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Let’s talk about all things All Star cheer. I’ve had several All Star cheer moms, new and seasoned veterans alike, ask several All Star cheer-related questions. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t have all the answers, but I went digging and found them, and even as an All Star cheer mom of ten years I learned some new things. You might learn something new from this episode, too!
This crash course in All Star Cheer is going to be a mix between a history lesson, a vocabulary lesson, and just background information. What can you expect from All Star Cheer? What’s the budget and the time commitment? What are the ages and divisions (hint: there are a LOT!) Let’s get into it!
What is All Star Cheer?
If you watch the first couple of episodes of Netflix cheer, you’re going to get a great lesson on what that is, but All Star cheer is really the “show” and athleticism. All Star cheer is where you’re going to get the big huge glittery bows and high production.
All Star cheer is where you see most “cheerlebrities” as well. People like Gabi Butler and Ryan Cummings have made a name for themselves as a result of being involved in All Star cheer.
The History of All Star Cheer
The very first All Star cheer team was coached by Hilda McDaniel, called the Q94 Rockers from Richmond, Virgina, back in 1982. All Star cheer as we know it today started with the first two All Star Cheer gyms in 1994: Cheer Athletics and Top Gun All Stars, which are both thriving with multiple locations today. Other notable All Star cheer programs are Stingray All Stars, California All Stars, and thousands of other gyms across the U.S. All Star cheer is making its way around the world, too, with budding programs in the UK, Australia, and even South Korea.
What are the divisions in All Star Cheer?
Divisions in All Star cheer look different now than they did in 1994 and they look different now than they did nine months ago. This sport is always changing!
There are basically four divisions in All Star cheer:
CheerAbilities
Novice
Prep
Elite
The CheerAbilities division will absolutely warm your heart, and they get a standing ovation every single time. CheerAbilities teams are ages six and up and perform at Levels 1 and 2. CheerAbilities teams are made up of athletes who are differently abled or who have challenges. It’s just the most fun to watch. It’s heartwarming to see some of those athletes get out on the floor and have their time to shine when the world tells them they’re different.
The Novice division has only been around the last few years. This is going to be your lowest commitment level in terms of finances and time. They usually only compete at 1 or 2 competitions per season.
The Prep division is a little bit more of a commitment. Prep cheer is a little bit more competitive, and athletes are competing more levels. Prep consists of the Tiny, Mini, Youth, Junior, and Senior age groups, at varying skill levels.
Boys and girls can both compete in the Novice and the Prep divisions, but they usually only compete a few times a year and they don’t compete in “post season” events.
The Elite division is going to be the main makeup of the cheer competitions that you see.
Cheerleading as a whole is trying to integrate and be more inclusive of cheer teams across the globe, so the International division has been introduced as a sub-division in Elite All Star Cheer. Listen to the episode to learn more about the International division!
As a whole, the Elite division is made up of Levels 1 through 7 and those are divided out into the following age groups: Tiny, Mini, Youth, Junior, and Senior.
What’s the difference between a D1 All Star cheer gym and a D2 All Star cheer gym?
The difference between a D1 All Star cheer gym and a D2 All Star cheer gym comes down to the number of athletes. You can classify yourself as a D1 or a D2 cheer gym if you have 125 athletes or less, but you cannot be a D2 All Star cheer gym if you have over 125 athletes. This helps break out divisions at larger competitions, and gives the smaller programs a chance to really compete.
What do the levels mean in All Star cheer?
The levels are somewhat simple, and are mostly defined by tumbling skill levels. The level will also play into what kind of stunting a team is allowed to do at a competition.
Here is a full list of levels and rules for All Star cheer, according to the USASF.
Listen to the full episode for my thoughts on age grid changes, and why I think they change the grid so much.
All Star cheer post season events
A “post season” All Star cheer event is one where you usually have to get invited by competing at one of the qualifying regular season events. The All Star cheer season is usually 11 months long, but “regular season” competitions are usually done by mid-April. After that, there are a few post season events:
The Summit
The D2 Summit
Regional Summits
All Star Worlds
The Cheerleading Worlds
The One
What’s the difference in all these cheer events?
Different cheer competitions across the country are owned by different companies. Varsity Spirit owns a large majority of competitions across the U.S. including The Summit events and The Cheerleading Worlds. Chances are that if you’re competing at at an event, it’s a Varsity-owned competition.
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