If history repeats itself, then I will post this and there will be multiple edits and updates to the united scoring rubric. Rendering some of the information below incorrect. As of May 15th this is current and hopefully, helpful.
Send this post to your coaches and owners. Comment or email with any questions! Enjoy!This scoresheet has the most percentage of points given to choreography and the big picture than ever before. The ratio is around 60% Execution and 40% Choreo (including pyramid difficulty) for subjective points judges can give. These visuals can also be used to decide where your coaching staff’s time prioritization should go. With only 10.2 points to gain it is vital to not neglect jump execution, toss execution, pyramid diff and EXE, formations/transitions, performance, and dance. Once you are in the High Range for Pyramid Difficulty the judge can only give you .5 points. Dance scores can not be given below a .5 for execution and a .5 for difficulty. Most of the scoresheet is objective now and does not include bias. There is no pace/connection driver in stunts anymore. Magic numbers are in bold. Building teams out with these numbers will help to hit the scoresheet strategically. Certain numbers like 5-10, 12-15, 18-20, & 23-28 present more of a disadvantage for what will be choreographed in these sections of the scoresheet. Jumps for a team under 11 also presents problems. Using the magic numbers listed above helps your team to do more during a routine and gives the athletes that can be in every section a break. If you have a team of around 50% tumbling at level then you could still use sections like jumps and baskets to hit the tumbling numbers cumulatively while giving athletes a break as well. The sport is allowing for more non tumblers on tumbling teams again with the changes on the scoresheet. Stunts, choreography, jumps, and baskets are valuable.If you build your team with an extra flyer, the magic numbers listed above, and 70-80% of your team having the tumbling listed above you should be able to field a competitive team this year. Some teams might not need to have a two man stunt, I would suggest choreographing at least 1. In case your team number changes due to injury or quitting.Each of these 3 division lists are ranked from Lowest First Place Winning Score at the top of the list to Highest First Place Winning Score at the bottom. Top 15 Lowest winning scores were taken from Battle & Jamfest. Top 20 from CS & NCA. Anything under a 98 for The Summit list. For Levels 5 & 6 Junior and Senior the lowest winning score was coupled with it’s AG or Coed counterpart. Instead of including all 12 divisions (Sm,Md,Lrg,) they were placed in the order together.Use links below for accuracy.
Disclaimer: Rubric is a living document and will consistently be changed. This is not a replacement for the actual rubric or Varsity’s official decisions.
Stunt Difficulty will max out if you:
Have your team perform 3 elite level skills with most and an additional elite level skill with MAX. (4 total) – Start with most then max to ensure athletes are not considered “recycled.”
Dropped skills will not count and will lower difficulty scores.
Performing all elements in the same section will help make sure scoring is correct.
Pace and consistency of sequence will count for an additional .1 in terms of difficulty. This is the only subjective difficulty point of stunts.
Pyramid is scored as it used to be. High range requirements of 4 elements and 2 structures
This score is subjective as it always was. There are difficulty drivers that can be used as guidelines.
Baskets & Jumps are the same as they have been for difficulty conceptually, there are .9 points that can be taken away for execution issues in jumps, and .9 in baskets. Jumps now require MAX numbers.
Overall Judge now shares “Routine Creativity” scores with the other judges. There are .5 available points that each judge can score, these amounts are averaged to give up to .5 points. In theory Creativity now has .1667 pull for each area: Tumbling, Formations and Transitions, & Building skills. Showmanship is also averaged among judges.
Tumbling requirements are similar to last year’s standing. Now you need two standing and two running passes to max.
One MAJORITY pass and one MOST pass for RT and ST (At least 4) – The MOST pass for each would need to be in the same section to receive MAX Participation points for RT & ST. – Difficulty and DOD are cumulative throughout the routine, however MAX participation driver must be sync or same section – Passes that add up for MOST points and DOD must be different from the MAJORITY passes.
Statistical Analysis
Based on Rubric on May 13th, 2022 Putting the correct skills in the routine based on the rubric will allow your team to score 79% out of 100%. 21% of your score is decided by the judges at the competition. This is very different from past years, Worlds, and the International divisions.
When dividing subjective points (points to gain by decision) between the different judges we find that:
41% of your subjective score is decided by the Building Judge. 36% is decided by the Tumbling Judge. 23% of your score is based on the Overall Judge. – Since the showmanship score and routine creativity scores are now averaged between all judges, it is much harder for overall judges to decide the winner.
