Need to find Cheer Competitions for your squad? Here are some helpful tips!

First, take the direct route! Ask friends, moms, and seasoned cheerleaders - they are your best resources! They will most likely be in touch with competitions that are a good fit for your team in terms of skill, funding, and location. Next, do some research! Google is your best friend in this situation. Simply search for “cheer competitions” - be sure to add specifics in your search string (Do you want International, National, Regional, State, or Citywide? All Star? Varsity?). You can also search for “lists” of competitions which can be convenient. If you’re a coach who is planning a competition trip, here are a few points to consider: Allow parents enough notice to plan financially, make arrangements for their other children, and adjust time in their work schedules. It is super important to plan a meeting or two to discuss transportation, lodging, attendance, and have a basic questions and answers session. Distribute any literature that you may have access to regarding the competition trip. If you are able, ask competition veterans to share past stories to get parents and the team excited about the trip! If your competition is at a "destination" like Disney World, be sure to present an itinerary of planned events. Who wouldn't want to check out Magic Kingdom during free time? And, of course, plan a course of action for preparing for the competition. You want to make sure your squad is prepared for the money spent on the trip and the time working for the competition was well worth it. When you research competitions, also find out about possible cheerleading camps and clinics. Again, when needing advice for these, the cheerleading community around you is your best resource.