Jamz Nationals

Date: Mon Feb 27 11:02 PM, 2006

RE: Jamz Nationals

Date: Tue Feb 28 1:32 AM, 2006

Yea, I knew that they determine who gets to give away the bids, I didn't realize they are also supplying the money for the bids. So that's comforting to know it's not coming from higher fees us parents have to pay just to watch our little ones compete. Although it does seem comp fees have gone up this year quite a bit. Our organization, and I know of quite a few others as well, don't have level 5 teams, so my thinking is, why should we have to pay extra, you know? But it sounds like we don't, at least not directly?

Date: Tue Feb 28 10:03 AM, 2006

Yes, you do. USASF does NOT pay for the bids. Each company pays for their bids. USASF just determines who's allowed to give how many.

The companies' higher entry fees for everyone (Minis thru Seniors) at these competitions is a direct result of needing to finance these $25,000 paid bids.

The reason JAMZ is $90/kid this year is because they need to offset the cost of offering a $25,000 paid bid and $15,000 in at large prizes.

Taking only a Junior and Jr Prep team to JAMZ?............feel like you're getting ripped off?.............YOU ARE.

Date: Tue Feb 28 10:43 AM, 2006

This is so funny. You see......before each season starts, a number of different brochures are are mailed out. Each brochure spells out what each company is offering at their competitions and at what cost. It is pointless to blame JAMZ for anything regarding expense. Cheerleading competitions are expensive no matter what.

If you are unhappy with a specific competition for whatever reason, simply let your gym managers know. If enough customers express their dissatisfaction, your gym will choose a different competition in the future.

To say that JAMZ is "ripping you off" is not true. That would be like saying that you were ripped off by Delta after choosing to take their flight. You knew what you were doing.

Being from cheergyms.com, I seriously doubt that any of the above posts are from their customers. The reason I say that is because we all pay a flat fee to our gyms and then our gym managers choose the competitions. They could have easily chose a cheaper competition which would create a greater profit margin for themselves buit they didn't. They chose a comp that they feel will be a great experience for all their customers.

If you are being nickeled and dimed throughout the year then I can see why you would feel that this is too expensive but for me, I just feel that it's gonna be a great trip to Vegas and I am thankful that my gym chose this great trip!

Of course, I like everyone is a critic of competitions and hoe they are run. I'm not happy that the schedule seems impracticle. But.......it's just one or two things that will be rough in what will otherwise be a great experience for my daughter and our family. It is what you make of it. Enjoy this time. It goes by fast!

Good luck to everyone for the rest of the season!

Date: Tue Feb 28 11:14 AM, 2006

Did cheergyms choose Jamz this particular year and not others because they decided it would be fun (wasn't it fun years ago too)? or because there are now paid bids they have a chance to get. Not down on cheergyms, others are doing the same. And if that was the purpose of these paid bids, to get more teams to come to these comps, it is apparently working.

But for those organizations that don't have level 5 teams, it's easy to say don't go to these comps that have expensive fees to pay for thousands of dollars you'll never have the chance to use, it's easy to say don't go, but what comps would that leave them to attend?? Let's be realistic. We have no choice.

My suggestion would be this ... all level 5 teams that are in contention for these bids should pay an additional fee (an application fee if you will) to offset some of these expenses. Would they do it? My guess is YES, why not? You pay an application fee to have the opportunity to win a bid (sort of like applying for a scholarship). If you feel confident you have a chance and deserve one, why wouldn't you do it?? Meanwhile the gyms with just level 4 and below aren't haven't to lessen the amount of competitions they go to every year (or charge parents more every year). Doesn't that make perfect sense?

Date: Tue Feb 28 11:16 AM, 2006

Great idea.

Date: Tue Feb 28 11:19 AM, 2006

Jamz Nationals was $90 two years ago...before they gave out bids. nothing changed.

Date: Tue Feb 28 11:38 AM, 2006

Actually cheergyms.com has sent teams to Vegas for Jamz Nationals many times in the past. Motions, 720, and Illusions have gone numerous times in the past. This year cheergyms.com decided to have all of it's teams go to all of the same comps. The managers of 720 and Motions rallied to have us all go to Jamz in Vegas because they enjoyed the experience in the past. So that's the history behind that.

