cujo1103 wrote:

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In my opinion I see 4.2 as the perfect opportunity for gym owners to be aggressive and go after those cheerleaders who are ages 14 and older.  Gyms across the nation are all seeing the same trends, athletes who are leaving programs because they are not getting the tumbling skills that are required to do the higher level stunts.  Why should athletes be restricted in their building skills simply because they either decided to start cheering at a later age or have been cheering for years but just can't seem to get anything more than trick through to backhandspring.  The world of All Star cheerleading without a doubt has become so focused on and centered on tumbling skills.  From the athlete development perspective, learning tumbling skills at an older age is not easy.  Parents if you don't believe me go sign yourself up for a tumbling class.  So, its understandable to see why so many  athletes who are able to go cheer at their high school or even junior high school where tumbling is not such a great focus they can still be satisfied with being able to do the high level stunts, baskets and pyramids.  

If I'm not mistaken...Cheerleaders leaving All Stars for this very reason has been a topic on this message board before.

Cheerleading is not a unique sport because of the tumbling skills that are involved.  The stand out aspect of our sport are the building skills; stunts, baskets and pyramids.  I think that over the next few years we are going to see the USASF start to take the focus off the tumbling and put a bigger emphasis on what really makes our sport unique and different from the gymnastics and power tumbling.  Give a bigger opportunity for those athletes who have started at an older age but are wanting to do the higher level stunts.  The one thing I would like to see for 4.2 is to put an age limit to help this emphasis making it a division for the older kids 14 and above who just can't get the tumbling.  Let's be honest not everyone was meant to do a full, layout, or a tuck.  

Gym Owners:  I would ask yourself how many athletes have left your gym over the last two years for this very reason.  Use this as your opportunity to call them email them and say we have the perfect place for you back in our program.  We want you back!  You may be surprised that you can think of enough kids to form a completely new team. 

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Cheerleading itself isn't unique because of ANY technical skills involved because is in circus/cirque de soleil, professional dance and other performance sports they stunt and do similar tricks. Its unique because of the combination of all those skills.