Observations After Event 18 of 2013-14

Event 18 took me to the Midwest for the first time in since December. For the third weekend in a row I didn’t get to see many teams perform, this time because I was working the event tent. Working the event tent is an interesting experience because you hear all the comment, good and bad, regarding all aspects of the event. Listening to the coaches reinforced execution and deductions are what determines the winners.

With difficulty scores being less objective, making the range of the scores very small, the winners end up being determined by the execution scores and the larger range of scores used. Put another way, it’s very hard to separate yourself based on difficulty because everyone knows how to get in the high range and can “prove” they deserve a score in the high range. It’s much harder to “prove” what score is deserved on the execution side of the score sheet, leading to a wider range of scores, allowing teams to separate themselves from the competition.

On the rules side of things I had conversations with coaches about how I’m failing at my job because there are safety judges missing out of level skills in routines most of the season, then teams get correctly called on them at major events or later events. The unfortunate thing is when this happens the coach is usually mad at the people and event that got it right, not the several people and events that didn’t. These conversations ended with me being told we need to do a better job of training judges so they correctly call everything, but I disagree. I think we need to train everyone so there is nothing out of level in routines to call.

Miscellaneous

The Worlds Lottery will be held Tuesday, April 8th. This is when the performance order for the opening rounds at Worlds will be determined. The event has been live streamed in the past, but I haven’t seen information regarding that yet.

Good luck to all the teams competing at Champions League this weekend and NCA College Nationals next week.

Only 2 Cheer Worlds bid events remains, with Reach the Beach being the only one this weekend, and 3 Dance Worlds bid events are left, with Spirit Cheer being this weekend.

OverStretch – April 2, 2014