All-Star cheerleading, however, is independent of other sports, with our main goal being competition within our own division against other like teams. Our focus is on building skills, tumbling, jumps, dance, and showmanship. We have 7 different levels to choose from which allows us to assure a safe learning progression for our athletes while they continue to grow physically and emotionally. We’ll break it down a bit more.

Tryouts Vs. Team Placements:

When the time comes for tryouts, we choose to think of that process more as placements. For us, there is usually a team for everyone, no matter the skill level. Unlike traditional cheer tryouts where there are normally only one maybe two teams for the highest skilled athletes, we are grateful to be building different teams for all levels and age groups.

Don’t think tryouts, think a larger evaluation process based on multiple factors. Our placements happen throughout the month of May at up to eight practices with certified coaches. There are four days dedicated to jumps/tumbling skills and four days dedicated to building skills. This gives new athletes a chance to learn the sport a bit before officially starting while also focusing on allowing veteran athletes the opportunity to increase and polish their current skillets. But our favorite part of this placement process is the initial team building that happens in those first weeks.

At Ideal, our first step in creating teams is age-based. We take all of our candidates and split them into groups based on the top age of each division. For example, the youth age division is 11 and under, and the mini age division is 8 and under – so all athletes 9-11 get originally put in our “youth” bucket.
The next step in team placements is to review physical skills and abilities. We look at which building and tumbling skills kids have and make an effort to build out the teams to be the most successful. On our score sheet, building is worth the most points and is needed by 100% of the participants in one day or another.
The last consideration is mental and social capabilities. Different teams require a different pace of skill, level of dedication, and mental toughness than others. Our main focus is for athletes to have a positive experience and grow as individuals. Being placed on a team of like-minded and motivated athletes allows us to help foster success throughout the season.

Cheer Season

Once teams are set, our season begins in June! The elite all-star season begins in June and goes through March. These teams practice twice a week. The first two months focus on team and skill-building. Choreography is taught in August and we start competing in October. Throughout the rest of the season, we consistently make changes to the routine to add confidence, difficulty, and to better hit our routines.

Our sport doesn’t have a bench, and every athlete is vital to a successful and efficient practice. While we do not have 100% participation in all sections, we do need our kids to constantly be working and improving throughout the season. Athletes are encouraged to put in work outside of practice, attend classes and participate in open gym.

Overall

Overall, All-Star is a unique sport that offers kids the opportunity to increase body control, awareness, and strength while developing teamwork, problem-solving skills and learning to face adversity. We love the way that the sport allows athletes the ability to be multifaceted, train in multiple areas of expertise, and develop life skills that will be vital to their success in life

Cheer is our favorite sport for so many reasons! One thing that is great for our athletes is the variety of skills taught and mastered. All Star Cheer focuses on the athleticism, teamwork, balance and strength. Through stunting, athletes are asked to lift and toss each other through the air while demonstrating focus, coordination, synchronization, and flexibility at all levels. It also requires a high understanding and growing focus on tumbling by the team. This pushes athletes past the individual and into synchronization speed, technique, supporting each other and truly growing as a team! Athletes are also asked to jump high, demonstrate speed, strength, and flexibility while remaining synchronized to their group. The last major skill performed is the dance. Unlike any other dance; all star dance sections are fast paced, variable throughout the team, and include intricate formation changes, level changes, floor work, footwork, synchronization and more. So here’s a run down of our current cheer offerings at Ideal for athletes at all levels!

All Star Elite Teams

These athletes are our full season (10-11 month) competitive teams. They are our highest level of commitment, both in time and finances. They utilize the summer for skill building, August/September for choreography and start competing in October! Teams are made based primarily on age, followed by skill level. The youngest team is Tiny Novice, and for athletes 3-6. There is also a Tiny division for those 5-6 looking for a little more skill then their counter-parts. Mini division is for athletes 8 and under, Youth is for those 11 and under, Juniors are 14 and under while Seniors are between 11-18. All Star Elite teams will compete in Minneapolis 3-5 times throughout the season as well as a local showcase in March. Depending on their age, some may even travel in the spring. For season six (2018/2019); Youth, Junior and Senior team athletes will have the opportunity to travel to southern California in March or April.

