Andre J. Carter

NCA College Nationals Eligibility FAQ’s

—

by

Andre
in

Q: Are club teams eligible to compete at the NCA/NDA Collegiate Championship?

A: Yes, as long as they are purely club cheer programs that only participate in cheer events.

Q: If you participate in both club cheer and anything else outside of the cheer umbrella (ex. gymnastics, acrobatics, etc.), are you still eligible to compete at the NCA/NDA Collegiate Championship?

A: No

Q: What constitutes eligibility?

A: Teams that fully and solely exist and clearly define themselves as a traditional or competitive club cheer team.

Q: USA Cheer is trying to keep the new format cheer‐centric but aren’t there some elements that are related to Gymnastics within?

A: STUNT is clearly derived from the skill elements developed directly from cheer. Tumbling has been a skill associated with cheerleading since the 1940’s. Tumbling is only one characteristic that helps to define the new sport of STUNT.

Q: What are the sanctioning bodies that you have worked with to create and develop this format/rule‐set?

A: We have worked directly with USA Cheer, the official governing body of all things related to cheerleading, in the creation of STUNT.

Q: Are NCATA teams able to compete in the NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship?

A: No. The teams associated with the NCATA are aligned with USA Gymnastics, and not cheerleading.

Q: How do you clarify/define what a “cheer” team is?

A: Teams that fully and solely exist and clearly define themselves as a traditional or competitive club cheer team.

Q: Why can’t teams that have been coming to the NCA/NDA Collegiate Championship every year until participate this year if they also participate in NCATA competitions?

A: The NCA/NDA Collegiate Championship is reserved solely for teams that function exclusively as traditional or club cheer teams. Teams that participate with the NCATA or other forms of gymnastics or acrobatics are no longer considered exclusively cheer based teams.

Q: Why aren’t NCATA teams considered to be cheer teams? Do they still consider the competitions they participate in to be competitive cheer competitions?

A: The NCATA is officially aligned with and governed by USA Gymnastics and does not function as a cheer organization. NCA would also not allow a collegiate women’s gymnastics team to compete in our cheer events as well. The NCATA is a form of acrobatics and tumbling specifically associated with gymnastics, and has no formal association with cheerleading.

Q: If USA Cheer/Varsity wants to work together with NCATA in future, why are you excluding them from the NCA/NDA Collegiate Championship?

A: They are currently two totally separate organizations under two totally different governing bodies. USA Cheer is committed to protecting the best interest of traditional and club cheer, while maintaining the highest integrity and fairness of its Championships and participating cheer teams.

Q: What are the differences between the NCATA and the current competitive cheer format and STUNT?

A: STUNT has taken all the athletic skill elements that have developed in cheerleading and put them into an objective, head‐to‐head competitive format that can be easily understood and followed by the coaches, athletes and spectators. The role of the coach and the coaching strategy has been integrated into the game format in order to allow each team to maximize their ability to be successful. The STUNT format is designed to be fast, entertaining, exciting, unpredictable, and understandable while still incorporating the traditional elements of a cheer competition. The 4th quarter of a STUNT competition consists of a more traditional performance commonly recognized as cheer, but is scored more objectively to determine the points awarded to each team. The competition format and scoring is more simplified than that of a traditional cheer competition.

NCA College Nationals Eligibility FAQ’s

Comments

6 responses to “NCA College Nationals Eligibility FAQ’s”

  1. Future Avatar
    Future

    A bit of clarification:
    NCATA is not governed by USA Gymnastics. This statement is a bit misleading at best. USA Gymnastics is sanctioning the NCATA competitions. What exactly does this mean? USA Gymnastics is providing an insurance policy to the NCATA for their competitions, athletes and officials. For this 'sanctioning', they will follow a set of rules designed to strictly benefit. Some of these are: a full background check on all coaches and officials as all USAG members have, a safety certification clinic and exam prepared by some the leading movement biomechanics, a large, very detailed insurance policy, read and sign a Code of Ethics, and the guarantee to the athletes that the competition will be conducted using the NCATA guidelines as written.

    What exactly does sanctioning NOT mean?
    USA Gymnastics does not regulate NCATA or it's policies, how they run their competitions, what they are to have in their routines, etc. They are providing the platform for the professionals involved (NCATA) to take a step forward as they (USAG) has for the betterment of the new sport. All sports have or are heading in the direction of USA Gymnastics…;they are requiring background checks for the safety of athletes, they are adapting Code of Ethics for their professional members, have created a Participant Welfare Policy, register all of their members (athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, etc). And by aligning with the NCAA rules, the athletes can be tested for prohibited substances and are held to academic standards at their respective schools. If these are the benefits of "aligning" with USA Gymnastics and the NCAA then this is a good thing!

