Paying For Allstar Cheer Myself (at 16)

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Nov 26, 2014
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Hey guys!
Sorry if this is already on here somewhere else but I haven't found it. I took a year off of allstar cheer (this past season) because of a shoulder injury and severe concussion. Now I'm really missing allstar cheer and want to move to a new gym, the only problem is, my parents won't pay for any part of it. We're not struggling financially as a family, they just see cheer as a "silly hobby", and haven't been super supportive of it in the past. They've paid for two seasons already and swore they'd never do it again. I have a job as a lifeguard that pays pretty well, and I babysit during the day (I do online school) and make some decent money for my age. plan on paying for cheer myself. My gyms monthly tuition is $110, which I'll be able to manage, but I'm worried about the initial $2,000 for choreography, uniform, competition fees, etc. We also have a booster club to help financially, but I'm so worried I won't be able to afford this all myself. Is there anything else I can do to make money?
 
At 16, you should be eligible to work in restaurants and retail, so you can look for jobs there. I manage a fast-casual and the night shift is 5-11pm, which is pretty normal for a lot of places. I've heard Starbucks pays decently.

Or, you can present your case to your parents and explain that you are committed to cheering again (give the reasons why you love it) but also acknowledge that it will be a financial burden for you. Explain to them that you can afford X amount and will need to make Y amount to fill in the gaps. See if they will pay you the remainder in exchange for extra chores. My mom used to pay me to scrub the grout in our tile. I made about 500 bucks by the time I was done with the whole house.

You can also dog sit, house sit, tutor other students (if you have good enough grades), or offer to do chores at your friend's houses. Your gym might also be willing to "pay" you (basically cover some of your fees) if you clean the gym. (vacuuming, scrubbing mats, cleaning bathrooms etc)
 
Hey guys!
Sorry if this is already on here somewhere else but I haven't found it. I took a year off of allstar cheer (this past season) because of a shoulder injury and severe concussion. Now I'm really missing allstar cheer and want to move to a new gym, the only problem is, my parents won't pay for any part of it. We're not struggling financially as a family, they just see cheer as a "silly hobby", and haven't been super supportive of it in the past. They've paid for two seasons already and swore they'd never do it again. I have a job as a lifeguard that pays pretty well, and I babysit during the day (I do online school) and make some decent money for my age. plan on paying for cheer myself. My gyms monthly tuition is $110, which I'll be able to manage, but I'm worried about the initial $2,000 for choreography, uniform, competition fees, etc. We also have a booster club to help financially, but I'm so worried I won't be able to afford this all myself. Is there anything else I can do to make money?
Make sure you have a fool proof plan in place. You could end up paying for uniform, Choreography & comp. Fees only to find out the costs during comp season become too much & you end up quitting. Things I didn't consider when signing up my cp was the cost of hair products, Makeup (foundation, bronzer, eyeliner, lipstick, etc), eye lashes, spray tans, hotel costs, entrance fees (you may not have to worry about those), travel expenses, food at convention centers, and bows/apparel available at comps. Some of which can be eliminated or reduced based on your needs & wants but still things to consider when budgeting.

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Does your prospective gym offer hardship scholarships or have parents willing to sponsor kids to help offset the cost?


**Long time lurker, first time poster**
 
Maybe your coach can break it down in 3 or 4 payments over summer/fall?


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All of the gyms we have been at offer a letter you can use to solicit area sponsorships. You can bring it to local businesses, and ask for them to help you raise money for the high costs. If the gym is non-profit the contribution can be tax deductible, and sometimes the gym offers advertising incentives. Make sure you check with the gym about how they process/handle sponsorships, since there are all sorts of rules, but maybe you can do this??

Also with such high initial costs, I would be surprised if the gym didn't offer some sort of fundraisers. Do they really ask for an upfront payment at registration, or are there other payment options? Before you pay make sure you know what the contract says... And some gyms will do work exchanges with athletes like yourself. Maybe you could sign on to do office work, cleaning or jr coaching to help offset costs?

Finally, when considering costs for the season, don't forget that traveling costs money also. Are you going to need to book hotels or flights or pay for gas etc? Most of the past few seasons I've been willing to take people with me or let them stay in my hotel with us, without asking for $ from them... So you might know or get to know someone at your gym who would be willing to help, but you still might have to buy food/airline tix/ etc.