When dividing subjective points between the categories of execution, creativity, and difficulty we find that:
69% of the points to gain are based on execution. 22% are based on creativity and choreography. 9% is based on difficulty. – The max deviation for Routine Creativity would be .32 points. Which would only move these percentages up or down by 4% at most. Dance difficulty is placed under Crea/Choreo points not difficulty. ***(More notes below)
Knowing where your score comes from should affect how you run practices, strategic decision making throughout the season, and what you value for the routine as well.
***These numbers and divides are full of nuance and can be easily debated. For this analysis we have decided to put routine creativity score under Crea/Choreo division. It could easily be debated that the points from the building judge might come with a difficulty bias. And that the routine creativity points from tumbling judges can have a difficulty or execution-based bias. In the context of a full routine complex dance choreo is considered “difficult”. Stunt pace is considered under difficulty even though it could be considered a choreographic decision.
***There is no doubt that human bias will create separation throughout the divisions. There will be instances where the best executing team is beaten out by a team that does more difficult and creative skills even if they are much better in execution than the other team. This will likely not happen as often as it has in the past though.
Adjustments So Far. May 13th, 2022.
– Removing the ‘synchronized’ expectation in Standing and Running Tumbling and replacing with ‘in the same section’.
– Relaxing the expectations of “elite level appropriate” Standing and Running Tumbling passes.
– Adjusting several skills on the level appropriate lists.
– Changing Jump guidelines from MOST participation to MAX (according to the chart).
– Difficulty scores are more clearly defined and more objective.
– Level Appropriate skills have been broken down into Level Appropriate, Advanced Level Appropriate, and Elite Level Appropriate skills
– MAJORITY is closely aligned to 50%, MOST at 65% and MAX is equivalent to 80% of team participation
– More categories averaged between all category judges (Routine Creativity and Showmanship)
– Routine Composition is now “Formations and Transitions”
– Showmanship is back as an Overall category.
– Dance will now be split equally between difficulty and execution.
– Please be advised that the Level Appropriate list is a working document, and we welcome feedback as we solidify this information prior to next season.
QUESTIONS ASKED So Far May 13th, 2022
**The questions and answers below are questions asked by industry members and answers provided by scoresheet experts on public forums for clarification purposes.
Q1 Are the changes reflected on the scoresheets and scoring rubric? I don’t see some of the things mentioned. – You should see a section on the website labeled 2022-2023 United Scoring System. That is where you will find the scoring system for next season.
Q2 Can we have some clarification on exactly what “Creative tumbling” is? – For the tumbling judge’s ”Routine Creativity” score we are looking at the inclusion of clear visual tumbling patterns that enhance the skills performed. Basically, was the section easy to take in and appreciate and clear that time was spent on this area of the routine OR were the passes hard to see and appreciate because maybe they were performed behind the pyramid for example. Easiest way to look at it, did you set up the patterns and flow of this section to really enhance or highlight the skills/passes that are choreographed?
Q3 Will prep scoring be changed? – Prep will be different going into next season. It will be the same concept of capping their requirement based on the new scoring system.
Q4 Why wasn’t (insert skill) placed in level 1-5? – The level appropriate skill list is a working document. Email Varsity with your feedback to effect change.
Q5 If advanced and elite tumbling skills are worth the same now… is there any benefit to doing elite skills?
– Passes still must be different and when maxing out participation you cannot recycle athletes, so yes there is value based on the skills your athletes can perform. Most athletes cannot do every single different pass that we posted in the charts for each level.
Q6 Is the United system totally replacing the old scoresheet? – It will all be the same thing moving forward. We are housing it on the Varsity site solely for now until the United Scoring site is up.
Q7 Any insight on deductions and their worth yet? – They will be released in July.
Q8 When and where is the judges training this summer? – We will do presentation of the scoring system as well as a few additional scoring sessions at VU this summer. Please use this link to review the details: https://www.varsityuniversity.org/events/all-star/
Q9 How much will this change over the summer after choreo season. – At this point we do not foresee any major changes outside of making the level appropriate documents as inclusive as possible.
Q10 My team of 6 how many would be required to tumble synced to max out? Is it still a percentage and if so what is that percentage – MOST for a team of 6 athletes would require all 6 to perform the tumbling skill/passes. For the MAX participation driver it will allow for them to be performed in the same section, which also includes the option of recycling athletes should you need to.
Q11 On the new unified scoring system, will both running and standing tumbling be cumulative? – Yes both running and standing tumbling will be cumulative to get your start value and so will the degree of difficulty driver. We will allow for same section OR synchronized which is similar to what worlds teams have been doing. For same section as long as the only skills being performed are tumbling we would accumulate the passes being performed to meet the number. So you could have multiple groups ripple skills/passes, a group perform a pass to the back then turn around and tumbling to the front, or just have your required number of athletes start and finish the pass together.