    Additional clarification: "The NCATA is a form of acrobatics and tumbling specifically associated with gymnastics…"
    The NCATA format is NOT just tumbling (or gymnastics as inferred). The format of a NCATA competition is as follows:
    1. Compulsory Event (all perform the same) set of: Stunt Heat, Pyramid Heat, Basket Toss Heat, Tumbling Heats.
    2. Stunt Event: 3 Heats
    3. Pyramid Event
    4. Basket Toss: 3 Heats
    5. Tumbling Event: 6 Heats
    6. Team Routine of 2.5 mins (where more than 1/3 of the team score comes from)
    This format looks like it takes the best of the athleticism of tumbling and traditional cheer parts and puts them together in an exciting to watch event. The NCATA is EMBRACING the best of what cheer and gymnastics together offers.

    Regarding: "NCA would also not allow a collegiate women’s gymnastics team to compete in our cheer events as well." Is this implying that NCATA would? Of course, a women's gymnastics team would not compete in a NCATA event, nor an ice skating event, or a track event. Do not understand the parallel that is trying to be made here.

    Regarding the inclusion or exclusion of NCA/NCATA in competitions:
    The NCATA, by adhering to NCAA all-sport regulations, must follow: "…a student-athlete in any sport other than basketball who participates during the academic year as a member of any outside team in any non-collegiate,
    amateur competition, becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition in that sport for the remainder of the year and for the next academic year…" (excluding World Championships or Olympic Games) The NCA has taken the narrow position to not allow any team/club that participates in a NCATA competition to then attend their Nationals…..Why this rule and why now?

    The NCATA is not trying to change/takeover anything in the current cheer world. The vision is to provide student-athlete opportunities for women at the collegiate level in a recognized sport. The NCATA follows the NCAA rules and guidelines set forth for all student-athletes. Again, they are not governed by USA Gymnastics. The NCATA focus is not on profit but rather on opportunity. They are a registered non-profit 501(c)3 very focused group working for a common goal.

    Who would not want their daughter to have this additional opportunity for her future?

    Like

    Reply
  2. Future Avatar
    Future

    A bit of clarification:
    NCATA is not governed by USA Gymnastics. This statement is a bit misleading at best. USA Gymnastics is sanctioning the NCATA competitions. What exactly does this mean? USA Gymnastics is providing an insurance policy to the NCATA for their competitions, athletes and officials. For this 'sanctioning', they will follow a set of rules designed to strictly benefit. Some of these are: a full background check on all coaches and officials as all USAG members have, a safety certification clinic and exam prepared by some the leading movement biomechanics, a large, very detailed insurance policy, read and sign a Code of Ethics, and the guarantee to the athletes that the competition will be conducted using the NCATA guidelines as written.

    What exactly does sanctioning NOT mean?
    USA Gymnastics does not regulate NCATA or it's policies, how they run their competitions, what they are to have in their routines, etc. They are providing the platform for the professionals involved (NCATA) to take a step forward as they (USAG) has for the betterment of the new sport. All sports have or are heading in the direction of USA Gymnastics…;they are requiring background checks for the safety of athletes, they are adapting Code of Ethics for their professional members, have created a Participant Welfare Policy, register all of their members (athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, etc). And by aligning with the NCAA rules, the athletes can be tested for prohibited substances and are held to academic standards at their respective schools. If these are the benefits of "aligning" with USA Gymnastics and the NCAA then this is a good thing!

    Additional clarification: "The NCATA is a form of acrobatics and tumbling specifically associated with gymnastics…"
    The NCATA format is NOT just tumbling (or gymnastics as inferred). The format of a NCATA competition is as follows:
    1. Compulsory Event (all perform the same) set of: Stunt Heat, Pyramid Heat, Basket Toss Heat, Tumbling Heats.
    2. Stunt Event: 3 Heats
    3. Pyramid Event
    4. Basket Toss: 3 Heats
    5. Tumbling Event: 6 Heats
    6. Team Routine of 2.5 mins (where more than 1/3 of the team score comes from)
    This format looks like it takes the best of the athleticism of tumbling and traditional cheer parts and puts them together in an exciting to watch event. The NCATA is EMBRACING the best of what cheer and gymnastics together offers.

