All-Star Always Having To Travel

[level5diva]

There were plenty of local and 1-2 hours competitions in my area, but I was on 1 of 2 Medium Coed teams in our state, so in order to have some competition, all most all our events were out of state. I feel like this is the case with most level 5 teams

 

[Daniellerae]

Distance would be the biggest issue with me opening a gym in the UP... I'd love to do it because it'd be the first there but the closest comps in Michigan would probably be a full day of travel. And those are only small ones.


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[cheer25mom]

6 comps this year, 7 if we get a bid to finals. 2 in town, 2 about an hour away, 1 about 3 hours(hotel stay), and one 8-10 hours depending in traffic(hotel stay). If we bid into us finals it will be about an hour drive.


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[EnglishRose]

I'm in the UK - the nearest competition is probably 2 hours away, the furthest UK based one is 6-7 hours. But I know scores of people who can't afford the £1000 plus travel costs to Worlds, regardless of how talented they are. I wish there was more subsidy for travel from international countries for Worlds.




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[Nikaa]

We usually go to arounf 5 competitions. The nearest is 1 hour away, last season we went to Paris to a competition which is 24 hours away. We always travel togehter with a bus so 24 hours with bus would be the furthest.

 

[stuntjumptumble]

10 competitions, 2 within driving distance that require a hotel and 3 flights (including the summit if we get the bid). The other 5 are local


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[BabycatchingCheerMom]

My least favorite part of cheerleading for sure!! Having to travel is a pain, but keep in mind that if you're able to finance the trips, you are better off than most people. It's a financial burden and takes time out of your schedule to travel, but some cheerleaders would do anything for the opportunity to go to big national events.

If you're in an area saturated with competitions, count your blessings! I went to college to be in a more "cheer-friendly" town. Some people commute hours to the gym, to compete on the same team as you. Most of us are in the USA. Go through the international boards & see what those athletes don't have that we take for granted.

Also--- parents, I know most of you are working overtime/two jobs/stressing out to book hotel rooms and spending your free time driving your kid to and from the gym and competitions. Chances are you haven't been thanked and your dedication to your athlete goes unappreciated by them. TRUST ME, the second your kid goes off to college and realizes all you did for them to keep them in a safe, healthy environment during their high school years they will be thankful beyond measure. It's hard work spending all of this time in a sport that doesn't have competitions on every corner of the map. Thank you guys for all that you do for your kids and this sport!!

I certainly hope she appreciates it all....


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[cheerKT]

I truly think SC is one of the best locations competition wise. There aren't many big ones actually in SC, but the proximity to anywhere in the southeast is pretty good. Where I am is only 1.5 hours from Charlotte, 2.5 from Atlanta, 2.5 to Myrtle Beach, 5 to Jacksonville, 8 to Orlando, 5 to Nashville. Most everything you could want to go to is driving distance. More than enough to fill a competition schedule. We have decent sized locals as well. The only time you really have to fly is Dallas, which SC teams are just now starting to attend. I made it an entire cheer career without having to board a plane for a competition, which I am thankful for.

 

[ninaxo]

In Pennsylvania, specifically Pittsburgh we always have a lot going on. Competitions are usually downtown and thats no more than 45 minutes away for most people. I would say younger/lower level teams have the most competition. That being said, we do have at least six level 5 teams in the area!

 

[UltimateAlexis]

Same here. The closest comp is 2 hours away. Chicago comps are 3+.


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Green Bay Elite travels a lot! I always see you guys at Chicago comps! I couldn't imagine traveling that much that often!

 

[B*sBeLifting]

For smaller UK teams, we tend to compete just a few times a year. It seems like most university teams can only go about 3 times a year really, so we really have to pick which comps are going to be best in terms of distance and point throughout the year. Plus making sure that we know what different event organisers like to see in a routine if we end up going to CheerSport, ICC and BCA, for example.

I guess it's difficult to compare with you guys in the US who have such a huge country to travel around! We should really count ourselves lucky! But I think there's a little bit less money in the UK, plus it's still not taken as seriously by the country as a whole so people often don't understand the huge dedication we have.

It would be amazing to be able to go to more comps, though. In an all-star team post-uni, a lot of people are busy with their own lives and socials are more rare. Comps are such an amazing way to develop a close bond with your team as well as obviously getting on-mat experience for the newbies.

I feel like practice is where champions are made, award ceremonies are where you pick up trophies, and comp weekends are where friends bond for life.

 

[Bombmom]

My least favorite part of cheerleading for sure!! Having to travel is a pain, but keep in mind that if you're able to finance the trips, you are better off than most people. It's a financial burden and takes time out of your schedule to travel, but some cheerleaders would do anything for the opportunity to go to big national events.

If you're in an area saturated with competitions, count your blessings! I went to college to be in a more "cheer-friendly" town. Some people commute hours to the gym, to compete on the same team as you. Most of us are in the USA. Go through the international boards & see what those athletes don't have that we take for granted.

Also--- parents, I know most of you are working overtime/two jobs/stressing out to book hotel rooms and spending your free time driving your kid to and from the gym and competitions. Chances are you haven't been thanked and your dedication to your athlete goes unappreciated by them. TRUST ME, the second your kid goes off to college and realizes all you did for them to keep them in a safe, healthy environment during their high school years they will be thankful beyond measure. It's hard work spending all of this time in a sport that doesn't have competitions on every corner of the map. Thank you guys for all that you do for your kids and this sport!!

I love this - you're parents must be very proud


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[kewpiekid]

I know this is a really old thread, but since this is my fist year with a CP on Full year team, I have been acclimating to all the travel. We are in MA and luckily our furthest comp was in Hartford, CT which was a 2 hour drive. We still had several hotel stays because we had really early performance times at a few and it was easier to wake up already at the venue. We have D2 Summit in Orlando next week (eek- so excited) and this is the first time our team is travelling by air. Coaches want to add in Dallas and Nashville possibly next year. I am totally up for it. CP is 11 and is still a lot of fun to be around. I love our car rides to comps, our chats, etc. We get a lot of 1:1 time and I know these years will fly by. My son is 13 and does sports as well so DH takes him to all his games when they overlap with cheer. It is a lot both financially and just in general since I am a homebody by nature, but honestly, I would not trade this for anything. There is nothing better than watching your kid excel at something they LOVE!

 

[DonnaM]

We did 6 comps this year, plus Summit. One was local, about a 45 minute drive. One was 3 1/2 hours. Three were 6-8 hours driving time, and one was 12+-most people flew for that one. All but one were 2 day comps.

 

[kewpiekid]

We did 6 comps this year, plus Summit. One was local, about a 45 minute drive. One was 3 1/2 hours. Three were 6-8 hours driving time, and one was 12+-most people flew for that one. All but one were 2 day comps.

Are you at Summit now? If so, good luck!!