How Far Do You/would You Drive To Your Gym??

[CheerBank]

I understand and to you thats how it may seem but we all take cheer to different levels.

My cp is 7. She has cheered exactly 2 years and 1 month and she is starting her 3rd season.

I'm not rich by any means in fact I'm currently wondering how I'm going to pay 322$ for the first installment of comp fees that was due last week, while finding out on my way to work today I need a new battery for my car (no its not a lemon and yes it's a newer car), and then I got sent home early from work today because we ran out of "leads" (people to call).

But I wouldn't trade it for nothing. The first season she was 5 years old. I drove a few mins to her gym and paid all my fees and had a great time doing it while she was on tiny 1.

Then we moved 1.5 hours away. I did not want to pull my cp from her gym because that's all she known and she made 2 teams at the age of 6. She was placed youth 2 and mini 1. She practiced 4 days a week 1.5 hrs away on 2 teams. (Monday,Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) I could not work because her schedule was so insane. I picked her up at 2:30 from school went home got her changed left and made it to the other town, drove back and got home after 10pm every night. (because she was on 2 teams and had a few practices on the same day so the days were doubled) I took time off of work before I moved so my daughter could cheer and at that time I had that option.

I decided I want my daughter to compete at the bigger competitions with the best of the best. So this time last year as we were embarking on our second season. Since I was off of work I spent days and hours researching gyms. I wanted to move my daughter for cheer. I had family in San Antonio, Tx and family in Merritt Island, Fl (not to far from Orlando). I knew if I moved to Texas she would have the best opportunity to continue and move up if she so desires. So I decided once the season ended I was going to move to Texas to her new gym. So the end of March I wanted to be here right before tryouts so my cp could check out her new gym. We picked up and moved. I now live about 20 mins from the gym. However, the cost in Texas and for the better competitions has DOUBLED. I can't stay at home any longer and pay for cheer. So I started working again. Unfortunately my job barely covers my bills if that. Yes all my bills are paid by the grace of god and no cheer isn't more important then having a place to live. However, most people don't understand how I agree to pay all this money for something my daughter loves and is decent at. I don't care what I have to do, I will never take the opportunity away from my child. If I have to get a second job then that's fine! I'll make it work.

What I'm saying is people aren't always going to agree on how they spend their money. Most people look at me and say I'm crazy and stupid because I don't make that much and I moved here all for cheer. I don't own anything that's worth money and I still owe almost 14 grand on my car. The only thing I own worth money is my GPS (it's really nice and I couldn't even make it to work with out it) but besides that I probably don't have 2 dimes to rub together. However, I have less then 300 dollars in credit card debt and thats less than most people. Just because I can barely pay for cheer doesnt mean I have bad credit because I probably couldn't go finance another car.
I mean I probably can't go finance another car because I have a low income and really can't afford another car payment. So don't judge people for what they do with their money. I hate that more then anything!


At least I'm benefitting my kid with my money and not blowing it all on getting my hair and nails done. Yeah I would love that and I would do it to if I had money. But That's why I only worry about myself.

Couldn't have said it better. We all go into cheer knowing how expensive it is, and if we didn't realize, we find it out pretty quickly. I don't think anyone needs or has a right to be judgemental of choices and sacrifices people make in their lives so that their children can cheer or do any extra-curricular activity. More power to you!

 

[cheermominar]

Kris10boo - How did you have money for your daily life when you weren't working? I can only assume your husband was working and paying the bills. I was a stay at home mom for a few years and that's how it worked. Anyway, the person I was talking about she has pretty much been living that life style for 25yrs (not the cheer, just the short on cash drama etc..) plus when someone chooses to post their $ woes on FB they can't expect not to be judged. Some people at our gym do go out and get sponsors and then their is fundraising. It's a small town so you can only hit people for those things so many times a year. I recall last year the gym had posted a big/huge list of businesses not to solicit sponsoring from, I couldn't help but chuckle it appeared the entire town was on that list. Don't think for a 2nd I blow my $ on getting my hair and nails done either. I did mean to buy a box of hair color at Wal-Mart the other day and forgot:( I understand 100% about children benefitting from it, putting money aside for them when they go to college, b-day parties, clothes (they dress nicer then me). Letting them enjoy activities they want to try: ball, soccer, scouts, theater, swim team, dance, pageants (I know some are gasping at the one) and cheer is know among one of those activities she wants to try/is doing (just starting our 2nd year). If my 8yr old daughter seems to stick her interest out in cheer for 7 more years and her skills are at such a level (she has done a layout), she can keep her grades up and has a true passion for it then I would consider putting the drive in and taking things up a notch. Even at that, I think taking a break for awhile and just taking tumbling classes wouldn't hurt my cp skills either, she is only 8yrs old.

