Ask the Judges - Week Two
Here is question #2:
"It seems like in round three there are two basic styles: coaches who have a lot of risk and more excitement, but their teams fall more; and coaches who do more simple rounds with less risk, but not as much fun to watch. Which do judges prefer? And, related, what do you think is the most important thing for teams to do in round three?"
Answers from the MCHIC Judges Advisory Panel:
Judge #1:
I prefer to see clean cheers. Of course we all want to see the excitement too. but unless your team can do it clean I would prefer you not do it!
Judge #2:
I think there are judges who may personally prefer one style over another but that should not influence the scoring; we are repeatedly told not to favor any style, but judge the style being demonstrated. That said, I think it's fair that overall impression may be higher if a team is exciting and innovative, and floor mobility scores might be higher if the movements are difficult/creative/original. Similarly, a 2.0 fall results in a loss of 2.0 points, regardless of how creative the stunt was before it fell. Execution points come off for execution errors, and precision points come off for precision errors. The coach must ultimately strike the balance that is best for her team, but teams might want to consider pushing their own personal limits as they are able, but not at the cost of safety.
Judge #3:
I think this is a balancing act that coaches have to gauge with their team from year to year. We do want to see excitement and innovation, but falls, especially collapsed stunts/skills, negate any positive that would have come from the risky stunts/skills. Its OK to push your teams, but don't put them on the floor until they are doing that skill everytime in practice without falling. The most important thing I look for is clean cheers that are performed with excitement.
Judge #4:
Don't put it on the floor if it is not competition ready. I do not want to see girls embarassed or worse, in unsafe situations, because their coach allowed them on the floor with stunts that were too hard.
