What's In Your Comp Bag?

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Coaching perspective:

1. Extra money. Like $30-50. You never know which kid is DYING for a water or food whose mom accidentally forgot to give them $ (or which kid left the house and forgot to ask for it.)

2. Protein bars and as many waters as I can fit (so I don't have to spend so much of the above money.)

3. Emergency info cards on kids.

4. Baggies for little jewelry stuff that they they forgot to take out (earrings, etc.)

5. No fewer than 5-7 chargers for 5 different types of phones and an iPad. Because someone will need to call mom, have a dead phone, but no charger, and everyone is iPhone except her. I have a couple droid, a couple iPhone, some random Samsungs, etc.

6. Scoresheet info/registration info, etc. Because you never know when you might have a scoring dispute or some idiot swearing up and down that that kid on your Senior 2 is 9.

7. Bandaids. Advil. Items for that time of the month for my older girls.

8. A partridge in a pear tree.

 

[Ellemaisie]

Coaching AND competing at same event perspective:

1. Sewing kit. I've taken in skirts, repaired straps, finished dance costumes and fixed holes backstage in warm ups before.

2. Medical kit. Ventolin, panadol, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, band aids, tape, ice spray, feminine hygiene spares, the good glucose jelly beans, PLUS anything extra specific kids need and have handed to me to keep.

3. 'Fix that Now' kit: hairspray, deodorant, make up wipes, bobby pins, hair elastics, a brush, rat tail comb, plus a full makeup kit.

4. Spare run sheet printout

5. Summarised run sheet just containing my gym's teams

6. Spare socks

7. One packet of lollies per team I am dealing with

8. Spare snacks, with sweet, salty, energy bar and Gatorade options

9. Spare water bottles

10. My mophie and phone charger, wall charger with multiple usb connection points and a handful of various types of charger cord

11. Double adaptor for that single power point

12. 2nd pair of cheer shoes and second set of socks, to change into right before warm ups (I have a pair of cheer shoes that I wear around venue that can get dirty)

13. Depending on the length of the day, spare EVERYTHING to fully change when I put my uniform on before warm ups

14. A list of the standard coffee orders for all coaches to hand to whoever is doing a coffee run...

 

[ChristyCheers]

Fantastic! Keep it coming! You guys are awesome! I will be putting this together in the next week or two. If you want a shout out to your team, post your team web site as well and I'll add it in!!

 

[Helen uk uni cheer]

In my bag I have a little tag that we got given we has a something positive about me that another athlete wrote you could put it on yours bags but it's so personal to me and it kept falling off so it stays in a little pocket.

Safety pins I always seem to have waldrobe malfunctions

Painkillers

And lots of food

 

[SarahS]

The most important thing I pack: a score check sheet completely filled out with expected scores and every single skill my teams perform, listed under each category, for score justification purposes. Judges have to count fast, so I keep a handy list (and makes notes during performance if, say, a tumble pass is thrown that is different than choreographed.)

My team moms can help with uniform issues, snacks, etc. My main focus is ensuring that the kids have fun, perform the routine well, and are scored properly.

 

[CheerRehab]

I have industrial strength hair spray in the water bottle pocket of my backpack. I walked past one of the coaches 13 year old sons & he did a double take and skidded back. I asked him what was wrong & he goes "OMG is that pepper spray?!?" I assured him it was just hair spray with a weird looking nozzle, but he did give me an idea if these parents don't get off my case...

 

[cowboycheersarah]

Every "brace" known to mankind... Someone is bound to need it. Toothbrush, phone chargers, earphones, lots of money!

 

[rrhhiannon]

All of my braces
30 min express white strips
All of my makeup
5 different hair brushes/combs for different types of hair
Hair spray
Dry shampoo
Two pairs of cheer shoes
Extra shorts & sports bra (someone always forgets)
Money
Health card, insurance card, school and gov id
Water, snacks
Lots of extra clothes
Lots and lots of bobby pins and hair ties

 

[KPep]

Last year I had that Chinese cookie fortune in my bag... it said that I was about to win something... turns out that competition I had it we got 6th, and the day I got rid of it we got 1st! I also carry tampons of stuff like that, because I have seen many starting their period because of stress!

 

[jemmom2012]

Great ideas! Thanks.... Except now I feel like I should have started putting her bag together 3 weeks ago and the 1st comp is tomorrow!

 

[WinstonsGirl]

Protien/granola bars. I sometimes get hungry in the middle of a good practice. Lots of tape. A little box if I forget to take out my earrings. And A5-35 and some Advil. I rarely need it, but when I do, I'm glad it's there.

 

[CheerLAW]

I'm known as the go to mom and I just packed my comp backpack. I use an Nfinity bag and it all fits with lots of extra room. Just about everything already listed plus tide erasers, extra shoelaces, superglue, double sided sticky tabs, shirts to cover up the half tops, static sheets, wax and flossers for braces, ziplock bags for everything from jewelry to emergency ice packs, icy hot and air activated heat pads, liquid stitch, depending on the hair day - a flat iron or curling iron (and my CP needs neither), zip ties, snacks including pixie stick for low sugar kids. I'm sure there are a few other things that I'm not thinking of.

 

[kiah Coleman]

Thanks for sharing the garment bag link!

I pack a little instant coffee pack. It's basically a little baggie with creamer, sugar packs, stirrers and a couple packs of starbucks instant brew coffee. It's easy to smuggle into comps in an Nfinity shoe case or my makeup bag. You can never have too much caffeine

I love this garment bag from Team Cheer, there's tons of space to hide extra snacks and anything else you might need.
Garment Bag | Cheerleading Bags & Accessories | Team Cheer

 

[kiah Coleman]

Wow! Great list!

Coaching AND competing at same event perspective:

1. Sewing kit. I've taken in skirts, repaired straps, finished dance costumes and fixed holes backstage in warm ups before.

2. Medical kit. Ventolin, panadol, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, band aids, tape, ice spray, feminine hygiene spares, the good glucose jelly beans, PLUS anything extra specific kids need and have handed to me to keep.

3. 'Fix that Now' kit: hairspray, deodorant, make up wipes, bobby pins, hair elastics, a brush, rat tail comb, plus a full makeup kit.

4. Spare run sheet printout

5. Summarised run sheet just containing my gym's teams

6. Spare socks

7. One packet of lollies per team I am dealing with

8. Spare snacks, with sweet, salty, energy bar and Gatorade options

9. Spare water bottles

10. My mophie and phone charger, wall charger with multiple usb connection points and a handful of various types of charger cord

11. Double adaptor for that single power point

12. 2nd pair of cheer shoes and second set of socks, to change into right before warm ups (I have a pair of cheer shoes that I wear around venue that can get dirty)

13. Depending on the length of the day, spare EVERYTHING to fully change when I put my uniform on before warm ups

14. A list of the standard coffee orders for all coaches to hand to whoever is doing a coffee run...

 

[WinstonsGirl]

Oh, I forgot. Nail clippers. Between hang nails and trimming nails if they're too long for practice. I just leave a pair in there now.