 

[cheermominar]

CheerBank & Kris10boo: In my post that started this $ talk, it wasn't in reference to either one of you. But to someone that chooses to post her $ and cheer woes all over FB, that's pretty much all she post about. Her daughters missing practice/camp etc, 'cause she doesn't have the $ to get them their (or transportation). Why in the world would one sign their cp up with a gym if they couldn't even get their? In that respect she is making it other peoples business and can't expect not to be criticized about it. In no way was I talking about either one of you nor would I know if your situations if you don't post it.

 

[Miss Tiff]

I'm really just curious how far you drive to take your CP (or yourself) to practice? Or how far would you drive to get to the best gym around? I, of course, want to send my CP to the best gym in our area, but that particular gym is a 40 minute drive away, and we literally pass 2 other gyms to get to it. I'm totally willing to do it (even though gas costs a fortune! ugh!), but I'm wondering if thats normal, or kind of extreme??

well Matt smith from CA cheetahs flys to practice every weekend. If your CP really wants it then i would say make the drive :)

 

[CheerBank]

CheerBank & Kris10boo: In my post that started this $ talk, it wasn't in reference to either one of you. But to someone that chooses to post her $ and cheer woes all over FB, that's pretty much all she post about. Her daughters missing practice/camp etc, 'cause she doesn't have the $ to get them their (or transportation). Why in the world would one sign their cp up with a gym if they couldn't even get their? In that respect she is making it other peoples business and can't expect not to be criticized about it. In no way was I talking about either one of you nor would I know if your situations if you don't post it.

I can understand how it would irk you being that your "friend" is driving to a gym much farther away and then posting on Facebook how she can't afford it being that the drive is so far especially when there are decent gyms, yours included, much closer to where she lives. Maybe you should post that in the Cheer Pet Peeves thread instead of this one.
I happen to drive about 20-30 minutes to my cp's current gym. Our first gym was only about 10 minutes from our house and was definitely chosen for it's proximity. When my cp is in high school, if she continues to want to be more competitive on a higher level (this is her 7th year in all-star cheer) and cannot find that near us, I would consider traveling farther, but for now this works for us.

 

[TheVipersMom]

Kris10boo - How did you have money for your daily life when you weren't working? I can only assume your husband was working and paying the bills. I was a stay at home mom for a few years and that's how it worked. Anyway, the person I was talking about she has pretty much been living that life style for 25yrs (not the cheer, just the short on cash drama etc..) plus when someone chooses to post their $ woes on FB they can't expect not to be judged. Some people at our gym do go out and get sponsors and then their is fundraising. It's a small town so you can only hit people for those things so many times a year. I recall last year the gym had posted a big/huge list of businesses not to solicit sponsoring from, I couldn't help but chuckle it appeared the entire town was on that list. Don't think for a 2nd I blow my $ on getting my hair and nails done either. I did mean to buy a box of hair color at Wal-Mart the other day and forgot:( I understand 100% about children benefitting from it, putting money aside for them when they go to college, b-day parties, clothes (they dress nicer then me). Letting them enjoy activities they want to try: ball, soccer, scouts, theater, swim team, dance, pageants (I know some are gasping at the one) and cheer is know among one of those activities she wants to try/is doing (just starting our 2nd year). If my 8yr old daughter seems to stick her interest out in cheer for 7 more years and her skills are at such a level (she has done a layout), she can keep her grades up and has a true passion for it then I would consider putting the drive in and taking things up a notch. Even at that, I think taking a break for awhile and just taking tumbling classes wouldn't hurt my cp skills either, she is only 8yrs old.

I'm not married and I was 23 at the time. (last year)

I was able to afford it because I had saved money before I left my job. The new season last year started in May. I quit my job in July when I moved 1.5 hours away. We drove that 1.5 hrs July-March. Meanwhile I paid for cheer and gas all off money I had saved. I could only get 2 full trips and half of 1 trip on 1 tank of gas. So it cost me 100$ a week in gas. I paid for all my bills with money I had saved. It was hard and I had to be disciplined to not blow money but I'm so glad I got that opportunity to spend all that time with my daughter in the car every week going to practices. It worked for me then but eventually the money runs out so that was a choice I made. Just to clarify no I wasn't nor have I ever collected food stamps or state insurance or daycare assistance. Just wanted to clarify since you assume that person has bad credit because she complains about her car and doesn't get a new one and since I was young and didn't have a job I just wanted to make sure an assumption wasn't being made there!!


Now I promise not to continue to hi-jack this thread. Furthermore I do kind of agree about the far away thing when she can't get her kids there and they are missing camps. She should of never signed them up because they are hurting the team. So yes I do agree and I promise I'm not picking on you!!

