Question for other coaches and athletes about progressions and drills to go from preps to extensions - I have seen several videos online now where the bases and back spot are kneeling, like on their knees, to practice pressing their flyer up to an extension.
What are the pros/cons of this drill? Has anyone used it successfully?
I’ve never seen the drill used for local teams, so I’m curious.
Welcoming any feedback.
I might be alone in this, or just getting grumpy in my middle age, but it drives me bonkers when perfume makers use “stretch” names for notes or just flat out make shit up. I dunno. It just reminds me of people describing certain wines as tasting like cat piss (seriously). Or gastropubs adding smears of reduction blah blah to plates and charging $45. Like a marketing “what can we get away with” adventure rather than true innovation. Colorful words that mean 57 different things to different people. “Here are five things this perfume might remind you of. If you don’t understand, it’s a you thing.”
I apprciate complexity. I just don’t like when it’s pretentious. Again, I dunno. Thoughts?
I am seeing SO many high Vs where the athletes’ wrists are bent, either backwards or downwards. I’m seeing these on everything from peewee cheer pages to college cheer pages. Is this okay now? I coach my girls on straight wrists and have held up many a practice until they all show me they can get it right. Am I just a stickler in my old age, is it regionally acceptable, of do we just have more coaches running around who don’t know better/don’t care?
ETA - when I say “I’m seeing” I mean on posts where girls are feautured holding a high V and media shots. Like, someone took a picture of a girl posing for the camera and thought, “yep! Looks good!” I’m not talking about random candid social media posts.
My husband and I got pints at dinner tonight. He had a regular Guinness and I had a Guinness 0.
We both did a taste test, me with just one small sip of his as I’m not drinking right now.
They were *nearly* identical. My 0 was a smidge “flatter” than his, and his had a smidge of bite that mine lacked. Otherwise, damn.
Excellent job, Guinness. 💪🥇
Fun post for a Sunday. My daughters and I love indulging in cheer-related media. However, we always laugh about some of the weird stereotypes that are portrayed, or stuff that only a cheerleader would know is “off.”
For instance, cheerleaders wearing their uniforms to school.
Or a high school competition team taking the “championship” with stunts no more advanced than a prep.
In Nationals in the first “Bring It On,” there are teams whose uniforms consist of knit sweaters and there are teams who are literally just wearing solid colored sports bras with no school name or mascot.
What are some others?
I just need to vent here so I don’t start ranting in front of my daughters. For the record, I don’t coach my own daughters. But I’m very much in the loop as I coach the grade just below them and my plans are shaped by what is coming next. This is upper Junior High school/sideline cheer.
Our grade-level teams are working together to prep for UCA Camp right now. Stunts are going… meh. In one grade, we have more personality than work ethic, and of three fliers, we don’t have any who consistently function as needed beyond a prep. Every single extension is a crapshoot. It’s aggravating beyond belief, especially for the girls on the ground who want to advance.
In the younger grade, we have zero personality (and I mean zilch - I don’t think I’ve seen any of them actually smile while cheering and they are church quiet) but we have four girls who are BFFs and who practice stunting all the time together at home with their older sisters, who happen to be on Varsity at the high school. And one of the moms is also a coach at the high school. And those girls, when they stunt, are awesome. They look annoyed and you can’t hear them, but they look solid.
Up till this point, we have constantly discussed, for years, how we as coaches need to make sure certain girls don’t fall into the trap of “I only stunt with this particular group.” But here we are, two weeks in, and this group *only* stunts together, just like they did all winter, and what’s worse, the coaches keep throwing harder skills at them and comparing the other 20 girls to them.
Do the other girls need to step it up? Of course they do. But I’m annoyed this one group who gets coaching and practice in beyond school-sanctioned practices is used as the basis for comparison.
I’m also annoyed there’s zero team bonding taking place to help break through some of the personalities. I’m annoyed that a few of the girls have point blank told the others they don’t want to be there and their moms are making them cheer. I’m annoyed the older grade can’t pull together at least ONE group of four girls who can do more than a extension with a braced lib so far after cheering together for THREE YEARS. I’m annoyed I live in a tiny town and I can see these younger girls being fast tracked to Varsity in a few years while the talented and hardworking bases and backspot in the older grade have no chance to really shine until they get their hands on a flier who gives more than “meh.”
I’m just annoyed. Annoyed, I tell ya. Phew.
I might delete later. I feel a little better now and none of this will matter after Camp because we’ll be back to cheering separately, We aren’t curing cancer over here. Etc. etc. etc.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to let off steam with me, or feel free to tell me shut up, lol.
I’m looking for historical MF spicy romances where the female lead has muscles and the male lead is attracted to them. TIA!
Looking for contagious, catchy disco/funk/groovy beat. Would love to hear songs that make me say “Oh man, I forgot all about this one!”
Jive talkin’ diddies and riffs.
I realize that’s pretty subjective, but hit me with your best shot!
ETA Thank you all so much! I’m creating a mega playlist for myself.
I’m looking for more ideas. Ages 11-18. Sideline, not All Star (so “hit zero” and the like is not applicable).
We’ve done pura vida bracelets, jellycats, shoe charms/bands, custom bows, keychains, backpack care kits, and more water bottles than anyone would care to admit.
Don’t want memorabilia - these are welcome goodies, not end of season gifts.
Looking for whatever is trendy this season OR unique! Spam me, please!
Other coaches (or seasoned parents) - talk to me about All American at UCA Camp. I’m looking for anecdotal feedback rather than the corporate schill.
I *feel* like it’s a bit of a money grab by Varsity (shock) but since our Junior High doesn’t go to comps, it’d be a fun way to offer some girls a chance to do a capstone event, like a parade, etc.
I have some girls who would nail the cheers and dance, and who are very spirited/sharp. But their jumps, while properly techniqued, leave a lot to be desired for height.
Do we think this is a blocker/should they avoid trying out?
Side note, anyone seen the full dance, yet? 🕵🏼♀️