The NCATA's thought was, if it looks like a sport, acts like a sport and sounds like a sport...it must be a sport. So was born the idea of fitting the competitive cheer/gymnastics/acrobatic skill set into the mold of other sports and making sure it qualified by the Dept. of Ed and NCAA's standards for a sport. Here lies the deceptive appearance that Acro and Tumbling is an expensive option to choose.
All NCATA teams are fully supported true varsity teams at their respective universities. At the Div. I and Div II levels, the teams are supported by scholarships in addition to the financial, academic, medical and general support provided to all varsity teams in an athletic department. NCATA teams follow all NCAA guidelines and rules which prevent them from competing in non Acro and Tumbling meets, cheering for other teams at games or receiving monetary assistance outside the NCAA limits. If a team cheers at a game for another team, it is can not be defined as an NCAA sport and not eligible for the school to sponsor it as a Title IX/OCR compliant sport. If a team is not going to be Title IX/OCR compliant, a school is usually not going to sponsor it as a varsity sport. That's just the reality of college athletics. If a team competes in two different formats such as an NCATA meet and then a cheer competition, they will be breaking the rules and not Title IX/OCR compliant. Thus, again, a school would not typically sponsor an ineligible team as a varsity sport. If a for profit company was paying for a team's travel, donating uniforms and paying/waiving registration fees for them to compete, that team would be violating so many NCAA rules they wouldn't even be close to being Title IX/OCR compliant and thus, once again, not eligible to be claimed by the university as a compliant sport. The point is that NCATA teams are the only type of team using this skill set that can be considered a sport at the collegiate level. So examining the cost must include a comprehension that the cost is not just for a cheerleading team to compete, but it is the cost of sponsoring a true women's varsity sport.
NCATA teams are compliant and the same as any other women's varsity sport in their respective athletic departments. The average cost to start an Acro and Tumbling team is in line if not cheaper than other size comparable women's sports like rowing, rugby, track or swim/dive. There's scholarships, coaches salaries, insurance, medical support, academic support, equipment, facilities, uniforms, apparel, meals, strength training costs, travel and home contest costs. These are costs every athletic department understands are required to be provided for a varsity team. There is no other option to Acro and Tumbling that is treated as a true varsity sport/program at their university according to the Dept. of Ed/NCAA standards. If there were, those teams in that sport would have to follow all the same guidelines structurally, financially, academically and medically for sponsoring a varsity team. Any support less than that is not a varsity sport. Simply competing in cheer competitions is certainly much cheaper than actually becoming a varsity sport. But if you compare the cost of actually becoming a varsity sport, the format or sport won't matter, THE COSTS ARE THE SAME.
Cheerleading teams are unquestionably cheaper to run, but they are not considered a sport. So having the cheerleading team still be the spirit squad and also compete as a true varsity team is not even possible by the rules. The truth behind evaluating the cost of Acro and Tumbling is that you must compare a women's varsity sport to a women's varsity sport, not a sport to something that is considered a support group by the Dept. of Ed and the NCAA. It's a mistaken case of comparing apples to apples and oranges to well...banana jumps.
Showing posts with label Acrobatics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acrobatics. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Acro and Tumbling Brings Unfamiliar Reality of College Sports to Cheerleaders
Unless an older sibling, family member or family friend has been recruited and offered a college scholarship to play a sport, most parents are unfamiliar with the ins and outs of collegiate athletics. Particularly, parents of cheerleaders, who as a group of athletes are nearly never recruited and offered scholarships in the traditional manner of other sports, have no understanding of the scholarship process. In the infancy of evolving a sport from the activity of cheerleading, there must be a learning curve for cheer parents and athletes to understand what it means to recieve a college scholarship to participate in a varsity sport at a university.
Many people have the idea that recieving a college scholarship means you get a "full ride" and everything is paid for. The reality is far from that idea. Out of just over 200 possible scholarships that can be given for all female NCAA sports combined, only 47 are automatic full rides. That's 75% that are partial scholarships.
This introduces the first concept for cheer parents to understand about scholarships; the head count sports versus equivalency sports. A head count sport means that the maximum number of scholarships the NCAA allows for that sport reflects how many full ride scholarships there are. If there are 13 maximum scholarships allowed for a head count sport, then the 13 players on the roster recieving a scholarship are recieving a full ride scholarship. For women's NCAA sports this is basketball, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball which represent the 47 of 205 scholarships available for all 22+ NCAA women's sports combined.
