Why do some teams keep their competition schedules secret

Date: Mon Jan 21 12:20 AM, 2008

Why do some teams keep their competition schedules secret

Date: Mon Jan 21 8:12 AM, 2008

I hear this issue is due to the fact that some teams do not want to compete against other teams especially if they know the teams are good, so they will not say what competitions they are attending to ensure a win.

This is JMO- I feel sometimes gyms are under such an enormous pressure to produce wins, but also give the parents a justified win( at least some competition) this is no longer a open matter, comp attendance has become a matter of strategy and secrecy.

Date: Mon Jan 21 9:11 AM, 2008

Is that the intend of gyms to look for an easy win? I don't think so. Wow can a gym know what competitions to go to when a schedule must be set 6 months in advance? I just don't believe this is true. I suppose you can find some small attended competitions and try for a easy win, but really those are few and far in between.

Why must a gym publicily share every decision that is made in their cheerleaders? It's their responsible to share with those that are members in their gym. But really that's as far as it needs to go.

I think by not sharing a schedule leaves an eliminate of surprise, for the other teams, when the list comes out. Even though most gyms do not share their schedules initially these boards get the answers and for the most part we all know who is going where.

Diva Coach Melissa · Senior Member

I don't think anyone keeps it a "secret". I know that we don't readily advertise it but that's because of the way we choose competitions now. In the past we would set our schedule in stone way back in the summer, and then we'd end up at a couple of competitions with just NO competition in any of the divisions. So this season, we were a little more tentative about it and that allowed us to make changes when we found that one competition was being better attended than another.

For example, we initially were "scheduled" to go to Athletic Championships, because so many teams attended last year while we were at something else (I forget what though). But in the past two months it's become clear that many more programs are going to Cheersport, so that's where we'll be! It also worked out nice for our families with free admission, which they always appreciate. Our families are also not real big fans of two-day competitions.

Yes, you have to have some sort of schedule...but allowing yourself to be flexible with it gives you some options in the long run. Perhaps it's good to keep in mind that rather than "hiding" by not announcing a competition schedule, maybe programs are trying to FIND competition instead.

And as long as you know what competition YOUR team is scheduled to be at, does it really matter? :)

-- Edited by Diva Coach Melissa at 09:03, 2008-01-22

-- Edited by Diva Coach Melissa at 09:14, 2008-01-22

Date: Mon Jan 21 10:01 AM, 2008

Since some very talented and big name gyms don't post their competition schedules I highly doubt it's for an easy win, they don't need it. I was wondering how it was obvious everyone was going to Cheersport, was it based on who responded on this message board? Or is there another way to tell who is going to what..

Date: Mon Jan 21 10:02 AM, 2008

I know you didn't mean it in a bad way, but your comment "it's become clear that pretty much everyone is going to Cheersport" is a bit of a slight to all the good teams that are attending Athletic Championships. If you look at the schedule they have a pretty good turnout also. Especially in the lower levels. I agree that a gyms has no way of knowing in advance what competitions other gyms chose to attend. I personally like Athletic Championship. It's well run and we have always enjoyed attending thier competitions. For that matter Cheersport is good also. Whatever good luck to all teams attending both competitions.

Date: Mon Jan 21 11:09 AM, 2008

I have to agree, there are talented gyms going to Athletic Championships with plenty of competition in some of the divisions. Maybe they were referring to the divisions they would have been in, but how would you know in the past two months who is going to what unless you asked various gyms or looked on their website, which we've already determined most don't post them. It's unfortunate both competitions scheduled theirs on the same weekend. I have not seen a schedule for Cheersport, has it been posted yet? It will be interesting to see how many gyms attend one over the other, which we can all make a note of for next year.

flipkidjudge · Senior Member

Anonymous wrote:

I notice several teams are very open about their competition schedules then there are a few that wont name thier competitions at all. Does anyone know why? I have seen one team on here all the time but they never say which competitions they are going to.

I have several thoughts on this:
1.) Whatever competitions a gym decides to go to is their business alone. It should not matter to anybody else where they go. We pick competitions for various factors...cost, traveling distance..nights required to stay over, reputed fairness of judging, injuries. Since we take all of our teams to every competition we have to look into many aspects of how it affects the entire program.
2.) We used to put our schedule out at tryouts. This was to give parents an idea of when they needed to have money in, travel arrangemnets, etc. Now we wait a little bit longer. But we never put it on our website...it is an in gym description. We have also found that many times if a competition company changes the dates, it brings us into a conflict. So that means we have to drop that competition and find another that fits the dates we selected.
3.) Some gyms may do it for the "easy win" as one poster put it. But others may do it because until they pay their money to competion company they still aren't 100 percent sure. For example this year we were going to go to Cheersport. We were taking 12-13 teams. Something happned that caused us to not go. If we had posted we were going, but then did not show up...competing gyms would say we dropped out because we were scarecd to compete against them...when in reality it was something that had nothing to do with them.
4.) You also have gym scouting competitions just to see where teams are going, and then register..even after the registration deadline.
5.) Some companies do not post because..quite honestly...there are some teams they would rather not compete against. Their reasons are their reasons but I have found out from talking to many of those coaches it is not because they are scared to lose.