I LOVE the idea of an "Application Fee" for teams in the Worlds Bid Divisions!

Great Thinking "Choosing a comp"!

Date: Tue Feb 28 3:28 PM, 2006

Of course if you are not on that level 5 team that is getting the bid, or if you are a parent of a child that is on the level 5 team, u think that its a great idea for the kids on the level five team competing for the bid should pay the fee rate. But think about it...The company, in this case, jamz, needs to raise 25,000 bucks just for the paid bid, plus the 15,000 dollars for the at large bids or what ever. Being that there is only 5 teams in the large coed division, each person would have to pay quiet a lot of money just for them to here that they lost and that there team isnt going to Florida. Thats a bummer. Besides, Like "2 years ago" said, jamz costed 90 dollars two years ago.

Why should Jamz give out the bid to a different division besides large coed level 5? Just because CA got a bid already doesnt mean that now they should give it to someone else. Im not going to lie, CA is off the hook from what i have heared and they may have have an upper hand at the bid even though they already have one, but we havent even competed yet. Besides, i like the Jamz competition better then GSSA comp because Jamz is giving a bid to a divsion, not who ever wins the comp. Yea you could say the best team should get the bid. But hypathetically, what if just by chance, most small coed teams win the bids like the gssa one around the nation. There would be probably near 25 small coed teams. What about small senior, large coed and large all girl. Yes the best team should win, but i think it should be more specific then that at some comps. I think worlds should have the best 10 teams from each division attend worlds. Its going to be hard to judge all four divisions together at gssa, SBE im pretty sure has partner stunts in the air, while powers small senior im pretty sure only had 4 stunts maybe 5 up at once. I just like how Jamz is giving the bid to one division. I might just be saying this because i am going to Jamz and competing in the Large Coed divison, but what ever.

Date: Tue Feb 28 4:09 PM, 2006

Of course the large coed teams would like this. This is gonna be by far the easiest bid to win in the industry. Large coed is the least competitive division on the west coast. If they can only give one, it should be to the most deserving team. Otherwise, give all divisions a chance. Jamz is the only company I've seen with this ridiculous setup. Anyway. Good luck to the large coed teams competing.

Date: Tue Feb 28 4:14 PM, 2006

And before my words get all taken out of context. I'm not saying there are no good large coed teams here. I'm just saying, you'd be hard pressed to find 2 of them at the same competition. So the really high level of competitive teams end up competing against teams, who frankly are nowhere up to par. The other 3 divisions can usually guarantee you some great head to head competition. Sorry, but that is seriously lacking in large coed.

Date: Tue Feb 28 4:16 PM, 2006

I disagree is me.

Date: Tue Feb 28 4:33 PM, 2006

FYI...here are the current number of teams that have received paid bids to Worlds by division.

Small Senior: 6

Large Senior: 4

Small Coed: 8

Large Coed: 6

Date: Tue Feb 28 5:14 PM, 2006

To "clarification please"

When you said that CA has already got their full paid bid and that the second place team will automatically get the full paid bid, you said that you hope that some "scrub" team doesnt get it, KNOWING that large coed is the the only division being offered a full paid bid. If you knew that CA was on the schedule, you obviously knew that Oakridge trojans, Clovis Elite, Pyramids and Motions were going to compete for that bid. You may not have said that those teams were "scrub teams," but the evidence shows that those teams were your reference.

it doesn't bother me that you calle dthem scrub teams, but I know i'm off the hook, and my team is definately NOT a scrub team.

-Bryan
MOTIONS LARGE COED

Date: Tue Feb 28 5:54 PM, 2006

Bryan wrote:

To "clarification please"

When you said that CA has already got their full paid bid and that the second place team will automatically get the full paid bid, you said that you hope that some "scrub" team doesnt get it, KNOWING that large coed is the the only division being offered a full paid bid. If you knew that CA was on the schedule, you obviously knew that Oakridge trojans, Clovis Elite, Pyramids and Motions were going to compete for that bid. You may not have said that those teams were "scrub teams," but the evidence shows that those teams were your reference.

it doesn't bother me that you calle dthem scrub teams, but I know i'm off the hook, and my team is definately NOT a scrub team.