Every other sport is known as an equivalency sport. This means that the total amount of scholarship dollars awarded to all athletes on that team can only be equivalent to the total value of the NCAA maximum number of scholarships for that sport. For example, if a school's total cost is $25,000 for the year, then 1 full scholarship at that school equals $25,000. In an equivalency sport, 5 athletes could each recieve a $5,000 dollar scholarship which would add up to the equivalency of 1 scholarship. So if the maximum is 13 scholarships for that equivalency sport, then the coach could divide up (13x$25,000) and split it however they want amongst the athletes on the team. The sport of acrobatics and tumbling is an equivalency sport. As with all the women's equivalency sports such as softball, soccer, rowing, ice hockey, track, swimming and diving, the vast majority of athletes are on partial scholarships. This is the reality of over 75% of all female collegiate athletes.
In addition to understanding the type of scholarships that are awarded in collegiate sports, each institution has its own policies on the length or gaurantee of those scholarships. The NCAA has had a one year rule in place since 1973. Institutions only have to gaurantee the scholarship for one year at a time. Past that minimum, every school or coach can develop their own policies or offer longer scholarship gaurantees. It is not uncommon in equivalency sports that a coach may not renew scholarships or even reduce them if the athlete is not meeting expectations. Again, each school and coach will have their own policies to determine who gets their scholarship renewed and the amounts may increase or decrease. The athletic departments will typically have some rules in place to protect student athletes and make sure they are getting every opportunity to succeed. While it may not be uncommon to not renew a scholarship, it doesn't mean it is a regular practice among schools to do so.
With regard to the average cheer parent and cheer athlete, this is important and very new information that can be a little shocking to adjust to. Particularly because cheerleading is an activity and every team gets a shot. In sports, not every team gets a shot. If you don't qualify for the next level, your season is done. This same principle is inherent in how athletes are awarded scholarships. In collegiate sports, you are rewarded for your talent and performance. Not every kid just gets to sign up and be on the team. There may be walk ons and non scholarship athletes on the team, but they earn their spots and have to continue to earn them over the course of their collegiate career. Some may eventually be awarded scholarships and some never do. Some scholarship athletes may earn increases or go the opposite direction based on performance or other factors.
The idea that an athlete could make the team, but not really be a starter is a new concept for most cheer people. In the all star or even the scholarstic cheer world, if you make the team, you are in the routine. Acro and tumbling is a sport that has starters, specialists/role players and like all other sports, the developmental athletes who may never see almost any playing time. Those athletes may have just never progressed or may have regressed in abilities. Unfortunately, there will be times when the coach will have to evaluate the athlete's contribution to the team against a further investment in that athlete, distributing those dollars to reward a move valuable athlete or begin an investment towards and incoming new athlete.
Of course, not every athletes is under the gun to loose their scholarship every year. The majority of athletes improve year to year and develop experience and leadership qualities that make them more valuable than even incoming athletes who are more talented. It is just as much the responsibility of the athlete to take advantage of every training resource and improve their skills as it is for the coach to provide an environment and the opportunities to do that. Typically is it only in extreme cases of regression, character or academic circumstance that a scholarship is not renewed. Even injured athletes usually have the opportunity to recover and reestablish themselves.
The reality of scholarships is not a negative one. It is a tremendous advantage that creates opportunity for not just the athletes involved, but also for the entire family. The cost of college can be a limitation or even deal breaker without financial assistance. The benefit for a family that doesn't have to come up with $25,000 dollars a year is an obvious one. For coaches, the opportunity to reward curent athletes as well as new ones is one of the most satisfying moments during the season. The joy from an athlete when a coach says, "I want you and here's what I want to give you to get you here," is a wonderful thing to experience. Life as a scholarship varsity athlete is undboutedly a very different and enhanced experience compared to nearly every other student on campus.
Currently, ONLY acrobatic and tumbling teams offer scholarships and status as varsity athletes that include the full support of the athletic department. All NCATA member schools follow the full gamut of NCAA regulations for a sport including the way scholarships are awarded each season to each athlete. Unlike any form of cheerleading at the scholastic, recreation or club level, the new sport of acro and tumbling will require parents and athletes to adjust to college athletics. The hope of every serious competitive cheer athlete is to get a scholarship to compete for their favorite university. The NCATA is marching towards making that hope a reality through NCAA emerging sport status, however, it does mean a departure from the pay-to-play inclusive nature of the activity of cheerleading. This is college sports and a spot or scholarship given, will also have to be earned.
