flyers have always been 12 & 13 year olds. How prepared are these girls for College where a 12 year old flyer is not an option?

 

[luv2cheer92]

I don't know a single person on Cheetahs, but in one of the many recent "fetus flyer" trash talk tweets from a cheer anon someone responded and said there were only a couple of 12 year olds on the team and most were 14-15. I have no idea if that's true or not, but looks can be deceiving. My oldest is a junior in college and is 4'6" and has never seen 90 pounds and will be legal to drink in April. She still gets crayons and a kids menu when she goes out to eat and will be forever known as a fetus flyer.

I don't know how many 12 year olds there are, but several of the smallest flyers on Cheetahs have been on the team for at least a few years now, so are at least 13-14. They're just little, not necessarily all young. I'm sure at least a couple are 12 though, but not a majority of them.

 

[Cheerfun2]

I have no idea of the ages of the flyers on CA Cheetahs...but like someone said above, this change would apply to everyone so I’m sure they’d adapt like everyone else. And for the poster with the 12 year old base working on her double...the change would give her a couple of years to mature physically and mentally before the stress of a Worlds team. You wouldn’t get many pre-pubescent Worlds athletes. Flyers and bases would both need to be stronger, tighter. The kids would would become burned out by having to wait until 14 would move on...but from my 9 years of experience I doubt this would happen with the truly talented, passionate athletes. I honestly making a Worlds team would become even more special, plus think of the awesome J5 teams we’d see!

And...the main benefit would be protecting 12 year olds from being exposed to things they might not be ready to handle, for example, the unfortunate situation with the Beatles photograph. They have a couple of young flyers, and I don’t know about you but I would not have enjoyed explaining the photo to my 12 year old or any of the mess that went along with it. You can’t keep them sheltered forever, but...yikes.

 

[Mndl]

My daughter is a great base. Her cheer age is 12. She is working her double. It probably isn’t feasible at this point to base a 12-13 year old girl. So the only way she will get on a worlds team is probably when she’s older/stronger like 15-16 and the flyers are comparably smaller than she is.
Also I have lot of friends who’s daughters fly and are like 9-11 years old and amazing- both in tumbling and stunting. My daughter has no issue basing level 4-5 with them. It’s sad to me that they will have to wait years more to get on a worlds team. Talk about killing a potential pipeline - being on jr5R, srR5 or j5 for 4+ years. I don’t see a lot of them sticking with it long term.

But why wouldn't they stick with it? If they are doing something they really enjoy, will they truly quit because they have to wait to be on a worlds team another year or so? CP is 10 but cheer age is 9 so it will definitely effect her down the line if she sticks with cheer and eventually makes a Worlds team but I can't imagine her saying she quitting because she can't go to Worlds until she 15.
If your CP is a great base I don't see her not being able to base a 13/14 year that's a similar size. My CP is a flyer on a J4 team this year and there are a few girls that are only an inch or so taller than her(4'6) and they base, one is even in her stunt group. I think if they change it over a couple of years it will be fine and teams will have time to adjust.

 

[Lablover]

Ditto. I truly do understand parents concerns, but it makes sense to have small flyers just to optimize the ability of the stunt group. I've said it before, but if asked, any person would rather catch and toss a 70 lb flying cannon ball versus a 100+ lb cannon ball. These kids have to live with their joints a long time.

That’s kind of my feeling, if my child is going to be basing at an elite level for 4+ years my preference for her overall well-being and long term joint health would not be lighting more than she physically had to.

But why wouldn't they stick with it? If they are doing something they really enjoy, will they truly quit because they have to wait to be on a worlds team another year or so? CP is 10 but cheer age is 9 so it will definitely effect her down the line if she sticks with cheer and eventually makes a Worlds team but I can't imagine her saying she quitting because she can't go to Worlds until she 15.
If your CP is a great base I don't see her not being able to base a 13/14 year that's a similar size. My CP is a flyer on a J4 team this year and there are a few girls that are only an inch or so taller than her(4'6) and they base, one is even in her stunt group. I think if they change it over a couple of years it will be fine and teams will have time to adjust.

I have no idea if she will stick with it. We’ve been doing this a long time. She started as a tiny. I do know a lot super talented cheerleaders (worlds, doubles, standing fulls) that don’t make it though high school on all star cheer, but also felt ok about walking away because they had a worlds experience(s). No idea if they would have stuck it out if they didn’t go until they were a sophomore and not an 8th grader.