    Regarding: "NCA would also not allow a collegiate women’s gymnastics team to compete in our cheer events as well." Is this implying that NCATA would? Of course, a women's gymnastics team would not compete in a NCATA event, nor an ice skating event, or a track event. Do not understand the parallel that is trying to be made here.

    Regarding the inclusion or exclusion of NCA/NCATA in competitions:
    The NCATA, by adhering to NCAA all-sport regulations, must follow: "…a student-athlete in any sport other than basketball who participates during the academic year as a member of any outside team in any non-collegiate,
    amateur competition, becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition in that sport for the remainder of the year and for the next academic year…" (excluding World Championships or Olympic Games) The NCA has taken the narrow position to not allow any team/club that participates in a NCATA competition to then attend their Nationals…..Why this rule and why now?

    The NCATA is not trying to change/takeover anything in the current cheer world. The vision is to provide student-athlete opportunities for women at the collegiate level in a recognized sport. The NCATA follows the NCAA rules and guidelines set forth for all student-athletes. Again, they are not governed by USA Gymnastics. The NCATA focus is not on profit but rather on opportunity. They are a registered non-profit 501(c)3 very focused group working for a common goal.

    Who would not want their daughter to have this additional opportunity for her future?

    Like

    Reply
  3. Future Avatar
    Future

    A bit of clarification:
    NCATA is not governed by USA Gymnastics. This statement is a bit misleading at best. USA Gymnastics is sanctioning the NCATA competitions. What exactly does this mean? USA Gymnastics is providing an insurance policy to the NCATA for their competitions, athletes and officials. For this 'sanctioning', they will follow a set of rules designed to strictly benefit. Some of these are: a full background check on all coaches and officials as all USAG members have, a safety certification clinic and exam prepared by some the leading movement biomechanics, a large, very detailed insurance policy, read and sign a Code of Ethics, and the guarantee to the athletes that the competition will be conducted using the NCATA guidelines as written.

    What exactly does sanctioning NOT mean?
    USA Gymnastics does not regulate NCATA or it's policies, how they run their competitions, what they are to have in their routines, etc. They are providing the platform for the professionals involved (NCATA) to take a step forward as they (USAG) has for the betterment of the new sport. All sports have or are heading in the direction of USA Gymnastics…;they are requiring background checks for the safety of athletes, they are adapting Code of Ethics for their professional members, have created a Participant Welfare Policy, register all of their members (athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, etc). And by aligning with the NCAA rules, the athletes can be tested for prohibited substances and are held to academic standards at their respective schools. If these are the benefits of "aligning" with USA Gymnastics and the NCAA then this is a good thing!

    Additional clarification: "The NCATA is a form of acrobatics and tumbling specifically associated with gymnastics…"
    The NCATA format is NOT just tumbling (or gymnastics as inferred). The format of a NCATA competition is as follows:
    1. Compulsory Event (all perform the same) set of: Stunt Heat, Pyramid Heat, Basket Toss Heat, Tumbling Heats.
    2. Stunt Event: 3 Heats
    3. Pyramid Event
    4. Basket Toss: 3 Heats
    5. Tumbling Event: 6 Heats
    6. Team Routine of 2.5 mins (where more than 1/3 of the team score comes from)
    This format looks like it takes the best of the athleticism of tumbling and traditional cheer parts and puts them together in an exciting to watch event. The NCATA is EMBRACING the best of what cheer and gymnastics together offers.

    Regarding: "NCA would also not allow a collegiate women’s gymnastics team to compete in our cheer events as well." Is this implying that NCATA would? Of course, a women's gymnastics team would not compete in a NCATA event, nor an ice skating event, or a track event. Do not understand the parallel that is trying to be made here.

    Regarding the inclusion or exclusion of NCA/NCATA in competitions:
    The NCATA, by adhering to NCAA all-sport regulations, must follow: "…a student-athlete in any sport other than basketball who participates during the academic year as a member of any outside team in any non-collegiate,
    amateur competition, becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition in that sport for the remainder of the year and for the next academic year…" (excluding World Championships or Olympic Games) The NCA has taken the narrow position to not allow any team/club that participates in a NCATA competition to then attend their Nationals…..Why this rule and why now?

    The NCATA is not trying to change/takeover anything in the current cheer world. The vision is to provide student-athlete opportunities for women at the collegiate level in a recognized sport. The NCATA follows the NCAA rules and guidelines set forth for all student-athletes. Again, they are not governed by USA Gymnastics. The NCATA focus is not on profit but rather on opportunity. They are a registered non-profit 501(c)3 very focused group working for a common goal.