Prep Team

This year we will be offering a half season, prep team. Our goal is to offer two options, an elementary school team and a middle school team. Teams are dependent on enrollment. These groups will start in October, participate in one Minneapolis competition in February, and perform at our showcase in March. They will have a lower financial commitment than our full all star elite athletes, but will still participate in the overall “all star” experience. They will participate at one of our favorite events, WOW Factor Sports. Be sure to follow us on Facebook (choose to “see first” so you never miss a post), and join our mailing list to get the latest updates and news when we start promoting athletes for prep!

Performance Team

Our lowest time/financial commitment is our Winter Performance Team! This will be our second annual performance team, starting in January and performing only at our showcase in March. The total cost for performance team is $200, and includes all choreography, lessons, performance and a t-shirt. This team only practices once a week, and has varied in ages from 6-14. It is our goal to offer two different aged teams this season, a 6-9 and a 10+.

Recreational Classes

The best way to get involved in cheer, without long term commitment is through our monthly recreational classes.  From individual skill classes (tumbling, stunting, strength, flexibility, etc) to our cheer 101 there is something for everyone in classes. Cheer 101 is our recreational option that offers athletes a glimpse into the world of all star. Each week focuses on another skill set, and athletes learn a mini-routine to show off to their parents at the end of each month. The class is structured in a way that your athlete can take it as often as they would like, and still continue to learn and fine tune their skills! Plus, coming this fall FUNdamanetals will be a structured rec class that will replace our cheer 101 and offer a focus on the entry skills of all star, in a fun new way!

Private Lessons

The most convenient option for individual growth is through private lessons. Athletes will work directly with a coach towards specific goals. They will develop a plan and execute it in 3+ lessons spread out no more than bi-weekly. Private lessons can be done for any skill or goal, and may be done semi-private (shared with a friend at a similar level). We also offer stunt privates with coaches to assist flyers in their skills.

Open Gyms

Open gyms are our most flexible, low cost option for improvement within the program. They are a non-structured, two hour free time held most Friday nights in the gym! Please keep in mind that open gym is not a time to get individualized help, spots on skills, or specific feedback from coaches. It is meant to be an on-your-own opportunity to advance current skills or try new things with friends. While coaches are present, they are there to protect the safety of all athletes, and should not be individually instructing athletes. If you’re looking for something catered to your abilities and growth, we recommend a private lesson!

If you’re ready to register for our current classes, or take the leap into All Star Elite, you can register now here!

But no matter where you’re at now, be sure to follow us on Facebook (choose to “see first” so you never miss a post), and join our mailing list to get the latest updates and news when we start promoting athletes for prep!

Since joining Ideal she has mastered her forward roll and cartwheel, as well as working towards a perfect round off and bridges. Emma loves cheer and aspires to grow throughout her career to older and higher level skills. She has a great attitude and works hard to truly master her current skills before pushing for something new. Because of this attitude we’ve seen Emma progress quicker than the average athlete. Being on the team has been instrumental for Emma’s social skills and learning to work for the good of the team. Like a true girly girl, she loves all of the sparkle and bling associated with our sport.

As a parent, Emma’s mom Stephany loves the physical activity, social interactions and development opportunities cheer provides her daughter. Her best advice to new parents is to understand the commitment is just as great for parents as athletes, but seeing the joy, love and excitement Emma has for the sport when she hits the mat at competition makes it all worth it! Unfortunately there are no comparable offerings near their home, so Stephany makes the drive (just over an hour one way) once a week to provide this opportunity for Emma. They try to take advantage of tumbling classes and private lessons as well before or after practice. Stephany wasn’t sure this would be a lifelong sport, but it has become apparent over the past 3 years that this is more than just an activity for Emma – and they plan on being involved in Ideal for the foreseeable future!

