HATE MY DAUGHTERS TEAM

Date: Tue May 23 2:49 PM, 2006

RE: HATE MY DAUGHTERS TEAM

Date: Tue May 23 3:15 PM, 2006

To Mad Mmma
I have to tell you that my daughter was in the same spot last year. She was on a level 2 team with level 3 skills. We went and spoke to the coaches and discussed the situation, bottom line the gym makes up the best solid teams they can for everyone involved. Her coaches both wanted her on this team so she could shine (as another poster stated) and help make this team a stronger team. We left our meeting with a very good feeling.
After the season was over and her squad did great my daugther truly appreciated the extra year at level 2 and was very proud of her team.

I hope it all works out for your daughter

Date: Tue May 23 3:32 PM, 2006

The teams are announced the day after auditions, but each member is also reminded that the team assignments are fluid throughout the year. As skills are gained (or lost!) and team needs change, members may be moved on or off any given team.

Now remember that this doesn't mean that nobody cries and moans about placement, but I think it reduces those issues by outlining some things ahead of time.

Also, we have a huge promotion for our Lady Braves team which is a senior novice team. They work their backsides off and are rewarded by winning early and often. They don't have the difficulty of the level 5 squads, but they make up for it by being very, very clean. Very exciting, creative routine from year to year.

Date: Tue May 23 3:59 PM, 2006

I hope that you have considered giving the team that your daughter is on time to grow and achieve there team goals before you decide it you hate them or not. Is your daughter feeling this way not because of the ability level of the team she is on but because of the fact that maybe the team does not know each other that well yet?

I speak from experience when I say that most times the majority of skills from teams are aquired over the summer and that is when the bonding and true team feeling grows as well.

AS directors, coaches and owners it is our job to asses everyones skill level and see where each cheerleader will grow and shine the best. There are times that children with similar skills get placed on different teams. There are many reason for this. When you compile a team you want enough back spots, side bases and top girls. This is where the ability of basing, flying or back spotting may come into play. For example: this year our gym has a Level 4/5 Junior team and a Level 2 Junior team. We capped our Junior 4/5 team at 20 and we had a tumbling requirement that was the main cut off at our placement. If you did not through a certain skill then you were placed on the Junior 2 team.

My question to you is:

Why can't your child be proud of the team that she is on? Why isn't someones best good enough?

Currently our level 2 team has the most coaches on the floor out of any of our teams and are recieving great attention to detail. I think what is hard is that since teams do not practice together that you never get to see that this early in the season everyone is working on perfecting the same basic skills.

In closing, give it a couple of weeks if not a month, then if you are unhappy approach the director and voice your concerns. If the team that your daughter is on is not the best fit for her in the coaches eyes then by then they will see that as well. Goodluck!

p.s. Mad Momma.....when you stated the team 'above' hers did you mean by age or by ability level. You also need to consider the age divisions. Did your gym have a large number of kids tryout that were older...if so then the Senior team spots are prob filled by them not younger girls with the same skill level as your child.

Date: Tue May 23 6:07 PM, 2006

To Mad Mamma wrote:

I hope that you have considered giving the team that your daughter is on time to grow and achieve there team goals before you decide it you hate them or not. Is your daughter feeling this way not because of the ability level of the team she is on but because of the fact that maybe the team does not know each other that well yet?

I speak from experience when I say that most times the majority of skills from teams are aquired over the summer and that is when the bonding and true team feeling grows as well.

AS directors, coaches and owners it is our job to asses everyones skill level and see where each cheerleader will grow and shine the best. There are times that children with similar skills get placed on different teams. There are many reason for this. When you compile a team you want enough back spots, side bases and top girls. This is where the ability of basing, flying or back spotting may come into play. For example: this year our gym has a Level 4/5 Junior team and a Level 2 Junior team. We capped our Junior 4/5 team at 20 and we had a tumbling requirement that was the main cut off at our placement. If you did not through a certain skill then you were placed on the Junior 2 team.

My question to you is:

Why can't your child be proud of the team that she is on? Why isn't someones best good enough?

Currently our level 2 team has the most coaches on the floor out of any of our teams and are recieving great attention to detail. I think what is hard is that since teams do not practice together that you never get to see that this early in the season everyone is working on perfecting the same basic skills.

In closing, give it a couple of weeks if not a month, then if you are unhappy approach the director and voice your concerns. If the team that your daughter is on is not the best fit for her in the coaches eyes then by then they will see that as well. Goodluck!

p.s. Mad Momma.....when you stated the team 'above' hers did you mean by age or by ability level. You also need to consider the age divisions. Did your gym have a large number of kids tryout that were older...if so then the Senior team spots are prob filled by them not younger girls with the same skill level as your child.

