Competitions are a big deal in the cheerleading world.

We work months before the competition just perfecting every move and every stunt making sure it’s competition ready. We have after school practices of just working on the motions and stunts . We can’t forget to take some fun days to relax and not worry too much about competition. You don’t want to overwork everything.

Now for the competition process: We normally have to get up pretty early to get ready for the big day we have ahead of us. We normally wear our warmups and get changed at the competition location. Sometimes we do our makeup on the bus, if there is no time. We always wear our hair in a braid to a low ponytail with our gameday bow.

Depending on the competition,  and who it is hosted by, the process can be different. There are some contests where you run all of your routines at once and there is a possibility that there are different times for all of your routines. Competitions normally take all day. That’s why I think it’s always best to bring money for concessions. Your team should provide you lunch or dinner or even both.

Finally, it’s awards time. Even if you don’t get first place, always put on a brave face and make the other teams who did “bring home the gold” feel good. Remember, they came into this competition with the same feeling you had. When you do go to competitions to compete or just to support other cheer teams, just make sure you have fun.

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