1/2 year team

Date: Thu Jul 10 1:55 PM, 2008

1/2 year team

Date: Thu Jul 10 3:20 PM, 2008

I think it's a good ideal..Sometimes us parents can't do a full season.

Date: Thu Jul 10 3:21 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

I see some gyms offer 1/2 year teams. I see this is a way to build numbers within a gym, get kids used to the program, get them interested in moving into the allstar program without all the high costs....... maybe some parents will see the big picture, but it also seems expensive to pay $900 and only attend two competitions.

If it's not for you, then don't do it. It's that simple.

Date: Thu Jul 10 3:25 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

I see some gyms offer 1/2 year teams. I see this is a way to build numbers within a gym, get kids used to the program, get them interested in moving into the allstar program without all the high costs....... maybe some parents will see the big picture, but it also seems expensive to pay $900 and only attend two competitions.

try and name one confused

b I dont think so furious

Date: Thu Jul 10 3:26 PM, 2008

cheergyms.com was the first to do one-I think. THey do the team for the reasons listed and so that kids who want to keep up there skills who do youth/pop warner programs on their off season! Families come back year after year!

Date: Thu Jul 10 8:07 PM, 2008

My daughter does 1/2 year and loves it. I am never pressured to do full year, cannot afford anyway, but nonetheless my daughter gets the best of both worlds. (no punt intended) I think the full year programs are outstanding, for now, its just not for us. She does however do tumbling year round. smile

Date: Fri Jul 11 5:06 AM, 2008

I think its the summer that always turns people off from a full year team. When do people start their half year teams? October, November or December? I know NOr cal starts theirs very late, but what about other gyms.

CheerTyme Owner · Senior Member

We were looking at starting a half year team last season. The problem in our area is that our youth programs run until December or even February. So it tends to be alot of money they have to put out right after pop warner or youth nationals for a team that only has a 3 month season. I would still love to field a 1/2 year team. Any advice on advertising and keeping the costs down???

Date: Fri Jul 11 10:37 AM, 2008

Cheerforce will be offering a half yearly team called the (180 program)

Date: Fri Jul 11 10:55 AM, 2008

I love the 1/2 year team. It allows the parents that can not afford the full year to participate in cheer. Hats off to those gyms that open up there doors for kids to be able to get the experience.

Date: Sun Jul 13 4:27 AM, 2008

I don't know much about 1/2 year cheer but the concept caught my attention the first time that I heard the option even existed. Why don't more gyms offer this? Is there a downfall to having a 1/2 year team. Of late we've been talking about ways that gyms can help parents to cut costs during such difficult economic times. Wouldn't this be a great alternative? Gym owners? What are your thoughts?

Signed >>>>

Broke Cheer Parent aww

Date: Sun Jul 13 4:45 AM, 2008

california flyers will be having one

Date: Sun Jul 13 9:21 AM, 2008

Gyms wouldn't survive if everyone did 1/2 year teams. So that's one downfall. The other is typically, and I know there are definitely exceptions, half year teams do not do as well at competitions because they haven't been practicing for as long as full year teams. So while it might be an advantage to parents, too many members participating in 1/2 year vs. full year would be a disadvantage to gyms.

Danny · Senior Member

What we need is for competition companys to offer a "half year division".

Date: Sun Jul 13 10:33 AM, 2008

thank you danny, enough said!

Tamara · cheergyms.com Master Poster

Danny wrote:
What we need is for competition companys to offer a "half year division".

Oh yeah, just what we need...more divisions. ;)

Date: Sun Jul 13 10:20 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Gyms wouldn't survive if everyone did 1/2 year teams. So that's one downfall. The other is typically, and I know there are definitely exceptions, half year teams do not do as well at competitions because they haven't been practicing for as long as full year teams. So while it might be an advantage to parents, too many members participating in 1/2 year vs. full year would be a disadvantage to gyms.

Great point, they don't do as well at comp. But parents need to understand that. Much of the teams that the half year teams go up against are in the gym perfecting all year.

Date: Sun Jul 13 10:21 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Gyms wouldn't survive if everyone did 1/2 year teams. So that's one downfall. The other is typically, and I know there are definitely exceptions, half year teams do not do as well at competitions because they haven't been practicing for as long as full year teams. So while it might be an advantage to parents, too many members participating in 1/2 year vs. full year would be a disadvantage to gyms.

Great point, they don't do as well at comp. But parents need to understand that. Much of the teams that the half year teams go up against are in the gym perfecting all year.

And we don't need more divisions. So they should understand that.

flipkidjudge · Senior Member

Anonymous wrote:

I see some gyms offer 1/2 year teams. I see this is a way to build numbers within a gym, get kids used to the program, get them interested in moving into the allstar program without all the high costs....... maybe some parents will see the big picture, but it also seems expensive to pay $900 and only attend two competitions.

Having done that before, I can tell you it is a great option for parents but a difficult one for gym owners and staff. Trying to maintain gym unity and not having a 1/2 year team feel like they are the proverbial red headed stepchild because they do not cheer all year long is difficult and not always in the control of the gym owners. You will have parents and cheerleaders driving a wedge as well between the programs. Then you will have cheerleaders who should be on a year round team, scaling back to a half year which then disrupts the year round teams. Soon you will have a program of 1/2 year kids at every level and another of full year. Very tricky to manage. You will have level 5'swhich supposedly represent the best in our sport only wanting to practice for 3 months and mad they don't make it to World's. Not trying to be callous but having talked personally to many parents who expressed similar thoughts it seems drastic to make such a programmatic shift just to attract/retain people who want the All Star experience for a Dollar Store price.

Now what does seem to work with some gyms is a travel team and a non travel team. You have some of the same issues, but it seems this is a better sell gym wide than the 1/2 year option. Your Non travel teams just do local comps or go within a certain mileage with no overnight stays for the parents to worry about. The issue with that however becomes "lack" of competition and complaining there is no one to compete against locally.

The 1/2 year option is a great recruitment type of tool and it can be used for that successfully. That is the way I have used it in the past. We do something similar with our All County Select program. However we take those kids to one competition at the end of the year with every one of our teams and they love it. Many kids return just to cheer on that team.

We have long debated doing level 1 only as a Non travel team since we do not currently have level 1 teams in the gym. Also since we accept beginners at all ages and have plenty of Seniors who never cheered before, that could be a way to get them involved and committed before stepping up the to the traveling team. The downfall is of course we would lose those numbers from our travel teams and make them weaker as well.

-- Edited by flipkidjudge at 10:16, 2008-07-14

Date: Mon Jul 14 10:05 AM, 2008

I really think the best scenario is to just take your full year teams and try to cut costs by travelling less (maybe one travelling trip). We are fortunate in the bay area and further east (sacramento, stockton area) because there are plenty of teams to compete against. I know that might not be true elsewhere.

The 1/2 year teams is a great way to get new recruits, let them test the waters to see if it is something they want to do. But once they decide they really need to be full year for a gym to continue to be successful. If you have full year members starting to drop to 1/2 year, it could be disastrous for the gym down the road.