Q12 For Tumbling Degree Of Difficulty does it need to be the same 2 separate skills throughout the routine or can it be more? Will 5 BWO-BHS and 5 Valdez-Bhs’s hit the majority requirement? Then if the same team did 7 BCKEXTROLL-BHS and 6 BWO-BHS-Stepouts’s would that meet the most DOD requirement? Or does it have to be 10 valdez bhs’s and 13 backextensionroll bhs’s to hit those DOD req’s. – It doesn’t have to be the same skills but your Majority pass (if performed) would need to be different than the Most pass. In both examples you would meet the requirement for Degree of Difficulty and receive credit.
Q13 Can someone clarify the Front Handspring Series on the Elite Skills list for Level 2 Running Tumbling? – While it’s not seen very often it would be more of a Front Handspring step out immediately connected to a Front Handspring that would most likely land the traditional way with both feet together!
What Should I Do For Tryouts?!?
– Build teams with enough flyers – 50% of team with the same advanced or tumbling skill in RT & ST. – Hit top range number for team size 11,15, 23, 27, 30. – Keep calm.
I would first focus on building teams with the numbers at the top of each range: 11, 15, 19, 23, 27, & 30. Those are the magic numbers that will give you the best chance of building toward the correct number of skills to max tumbling. As well as the best chance of having enough flyers/bases for each stunt group.
If half of each team can’t do an elite or advanced standing pass and running pass in the same section, then it’ll be tougher to succeed. If 50% of each team you build can throw the same skill you’ll likely be good. If the teams don’t have clear stunt groups going into the season it’ll be tough to max those elite numbers in stunts.
Apparently much of the tumbling is cumulative and allows recycling athletes in the same section apart from the max participation driver. So, on a team of 27 you could ideally have 8 tumblers throw 4 advanced or elite running tumbling passes for a total of 32 passes, which would meet the requirements for all difficulty portions except for max participation. If you could get 12 tumblers on a team of 27 you could score a 7.8/8.0 in tumbling difficulty for both running and standing combined.
So, with that in mind you would want to pick athletes that could ideally get an advanced or elite skill and make summer practices have a tumbling class element. For level three you could get 15 aerials that could go all together on your team of 27. Once you get that your running tumbling could max out using recycled tumblers and cumulative numbers. In level 2 you’d just need 15 Front handsprings on a team of 27.
If that isn’t possible, then you would only lose .1 if you could still do a majority for max participation. (12 fronthandsprings) The tough one will be standing tumbling for level 2 teams. Each pass needs a BWO, or back extension roll. That team would need to work walkover drills every practice.
Stunts will literally be 4 elite elements and you max out. You’ll need a flyer for every 4 athletes so 1 of those elements is maxed. In each level there is 1 elite element easier than the rest. So, it’ll be vital to make sure you have enough flyers on each team.
Skills Needed
Here is what I would look for when building teams based on what I think is easiest to get. These skills are going to be updated in the next month again when varsity makes another change, so they might not stay what’s best. I know level 1 is going to change for sure.
Level 1: Handstand – Most Cartwheel – Majority – Roundoff – Most CW-BWO – Majority
Level 4: 2toTuck – Most HandspringTuck – Majority – FWO-toLayout – Most Roundoff whip-bhs-tuck Majority (Or front tuck through to tuck)
Level 2: Backwalkover-Bhs – Most (BckExtRoll might be easier) BWOSwitchLeg – Majority – Front handspring – Most Roundoff Bhs-stepout – Majority
Level 5: Two to layout – most Jump-twotolayout – majority – FWO through to full – most Roundoff Arabians – Majority (This one is tough! But cumulative numbers throughout routine will help)
Level 3: Jump-Bhs series – Most BhsStepOut-Bhs – Majority – Aerial – Most RoundoffBhsTuck – Majority (Can also just do ro2bhstotuck if aerials are too hard)
Today’s quick post will be all about some of the awesome strategies different gyms in the world are using to work while they cannot coach!
One awesome aspect of this is the fact that many of the strategies can be used later as additional ways to bring in revenue AND bring in more customers!
We will jump right in with what some gyms in New Jersey, who are still under strict distancing orders, are doing to work around not being able to coach in their gyms.
That’s right! They’re holding outdoor tumbling classes and practices. This wouldn’t work in the middle of December up north, but why not have a day during spring or summer where you hold outdoor classes as an event. Seems like the perfect way to get people in the doors! Well, outside of them.