Many people have the idea that recieving a college scholarship means you get a "full ride" and everything is paid for. The reality is far from that idea. Out of just over 200 possible scholarships that can be given for all female NCAA sports combined, only 47 are automatic full rides. That's 75% that are partial scholarships.
This introduces the first concept for cheer parents to understand about scholarships; the head count sports versus equivalency sports. A head count sport means that the maximum number of scholarships the NCAA allows for that sport reflects how many full ride scholarships there are. If there are 13 maximum scholarships allowed for a head count sport, then the 13 players on the roster recieving a scholarship are recieving a full ride scholarship. For women's NCAA sports this is basketball, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball which represent the 47 of 205 scholarships available for all 22+ NCAA women's sports combined.
Every other sport is known as an equivalency sport. This means that the total amount of scholarship dollars awarded to all athletes on that team can only be equivalent to the total value of the NCAA maximum number of scholarships for that sport. For example, if a school's total cost is $25,000 for the year, then 1 full scholarship at that school equals $25,000. In an equivalency sport, 5 athletes could each recieve a $5,000 dollar scholarship which would add up to the equivalency of 1 scholarship. So if the maximum is 13 scholarships for that equivalency sport, then the coach could divide up (13x$25,000) and split it however they want amongst the athletes on the team. The sport of acrobatics and tumbling is an equivalency sport. As with all the women's equivalency sports such as softball, soccer, rowing, ice hockey, track, swimming and diving, the vast majority of athletes are on partial scholarships. This is the reality of over 75% of all female collegiate athletes.
In addition to understanding the type of scholarships that are awarded in collegiate sports, each institution has its own policies on the length or gaurantee of those scholarships. The NCAA has had a one year rule in place since 1973. Institutions only have to gaurantee the scholarship for one year at a time. Past that minimum, every school or coach can develop their own policies or offer longer scholarship gaurantees. It is not uncommon in equivalency sports that a coach may not renew scholarships or even reduce them if the athlete is not meeting expectations. Again, each school and coach will have their own policies to determine who gets their scholarship renewed and the amounts may increase or decrease. The athletic departments will typically have some rules in place to protect student athletes and make sure they are getting every opportunity to succeed. While it may not be uncommon to not renew a scholarship, it doesn't mean it is a regular practice among schools to do so.
With regard to the average cheer parent and cheer athlete, this is important and very new information that can be a little shocking to adjust to. Particularly because cheerleading is an activity and every team gets a shot. In sports, not every team gets a shot. If you don't qualify for the next level, your season is done. This same principle is inherent in how athletes are awarded scholarships. In collegiate sports, you are rewarded for your talent and performance. Not every kid just gets to sign up and be on the team. There may be walk ons and non scholarship athletes on the team, but they earn their spots and have to continue to earn them over the course of their collegiate career. Some may eventually be awarded scholarships and some never do. Some scholarship athletes may earn increases or go the opposite direction based on performance or other factors.
The idea that an athlete could make the team, but not really be a starter is a new concept for most cheer people. In the all star or even the scholarstic cheer world, if you make the team, you are in the routine. Acro and tumbling is a sport that has starters, specialists/role players and like all other sports, the developmental athletes who may never see almost any playing time. Those athletes may have just never progressed or may have regressed in abilities. Unfortunately, there will be times when the coach will have to evaluate the athlete's contribution to the team against a further investment in that athlete, distributing those dollars to reward a move valuable athlete or begin an investment towards and incoming new athlete.
Of course, not every athletes is under the gun to loose their scholarship every year. The majority of athletes improve year to year and develop experience and leadership qualities that make them more valuable than even incoming athletes who are more talented. It is just as much the responsibility of the athlete to take advantage of every training resource and improve their skills as it is for the coach to provide an environment and the opportunities to do that. Typically is it only in extreme cases of regression, character or academic circumstance that a scholarship is not renewed. Even injured athletes usually have the opportunity to recover and reestablish themselves.
The reality of scholarships is not a negative one. It is a tremendous advantage that creates opportunity for not just the athletes involved, but also for the entire family. The cost of college can be a limitation or even deal breaker without financial assistance. The benefit for a family that doesn't have to come up with $25,000 dollars a year is an obvious one. For coaches, the opportunity to reward curent athletes as well as new ones is one of the most satisfying moments during the season. The joy from an athlete when a coach says, "I want you and here's what I want to give you to get you here," is a wonderful thing to experience. Life as a scholarship varsity athlete is undboutedly a very different and enhanced experience compared to nearly every other student on campus.
