High School Transportation To Away Games

[TitanCoach]

At my school we were required to take the bus to the game, but our parents (and parents only, the coaches knew who the athlete's parents were) were allowed to sign an athlete out and the parent could drive them home. But I know that is not an option for a lot of people, it worked well for me because my parents were the ones that were at every single game no matter what haha. And I lived about 45 minutes from my high school (my choice) and passed about 5 schools on the way, so the games at those schools that are closer it was a lot more convenient to get a ride home.

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We do the same. Buses to but parents may drive home. If a student is not riding the bus back to school then we require a signed letter at least 2 practices before the date.

 

[ashscott41]

My school was the same as @luv2cheer92. After the game everyone loads signs/flags back onto the bus, parent can sign a waiver saying they're taking you home, and then you're free to leave with mom/dad (but no one else). I believe our bus for away games was paid for with money raised from our clinic for elementary school students.

 

[Twinklestars]

Our cheerleaders do not get bussed to football games. The football players get a bus, the band gets a bus, the flag girls get to ride the bus with the band...the cheerleaders have to ride with a parent. They are not allowed to drive themselves.

The cheerleaders are required to ride the bus to basketball games, a parent may take them home. It must be the parent/legal guardian of the cheerleader or the parent/legal guardian can give permission for their cheerleader to ride with another cheerleader and her parents. The cheerleaders may not leave with a friend or boyfriend.

 

[Cheermom1969]

Our cheerleaders do not get bussed to football games. The football players get a bus, the band gets a bus, the flag girls get to ride the bus with the band...the cheerleaders have to ride with a parent. They are not allowed to drive themselves.

The cheerleaders are required to ride the bus to basketball games, a parent may take them home. It must be the parent/legal guardian of the cheerleader or the parent/legal guardian can give permission for their cheerleader to ride with another cheerleader and her parents. The cheerleaders may not leave with a friend or boyfriend.

Do you know why? That's my next step is to find out why these girls aren't transported by bus but yet everyone else is.

My husband reminded me that when my son was playing baseball, the softball team would ride with them to games because they played at the same location and time. So softball is ok to intermingle with the boys but cheerleaders are not?

 

[Ashley]

It's been awhile since I was in high school, but we paid an athletics fee and traveled with the football team (sometimes as many as 3 of us to a seat). I think before I started cheering the cheerleaders would occasionally get a short bus.

 

[Emily]

Do you know why? That's my next step is to find out why these girls aren't transported by bus but yet everyone else is.

My husband reminded me that when my son was playing baseball, the softball team would ride with them to games because they played at the same location and time. So softball is ok to intermingle with the boys but cheerleaders are not?

At my high school everyone had to get to games on school busses due to insurance reasons. For the way home it was just as at luv2cheer92's school. If parents take their cheerleaders to games - who in the world pays if anything happens? What happens if the parent shows up drunk or with a car that isn't safe to be driven or anything like that?

 

[12mowerd]

That's crazy that students have to pay for a bus... And even crazier that they don't offer a bus to cheerleaders! My high school has sports busses, uniforms, comp fees all tired into the budget. The football team took two busses, one for the players and the other for the cheerleaders and equipment. That was fun. But better than nothing.. that really stinks you have to drive to every single game. If that were the case I'd never be able to cheer at all

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[Cheermom1969]

That's crazy that students have to pay for a bus... And even crazier that they don't offer a bus to cheerleaders! My high school has sports busses, uniforms, comp fees all tired into the budget. The football team took two busses, one for the players and the other for the cheerleaders and equipment. That was fun. But better than nothing.. that really stinks you have to drive to every single game. If that were the case I'd never be able to cheer at all

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I'm pretty appalled at the situation. I need to find out more information before I go talk to the AD and then the assistant principal, which I will do.

 

[Cheermom1969]

Who is in charge of the cheer team? Is there a teacher supervisor or teacher coach?

It's a teacher who is the cheer advisor. she doesn't do any coaching, per se. The girls coach themselves, which is a whole other matter. She allows the JV captains to just berate and yell at the other girls and supports the captains. I'm thinking if things keep going this way, my daughter will just quite - with my approval. Things are just seeming more ridiculous with each passing day.

 

[12mowerd]

I'm pretty appalled at the situation. I need to find out more information before I go talk to the AD and then the assistant principal, which I will do.

Do it! My co captains and I crunched all the numbers of how much money was being spent on each sports team, figured out how much we weren't getting compared to others and told our AD. We tried to get the school to pay for our choreography, he ended up paying for our bows and spanks so it's definitely worth a try to talk!

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[cheerKT]

It's insane to me that your schools make you pay for bussing. When I cheered and coached we all rode our own bus separate from the football team (for free, home and away games). Then parents could sign out their kids with the coach after the conclusion of the game to ride back with them. HUGH GIANT MEGA liability if they did not sign out and took off on their own. Thankfully it never happened for us. Athletes can't sign themselves out, it had to be their parents or a note from their parents stating that they could ride home with a friend's parent.

 

[Twinklestars]

Do you know why? That's my next step is to find out why these girls aren't transported by bus but yet everyone else is.

My husband reminded me that when my son was playing baseball, the softball team would ride with them to games because they played at the same location and time. So softball is ok to intermingle with the boys but cheerleaders are not?

I have no idea. It seems like the cheerleaders could ride with the band and flag line. Most of the schools around here don't allow the cheerleaders on the bus.

Note: I am prior military and refuse to call the flag line the "color guard".

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I can't remember 100% what we did but I think that the cheerleaders were supposed to drive themselves but then parents complained and we got a bus. Not sure if the school paid for it or if it came out of the cheer fund.

 

[Cheermom1969]

It's insane to me that your schools make you pay for bussing. When I cheered and coached we all rode our own bus separate from the football team (for free, home and away games). Then parents could sign out their kids with the coach after the conclusion of the game to ride back with them. HUGH GIANT MEGA liability if they did not sign out and took off on their own. Thankfully it never happened for us. Athletes can't sign themselves out, it had to be their parents or a note from their parents stating that they could ride home with a friend's parent.

This is California. WE. PAY. FOR. EVERYTHING. Don't get me started as to why and where our school tax dollars really go....

 

[MHSCheercoach]

WOW. I feel for the parents and cheerleaders who are treated so poorly. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a fee, especially if the cheerleaders require their own bus, but it doesn't cost that much for a bus driver and gas so it shouldn't be astronomical.
I cheered at a small school and coach at an even smaller school, but it's never been an issue with the cheerleaders riding the bus with the players. The boys sit in the back then coaches, including myself or a cheer parent if I am unable to make the bus time, then cheerleaders in the front. I do remember one year when I was in high school that we had an unusually large football team which required the football statisticians and cheerleaders to ride in the school van, but there was always transportation.
If I, as a coach, had to rely on parents to get their kids to games I would never have a full squad. I'm sure that the athletic fee that all the sports teams pay, including cheerleaders, helps cover the cost of transportation.
As a coach, parent, if this was the case I would say that they only cheer at home games as that is a huge liability for them to be transporting themselves UNLESS you have a parent/volunteer who can drive the cheerleaders in a church bus/van/etc. to get them all there together. I know that would suck to not go to away games, but another local school here does that so that they don't have to have a second bus. The cheerleaders cheer all home games for boys and girls basketball which still ends up being two a week as they worked out the schedule as such. I would rather know my cheerleaders are safe than to worry about them getting there and back safely.