Marketing has definitely evolved over the last few months in the All-star industry! Owners and coaches have had extra time to focus on their content in terms of websites, social media, branding, and physical signs.
Some companies have even created actual cinematic commercials. There have been more live streams from gyms and an increase in the quality of graphics. The industry is moving on up and it’s a beautiful thing to see!
Virtual Practices and Private Lessons have exploded in the industry! Programs are providing the entire industry with content. Individual coaches are also offering cheerleaders around the globe private lessons. This is something that will continue long after circumstances change.
Take advantage and use this as a way to gain additional income without having to be in the gym 7 days a week! If your team is struggling in the strength department, then call an extra zoom practice!
Deep Cleaning isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when I think of coaching, but being honest. Gyms where hundreds of kids sweat, tumble, and stunt in every week tend to not be the cleanest of places. So many programs are cleaning mats consistently, dusting, and bringing a focus to athlete hygiene more than ever before.
The first thing my marketing mind thinks of is the first-time customer who is going to walk into a squeaky-clean establishment and fall in love! Its also a great way to keep pests and ants out of your building!
If you’ve seen any other ways that industry professionals are thriving during these times or have a fun idea feel free to post it below in the comments!
If you are looking for ways to save on choreography this season check out this post!
This bill can provide help to part & full time coaches out of work, cheer company owners in distress, and most americans in general.
Keep reading to get a quick 10 minute wrap up of what the Act can do for you!
Stimulus Payments
Description: Many people 18 & up will receive 1,200. For every child under 16 there would be an extra 500$ coming your way. There’s one check being commissioned now, but maybe more depending on how long social distancing lasts!
Qualifications: If your income is 75,000 or less you’ll receive 1,200. Double the payment and qualification if you filed taxes married and have no children. Anyone who claims dependents and is head of household will receive full payment if they earned under 112,500. If you are jointly filing with 2 kids you will not be eligible if your income is higher than 218,000! Dependents don’t receive payment!
How: This form requires little work on your part! As long as you’ve filed taxes in the last two years you’ll receive your check through your banking institution or via mail either 3 to 5 weeks from now.
Unemployment Benefits
Description: These have been opened up to part time, freelance, contract, full time, and just about every type of worker that is out of work or in need. The amount received has also been multiplied to three times as much! So cheer coaches too!
Qualifications: There are very few qualifying factors! It has really been expanded by the federal government!
How: Each state is different. But you’ll start your journey by visiting your state’s department of labor website. Very few details are needed to file a claim. Once you file you’ll have to put a resume on a government database and be reviewed by a dol claims processor. This process takes around 2 weeks, but with the 3.3 million people unemployed as of last week expect it to take 3-4 weeks!
Small Business Loans
Description: Hear me loud! You can get loans to cover payroll, rent, operating costs, and have them all forgiven! The SBA is allowing Small businesses like cheer companies to apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Funds are given after 3 days of an accepted application.
Qualifications: You’ll only be able to pay payrolls of those receiving under 100,000$ a year. You’ll have to also keep the same number of employees.
How: Provide 3 years worth of employment and payroll cost documentation. Also verify mortgage interest payments, rent payments, and utilities with documents. You’ll have to get your documents certified by an authorized representative. Then you wait 60 days to see if the institution allows the forgiveness.
The Main Point
There are ways to stay afloat, preserve your well-being, and come out of this on top! Look back to our previous blog post about how to run your company during these times.
Change the way you operate now using creativity and you may see an upside brighter than before Covid-19 in a year or two! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!
Comment below with any of your tips and reach out to us if you have any additional questions at all!
Our choreographers have struggled time after time with trying to make stunts hit in the middle of competition season halfway through a tough, sweaty, & stressful practice. This makes us the perfect resources to help with all of your stunt technique needs! Here are some solid tips for solid stunts!
The Basics
Using Legs
That’s right! One of the simplest ways to get solid stunts is to make sure bases are dipping with their legs before doing any type of stunt at all!
Drill – Have Bases dip with legs and stop at the bottom of dip before doing the skill.
Staying Close
Hopefully all the cheerleaders have been practicing good hygiene! This tip is all about making sure bases are close together and tops are keeping their legs close together as well.
Drill – Have bases step their right foot forward when building a stunt so that their legs are crossing if you’re watching from the front. Also have tops get in prep while pushing and pulling their legs apart and together to show how strong they are.
Load In Focus
When it comes to pyramids and beginning stunts not much is more important than making sure flyers, bases, and backspots are having great technique when beginning.