-Bryan
MOTIONS LARGE COED

Maybe you are off the hook, maybe you're not. Never heard of you. Never saw your team. Knowing that CA is on the schedule does not mean that I know everyone else who is on the schedule. I happen to know that CA is on the schedule because I know alot of CA cheerleaders (and Maverick and Outlaw cheerleaders.) People do talk you know. I'm sure that when your coaches tell you that you are going to a competition, you know you'll be there. Does that mean you automatically know who else will be there? Or is mind reading part of your "Off the Hookness"? When it's all said and done, we'll see if there is a huge drop in scores after CA or not. LIke I've said numerous times before. I've never seen your gym. If it wasn't for this board, I would have never have even HEARD of your gym.

Date: Tue Feb 28 5:59 PM, 2006

I am assuming that your "off the hook" skill is tumbling. Off the hook to me would be people like Kiara or Matt McGrath who have people across the nation, who have never even competed against them knowing who they are because they are just that good. So yeah, you may be a great tumbler, but guess what, nowadays, great tumblers are everywhere. Todays fulls are yesterdays backhandsprings. Plenty of people have doubles, so they are having to throw some crazy combos. Standing fulls are almost blase, most boys I know have them, and even alot of girls are starting to throw them. So, just out of curiosity, what is your signature skill?

Date: Tue Feb 28 7:01 PM, 2006

We don't need your negative energy on these boards. Quit being so defensive just because you threw out a rude comment that you're having a seemingly difficult time backing up. Bryan happens to be the best tumbler in northern california. Can you say that about yourself?

Date: Tue Feb 28 7:02 PM, 2006

Oh wow. What happened to keeping this board possitive? Honestly.. Bryan is off the hook.. And at the same time.. Bryan also has a lot to learn and a lot to work on. I would have to say that his signature skill.. Along with the rest of the off the hook kids at MOTIONS.. Is the skill of hard work and dedication. Maybe they're all not star tumblers that people from all over the country have heard of, but really, how many of us are.

You're first comment about scrub teams going to JAMZ was rude. Every gym starts somewhere. When CA was North County Bullets.. Do you think people all over the country had heard of them? No. Shouldn't we be happy for ANY gym that gets a bid?

As a friend of mine said, who actually WENT to World's last year said, "When they got there, there was no "caddyness" off the floor. All the teams were so good, the competition stayed on the floor, and that it was just about the experience of being there. The teams traded clothes, and cheered eachother on on the floor, because each team wanted every other team to be at their best. Sure, we all wanted to win, but it was such an accomplishment just to get there."

Isn't that what it should be about? Its not up to us to decide who should go, and who shouldn't.

Let's all learn from this example set by these kids. Leave the competition on the mat, and lets be happy for the little steps that ANY gym makes, because really, each little step helps the sport as a whole.

Good luck to EVERYONE this year. Cheerleading has come suck a long way, lets keep it movin in a positive direction.

-Amac

Date: Tue Feb 28 7:42 PM, 2006

coach wrote:

We don't need your negative energy on these boards. Quit being so defensive just because you threw out a rude comment that you're having a seemingly difficult time backing up. Bryan happens to be the best tumbler in northern california. Can you say that about yourself?

Which comment would that be? The one where I said large coed is the least competitive division in California? Easy enough to back up. Go to the company websites and check the scores. As far as Bryan's skills. I just hope they're better than his deductive reasoning skills. Knowing CA is on the schedule, is hardly proof that I knew who else was competing. With the exception of Clovis Elite, even if I did have the lineup, I hadn't heard of or seen any of those teams before. I've heard of the cheergyms teams only because of this website, but even then, I have no idea which gyms have coed teams. And no. I can't say I'm the best tumbler in california, but I can say, I'm surrounded by plenty of the best. So good luck to the teams that will be vying for the bid. I'm done on this subject until results are posted.

Date: Tue Feb 28 8:53 PM, 2006

Bryan is a good tumbler however, he is NOT the best in Nor Cal!!!