USA Nationals

Date: Tue Feb 14 11:03 AM, 2006

USA Nationals

Date: Tue Feb 14 11:10 AM, 2006

one word---- pathetic

Date: Tue Feb 14 11:20 AM, 2006

USA Nationals = Worlds Bid Vending Machine............"put in your money, and out pops a Worlds Bid"

"Thanks for coming to USA Nationals.........here's your wrist bands, coaches passes, and Worlds Bid. Please come again next year."

Date: Tue Feb 14 12:06 PM, 2006

Are the bids all full paid bids or are some partial ?

Date: Tue Feb 14 12:33 PM, 2006

My understanding, 3 full paid bids and 6 unpaid bids. This is based on last years attendance. Next year those bids should be reduced significantly if the final team attendance stands as it is right now.

I have to say I am very disappointed that USA hasn't stepped up to the plate and made changes to their competitions to draw more attendance. Just seems they aren't keeping up with the tiimes and newer companies coming on board.

We need to keep as many Worlds Bids as possible alive out here in California so we can be represented at Worlds.

Date: Tue Feb 14 12:39 PM, 2006

is it still too late to register? if not i think some more teams should think of making their way down there to give those teams some more competition!

Date: Tue Feb 14 1:54 PM, 2006

I would think that due to the low numbers they would take teams up to the last day....they should at least.

Date: Tue Feb 14 2:03 PM, 2006

The odds are even better than the ACA, which I read in a post here that they had 12 teams compete for world bids with 2 paid and 4 unpaid being given out.

Is it me or does it seem that those competitions that offer money to program/grand champions seem to pull in large numbers of teams to their comps?

Date: Tue Feb 14 2:12 PM, 2006

There may be more teams in those divisions than it appears...The teams that haven't qualified by going to a regional have to compete in prelims and wouldn't be listed on that schedule. I understand that American is going but has to compete in prelims because they did not go to a regional. So, there may be some other teams in that situation also and the ultimate field may be bigger.

Just a couple comments on the conversation regarding USA bids - I agree that it should be fair as far as all companies that are giving bids having the same rules for numbers of bids. But, I'm tiring of hearing what sounds like bitterness toward USA. They are running a business...if you don't like how USA responds to "comments", don't go to their competitions. Those paid bids are worth around $15,000 to $25,000 to each team - If USA doesn't get enough participation to support those bids, they won't be able to stay the same and stay in business - but it is their business. As consumers, go or don't go, but why dwell on them. Go somewhere else if you don't like the way they do business.

The last two years there has not been a lot of competition for USA's bids - so if it's just about a bid and you want pretty good odds, go to USA!

And by the way, read the bid list on USASF. I've never heard of some of the comps later in the year in the northeast and midwest that will be giving bids. And, maybe some teams we've never heard of will be getting them. What a great way for teams that may get no real "national" exposure to be seen! And, what a great way to really gather the best from all the regions of the US! Who knows what might be seen?

And please, Worlds is such a positive step in creating one competition to see who is the best of the best - but it's obviously not perfect. I have been the last two years and can tell you that it is such an amazing experience and I hope that kids from all over the country will have a chance to go. The USASF staff that I have come into contact with have worked extremely hard to make our experience great. I really believe it will only get better. Good luck to all!!

Date: Tue Feb 14 2:18 PM, 2006

Central Cali Fan, I agree with you. The teams that are competing for Worlds Bid are very good to begin with, so it would be more teams, but im sure the results would be similar. Im pretty sure California all stars and WC Mavericks are taking their teams. It would be easy for California all stars to take their small senior level 5 and put them in elevated versus the other level 5 division. Also American Cheer and Dynasty Cheer from Texas are going through prelims. Those are both very strong programs. Large all girl and small coed won't be that easy.

Date: Tue Feb 14 2:45 PM, 2006

Okay, so looking at the list of teams on the "Prelim" schedule that have an opportunity to go into Semi-Finals, add 2 teams to the list, that brings it to 15 possible teams in Semi-Finals. Still good odds.

Small Coed Elevated 5
-Dynasty Cheer

Large Senior Elevated 5
-American Cheer

Just to set the record straight on my opinion of USA...I'm not trying to bash them because of how many bids they have. I believe in the USASF system of how bids are determined and that all seems good.