Drill – Tops hold their weight in arms while bases let go of her. Bases practice 90 degree arm angles while holding feet. Backspots are grabbing ankles.
Less Time
One mistake coaches often make is having their athletes try a new skill for the first time for too much time. Instead of making your groups hold a position until it’s strong just have them hold for less time.
Drill – Use show-n-go’s to safely and successfully introduce new skills. Especially extensions and liberty’s!
Release & Twist
Same Leg
Keeping the same leg in release stunts is a great way to make sure that your tops are capable of maintaining their body positions and control while in the air!
Drill – Have stunt group do a switch up without the switch. (Start on opposite leg and stay on that leg.) You can also hit a lib then switch to extension instead of the regular lib.
Drill – In tic tocs have your bases do the same thing. Dipping and pressing the flyer while she maintains the same leg.
Lift With Grip
A large part of completing solid stunts that twist is making sure bases have solid grips and that everyone involved lifts UP before twisting.
Drill – Have bases start with twisting grip. Group will dip and lift without twisting starting with a show-n-go then progressing to holding the stunts with the twisting grip.
That’s all of our tips for today! We’d love to hear any of your suggestions below in our comments! Share what works for you and help countless others!
The coronavirus outbreak is causing every gym in the nation to look at their day to day processes and see what they can do to join the community in flattening the curve and protecting the elderly in our communities.
Dream Choreo is using this weeks blog post to research government and healthcare information that has been released throughout the last few weeks and consolidating the information regarding safe practices and virtual options in order to maintain trust and keep your finances flowing as normally as possible!
Of course there is a lot of information. It changes weekly! So whether you are an owner or coach be on the lookout for our future post that compliments this one with more information and details on how to stay financially secure! Corona & Cheer: The Stimulus
Safe Business Practices
The CDC recommended several changes that businesses should make to protect themselves legally, look after employees, and help customers throughout this epidemic.
Hold phone meetings and cut travel. You want to keep a positive image throughout the crisis. Cancel any in person meetings and competitions. Those who are upset about cancellations will find solace in the fact that you are choosing the safe option. Legally this is the safest route!
Flexibility with your athletes and employees is so important. They need to be able to choose not to leave without fear of retaliation. Especially when emergencies in their lives come up. This will assist in making sure your company bounces back at the end of it all. While keeping morale high as well.
Keep the place clean. Ridiculously clean. Tell your employees not to touch their faces. Make sure everyone is washing their hands and that hand sanitizer is easily accessible. Clean throughout the day and disinfect everything. Also reduce hand and body contact as much as possible. More drills and less spotting.
Here are guidelines for employees from the CDC and US Chamber of Commerce!
Business As Usual
Most gyms qualify as small businesses. The SBA is offering disaster assistance in the form of loans that can total up to two-million dollars. The interest rates are very low and worth looking into to ensure your bills & employees can be paid.
Credit Cards and insurance companies can also assist with any financial costs. A quick google could help save you in the short and long term.
Shift to online services. For your parents provide seminars, surveys, & promotional contests. Keep them engaged so that they can’t wait to come back to the gym. They are most likely still paying for services so the more you provide the better off your bottom line will be.
Find ways to keep your employees producing and getting paid in creative ways. Turn them into marketers for the week and have them generate new customers. Have an accounting team look at numbers and see where they can save money. Or put teams together to improve human resources. Now that your business is slowing it’s time to evaluate and plan to improve!
Don’t be tight lipped in the face of this emergency. Customers are expecting to be updated on what your company is doing to help them. Any measure you take that is helpful should be broadcasted for your customers to see! This can ensure that your customer base feels like you are doing things correctly and help build relationships.
Create remote work for your employees, especially office employees but also instructors. You can replace tumbling classes with conditioning classes through a wide array of technology like zoom or even use some of the free options. Utilize virtual competition services to keep your customers engaged!
These are tough times. Get through them by staying together (virtually) and coming together (in spirit) to build a sense of community, peace, and calm among your customers and employees!
Again we have content that complements this article coming soon! For more on virtual business practices check out ASGA on Facebook! Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have by emailing us!
The title of this piece is a phrase often heard and read across the country among coaches and owners.
A choreographer is like the director and the screenwriter of a film, all rolled into one, but for cheerleaders and routines instead of actors on screen. They create and plan the routines for athletes to perform and compete, usually to music and to match the image and style of a program
.
To do this, you’ll need a high level of dancing ability, creativity, the patience to teach it to other people, scoresheet knowledge, and the ability to know what looks good to a wider audience, as well as the communication skills needed to make sure that your point is coming across clearly to your cheerleaders.