Diva Coach Melissa · Senior Member

Yeah you're right, I didn't intend that how you guys took it. I just meant that if you stacked up pure program numbers, there are more programs going to Cheersport than Athletic Championships. I'll fix my post to reflect what I really meant.

I was surprised at the turn out for Athletic Championships when I saw the schedule yesterday. I think we all forget how many teams there in Northern California - there really are enough to fully support two large competitions on the same weekend. Attendance for AC is down from last season though. That competition was HUGE last year, which was why we intended to go this year until finding out how many programs were going to Cheersport instead.

Date: Tue Jan 22 9:06 AM, 2008

Is it me or doesnt seem like Athletic has more people attending than Cheersport. I didn't count, but it just looks like it.

On the topic of having schedules, where should we post our competition schedule so "everyone" can know what were doing. I would think the members, parents and coaches are the primary people who should know. Everyone else is not even a factor.

Date: Tue Jan 22 9:13 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Is it me or doesnt seem like Athletic has more people attending than Cheersport. I didn't count, but it just looks like it.

On the topic of having schedules, where should we post our competition schedule so "everyone" can know what were doing. I would think the members, parents and coaches are the primary people who should know. Everyone else is not even a factor.

Yes your right there are more teams attending Athletic Championship then Cheersport. Cheersport has more higher level teams attending like Power, Cheergyms, Airborne, etc., but if you look at Athletic Championship the lower levels have more competition. I also agree if you consider that there are two comps being held on the same weekend both have pretty good attendance. So with that being said each one should be good for all concerned. Good luck to everyone.

Date: Tue Jan 22 10:02 AM, 2008

Diva Coach Melissa wrote:

Yeah you're right, I didn't intend that how you guys took it. I just meant that if you stacked up pure program numbers, there are more programs going to Cheersport than Athletic Championships. I'll fix my post to reflect what I really meant.

Not really true; count the number of gyms going to each, it's pretty even (add Nor Cal Elite to Athletic Championships) as they are not on the schedule yet for some reason. AC had a better turnout last year, that is true, but didn't Cheersport too? I see teams attending AC that attended Cheersport last year.

Date: Tue Jan 22 10:10 AM, 2008

Ok.. Excluding High School and Dance I counted. Cheersport has 17 teams attending, and Athletic Championship has 23 (Including NCE who are not on the schedule yet). Cheersport has more level 4 and 5 teams attending. Athletic Championship has more Youth and Junior Teams. Pretty good turnout for both competitions.

Date: Tue Jan 22 10:55 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Ok.. Excluding High School and Dance I counted. Cheersport has 17 teams attending, and Athletic Championship has 23 (Including NCE who are not on the schedule yet). Cheersport has more level 4 and 5 teams attending. Athletic Championship has more Youth and Junior Teams. Pretty good turnout for both competitions.

Actually it's...
21 Teams attending Athletic Championship
29 Teams attending Cheersport

Ok.. I'm bored!

Diva Coach Melissa · Senior Member

And really, you have no way of truly knowing until the schedule comes out. You can talk to your friends who own or coach other programs and find out where they're all going, and that's the best you can do.

Date: Tue Jan 22 10:56 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Ok.. Excluding High School and Dance I counted. Cheersport has 17 teams attending, and Athletic Championship has 23 (Including NCE who are not on the schedule yet). Cheersport has more level 4 and 5 teams attending. Athletic Championship has more Youth and Junior Teams. Pretty good turnout for both competitions.

Actually it's...
21 Teams attending Athletic Championship
19 Teams attending Cheersport

Ok.. I'm bored!

oops my bad :)

Date: Tue Jan 22 11:11 AM, 2008

Our gym gives us parents a comp. schedule in August or so for the entire season.
so far none has been canceled or added so i dont think that gyms keep it a secret
we have friends on other teams and we compare schedules to see when we will get to see each other
i think most gyms give out their schedules at the end of summer and try their best to stick to that schedule. I dont feel like they are keeping it a secret at all and usually you know by word of mouth where each gym is going or not going
dont think there is a conspiracy theory in the works

Date: Tue Jan 22 11:51 AM, 2008

We don't keep ours a secret, but we definetly will not be attending GSSA, Jamz, USA or UCA.

Date: Tue Jan 22 11:54 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

We don't keep ours a secret, but we definetly will not be attending GSSA, Jamz, USA or UCA.

Y is that?

Date: Tue Jan 22 12:19 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We don't keep ours a secret, but we definetly will not be attending GSSA, Jamz, USA or UCA.

Y is that?

Everyone has competitions they like or dislike for thier own reasons. I have yet to attend a perfect competition myself. So when we go to comps I've learned to just take a deep breath and relax. That way good or bad I get thru the day, come home and start getting ready for the next one. Life is just too short to worry about the small stuff :)