All-Star Worlds Age Change???

[CheerDivaMom88]

How many flyers are on Cheethas?

11 plus one that only does coed’s

 

[Natalia5]

The youngest kid I've seen with the skills (or at least the majority) of the tumbling or stunting skills for J5 has been maybe 8. Unless they were especially gifted in flying and were needed.

Honestly, I find the age spread in JUNIORS to be more problematic than senior teams.

The youngest junior aged child is in what, FIRST GRADE? Oldest could be in HS? If top age is 14, heck I was in 10th grade for part of that (early K start.)

This is why I'm a proponent of Y5 still remaining a thing. First grade and HS on a team together? Why? Those particularly talented elementary aged kids need an age-appropriate team. (I know that sometimes, your J5 skews young, and that's great. Not always the case.)

A first grader still plays with Barbie. She has nothing in common with a 6th-8th, who arguably has LESS of a filter than my HS kids do.

Ex: When my HS girls do the Youth clinic, I NEVER have an issue with them saying anything inappropriate in front of the littles. If I have to correct anyone, it is usually a MS aged helper.

This^^^^ Yes, the JUNIOR age gap but what is really scary is the INTERNATIONAL JR division that I noticed at SOH a few weeks back I think the age spread is 5 - 16. Really? Now, this may be something to fuel the D1/D2 split where that division would become exclusive to D2 or small gym criteria IDK but I did notice a very large well known gym with at least 2 teams listed as IntJr in fact it was this particular gym that made me take notice in the master performance order.

 

[luv2cheer92]

This^^^^ Yes, the JUNIOR age gap but what is really scary is the INTERNATIONAL JR division that I noticed at SOH a few weeks back I think the age spread is 5 - 16. Really? Now, this may be something to fuel the D1/D2 split where that division would become exclusive to D2 or small gym criteria IDK but I did notice a very large well known gym with at least 2 teams listed as IntJr in fact it was this particular gym that made me take notice in the master performance order.

As of now, the international divisions in the US do not have different age ranges than the non-international divisions. This could change in the future though.

 

[california cheer mom]

Can we all agree that the mini, youth and junior age should be upped by a year if this goes through?

 

[CLynn]

Can we all agree that the mini, youth and junior age should be upped by a year if this goes through?

Bottom ages at least, yes. All Senior that are non-worlds too...

 

[MissCongeniality]

Because my kid will be 12 in March, and wants to be on a worlds team next season (and has the skills, she has been on restricted for 2 years) this will not only stop her for the 2018-19 season but also 2019-20 season if the rumors are true. So she will be "punished", for lack of a better term, for being 12 and having the skills to be on a worlds team. I might add that she has given herself goals throughout the years to give herself as many years on a worlds team as she could (her goals, she accomplished them). If a 5 year old can be on a team with a 14 year old then a 12 year old with an 18 year old shouldn't cause such a ruckus. She started at 6. She is in love with this sport and works extremely hard. She fits right in with a senior team in both skill and maturity. To say this would be a slap in the face to her is an understatement. In gymnastics are athletes kept down levels based on their age or is their level based on skill, as it should be? (Like really, I don't know the answer to this).

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Well similar bottom age implementation and progression occurred a number of years ago in cheer and "punished" my mid-September birth date cheerleader --- (did you all know the age cut off also used to be May 31?) Anyway... she lost "worlds" eligibility for several years as they phased in the new age and guess what.... she turned out fine! Still had more than enough years at Worlds (too many in fact!) And yes, there isn't enough hovercrafting you can do with a young one on a team with some of the older kids... been there done that (the things my daughter was exposed to before she needed to be was sad honestly --- and I went to every single comp!)

 

[MissCongeniality]

I find that kids are generally speaking NOT exposed to as much as people THINK they are as the "young kid" on the senior teams.

Truthfully, the older kids treat the 6th/7th/8th graders more like little kids than you think.

If anything, I've heard more of the "my kid really only hangs out with the other middle schoolers" more than anything else.

Yes, mine hung out with those her age... and for that I am extremely thankful. However she was exposed to things (all the younger ones were) that she should not have been - walking in on a roommate having sex in the hotel room with a former teammate (great thing for a 12 year old) walking in on teammates drinking and using drugs (they were bringing them dinner) I could go on and on... I am lucky I have an amazing daughter and we have a great relationship and could discuss all of this. But I still giggle that she had a coach (when she was 9 on a senior team - again different times) who covered her ears when the girls were talking about shaving their legs and by 12 (different programs/worlds team) she was seeing sex, booze and drugs.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Yes, mine hung out with those her age... and for that I am extremely thankful. However she was exposed to things (all the younger ones were) that she should not have been - walking in on a roommate having sex in the hotel room with a former teammate (great thing for a 12 year old) walking in on teammates drinking and using drugs (they were bringing them dinner) I could go on and on... I am lucky I have an amazing daughter and we have a great relationship and could discuss all of this. But I still giggle that she had a coach (when she was 9 on a senior team - again different times) who covered her ears when the girls were talking about shaving their legs and by 12 (different programs/worlds team) she was seeing sex, booze and drugs.

oh my word.