The best choreographers run whole sections by themselves, playing out a vision through meticulous planning of dances, concepts, music, and visuals, to engage an audience completely. Choreographers often travel year round, which also involves balancing their own accounts and managing costs.
Since their services can be extremely expensive we wanted to provide a solution that can be a win-win situation for a choreographer and a program….
In House Choreo – Hire an in-house choreographer!
Reach out to someone professional and talented. Someone who:
– Choreographs full year routines at a 25% discount and half year routines at a 50% discount.
– Assists teams weekly throughout the year at 2 team practices per week (allows time for travel work)
– Distributes pay for routines in a year-long salary.
– Adds Coaching to salary at a low rate of 15$ per hour.
Hiring your help in this way can save money in multiple ways!
– Gym saves a large amount of money by insourcing and having choreographer available for upgrades/adjustments year round, knowledge, and perspective. (No Travel/Hotel Costs)
– Choreographer benefits from having constant flexible hours and freedom to travel as long as two practice minimum is met weekly and work is high quality.
Try the numbers for yourself. Calculate billable hours for a minimum of 4 full year teams worth of choreography (1 upgrade each throughout the year), 2 half year teams, and year round coaching. You’ll end up with a cost of around 20,000 before you even look at travel (industry rate charged). The gym will only pay the choreographer around 13,500. So you could save a minimum of 7,500 to use in your company!
Don’t forget about the benefits of intellectual property gained by the choreographer working with other gyms. When they come back to your gym and improve your program you’ll benefit even more! Many conventional problems from outsourcing choreography disappear when you seek out a professional and talented choreographer to work for your company! Ensure your protecting yourself locally by drawing up a non-compete that ranges 50 miles! Guarantee a prorated pay for work completed in the case that a season isn’t finished.
Here are more common complaints that could be eliminated! Causing you a less stressful life!
Being given choreo that is too hard and not being able to adjust it.
Choreographers not finishing routines.
Getting routines that are too long.
Paying hefty travel costs.
Hiring unscreened & unsafe individuals to work with your kids.
No show choreographers.
Over promising and under delivering then leaving.
Scheduling that doesn’t work best for your program.
Having to fix illegal choreo on your own
If you liked this idea, keep the conversation going below in our comments or on ASGA’s Facebook Group
Succeeding in the classroom is a great way for all cheerleaders to build up the reputation of Cheer! These days we as an industry hold a bad reputation for being stereotypically not the brightest.
This couldn’t be further from the truth! Some of the most intelligent people I know have been, or are, cheerleaders. Of course student athlete failure does occur. It can be debilitating to a team. Especially if it happens during competition season.
This blog takes a look at 10 different actions that lead to success in the classroom and therefore in the cheer gym. As choreographers who travel and work with so many different gyms in different parts of the country we can tell you that no matter what kind of team we’re choreographing student performance can be improved with a coach that puts a little bit of effort in to helping their athletes understand the importance of being a hard working student.
Students in our experience seem to be less willing to listen to parents and teachers as compared to coaches. So we can use this to our advantage. All it takes is a 15 minute meeting with your athletes before school starts and maybe you’ll see a season worth of difference from planting the seed!
Keep your Textbooks.
Students are at a tremendous disadvantage if they let their books stay in their lockers all year, or if they stay at home. If the athletes have their books between school and home, online or not, then you’ll see the difference in their grades. Most classes are built off of a textbook not google, so tests will be easier with the book!
Attend Class Regularly.
Not only does attendance speak to an athlete’s seriousness as a student, it also helps a student to better understand the concepts in a class. Not a bad habit to build for cheerleading either ;). Missing fewer practices helps you to get where you want to be during choreography.
While In Class Be Present.
Tell those kids to turn off the cell phones, ipads, apple watches, laptops, and anything else that we adults don’t know about yet that could be a distraction. That way they can turn on the focus!
Read Actively.
When they are reading that book they’re taking with them everywhere it’s important that they take time to mark anything they think might be important. If they can’t write in the book then using post it notes is just as good!
Take Notes In Class
This is the biggest game changer. Facts, concepts, discussion points, all the all. They should be writing down constantly throughout class. It might also help them squeeze those grips better at practice!
Do Your Own Work
It only takes one time cheating for an athlete to be held in front of a disciplinary panel, or given a 0 that could guarantee failure in a class. Encourage the kids to do their own work. Remind them that turn it in software these days makes it impossible to get away with plagiarism.
Turn Assignments In On Time.