Maggie has mastered her forward roll, cartwheel, round off, back walkover and front walkover. She is starting her third year on an all-star team and is taking private lessons to work towards her airborne and handspring skills. When asked what she loved about the sport, Maggie said “Stunting, tumbling, dancing, and friends!” And she is a great teammate! She understands that others depend on her and she strives to do her best at all times when it comes to cheer. This past year, her teammates lovingly nicknamed her; “The Beast.” Due to her increased strength compared to her peers and her ability to give her all with minimal complaining or wavering in skills. Maggie is always willing to take the hard road, knowing it will ultimately be the best place for her. She has sacrificed her for teams and gained immeasurable confidence. Prior to joining the team, she had minimal confidence in herself and her abilities, but that has done a 180; she’s basically fearless and willing to give her all whenever she’s asked.

As a parent, her mom Kerri boasts about meeting some wonderful people through the team. She can’t say enough about what it has done for Maggie overall. The BEST thing they have ever done for her, was to get her involved in cheer. She would advise new parents to budget and save money. The actual competitions can get spendy with hotel stays and all the souvenir style things being sold (such as bows, tshirts, and photos).

Maggie is excited to continue gaining both individual and team skills. She wasn’t able to take the summer tumbling class for her progression due to a team conflict. So instead of waiting idle for the next session, Kerri enrolled Maggie in private lessons with Coach Chelsie. She is working towards perfecting her current skill set and adding in handsprings and dive rolls. Chelsie noted that Maggie is highly capable of analyzing the situation and visualizing each step asked of her.

It is important to remember that we value proper progressions and body-before-skill at Ideal. With that being said, if your athlete hasn’t mastered a round off; they probably won’t achieve a back handspring after a private or two. We will still work the beginner skills, perfect the basics and build the circuits needed for the desired skill. Here are the best practices you should put in place to assure getting the most for your money with private lessons:

Best Practice #1: The rule of three

Private lessons are not unicorns. One lesson for a skill isn’t going to magically make it appear. Athletes will still be expected and held to a high standard of excellence with all progression skills in addition to having a solid understanding of the necessary drills. We want to assure athlete confidence, and not build them to rely on coaches’ spots, so you will see less spotting of the actual skill – and more building of the pieces necessary for success. The more often you are able to get into private lessons (or any consistent proper repetition) the faster you should see progress. That’s why we recommend the rule of three! A minimum of three privates for new skills or perfecting skills, at least every other week (in addition to team/classes). If you’re not able to do that, privates may not be the best place to invest your time/money. With the exception of athletes coming in for a tune up of skills under a coach they’re familiar with! When kids come back to the gym after a break or vacation it can be beneficial to have the dedicated one-on-one time with their coach.

Best Practice #2: Arrive Early

Warm ups are vital. Its a safety piece that we do not allow athletes to skip. Cardio, Plyometrics, and basic bodyweight movements get the blood flowing in a way that allows an athlete to handle more intense skills. Athletes should arrive 15 minutes prior to their private time, and warm up as instructed. Most coaches will ask for some cardio, strength raining, and technical warm up skills. We have a warm up poster in the gym that should give athletes a good handle on warming themselves up. Otherwise, ask your coach for 4-5 things you can do before starting the private. Now, do not confuse drills, conditioning or other activities within the private with the warm up.

Keep in mind that it is primarily up to the parent to get the athlete to their private on time. If you are late, we will not add additional time to make up for your tardiness.

Best Practice #3: If you want it, you have to work for it.

In a private you can get significantly more reps then with a class/team practice. We preach that reps and drills, muscle memory and strength/flexibility are the key ingredients to creating athletes capable of mastering skills. The one-on-one attention in a private lesson also allows for more quality practice, as the coach is focused on one athlete and their technique throughout the entire skill/drill. But our best athletes don’t just work hard in the gym. They’re conditioning, working body shapes, performing some drills and journaling about their abilities from home. It’s important that we’re building muscle, muscle memory, perfection and a strong mental attitude throughout all stages of training. Your coach should work with your athlete on a minimum of 4 things they can be doing at home to succeed. If the athlete cannot properly communicate this to the parent at the end of the private lesson, ask the coach if they can go over the skills with both parent and athlete. When I do privates I like to bring the parent in for the last few minutes to have the athlete demo the homework I’ve given them. It allows me to show basic corrections to parents while giving you an option to ask questions or take videos/photos. We love to see our athlete progress, and our professional experience has shown that athletes who put in homework and work to master their assigned drills tend to obtain solid skills at an accelerated pace.

