All-Star Worlds Age Change???

[CoachMandiCF]

Curious to know the logic why an age change for Worlds Teams, but not other Senior teams? Yes, the skills are different but all the points discussed are social issues, not skill issues...so why single out Worlds Teams? I have nothing at stake (my kids are not in the range for Worlds Teams), it just doesn't seem logical.

There is a proposal to up the age of non worlds senior teams to 11


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[Jonathan Brouillette]

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).

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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!)

The athletes with birthdays after August 31st and plan on cheering in college will end up with one less year of Worlds... The following year they plan on changing Worlds age to the ultimate goal of 14... My daughter has been on J5/Y5 for 3 years and her 13 the birthday is December 22. With this new rule she would be 13 all season but considered cheer age 12. The following year the same thing would happen. She will end up with 3 years of Worlds when she currently talent wise is ready now. I hope they consider changing the cheer age determination to how international has it where cheer age is the minimum age anytime within the calendar year.

 

[CLynn]

There is a proposal to up the age of non worlds senior teams to 11

If Worlds age goes to 14, I would be ok if senior goes to 12. On another note, I do wonder what changed from last year to this year that they will actually implement the change after balking this year...

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Good point this could very well be a factor because I must say that I was amazed at how many very young athletes like 6 - 8 year olds that traveled to the Summit with other families. I actually chatted with some "chaperones" during the wait between awards and one said they were there with 16 kids and only 3 had a parent present. All I could say was God bless you honey and I would not want that kind of responsibility. That is too much pressure for me so I would imagine the powers that be might be considering this as a factor to lower the liability factor KWIM.

Sidenote. I know this happens, I know that not everyone can travel with their kids, but I have always felt weird about it.

I am a HS coach and there are at times parents who can't travel with their kids, and end up linking their kid up with another parent for the weekend.

It's usually no more than one extra athlete to a parent (ex: Suzy, Suzy's mom, and Suzy's best friend), and I know I can't dictate what people do with their kids, but it looms in the back of my mind at times if I/we would be liable as a program if something were to happen.

 

[Keep_Believing]

If Worlds age goes to 14, I would be ok if senior goes to 12. On another note, I do wonder what changed from last year to this year that they will actually implement the change after balking this year...

I think the biggest Complaint last year was the changes were not released early. This year they are releasing them early.

Edited to add there were also concerns about how it would affect the true small gyms.

 

[Keep_Believing]

@Jonathan Brouillette are there specific talents that I am missing that she can only use on a Worlds team? Ones that she can not use on a Junior 5 team?

I do agree using the same age calendar would be nice and help with consistency,

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

@Jonathan Brouillette are there specific talents that I am missing that she can only use on a Worlds team? Ones that she can not use on a Junior 5 team?

I do agree using the same age calendar would be nice and help with consistency,

J5 and Worlds are same skillset, unless she is on J5R.

 

[Keep_Believing]

@oncecoolcoachnowmom thought so, but wanted to double check.

 

[FamousxMindset]

I still don't see the need to change to the age grid. If a certain program doesn't want put 10 year olds on their senior teams fine let their program make that decision don't punish the gym down the street who doesn't have an issue with it. After September all coaches are already planning and prepping for next season and creating team placement scenarios. For example CSP has been strategically placing and creating this years team she started with Mini Elite to Glitter Penguins to C4 to Crush and then to finally Senior Elite. Probably not the best example but it does show the process that many coaches go through in their own gym to create the strongest teams possible.

To address the I don't like my child only older teams because they hear certain conversations' its a valid statement but if you're child has any type of social media (mom monitored or not ) I can guarantee you they have seen/heard worse than they 16 year girl talk during a water break.

I am all for small flyers, just like I am all for tall backspots, and strong bases because of #gravity. This proposal sounds like it was created by a bitter cheer mom who daughter is no longer a flyer not by a governing body of industry professionals.

 

[alpaca]

If Worlds age goes to 14, I would be ok if senior goes to 12. On another note, I do wonder what changed from last year to this year that they will actually implement the change after balking this year...

When was it last year that they released the age change and then took it back? I feel like it was well before try-outs, so I didn't understand the rationale of taking it back because gyms didn't have time to prepare.

 

[luv2cheer92]

When was it last year that they released the age change and then took it back? I feel like it was well before try-outs, so I didn't understand the rationale of taking it back because gyms didn't have time to prepare.

Just did a search and it was released on Jan 25th last year. So even earlier than it will be released this year. I'm just hoping it actually stays this year.

 

[LateKate3]

Just did a search and it was released on Jan 25th last year. So even earlier than it will be released this year. I'm just hoping it actually stays this year.

I wonder where the actual rumor started that it was worlds ages that would be changing. Do you have insight on that? I know the usasf announced they would be making an announcement on 2/15 (which seems silly...just say what ya gotta say, lol), but are the rumors all just assumptions?

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[AndyT_T]

You can be 13 on an i5 team because of their calendar. But I hope that gets raised, too.

As a US cheerleader I would be fine with international divisions moving to 17 and up like i6 and o4 are, but I don't know if that's realistic for the whole world right now unfortunately.

 

[luv2cheer92]

As a US cheerleader I would be fine with international divisions moving to 17 and up like i6 and o4 are, but I don't know if that's realistic for the whole world right not unfortunately.

Definitely agree with that. And I believe that was the reason the proposal from a few years ago that raised it by one each year to reach 17 ended up not happening as well.

 

[AndyT_T]

Ncsu is a top program. (Top 3 finisher at NCA past 3 years) and some of those kids have never been on an all star team. Some have been but never made it to finals at Worlds. They do have small flyers but my daughter flew and based her freshman year. She does not fly now bc became so muscular. Also in college they condition a lot. And once a week they go to an hour of lifts. They are trained to lift girls. No matter what size. Heck her soohmore year in a stunt she had one girl standing on her shoulders and another girl sitting on top of her! A boy just provided a little support in the back.

I know multiple people who won college nationals as a flyer but who had based their whole career in all star because they were "too big" to fly...... even though they were tiny. They just weren't 12 year old prepubescent tiny.