All-Star Deciding Where To Go.

[FierceIsTheName]

I know (for most gyms) the 2014-2015 tryout process has already begun. But i have yet to decide what to do. This past season I cheered at my dream gym. We had an amazing season and even went to the Summit. But this gym is too expensive and too far away for my family to handle, plus with my older sister going off to college next year, it will definitely be out of budget. Now I know what you're thinking: Just fundraise! But only if it were that easy. We've never had good experiences with fundraising, no matter how much we try. Plus, its just too far. As much as I want to hope that things will work out that I can cheer there again, I highly doubt it. My local friends have all flocked to a new gym that opened up this year, but I just can't imagine leaving this gym and not being with them. I have considered just taking the year off and getting my tumbling up (can stunt level 5, can't tumble level 3...). But I honestly don't know what to do. I would do anything to cheer at my dream gym again, but I can't think of any possible way to convince my parents (who are literally refusing to talk with me about it...). Any ideas of what I should do? I can't imagine not competing, but at the same time I don't want to do it unless its with my teammates... they're family....

 

[cheermomto2]

I know (for most gyms) the 2014-2015 tryout process has already begun. But i have yet to decide what to do. This past season I cheered at my dream gym. We had an amazing season and even went to the Summit. But this gym is too expensive and too far away for my family to handle, plus with my older sister going off to college next year, it will definitely be out of budget. Now I know what you're thinking: Just fundraise! But only if it were that easy. We've never had good experiences with fundraising, no matter how much we try. Plus, its just too far. As much as I want to hope that things will work out that I can cheer there again, I highly doubt it. My local friends have all flocked to a new gym that opened up this year, but I just can't imagine leaving this gym and not being with them. I have considered just taking the year off and getting my tumbling up (can stunt level 5, can't tumble level 3...). But I honestly don't know what to do. I would do anything to cheer at my dream gym again, but I can't think of any possible way to convince my parents (who are literally refusing to talk with me about it...). Any ideas of what I should do? I can't imagine not competing, but at the same time I don't want to do it unless its with my teammates... they're family....

How old are you? If you are 14+ you can offer to find a job and help your parents pay the costs or even if you are 11-13 you can maybe babysit/petsit and raise some funds that way. If those ideas won't work and you really just want to cheer, I would say try this new gym out with your friends. Good luck!

 

[amy1k]

I'll share my thoughts, since I know pretty much exactly what you are talking about. If you want to do cheer, there are not going to be massive differences in the programs you're looking at. Sure, one is bigger and has been around longer, but you can make friends and have an amazing experience at a smaller place. I moved my daughter because of my unwillingness to make a too-large-for-my-family financial commitment and have never regretted it. Believe me, we were nervous about it. I know that many people make long drives for cheer, but I just can't see driving your commute on a regular basis (I'm not a stalker lol, but I have an idea of where you're talking about...and I'd not be willing to drive through Seattle several times a week). You might find that, with your extra time, you're better able to enjoy your high school (?) experience along with your cheer experience. Maybe visit the new gym a few times. It is possible that you'll find that it's a good fit for you. Besides, it's GOOD for cheer in our area to have gym growth and it might be a good experience to be part of that growth (it has for us).




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[uhhlyssa01]

Whatever you do, DON'T take the year off just to focus on tumbling. I've never seen it work in anyone's favor...

 

[cheerKT]

Whatever you do, DON'T take the year off just to focus on tumbling. I've never seen it work in anyone's favor...

Randy Dickey had a good point on this topic the other day. He was talking to a solid level 4 athlete who was working level 5 before an injury sidetracked them a little. They wanted to take this year off and just tumble and then come back the next year as a level 5. He basically told her you never see a college football player take a season off to focus on JUST drills for the NFL combine. Cheer is more than just tumbling and it's better to stay in shape with all facets of competition, not just tumbling.

 

[DaniV]

This is coming from a coach's perspective (not necessarily a parent perspective) but I agree with what @amy1k said. It'll hurt at first (just like if you moved and changed high schools) leaving your friends and gym-family behind but there will be new friends, new gym-family, and at competitions you'll have another program to cheer on and say hi to old friends. The cheer-world is close and just because you had to switch gyms because of where you live doesn't make you a traitor or a bad-guy... you're family had to do what was best for them.

When I stopped coaching to finish school, I said I'd never go back to anywhere but my old gym but due to distance, I ended up coaching somewhere else. It was hard at first and I struggled with the decision of never coaching again or to continue on with my passion but just in a different path than I initially had planned. Is it the same? No, but it is different in a whole other set of ways and I can't imagine not having cheer in my life.

Hey, and once you get your license and are old enough to get a job, if you wanted to, you could find a way to make it work for you to go back to your old gym if that was still something you wanted to do. I personally wouldn't take time off and risk losing skills, especially if level 4 or 5 is your long-term goal.

 

[gymcatmomx2]

Whatever you do, DON'T take the year off just to focus on tumbling. I've never seen it work in anyone's favor...

I am by know means encouraging you to take a year off to focus on tumbling but I want to give you a different perspective. My oldest CP took a year off from all-star cheer but still cheered on her school's Varsity squad her junior year. She knew that it was going to be a tough year academically with taking all AP courses. She chose to take tumbling classes to focus solely on level 5 skills (she was a solid level 4 tumbler); in addition to tumbling she went to several college clinics and took privates to learn partner stunting. For her, it paid off. She will end this school year with a 4.8 out of a 5.0 GPA and now has her full and has learned several partner stunting skills including rewinds and back tuck baskets. While I understand that it may not work out for everyone and you have to be motivated and dedicated, (trust me I was very nervous with the decision) but it worked great for her. She made captain of her Varsity squad and made the level 5 team at her gym. I will say that she missed it terribly but was fortunate enough to fill in for 2 competitions for someone who was out due to an illness. Just thought I would provide a different "real-life" perspective.

 

[njallday]

as shown in this thread taking the year off and only tumbling works for some and fails for others. when you say take the year off to tumble, what do you mean? 5 times a week? once a week? sporadically throughout the month? that will make a difference. will you be at open gyms throwing stunts here and there at the very least? will you be jumping regularly? those other skills are just as important as tumbling.

personally, what i find to be most athletes' biggest issue after taking a season off is endurance levels. without the full outs and constant conditioning your endurance will go down hill, and fast. get your butt to a real gym and do a whole lot of HIIT and running. because when next year's tryouts roll around, that is where your competition is going to beat you and get placed on the team that you want.