For all of us in All Star Cheer, May is Eval Season. I think for everyone going into evals, its important to have your goals set, and have an honest check in with yourself. I am aware of some people I know who got a new tumbling skill, and are thinking that means that they can level up. But unfortunately, it doesn’t mean that. 

The reality of evals is that each gym is looking to put a whole puzzle together, and that is a hard process. While I always have the tumbling level in my head, I start building by stunt group. For every stunt group, you need flyers who have a similar look in body positions, bases, and back spots. If you are from a smaller gym like mine, we only get so many kids, which adds to the challenge. The next thing I look at is the maturity level of the athlete. If you put them up, can they handle the pressure of being behind their other teammates? Finally, I try to think about chemistry. Some athletes and coaches aren’t always a great fit for each other. Some athletes do not mesh well with each other either. I like to have a strong team culture, and I try to get that done for day 1. We spend a lot of time together – I’d rather it not be drama-filled.

I am sure plenty of gyms do their evals differently, and one gym may call you a level 1 where the one down the street may say level 3. It’s not cut and dry, so advocate for yourself! Have conversations about what is important to you. Just make sure that you are being honest and self-reflective too. Never let anyone crush your dreams, but know that dreams take work, dedication, and time to come true sometimes. 

Until Next Time,
Coach Jill