My frustrations are she is working a layout has a tuck but is young so she won't be allowed to move up because she dosn't have a layout yet. Our teams are set from the beginning of the season, then they do moving up or down. But I was told she is too young. My whole issue is Why is there someone who does't even have a clean RBH on a level Senior 4 team who is one year older than my daughter oh I forgot they have multiple children in the program so more money equals higher team. Oh and the fact that my daughter was on a level Jr Prep 3 team last year doesn't make it fair. One of my girlfriends had a daughter that was on a a Senior 3 team last year and she was knocked down to a Youth 2 instead of putting her on a 4 team so she decided not to come back

Date: Tue May 23 6:51 PM, 2006

I feel for you but, this is so not the place to air this. TALK to you daughters coach or the owners or directors of the gym she attends. They are the only one that should have to deal with your frustration. I am sure that this is a big frustration to you and your daughter , but you need to address the appropriate people.

Date: Tue May 23 8:36 PM, 2006

hahahahaha i like ur name that made me laugh =)

Date: Tue May 23 10:52 PM, 2006

Now knowing that your child has a tuck and is working a layout I too would of questioned the coach on her placement. Maybe her placement has nothing to do with her ability and more to do with her work ethic and attitude to her teammates and coaches. I of course do not know her so I am only assuming that these things may have effected the coaches decision. Sometimes that is the hard question to ask because you may not get the answer you want to hear. On a side note, if you are unhappy at the gym you are at is there another gym that could offer your child and family better service that you feel is comparable in ability level?

Date: Wed May 24 7:35 AM, 2006

she is working on those skills but does she have clean technique on the basics?

Date: Wed May 24 8:16 AM, 2006

um wrote:

she is working on those skills but does she have clean technique on the basics?

Yes her basics are clean which is why I made it a point to say that other kids on the team don't. She has a clean RBH RBHT RT. Also her work ethic is great. She has never missed a practice. She is there early and is willing do do what ever. What I was told by another parent is that its probably because she is a wallflower and is really quiet. But all that has caused now is for my daughter not to want to cheer anymore. There aren't any other gyms close by that offer levels like the gym we were at now. Believe me we have tried. I just think its really unfair especially that there are kids on a upper level team that don't have the skills

Date: Wed May 24 8:19 AM, 2006

Does your daughter hate her team? Do you think that maybe you're attitude about the team, has colored how she feels about being placed on the team? Unless you are actually willing to do something about it...talk to the coach, change gyms or whatever it takes, there is no need continuing on about how bad it is that she was placed that team. It will only make her feel worse about being there.

Date: Wed May 24 12:19 PM, 2006

Another cheer mom wrote:

Does your daughter hate her team? Do you think that maybe you're attitude about the team, has colored how she feels about being placed on the team? Unless you are actually willing to do something about it...talk to the coach, change gyms or whatever it takes, there is no need continuing on about how bad it is that she was placed that team. It will only make her feel worse about being there.

Actually my daughter has no idea how I feel about the team, because I have not expressed that to her. I just told her maybe she just needed to work on her layout and then she could move up next year. She is the one that is hurt mind you she is a little girl so I am very aware of not voicing my opinion in front of her. She has let me know that she no longer interested in taking tumbling classes if she is not going to get to use the skills she is learning. This move to this team has caused her to get discouraged. Thank you very much for allowing me to vent I now know that I am not the only one i this position

Date: Wed May 24 12:23 PM, 2006

You have not said if you have spoken with the coaches as recommended by most on this message thread. And please understand there is more to being on a team than tumbling skills or even work ethic. I have seen kids with no tumbling placed on a higher level team because they are great bases. Sometimes the younger kids won't fit that criteria because they are too small to base or they aren't at the right level for flying. You need to take into consideration everything, but first talk to the coaches. Take the advise and let us know the outcome.

Date: Wed May 24 1:09 PM, 2006

Another Mom wrote:

You have not said if you have spoken with the coaches as recommended by most on this message thread. And please understand there is more to being on a team than tumbling skills or even work ethic. I have seen kids with no tumbling placed on a higher level team because they are great bases. Sometimes the younger kids won't fit that criteria because they are too small to base or they aren't at the right level for flying. You need to take into consideration everything, but first talk to the coaches. Take the advise and let us know the outcome.

Actually I adresses it in my first post and I was told the following

"When I asked why she was placed on this team I was told because she didn't have the skills to move up to the next level"

Also a previous post said as far as work ehic and kids her age on that team. It just doesn't add up

Date: Wed May 24 3:05 PM, 2006

Schedule a conference with the gym owner and coaches and tell them how you feel and how your daughter is reacting to being on this team. And if your daughter wants to do those skills at comps why not just put her in a solo? As a coach i would not want to put someone on a higher team that can't handle not being where she wants to be. What if girl A has great jumps and feels she should be in front but Girl B gets front and has worse jumps then Girl A. Well if Girl A picks up an attitude about it then she does not deserve to be on the team. It takes 20 to 35 people to make a team and all of them need to get a long to be successful. If your daughter is thinking of quiting cheer because she's not on the team she wants to be on then she really needs to get over it and find a different sport. Not everyone can be pleased you have 36 kids that want to be on a team, but you can only have 35, what are going to do? You are going to kick one off. May not be the worse athlete but the one you feel would most likely do better and progress faster in the lower level. That would be you duaghter. The girl who may not of been the worse, but the one who the coaches probally thought would benefit more from being on a different team. I do it all the time and here all this over and over again why is that girl on the team when my girl is better. But the difference between those parents and you is that you voiced your opinion on a web site everyone reads as these parents scheduled a conference with me and talked to me about how they and their daughter fealt. One last thing. Teams are not set yet. There can still be moving around. If your daughter improves then she can still be moved up to the other team. I would tell your daughter to work on basing, motions, dance, and jumps. You have already stated that she has better tumbling then other kids on that team but there is more in a routine then tumbling. Hope i helped but you should really schedule a conference with the coaches adn gym owner.