Currently, ONLY acrobatic and tumbling teams offer scholarships and status as varsity athletes that include the full support of the athletic department. All NCATA member schools follow the full gamut of NCAA regulations for a sport including the way scholarships are awarded each season to each athlete. Unlike any form of cheerleading at the scholastic, recreation or club level, the new sport of acro and tumbling will require parents and athletes to adjust to college athletics. The hope of every serious competitive cheer athlete is to get a scholarship to compete for their favorite university. The NCATA is marching towards making that hope a reality through NCAA emerging sport status, however, it does mean a departure from the pay-to-play inclusive nature of the activity of cheerleading. This is college sports and a spot or scholarship given, will also have to be earned.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
(Acro and) Tumbling Through the Landscape of Title IX
Second only to economic considerations, Title IX is perhaps the most dominating factor in balancing men and women's programs at the collegiate level. The 1972 law was intended to increase opportunities for women with regard to sports and scholarships at the intercollegiate athletic level. The reality of college athletics today is that women's programs and men's programs have increased as a whole, but some particular programs have decreased in teams or are facing near elimination across the country. Budget cuts and Title IX clearly have made a very difficult balancing act of meeting the needs, interests and abilities of the students and communities served by NCAA member institutions.
Acrobatics and Tumbling (A&T) is a new women's sport that is marching towards emerging sport status with the NCAA. In a time where tendencies are to cut programs rather than expand, A&T could find it difficult to translate the popularity of the sport into growth at the collegiate level. Acrobatics and Tumbling is the evolution of competitive cheer which took a solid thump upside the head last summer in the Title IX lawsuit against Quinnipiac University. However, that thump was the sound of cheerleading hitting the floor. A&T utilizes the skill set in a structure and format that is completely reflective of other traditional Olympic and NCAA sports. The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (www.thencata.org) is the governing body for the sport and has quietly gained momentum and support for A&T. Just one look at and A&T meet and one can see, this is not cheerleading. This is sport!
For athletic departments around the nation, this sport is a very attractive opportunity to continue to support and expand women's sports. The high participation or roster size offers more positions on a team. The cost efficient operating budget is certainly a positive characteristic. Acro teams recruit similar athletes and use shared facilities as men and women's gymnastics teams. The correlations between sports can be important in maintaining and adding programs that create financial and logistic efficiency.
As schools continue to navigate through the Title IX requirements, A&T is a sport that embodies the spirit and purpose of the law. Acro and Tumbling is not a female version of a male sport, its not a coed sport and it is not an already-existing opportunity. This is a brand new women's sport that creates original, genuine additional opportunities for female athletes. There are an estimated 3 million plus athletes in the US using the skill set of Acro. These athletes range from powerlifters, gymnast, competitive cheerleaders and even divers. The skill set is the 9th most popular girls high school sport. The need for a safe, controlled, regulated and definitive sport for these athletes has been asnwered by Acrobatics and Tumbling. This is the very essense of Title IX.
Amongst many things the NCAA requires to become a sport, one of the most important is that at least 10 universities sponsor varsity programs in the sport. Less than two years ago, there was only 1 varsity team. Now, there are 6 total and several more in the process that will move the NCATA past the required minimum. Recent news has pointed out the increasing number of institutions that need to support addtional opportunities for female athletes. Acro and Tumbling is sure to thrive regardless of the economy or legal factors. The growing demand and popularity of the sport, the organizational advantages and viability of the sport along with the important benefits and opportunities for female athletes are a W for the NCATA, women and the NCAA.
Visit www.thencata for more information about Acrobatics and Tumbling.
Acrobatics and Tumbling (A&T) is a new women's sport that is marching towards emerging sport status with the NCAA. In a time where tendencies are to cut programs rather than expand, A&T could find it difficult to translate the popularity of the sport into growth at the collegiate level. Acrobatics and Tumbling is the evolution of competitive cheer which took a solid thump upside the head last summer in the Title IX lawsuit against Quinnipiac University. However, that thump was the sound of cheerleading hitting the floor. A&T utilizes the skill set in a structure and format that is completely reflective of other traditional Olympic and NCAA sports. The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (www.thencata.org) is the governing body for the sport and has quietly gained momentum and support for A&T. Just one look at and A&T meet and one can see, this is not cheerleading. This is sport!