If you’re late to a competition then you probably won’t compete. Athletes understand this. Relate their school assignments through metaphor and watch it click! Late work is usually penalized with a lower grade in classes!
Read Chapters Before Getting To Class.
Just like cheerleaders read practice plans before coming into the gym they should be reading the book to get an idea of what they will be learning about in class prior to attending. This is just like practicing your dance before the practice after choreography.
Communicate.
If cheerleaders are struggling at practice they talk to the coach. The same should go for school. Let the teacher know how you are doing in class if you need help or want to talk about the material in more detail.
Introduce Yourself.
Middle school and athletes tend to be in multiple teacher’s classes. You could go weeks without talking to a teacher or them even knowing your name. It’s important to make sure they know who you are as soon as possible.
These tips are tried and true to produce great students and keep your team together throughout the entire season. Teachers and parents will also appreciate the role you play in their kids’ lives more as well. As coaches you play a huge role in your athletes’ success in life just from training their mindset. Check out our Dancing Queen blog post for other ways to make your athletes better!
Before writing this blog Dream Choreo took the time to figure out exactly what coaches just like you want out of their choreographers. We surveyed throughout Social Media to find out the main reasons’ coaches keep and drop choreographers. We received a lot of interesting feedback, but by far, the most often used answer was without a doubt, professionalism.
So, what does it mean to be professional? How can you tell right away when someone is a professional? Finally, what does utilizing professional services do for your business? We reveal answers to these questions in this blog post but are always interested in hearing your opinions as well! Make sure to comment at the bottom of this post with any ideas you may have as well!
This graphic is what we used when open answer polling the industry. We received answers from many different industry professionals. Looking at defining professionalism further came down to 4 main mantras.
The first being “Treat Others With Respect”
A true professional is able to separate personal objectives and feelings from his craft and work. It is a customer first mentality. This mentality cannot be achieved without tuning in to the team, coaches and athletes, and ensuring that everyone involved feels valued and important. The best professionals are selfless and are no longer the macho, fierce, “doesn’t take no for an answer” shark in the water types.
Google Dictionary defines Respect as follows:
re·spect
/rəˈspekt/
noun: respect; plural noun: respects
a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
“the director had a lot of respect for Douglas as an actor”
In my experience choreographers can have trouble with focusing too much on their expertise in the routine building and knowledge of the scoresheet. This can in turn cause neglect and create a lapse in respect for the coaches’ knowledge of their team’s personnel, and individual coaching abilities. When a choreographer makes you feel valued and makes certain to listen and do what you want through compromising, or accommodating, then you know the choreographer is on the right track to professionalism!
Another important quality to be held for a professional is to be able to
“Keep Your Word”.
Google defines Trustworthiness clear and concisely.
trust·wor·thi·ness
/ˈtrəs(t)ˌwərT͟Hēnəs/
noun: trustworthiness
the ability to be relied on as honest or truthful.
“he has to prove his trustworthiness to you”
There’s a chance of what is possibly one of the most creative types in the world to be ever changing and adjusting things. This should not flow over into a choreographer’s communication though! It’s absolutely fine and in fact beneficial in their actual work just not when it comes to what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it, and how well you say you’ll do it. This also coincides with making sure contractual agreements are upheld in terms of cost and payments. A fickle choreographer or one who throws monkey wrenches in plans, is not punctual, or seems to always have an excuse for why something couldn’t happen is not the professional choreographer we are attempting to describe. Two factors that can be related to an individual’s professionalism are Appearance and Reputation.
These two factors are described in the same section because of their comparable elements. One deals in the concrete while the other is abstract, but both have repercussions as to how one is judged by others.
judg·ment
/ˈjəjmənt/
noun: judgement
an opinion or conclusion.
“they make subjective judgments about children’s skills”
Why is what others think about a choreographer important? While many are raised hearing comments like “Don’t worry what others think about you” the truth is when young athletes are involved reputation and appearances matter most. Take the metaphor of food appearance for example. If something looks odd, poorly put together, or disheveled, the likelihood of you eating it go down. In terms of personal appearance. Dressing and grooming appropriately shows that one respects themselves. It shows off the bat that a person is trying to put their best foot forward. Reputation is more important than appearance because parent’s, present customers, and potential customers of your business want to feel comfortable, safe, and in good hands when they are in your building or entrusting you with their children.
Appearances do matter. If what you see and what you hear are good things, then you are one step closer to the professionalism you are seeking.