Date: Wed May 24 3:08 PM, 2006

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU STILL NEED TO TALK TO THE COACHES AND GET MORE SPACIFICS AS TO WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR TO BE PLACED ON THE TEAM YOUR DAUGHTER FEELS SHE SHOULD BE ON. ALSO ASK FOR SPACIFICS ON WHY SHE WAS PLACED ON THE LOWER LEVEL TEAM. ASK THE QUESTIONS WHAT SKILLS IS SHE LACKING? WHAT ASSESTS DOES SHE GIVE TO THE TEAM SHE IS ON NOW? OR THE QUESTIONS YOU SPACIFICALLY WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION. THE REASON THEY GAVE YOU APPEARS TO BE VERY VAGUE AND YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH THAT. YOU OBVIOUSLY STILL DONT UNDERSTAND WHY? HOPEFULLY, YOU WILL APPROCH THE SITUATION AND LEAVE THE EMOTION AND COMPARISON TO A MINIMUM AND NON SPACIFIC TO WHO THOSE KIDS ARE THAT HAVE LOWER SKILLS ON THE HIGHER LEVEL TEAM, OR COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CONVERSATION. NAMING IS NOT NECESSARY UNLESS THEY ASK. PLUS COMPARING TAKES THE CONVERSATION IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND YOU JUST SOUND LIKE YOU ARE GRIPPING INSTEAD OF INQUIRING. I KNOW IT CAN BE FRUSTRATING AND EASY TO PULL IN FEELING WHEN YOU ARE NOT GETTING THE ANSWERS YOU NEED. THE COACHES SHOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SPACIFIC REASONS AS TO WHY SHE WAS PLACED ON THE TEAM. MAYBE ASK TO HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER EVALUATED AGAIN. HOPEFULLY YOUR COACHES WILL BE OPEN AND HONEST WITH YOU TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND. MAYBE YOUR DAUGHTER COULD ASK HER COACHES THESE QUESTIONS WITH YOU PRESENT. ALSO YOU NEED TO BE OPEN TO HEAR OBJECTIVELY WHAT THE COACHES HAVE TO SAY. WE AS MOMS HAVE A TENDENCY WHERE WE SEE OUR CHILDREN AS THE GREATEST AND DO NO WRONG, WHEN THEY REALLY MAY NOT BE AS SKILLED AS WE SEE THEM FOR THE SPORT. ROSE COLORED GLASSES IF YOU WILL.

ALSO, WITH THE MANY ASPECTS OF CHEERLEADING THAT ARE CONSIDERED FOR PLACEMENT, AS OTHER HAVE STATED, YOU MAY STILL BE UNSATISFIED WITH THEIR ANSWERS. TUMBLING IS ONE ASPECT, GRANTED A PRETTY BIG ONE, BUT ONLY ONE OF THE SKILLS NEEDED. THEY MAY HAVE IDEAS TO DO MORE DIFFICULT STUNTING AND NEED THE STRENGTH OF THOSE GIRLS WHO DONT TUMBLE LIKE YOUR DAUGHTER FOR EXAMPLE. BEST OF LUCK.

Date: Wed May 24 11:37 PM, 2006

This does not just happen at your gym. I know that in the past children with fulls have been placed on teams where you can only throw layouts. It just depends on what you need!

Date: Thu May 25 8:12 AM, 2006

I know what ya mean on that one. I was on a team that could only throw layouts and i had a full and standing full, but i really enjoyed it. It was really fun and i improved my tumbling technique a lot working on the more basic skills.

Date: Thu May 25 11:02 AM, 2006

Mad Momma, you recieved good advice here-- talk to the coaches and gym owner! Just to give you a different coach's perspective, I put 2 young ladies with tucks on a level 2 team this year instead of the level 3 for their age. The reasoning was that both of these girls needed time to mature and "come into their own" as far as performing, but also because I know flying is a HUGE deal to both of these young ladies, and had I put them on level 3, they would have been bases. So despite their tumbling skills, they are L2 flyers and performers, so they went to a level 2 team. And you know what-- their confidence has skyrocketed being some of the more talented tumblers on their team, they're getting to develop their flying skills, and they are MUCH happier than they were on the "higher" team last year. So, there may be more to the story than you know. You REALLY need to sit down with your coaches/gym owner and discuss this.

Date: Thu May 25 4:36 PM, 2006

What awesome advise. I dont think anyone could have put it better! I say close this subject on a HIGH note.