What I would like to see is USA once again becoming one of the premier Nationals competition in California giving out bids to Worlds. Seems they need to relook at their programs and make some adjustments to draw in the teams. Yes, it is a business and as a business they need to keep their customers happy. Somewhere along the line a LARGE group of customers decided not to attend USA events, even if it meant loosing a change at a Worlds Bid. To me that is saying a whole lot about a company needing to listen more to their customer base. Now, I have no insight as to why major gyms in California are no longer attending USA. I haven't been able to get a good answer from anyone. But something is off. And as a "Worlds Watcher" I would like California teams to have more opportunities to be represented at Worlds. There are only 2 companies in California currently offering bids, USA and GSSA. So why aren't gyms going to USA? Can a gym owner shed some light on this?

Date: Tue Feb 14 3:42 PM, 2006

Probably because they cant take their teams when usa puts a age restriction on the senior divisions ( no 13 or 14 and unders ) even though those same teams would qualify at worlds.

Date: Tue Feb 14 4:50 PM, 2006

Of Course it is because of the minimum age requirement. In order to be in the elevated division for a chance at worlds, USA states that you must be at least 13 years old to be competing in this division. This is why many California teams cannot compete at USA.

Date: Tue Feb 14 4:51 PM, 2006

Personally, I think a true talent of a team shows when their not basing little tiny girls from elementary school. But that's another topic!

However... the USASF should require the same rules across the board.
-If one comp can give world bids to teams that allow these younger members to be on a worlds team, then the other organizations should allow it.
OR
- If one organization doesn't allow the kids younger than 14, then all worlds bid comps should have the same restriction.

Just my 2 cents :)

Date: Tue Feb 14 5:21 PM, 2006

USASF states that cheer companies can modify the divisions to best fit their customer base. USA is not the only competition company that has modified the "Worlds" divisions. Cheersport modified the Large Coed divisions, adding a Coed 5-12 males which is not elegible for a bid. But I've read on this message board that teams that fall into that 5-12 division had a choice to go into that division or the Large Coed Worlds division.

I 'm not saying I like the changes or that it is right, but it is in the rules. So, technically they are not breaking any rules.

Still waiting to hear from a gym owner or director on why they have decided not to attend USA competitions.

Date: Tue Feb 14 5:44 PM, 2006

One of the major goals of USASF was supposedly to unify the rules. Still have their work cut out for them. Personally, I think it should be elevated divisions across the board. I know UCA has elevated level 5. Not sure if there is anyone else out there. I thought NCA used to, but I'm not sure.

Date: Tue Feb 14 9:56 PM, 2006

Just last weekend my team competed at a USA comp and i definetely dont want to go there anymore.... biggest reason: they didn't have a spring floor in the warm up room so all teams had to warm up tumbling on the main floor during a judges break all at the same time! n some of them weren't competing for another 2 or 3 hours... it was rediculous! If your gunna have your competition on a spring floor you better have one for the competitors to warm up on..
hopefully they can get 2 spring floors for their nationals

Date: Tue Feb 14 10:59 PM, 2006

central cali cheer fan wrote:

If USA doesn't get enough participation to support those bids, they won't be able to stay the same and stay in business.

Incorrect. Since CASH FLUSH Varsity is USA's parent company, USA can continue to run events at a loss, as long as it is in Varsity's "big picture, best interest" to have "its" companies giving out bids.

There's more to running a multi-million dollar company than most outside observers will ever know. Varsity is a $150 million/year corporation. They can drop three $25,000 paid bids for one of the companies if it helps in other areas they need. This is the "new math" a company can operate under when they now own 75% of an industry through mergers and acquisitions.

Date: Wed Feb 15 12:39 AM, 2006

To "Gym Owner", I felt uncomfortable with your post and needed to delete it. It seemed too personal for these boards. I'm sorry if you disagree. I try to leave as many posts up as I can but I don't want the cheergyms.com boards to have any part in hurting individual reputations. I hope you understand.

Feel free to email me at danny@cheergyms.com if you need to.

Danny Kahn
Administrator

Date: Wed Feb 15 2:26 AM, 2006

just to let everyone know there is more to USA than just cheerleading competitions... they have a lot of programs. be patient... its most likely trial and error... they'll get it right. and if you dont like it then dont go to their events and dont worry about it...