For athletic departments around the nation, this sport is a very attractive opportunity to continue to support and expand women's sports. The high participation or roster size offers more positions on a team. The cost efficient operating budget is certainly a positive characteristic. Acro teams recruit similar athletes and use shared facilities as men and women's gymnastics teams. The correlations between sports can be important in maintaining and adding programs that create financial and logistic efficiency.
As schools continue to navigate through the Title IX requirements, A&T is a sport that embodies the spirit and purpose of the law. Acro and Tumbling is not a female version of a male sport, its not a coed sport and it is not an already-existing opportunity. This is a brand new women's sport that creates original, genuine additional opportunities for female athletes. There are an estimated 3 million plus athletes in the US using the skill set of Acro. These athletes range from powerlifters, gymnast, competitive cheerleaders and even divers. The skill set is the 9th most popular girls high school sport. The need for a safe, controlled, regulated and definitive sport for these athletes has been asnwered by Acrobatics and Tumbling. This is the very essense of Title IX.
Amongst many things the NCAA requires to become a sport, one of the most important is that at least 10 universities sponsor varsity programs in the sport. Less than two years ago, there was only 1 varsity team. Now, there are 6 total and several more in the process that will move the NCATA past the required minimum. Recent news has pointed out the increasing number of institutions that need to support addtional opportunities for female athletes. Acro and Tumbling is sure to thrive regardless of the economy or legal factors. The growing demand and popularity of the sport, the organizational advantages and viability of the sport along with the important benefits and opportunities for female athletes are a W for the NCATA, women and the NCAA.
Visit www.thencata for more information about Acrobatics and Tumbling.
Just Watch and You Will See
Just watch and you will see. This isn't cheerleading anymore. The first thing you will notice is more sport-like and athletic image. Watch an Acro and Tumbling meet and you will immediately be able to see the more focused and direct comopetition between teams in the meet style format. One glance at the skills being executed and you will know this definately requires physical strength, talent and ability.
With the full resources of athletic departments supporting Acro teams, each program is amassing a large number of highly skilled athletes. A&T athletes are trained and conditioned by professional strength and training staff who specialize workouts to maximize performance. Gymnasts, divers, cheerleaders and other types of athletes focus on very specific positions or skills much like a kicker in football or the setter in volleyball. The sporting culture of a varsity athletic team introduces the principles of starters, practice load, athlete safety and just a generally more focused accountable outlook to daily life as a student supported by a scholarship to solely compete for the university. These are a few of the things inherent with NCAA sports and characteristic of Acro teams.
As Acro and Tumbling grows and develops as a college sport, there is no denying it's evolution from competitive cheer. The hundreds of thousands of cheer athletes participating in traditional sideline and/or competitive cheer are the main pool of athletes from which A&T draws recruits. The sister sport of gymnastics which originated the basis of the acrobatic and tumbling elements of cheerleading is another source of athletes for the sport. The format of Acro and Tumbling finally focuses on the competitive and physical concepts of cheerleading and produces a sport consistent with the interests of young women across the country. Root it in gymnastics or root it in cheerleading...its irrelevant. The skill set is still the same, but the support, structure, athletes, mindset, format, training and the essense of it all is undeniable.
Just watch and you will see...this is sport!
With the full resources of athletic departments supporting Acro teams, each program is amassing a large number of highly skilled athletes. A&T athletes are trained and conditioned by professional strength and training staff who specialize workouts to maximize performance. Gymnasts, divers, cheerleaders and other types of athletes focus on very specific positions or skills much like a kicker in football or the setter in volleyball. The sporting culture of a varsity athletic team introduces the principles of starters, practice load, athlete safety and just a generally more focused accountable outlook to daily life as a student supported by a scholarship to solely compete for the university. These are a few of the things inherent with NCAA sports and characteristic of Acro teams.
As Acro and Tumbling grows and develops as a college sport, there is no denying it's evolution from competitive cheer. The hundreds of thousands of cheer athletes participating in traditional sideline and/or competitive cheer are the main pool of athletes from which A&T draws recruits. The sister sport of gymnastics which originated the basis of the acrobatic and tumbling elements of cheerleading is another source of athletes for the sport. The format of Acro and Tumbling finally focuses on the competitive and physical concepts of cheerleading and produces a sport consistent with the interests of young women across the country. Root it in gymnastics or root it in cheerleading...its irrelevant. The skill set is still the same, but the support, structure, athletes, mindset, format, training and the essense of it all is undeniable.
Just watch and you will see...this is sport!
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