I'm going to be brutally honest as a parent here and am sorry for hurting any feelings. I would never allow my daughter to do all star cheer today in any form if we were brand new to it. I'm pretty sure that the majority of parents who look into it and walk away from it agree with me. Here are my reasons I would never allow my daughter to do this now:
1. The cost. I'm not going to go into massive amounts of debt for a hobby. $4,000 - $10,000+ a year is not logical for a family. That's more than most car payments and even some rents or mortgages.
2. The uniforms are trashy. I'm sorry, but there are a lot of parents who are conservative and feel uncomfortable with these uniforms. The trend is towards skimpier and trashier uniforms for younger and younger girls who are doing some rather athletic things on stage. I wouldn't pay to allow my daughter to do that in uniforms that are on with a wing and a prayer.
3. Too much missed school time because of travel and competitions. Too much time is required required for privates and practices. Not having enough time for family vacations, studying, church attendance, and spending time with family. Sorry, but the work and time aren't worth it. Also, the policies of many gyms that practice is attended even when sick.
4. The stress on the athletes both physically, emotionally and mentally.
5. The toxic expectation by many gyms and coaches that paying parents are to shut up, pay tuition, and be compliant no matter what or risk being labeled a sm and their child be subjected to passive aggressive behavior from a coach or gym owner. And there's always a other parent who wants their kid on top who's willing to do whatever it takes no matter the cost so they can get their princess all the endorsements and deals and turn them into cheerlebrities.
6. Safety. All star cheer is a very dangerous sport. And when things go wrong, it can be disastrous.