Ask the Judges Week #2
Coaches, parents and athletes email us ( mchicsisters@aol.com ) questions you have always wanted to ask the judges. Each week we will send out a question to our M-CHIC Judges Advisory Panel and we will post their responses. To see a list of the members of our Judges Advisory Panel, click here.
This week's question:
How can a team improve their round 1 score overall? My team does well in rounds 2 and 3, yet our round 1 score is nearly 20 points less than all other teams. Is there anything else to watch for besides the obvious tighter motions? Thanks for your input!
Answers from the Judges:
Judge #1:
ROUND ONE:
Your Round One cheer is your opportunity to make a great first impression with the judges: You get a clean slate with every competition. Make it count with the very first vocal, clap, motion, floor mobility, and facial expression!
Floor Mobility
Required number of moves, Accuracy, Centered on the mat, Steps taken with sense of purpose, “Hit” in unison or in choreographed “ripple’; If the formation is meant to be hit “rippled”, is it obvious to judges? Enhance and “add to” the cheer, Well placed and spaced throughout the cheer, Creativity, Difficulty, Appropriate “travel distance” for each team member - No team member should have to run to hit their spot. The cheer should flow smoothly for each person from one formation to the next.
Vocals
Volume appropriate for number of team members, If you choose to lower the volume of team members’ voices for some parts of the cheer, is it done effectively? Articulation clear, natural, and easy to understand, Well paced—not too fast or too slow, Intonation, inflection, Confident and enthusiastic words, Strong
Jumps
Timing in unison--prep, hit (snap up and down), landing, Height, Power & ease, Form: head, legs, knees, toes, arms, hands, Do jumps hit the picture in the book? Do jumps look the same for each team member? Are the first two jumps performed your best ones?
Team Coordination
Strong and accurate—head, body, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, legs, knees, feet. All team members hit not only final part of motion together, but each part of it along the way. Does the team look like one person cheer in front of a three-way mirror? Tight, full amplitude, Interesting visuals, Pace--not too rushed or too slow., Well-conditioned athletes, strong to the end of cheer, Difficulty
General Impression
Please keep in mind that to “impress” me, your cheer does not need to be packed with difficulty. I’ve seen some really cool visual elements in a cheer that made it unique; they were not necessarily the most difficult things the team did. Those elements helped the cheer stand out from the rest. Also, are all your team members strong and confident, and are they all selling every part of the cheer? Before giving a team a score in this category, I ask myself, “Generally, how impressed was I?” I look for a team that has considered every category when composing their material and worked to make it the best it could be. Teams frequently use the phrase, “Who wants it more?” It is my duty as a judge to make that determination--to the best of my ability--and then to score teams accordingly.
Judge #2:
A teams composure or confidence is very important in this round. From one week to another this might change and possibly effect the overall impression that week. Also, is the routine boring? Motions are tight but it lacks that WOW factor necessary to achieve a higher score in overall impression. Your vocals are judged in this round...is there inflection or does everything sound the same. Floor mobility is also judged in this round and are you always on center or is spacing off...are your patterns visual...are girls running to every spot...all of these things you might want to take a second look at when reviewing your scores! Good Luck!
Judge #3:
As a safety official I see the cheer from an entirely different angle. Formation changes and accuracy is one way your team will lose a significant number of points. Make sure you make smooth and clean transitions. Do not have a cheerleader moving all over the mat to make the change. Watch the cheer from all angles at practice you will see many problems that are not visible from the front.
Judge #4:
As a safety judge when I am standing on the sides and back of the rounds I notice things that might not be caught when watching from the front of a routine on a regular basis. My advice would be to watch each round from all sides. By doing this you will catch any precision an execution errors of wrists, arms, legs ect that are not where they should be, any timing issues with jumps, peel offs, levels ect, and for the floor mobility section you will be able to see where any of the formations are not spaced correctly or team members are not getting to their positions making the formation not line up. Also, from the sides and back of the routine you will be able to tell which team members are losing voice infection and facials.
Judge #5:
I look for the following: Floor mobility with very visual changes. Moving the girls around the mat. Visual level changes with arm motions.
Judge #6:
How can a team improve their Round 1 score overall?
Look at your floor mobility score. Can you increase your score in this category
Voice score
Make sure you are doing your 2 best jumps for the first two jumps scored. I have seen several teams where the 3rd jump is better than the 1st or 2nd jump.
Team Coordination make sure all your motions are precise and executed well
Make sure you are getting a 10 in Difficulty and Variety
General Impression-WOW the judges this is the overall impression of the routine. Make sure your team is confident during the entire performance.