Best Practice #4: Expect progress and competence

Contrary to popular belief, privates are not an opportunity to purchase the next skill your child wants (or the next skill you want for them). What really happens in a private is unpredictable. Every athlete learns differently, has different body structure, and different habits; all of which has an effect on the skills they master. We cannot guarantee that “x” amount of privates will produce “y” skill; we can confidently say that consistent privates will increase competence and progress. The more you are able to focus on the skills learned in your lessons and build good habits in and out of the gym, the stronger athlete you will be.

Best Practice #5: Understand your role

After a private ends, your role is more vital than mine. You get to be your child’s biggest cheerleader. Instead of asking skill based questions, ask emotional based questions. Avoid “Did you get your back handspring?”  or “How close until you can throw your back tuck?” Focus more on “Did you try your best?” or “Was it fun working with coach Chelsie?”

While I’m not attempting to give parenting advice, I am offering skill development advice from my professional opinion. This will produce the right mindset for growth and create a positive atmosphere. (If you havn’t heard of mindsets, there is an amazing book by Carol Dweck I’d highly recommend). Athletes with a fixed mindset are more likely to attribute slow progress to failure, and therefore internalize it to their identity. Athletes with growth mindsets are much more likely to take correction and literally grow in their skill sets.

If you follow these best practices, you should see results! If it’s not the results you were hoping for; talk to your coach about it! It’s always important to manage expectations from the beginning, but sometimes clarification is needed. As coaches we want to see success with all of our athletes, and for many privates can provide that added progress.

Email us at IdealCheerElite@gmail.com to schedule your private lessons for this summer!

That spring, they heard about Ideal. Their mother, Nicole, remembers thinking it was a great opportunity to continue their cheer training and grow to be competitive on a team. They tried out with an understanding of jumps and basic tumbling.

Since joining, both girls have mastered rolls, hand stands, cartwheels, round-offs and back walkovers. Kendra is working on strength training, core development and mastering her front walkover and blocking skills. Haley is working on developing increased confidence, strength and her handsprings, but has recently started to work her aerial.

Both girls maintain positive attitudes, are leaders on their teams and have the dedication needed in and out of the gym to continue to progress in this sport. We love their story, and knowing that we are apart of their journey. They continue to build muscle, flexibility, coordination and skills that allow them to succeed in our sport.

While boys on cheer teams is somewhat rare, especially in the Northland, that didn’t stop Dylan! Throughout the nation our sport is seeing a large increase in male participants. And the great thing about boys in cheer, is they are naturally built to advance and excel in this sport. Dylan is a great example of each of this. Within his first season, he started to build muscle, understand weight transfer, and maintain key body positions throughout multiple skills. In his next season, he mastered his handsprings, basic airborne skills and started working on his tucks. At the end of this season, Dylan’s third year in cheer, he was working on layouts and various twisting skills. We’ve seen his strength and flexibility develop extensively beyond what he had prior to the program, and his leadership and team building abilities increase equally. Dylan works with our younger teams through camps and clinics, and has hopes to be a junior coach in our program this season. This is even more impressive when you realize that upon walking in our doors, he didn’t even have a cartwheel.

When we asked Dylan what he loves about cheer he said:

“I love the fact that it’s a team sport and you’re all there for each other.”

“I have confidence not only in me but in my team.”

Dylan’s family is very involved in the program. His dad took the role as “team parent” last season. Which meant he helped organize bonding events, maintained attendance details, and served as a primary contact for the other parents.

His sister took a year off from the program, but is excited to be joining us again for season five!

When we asked his mom how they see cheer, and if she had any advice, here is what she said:

Cheer has become part of our family. Our traveling weekends and vacations are almost all cheer based. Cheer has given our family the opportunity to travel to places we have never been. It has given both of our kids (our daughter was also on the team for three years) confidence, genuine friendships, the ability to work as a team, and accept corrective criticism. Cheer has also helped Dylan to become very healthy and strong. All this would not be possible with the incredible, talented, committed team of coaches! As far as advice for new families, be ready for the ride. It’s not a hobby. You child will love it, and it will change their life and yours!