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Make sure you ask the gym for their estimated travel costs and be sure to explain the reason as you don't want them to low ball you, if your team is going to travel a lot that cost can range from $5000-$20,000(after the Summit ours will be around $8000). On thing to consider is using a crowd funding platform like Gofundme. We have a girl at our gym that is helping to pay her Summit costs this way. but something like Gofundme is only as good as your ability to promote it through social networking.

Also be very wary of any deal that seems to good to be true, it probably will be.
 
I completely commend you for trying to finance this yourself but please don't put cheer and working to make $ for cheer over school. That should be your top priority right now and everything else should come second. Also remember that any job you get will need to be flexible enough to allow you time off for competitions, and also that taking time off could very well decrease your earnings for that week and your ability to pay for cheer. I wish you the best of luck and hope you can find a way to do it all.
 
I would talk to your parents about it. If they have paid for the last 2 years, they should have a very good idea on the "hidden" costs. Most parents would welcome their child be willing to help pay for something they are passionate about.

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I would talk to your parents about it. If they have paid for the last 2 years, they should have a very good idea on the "hidden" costs. Most parents would welcome their child be willing to help pay for something they are passionate about.

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My parents aren't like that though, that's the thing. I asked for help and was laughed at. :/
 
Hey guys!
Sorry if this is already on here somewhere else but I haven't found it. I took a year off of allstar cheer (this past season) because of a shoulder injury and severe concussion. Now I'm really missing allstar cheer and want to move to a new gym, the only problem is, my parents won't pay for any part of it. We're not struggling financially as a family, they just see cheer as a "silly hobby", and haven't been super supportive of it in the past. They've paid for two seasons already and swore they'd never do it again. I have a job as a lifeguard that pays pretty well, and I babysit during the day (I do online school) and make some decent money for my age. plan on paying for cheer myself. My gyms monthly tuition is $110, which I'll be able to manage, but I'm worried about the initial $2,000 for choreography, uniform, competition fees, etc. We also have a booster club to help financially, but I'm so worried I won't be able to afford this all myself. Is there anything else I can do to make money?

Have a one on one with the coach or gym owner and see if they can do a payment plan for you. Babysitting is always easy money but when I was that age I was a hostess at a restaurant and moved up to serving and made good $$ I just didn't work on days I had cheer and took off for comp weekends
 
Howdy CCA_Maddie,
Funding your passion for the first time, it can often be daunting, even in your 20s & 30s, at 16 it can seem downright scary. It sounds like you got a good head on your shoulders, and you're holding a steady job, and also taking in funds through babysitting. I'd look at creating a budget, and working with your gym coach, inquire about fundraising and see if the gym has pledge sheets for scholarships.

I'd also take a look at how you spend money each week, is there anything you can remove entirely or even spend less on. That could be as easy as cutting out your daily latte at Starbucks, and making your own at home. You and your friends could also look at changing up your hang-out activities to include more entertainment that's free or cheaper. Instead of going to the mall, where you inevitably might spend money on food, that cute top, you guys could have a picnic in the park...and play frisbee. Do you pay for your own cellphone? if so maybe you can get a basic talk & text plan vs an inclusive plan with tons of data. There are tons of ways you could look to save a few pennies to put toward your cheerleading.

Also talk to the coaches, tell them your plans on how you're going to fund your year. They might be willing to work out a plan of action and payment with you, because they're seeing your dedication and responsibility.
 
I am not sure what level you are or if your gym will let you but you could see about doing some privates with the younger kids. You could just help them with back walkovers and jumps. My daughter prefers to take lessons from older cheerleaders over her coaches. She says they are more fun and they are cheaper.
 
Hmm, I was just wondering... At 16, I am thinking, 1st, you as a minor cannot sign any contracts with any gym...
2nd, If your parents are not supporting your cheer dream are they signing off on these papers... Matter of fact, most gyms requires a credit/debit card on file to ensure payments... Do you have another way to pay for cheer...

3rd, I hate to be stickler for the law, but as a minor, a gym cannot travel out of state with you, unless the parent give them permission to do so or sign all waivers and guardianship paperwork or you file to be emancipated. This is a definite liability when you think of insurance, medical insurance, etc... I really doubt if a Gym Owner and/or Coach will sign up for this responsibility...js
 
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