 

[Perkyninjamomma]

30 minutes each way. There is a gym 10mins from us but my Cp thinks of her coaches and teammates as "family". She would be devastated. There is a really great gym about an hour away. I like our current gym.. Just so much drama. Stay for Cp :)

 

[AliciaM]

The longest drive I've done for cheer was 1.5 hours to get to Twisters gym in glen burnie ...kinda sucked for my mom lol and if it snowed that was even worse...took us like 3 hours to get home once because of a snow storm lol my mom was SO happy when I got my license:)

 

[fierceBOWlove]

I understand and to you thats how it may seem but we all take cheer to different levels.

My cp is 7. She has cheered exactly 2 years and 1 month and she is starting her 3rd season.

I'm not rich by any means in fact I'm currently wondering how I'm going to pay 322$ for the first installment of comp fees that was due last week, while finding out on my way to work today I need a new battery for my car (no its not a lemon and yes it's a newer car), and then I got sent home early from work today because we ran out of "leads" (people to call).

But I wouldn't trade it for nothing. The first season she was 5 years old. I drove a few mins to her gym and paid all my fees and had a great time doing it while she was on tiny 1.

Then we moved 1.5 hours away. I did not want to pull my cp from her gym because that's all she known and she made 2 teams at the age of 6. She was placed youth 2 and mini 1. She practiced 4 days a week 1.5 hrs away on 2 teams. (Monday,Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) I could not work because her schedule was so insane. I picked her up at 2:30 from school went home got her changed left and made it to the other town, drove back and got home after 10pm every night. (because she was on 2 teams and had a few practices on the same day so the days were doubled) I took time off of work before I moved so my daughter could cheer and at that time I had that option.

I decided I want my daughter to compete at the bigger competitions with the best of the best. So this time last year as we were embarking on our second season. Since I was off of work I spent days and hours researching gyms. I wanted to move my daughter for cheer. I had family in San Antonio, Tx and family in Merritt Island, Fl (not to far from Orlando). I knew if I moved to Texas she would have the best opportunity to continue and move up if she so desires. So I decided once the season ended I was going to move to Texas to her new gym. So the end of March I wanted to be here right before tryouts so my cp could check out her new gym. We picked up and moved. I now live about 20 mins from the gym. However, the cost in Texas and for the better competitions has DOUBLED. I can't stay at home any longer and pay for cheer. So I started working again. Unfortunately my job barely covers my bills if that. Yes all my bills are paid by the grace of god and no cheer isn't more important then having a place to live. However, most people don't understand how I agree to pay all this money for something my daughter loves and is decent at. I don't care what I have to do, I will never take the opportunity away from my child. If I have to get a second job then that's fine! I'll make it work.

What I'm saying is people aren't always going to agree on how they spend their money. Most people look at me and say I'm crazy and stupid because I don't make that much and I moved here all for cheer. I don't own anything that's worth money and I still owe almost 14 grand on my car. The only thing I own worth money is my GPS (it's really nice and I couldn't even make it to work with out it) but besides that I probably don't have 2 dimes to rub together. However, I have less then 300 dollars in credit card debt and thats less than most people. Just because I can barely pay for cheer doesnt mean I have bad credit because I probably couldn't go finance another car.
I mean I probably can't go finance another car because I have a low income and really can't afford another car payment. So don't judge people for what they do with their money. I hate that more then anything!


At least I'm benefitting my kid with my money and not blowing it all on getting my hair and nails done. Yeah I would love that and I would do it to if I had money. But That's why I only worry about myself.

I love you. (In a non creepy way of course)

 

[TheVipersMom]

I love you. (In a non creepy way of course)

Haha, you totally made my day :)

Every time I see someone replied to this thread I get scared to read it because I'm waiting for someone to jump on me and tell me how wrong I am and I don't like confrontation. Lol
Who would of thought?

 

[fierceBOWlove]

Haha, you totally made my day :)

Every time I see someone replied to this thread I get scared to read it because I'm waiting for someone to jump on me and tell me how wrong I am and I don't like confrontation. Lol
Who would of thought?

No way! When I was reading your post I was like YESSSS, omg YES. PREACH. Haha I completely agree. But then again I always agree with your posts ;).

 

[Bri_FIERCE]

There were girls on my team last year that drove four hours to practice and four hours back home!!

 

[cheermom9799]

I have actually driven out of state 3 hours one way and 3 hours back for my daughter to be on a Worlds team 2012 and then we moved there so she could continue. Seems a little extreme I know but It has been her Cheer Dream to Cheer for Cheer Extreme and to go to Worlds and she got to do it all in 1 season :) What we do for our kids right :)

 

[emily1024]

My gym is an hour away depending on traffic and having to drive through 2 big towns it could take almost two hours!

 

[Cheyenne2295]

i drive 20 minutes, but i would be willing to drive an hour. possibly two. but there are girls from my gym who drive an hour and a half to come to practice.