We also asked how cheer was different than other sports or activities her kids had been involved in

Before cheer, both of my kids had done dance and a little tumbling. They liked both but didn’t love or have the compassion needed for either. This type of cheer combines what they did love about dance and tumbling and then adds so much more!

Dylan Performing in his Third Season

Dylan with a team trophy in his Second Season

Dylan and his sister Jaylen, with their Champion Sportsmanship award, in his second season

Dylan and his sister Jaylen, getting ready to compete in Iowa; in his first season!

This sport has given Rylee strength beyond what she could have anticipated without cheer. She works hard to single-base girls, by lifting them to her belly button on her own. Rylee has learned to work in a group and lift another team mate in tandem to shoulder level. Not only that but her mother has seen a difference as well. “She is more confident, she has learned how to work with a team. Cheer has given her something to work for, she can now set and measure goals, and has made really great friendships we hope will last a lifetime.”

Rylee will be starting her third season with us in June! She’s excited to see her team grow. Her mom wanted to add that “When we first started I wasn’t sure what to expect but from the first practice and competition Rylee has shown so much personal growth. Every penny and all the time spent at the gym is worth it.”

My daughter Ashley was a new member of Ideal Cheer Elite. (Last summer) Ashley decided she would like to try a sport other than gymnastics. Although she was good at gymnastics and really enjoyed some aspects of the sport, there were some things that she just didn’t enjoy. She was eager to try something new.
When I mentioned to my family and friends that Ashley is now in competitive cheer, most picture pom-poms and skirts. Much to their surprise there is so much more to cheer than that. First, Ashley’s team doesn’t use pom-poms. Second, the tumbling and stunting that they do just just crazy good. Third, being part of a team and having the support of your team members is so great for the kids.

Ashley is a bit shy so coming into a new environment with a whole new group of kids was so overwhelming for her. Fortunately for Ashley all of the kids who attended cheer are very welcoming and friendly. Gymnastics is an individual sport whereas cheer is a group sport. Watching Ashley become part of a group so talented has been priceless. Ashley has grown so much during the first season at Ideal Cheer Elite. The sport is fast paced, upbeat and a bit overwhelming at first; but once Ashley attended her first competition, that was it; she was hooked! The fast pace, energetic atmosphere of competitive cheer is what Ashley loves most.

Family who has come to watch Ashley perform are in-awe when they see the talented group she is a part of. Watching competitive cheer is very entertaining for everyone and surprising for those who don’t realize how much goes into a routine.

Cheer incorporates all of the best moves from dance, gymnastics and traditional cheer; which is why Ashley will be back again for season four!

Image taken by Krista Pascoe Photography.

Her coach said that Regan is an athlete who strives to do her best. When she puts her mind to something, she will work hard until that skill is achieved. She is always willing to try new positions and try whatever her coaches tell her to do. Her team work and great attitude make her a joy to coach.

See what her mom thinks below:

 

I swear this child was born in motion and has never stopped. When she was younger we enrolled her in swimming and gymnastics. She did well, as she is naturally athletic, but we kept getting the same feedback: “Regan would progress much faster if she could hold still, listen, pay attention, stay in line.” Those words captured every part of who she was NOT by nature! This is a child meant to run, move, spin and flip! We knew she needed a sport that would celebrate that part of her, rather than work against it, and that’s when we found Ideal Cheer Elite.

Regan has now completed three seasons with the program, and is excited to start Season 4 on the Junior Level 2 team, Black Ice. When she began, she knew the technique for a cartwheel, but that was about it. Now it seems like every time we turn around she is accomplishing a new skill – some of which make me want to close my eyes as a mom! Best of all, she learned these skills without a minute of time standing quietly in a line. She has found a sport that truly celebrates her strengths, while at the same time teaching her patience, persistence and teamwork.

Some of the things we have appreciated most about Ideal Cheer Elite include their commitment to teaching proper progression in a safe environment, and staff setting realistic goals with athletes. When you have a child who thrives on adrenaline, it is important to work with coaches that help them stay safe while achieving their potential.

We are so happy Regan has found her place with Ideal Cheer Elite, and we look forward to many more seasons to come!