Finally, your choreographer should exceed expectations routine-wise. This doesn’t necessarily mean to be the best choreographer in the world. Or even to have phenomenal work. It’s all about perception.
ex·pec·ta·tion
/ˌekspekˈtāSH(ə)n/
noun
a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.
“reality had not lived up to expectations”
Even if there’s an average choreographer who is being upfront about their mediocrity in the marketing and communication of their work then there is an opportunity to still be a professional. There are non-verbal and abstract ways of communicating correct or incorrect messages. For example, a highly priced service gives the impression that that service is high quality. So, before any communication has taken place directly, expectations are high. Managing expectations is the name of the game for professionalism. Never overpromise and under deliver. It is a surefire way to customer dissatisfaction!
In terms of professionalism which of these is most important to you?
Our short answer is that they ALL should be! Any combination of these 3 areas without a 4th can be detrimental to the bottom line of your business, and the relationship with your customers!
Of course there’s something we’re missing when it comes to professionalism, but maybe you can help us with commenting below!
ALSO if you would like more information on what an amazing choreographer should offer, check out our previous blog.
You can discover through easy and proven ways how to save resources and help guarantee you can spot high quality choreography. You’ll love the results that come from knowing what you’re looking for.
Often a scoresheet will produce a need for your team’s choreography to have very specific elements in order to score high. Competition creates a difference between performing arts choreography and scoring rubric choreography, but there are still factors that can help you judge the quality of what service you’re receiving.
Here are 11 ways to analyze your routines!
The Process:
This is the most important way to see if you are getting what you need. When the sessions are enjoyable and full of memorable moments you can tell you’re getting high quality service.
The Props:
Maybe your choreographer has incorporated some type of prop into the routine or is thinking outside of the box in terms of uniforms, banners, or cloth. This is one way to know your choreographer is giving you truly creative work.
The Performance:
Are your kids being instructed to serve up emotion, faces, and expressions to the judges that will create moments? I’ve even seen teams yell entire phrases of their music on the floor. Memorable noises can take a routine to the next level.
The Intro:
How are your athletes taking the floor? What choreographed movement are they doing before they start the routine? What mood or tone has the choreographer created to set the stage for the rest of the show?
The WOW:
The scoresheet has many requirements for each section. If each piece of the routine tends to a part on the scoresheet and nothing else, then you want to question how good of a choreographer you’ve chosen. There should be WOW moments. At least one part of the routine should take your breath away literally.
The Time:
Routines are only 2 ½ seconds. This amount of time should never feel like it is lasting too long! Making sure the routine builds, crescendos, and energizes is important. If you find yourself waiting or even worse, wishing for the end of the routine, Find someone new!
The Athlete:
In cheer each team has its own personality. Can your choreographer give athlete-specific and appropriate moves that your kids will enjoy performing? Did they ask your kids to see any special talents they had in terms of flexibility or tumbling? Specialization is the best way to maximize your team’s talent! No two routines should be the same.
The Purpose:
Does the routine make sense? Does the timing of movements make sense? There is a time and place for the random in art. Unfortunately, it rarely comes about in Competitive Arts with a foundation in a scoring rubric. Creativity and randomness are not mutually exclusive.
The Eye:
Make sure you are not confused on what to look at during an eight count. If you are watching the routine and feel like your eyes are darting back and forth up, down left, right, then you run the risk of judges missing skills, or not being able to enjoy the routine. Levels and spacing can help direct the eye. There is beauty in simplicity.
The Copycat:
Seen everything in your routine before? Get a new one!
The Floor:
Formations should use the entire floor but also weave intricate webs and patterns of movement in transitions. Where the athletes are put should actually also create a picture that is unique or pleasing to see.
Stay tuned for next week’s blog post and comment below with any other elements you look for in great routines!
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The title of this piece is a phrase often heard and read across the country among coaches and owners.
The best choreographers run whole sections by themselves, playing out a vision through meticulous planning of dances, concepts, music, and visuals, to engage an audience completely. Choreographers often travel year round, which also involves balancing their own accounts and managing costs.
This graphic is what we used when open answer polling the industry. We received answers from many different industry professionals. Looking at defining professionalism further came down to 4 main mantras.
Two factors that can be related to an individual’s professionalism are Appearance and Reputation.
Finally, your choreographer should exceed expectations routine-wise. This doesn’t necessarily mean to be the best choreographer in the world. Or even to have phenomenal work. It’s all about perception.
Often a scoresheet will produce a need for your team’s choreography to have very specific elements in order to score high. Competition creates a difference between performing arts choreography and scoring rubric choreography, but there are still factors that can help you judge the quality of what service you’re receiving.
Dream Choreo 