This is your open Q&A thread for anything related to college cheer recruiting. No question is too basic. No question is too advanced. If you are thinking about it — ask it here. Coach Jay and Coach John respond regularly and the best questions get featured as their own post inside this category. To ask a question use this format: Name: Grad Year: Position: Question: This thread grows into one of the most valuable recruiting resources on the internet over time. Every question asked and answered here helps not just you but every athlete who finds this community after you. Ask everything. That is what this thread is for. — Coach Jay and Coach John

Not true. Coaches recruit consistency and coachability over raw difficulty almost every time. Having a full definitely mitigates the risk of you not making your dream team, but to be recruited overall and still get a good experience, this still holds true.

If you have been inside Base Camp for a little while and you are serious about getting to the college level — you have probably heard about Altitude University. Here is exactly what it is so you can decide if it is the right next step for you. Altitude University is a structured level based college cheer recruiting education platform built by Coach Jay Kendrick. It is not a course you watch and forget. It is a system you work through and earn. What is inside: → Four Summit Sessions covering the full collegiate landscape, what coaches evaluate, highlight reel engineering, and the complete outreach blueprint → A level based advancement system from Foundation Candidate through Pinnacle Status → Real workbook submissions reviewed personally by Coach Jay and Coach John → A points system that rewards consistency and accountability → Direct access to Coach Jay and Coach John inside an exclusive paid community → Two live Q&A sessions per month → Highlight reel reviews from a current University of Alabama athlete Who it is for: → College bound cheer athletes who are serious about recruiting with clarity and intention → Athletes who are done consuming free content and ready to execute a real system → Parents who want their athlete to have the most credible recruiting education available Who it is not for: → Athletes who are not ready to do the work → Anyone looking for a shortcut If you have questions about whether Altitude University is right for you — drop them in the comments below and Coach Jay will answer personally. If you are ready to join — the link is here: Altitude University The climb does not wait. Neither should you. — Coach Jay

This thread exists because the best recruiting education does not come from a textbook. It comes from people who have actually lived the process. Coach John shares his Alabama journey here. Real stories from real athletes who have been through exactly what you are preparing for. First story from Coach John: "When I was going through the recruiting process I honestly did not know what I did not know. I was focused on my skills, my highlight reel, and getting my name out there. What I was not focused on was the relationship side of recruiting — actually connecting with coaches as a person, not just as an athlete. The moment that changed everything for me was when I stopped sending generic emails and started having real conversations. Coaches recruit people, not skill sets. The sooner you understand that the better your recruiting process goes. If I could go back and tell myself one thing it would be this — be yourself earlier. Your personality is part of what gets you rostered. Do not hide it behind a polished email and a highlight reel. Let coaches see who you actually are." — Coach John Pirone University of Alabama | Team USA Coed Premier Drop your own recruiting story or question in the comments below. Every experience shared here helps someone else on the climb.

Most athletes chasing college cheer have no idea that there are two completely different worlds inside collegiate cheerleading. NCA and UCA are not the same. They do not feel the same. They do not evaluate you the same. And the school you are dreaming about right now might not actually be the right fit for who you are as an athlete — not because you are not good enough, but because the style and requirements do not match what you bring. Here is the short version: NCA: → More All-Star influenced — flashy, dance heavy, high visual impact → Requires elite level tumbling — difficulty matters significantly → Competes in April in Daytona Florida — outdoors → Athletes with strong All-Star backgrounds tend to thrive here UCA: → More traditional game-day style — motion intense, sideline energy, classic collegiate feel → Tumbling still matters but technique and execution carry more weight than difficulty alone → Competes in January in Orlando Florida — indoors → Athletes who love the game-day experience and have strong motions tend to thrive here The most important question you need to answer right now is not which school do I want to cheer for. It is which association actually fits who I am as an athlete. Drop a comment below — based on what you just read, do you think you are more of an NCA or UCA athlete and why? Coach Jay breaks this down in full detail inside Altitude University — including a complete framework for categorizing every school on your list and an honest self assessment to identify exactly where you fit. — Coach Jay