 

[luv2cheer92]

Well similar bottom age implementation and progression occurred a number of years ago in cheer and "punished" my mid-September birth date cheerleader --- (did you all know the age cut off also used to be May 31?) Anyway... she lost "worlds" eligibility for several years as they phased in the new age and guess what.... she turned out fine! Still had more than enough years at Worlds (too many in fact!) And yes, there isn't enough hovercrafting you can do with a young one on a team with some of the older kids... been there done that (the things my daughter was exposed to before she needed to be was sad honestly --- and I went to every single comp!)

That change from May to August really got me and all the other June, July, and August '92 babies. Thought I was going to be able to do a year on a senior team junior year in college, then bam, nope! Thankfully the gym I was interested in had an Open 4 so I was able to do that instead.

 

[MissCongeniality]

@LateKate3 I wanted to add that it really is to her advantage to learn as many different positions in cheer that she can. 11 year old flyers more often than not become 15 year old bases, especially on Worlds teams.

Exactly! This is what happened with my kiddo --- And, despite her skill set, she began the season (after waiting years to be age eligible) as an alternate on the Worlds team because she has to learn to base. Ahhh puberty! I always tell Moms to look at themselves and their kiddo's fathers--- is your daughter going to always be small? Not likely if you yourself are a 5'7" woman and Dad is 6'. And yeah, allstar male cheerleaders do often tend to be smaller boys in senior age range --- my daughter eventually was doing the coed stunt on her 5 team because she was taller/stronger than some of the boys lol. That does seem to change once you get to the I5 and 6 divisions with some bigger college age guys.

Anyway, I also think this is why more and more "younger" kids are showing up (usually as flyers) on the International teams. Those divisions (here in the US) used to be mostly for the 17+ college age kids who wanted to keep cheering with a reduced schedule/cost. Now the I5 divisions look more like Senior 5 divisions just with some way bigger/older kids basing those who are younger. (which kind of stinks for the college age girl possibly flyer size who needs that experience with stunting so she stands a shot at making her coed college squad since all girl squads are a lot rarer)

 

[Keep_Believing]

@MissCongeniality it's very true about IOC teams. My CP is 15 and it's her second year on an IOC. I love it because it's less money, less competitions, less travel, etc. I do see how it stinks for the other girls. :/

 

[MissCongeniality]

@MissCongeniality it's very true about IOC teams. My CP is 15 and it's her second year on an IOC. I love it because it's less money, less competitions, less travel, etc. I do see how it stinks for the other girls. :/

Where we were IOC (and Junior for that matter) teams weren't a thing (yet) so neither was an option for retired CP. But boy would i have loved the reduced cost/reduced travel option of an international @Keep_Believing (though... see above... exposure to ick things would still be there)

 

[Keep_Believing]

Where we were IOC (and Junior for that matter) teams weren't a thing (yet) so neither was an option for retired CP. But boy would i have loved the reduced cost/reduced travel option of an international @Keep_Believing (though... see above... exposure to ick things would still be there)

Unfortunately, she had exposure to stuff when she was 10 and on a Senior 4 team. I honestly don't know how you avoid it.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Exactly! This is what happened with my kiddo --- And, despite her skill set, she began the season (after waiting years to be age eligible) as an alternate on the Worlds team because she has to learn to base. Ahhh puberty! I always tell Moms to look at themselves and their kiddo's fathers--- is your daughter going to always be small? Not likely if you yourself are a 5'7" woman and Dad is 6'. And yeah, allstar male cheerleaders do often tend to be smaller boys in senior age range --- my daughter eventually was doing the coed stunt on her 5 team because she was taller/stronger than some of the boys lol. That does seem to change once you get to the I5 and 6 divisions with some bigger college age guys.

It's simple math, too.

As a high school coach who takes a team of give or take 25 kids, I have 6 groups usually (give or take.)

Mathematically, I do not need 20 flyers. I don't.

Yet it seems like when kids come into tryouts, I have a good number indicating "flyer only" when they really should be indicating both. I've had kids so married to the idea of flying that they choose to try out for JV although they have Varsity level skills (as JV does not compete and are a little more flexible on who flies.)

And really if you are pushing 5'7 I need you to back, honey.

Same for Worlds teams. Even the largest Worlds team only needs what? 9 and some extras?

 

[Keep_Believing]

@oncecoolcoachnowmom I bet some kids choose to go to Senior R5 instead of Junior 5 to extend their flying opportunities.