    Who would not want their daughter to have this additional opportunity for her future?

    Like

    Reply
  4. Future Avatar
    Future

    A bit of clarification:
    NCATA is not governed by USA Gymnastics. This statement is a bit misleading at best. USA Gymnastics is sanctioning the NCATA competitions. What exactly does this mean? USA Gymnastics is providing an insurance policy to the NCATA for their competitions, athletes and officials. For this 'sanctioning', they will follow a set of rules designed to strictly benefit. Some of these are: a full background check on all coaches and officials as all USAG members have, a safety certification clinic and exam prepared by some the leading movement biomechanics, a large, very detailed insurance policy, read and sign a Code of Ethics, and the guarantee to the athletes that the competition will be conducted using the NCATA guidelines as written.

    What exactly does sanctioning NOT mean?
    USA Gymnastics does not regulate NCATA or it's policies, how they run their competitions, what they are to have in their routines, etc. They are providing the platform for the professionals involved (NCATA) to take a step forward as they (USAG) has for the betterment of the new sport. All sports have or are heading in the direction of USA Gymnastics…;they are requiring background checks for the safety of athletes, they are adapting Code of Ethics for their professional members, have created a Participant Welfare Policy, register all of their members (athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, etc). And by aligning with the NCAA rules, the athletes can be tested for prohibited substances and are held to academic standards at their respective schools. If these are the benefits of "aligning" with USA Gymnastics and the NCAA then this is a good thing!

    Additional clarification: "The NCATA is a form of acrobatics and tumbling specifically associated with gymnastics…"
    The NCATA format is NOT just tumbling (or gymnastics as inferred). The format of a NCATA competition is as follows:
    1. Compulsory Event (all perform the same) set of: Stunt Heat, Pyramid Heat, Basket Toss Heat, Tumbling Heats.
    2. Stunt Event: 3 Heats
    3. Pyramid Event
    4. Basket Toss: 3 Heats
    5. Tumbling Event: 6 Heats
    6. Team Routine of 2.5 mins (where more than 1/3 of the team score comes from)
    This format looks like it takes the best of the athleticism of tumbling and traditional cheer parts and puts them together in an exciting to watch event. The NCATA is EMBRACING the best of what cheer and gymnastics together offers.

    Regarding: "NCA would also not allow a collegiate women’s gymnastics team to compete in our cheer events as well." Is this implying that NCATA would? Of course, a women's gymnastics team would not compete in a NCATA event, nor an ice skating event, or a track event. Do not understand the parallel that is trying to be made here.

    Regarding the inclusion or exclusion of NCA/NCATA in competitions:
    The NCATA, by adhering to NCAA all-sport regulations, must follow: "…a student-athlete in any sport other than basketball who participates during the academic year as a member of any outside team in any non-collegiate,
    amateur competition, becomes ineligible for intercollegiate competition in that sport for the remainder of the year and for the next academic year…" (excluding World Championships or Olympic Games) The NCA has taken the narrow position to not allow any team/club that participates in a NCATA competition to then attend their Nationals…..Why this rule and why now?

    The NCATA is not trying to change/takeover anything in the current cheer world. The vision is to provide student-athlete opportunities for women at the collegiate level in a recognized sport. The NCATA follows the NCAA rules and guidelines set forth for all student-athletes. Again, they are not governed by USA Gymnastics. The NCATA focus is not on profit but rather on opportunity. They are a registered non-profit 501(c)3 very focused group working for a common goal.

    Who would not want their daughter to have this additional opportunity for her future?

    Like

    Reply
  5. So Annoyed Avatar
    So Annoyed

    I think they left something out…

    "USA Cheer is committed to protecting the best interest of traditional and club cheer AND VARSITY'S BOTTOM LINE, JEFF WEBB's FAT PAYCHECK AND SCREWING UP ANY CHANCE THAT OUR GIRLS HAVE TO BECOME NCAA ATHLETES, while maintaining the highest integrity and fairness of its Championships and participating cheer teams." Can this be any more transparent?

    Like

    Reply
  6. So Annoyed Avatar
    So Annoyed

    I think they left something out…

    "USA Cheer is committed to protecting the best interest of traditional and club cheer AND VARSITY'S BOTTOM LINE, JEFF WEBB's FAT PAYCHECK AND SCREWING UP ANY CHANCE THAT OUR GIRLS HAVE TO BECOME NCAA ATHLETES, while maintaining the highest integrity and fairness of its Championships and participating cheer teams." Can this be any more transparent?

    Like

    Reply

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