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For years now all across the USA many gyms have been working hard to build successful all star cheerleading programs. Small enthusiastic businesses have trained and honed the cheer and tumbling skills of numerous boys and girls in order for them to compete against other teams at regional, state and national competitions. That is, for those of you who have forgotten, what all star cheerleading is all about, competing against other teams. Without other teams the whole process is somewhat futile. Right now, as you read this, some organizations are putting all star cheerleading as we know and love it at risk.

Recently, an increasing number of large gyms have started to apply undue pressure on these small businesses.
Large cheerleading gyms have been offering financial incentives to lure kids away from their local gyms in some instances offering free tuition or free competition fees or even both to talented individuals in order to convince them to join their gym. Once a few start to leave there is less and less to keep the rest where they are and next thing you know whole teams have left damaging the the very organization which has spent years nurturing and training these athletes. During periods of financial hardship, as we are experiencing in the USA at the present time, this tactic is very effective.

Many parents are amazed at the generosity that these large gyms appear to demonstrate towards themselves and their children not realizing that beneath the thin facade of giving lies the corporate truth of the need to dispose of large sums of money for tax purposes. This is ok of course if you happen to be on the receiving end but it isn’t quite the gift it appears to be. This gift will close down other gyms and destroy all star cheerleading as you know it if it is left unchecked.

Cheerleading competitions are run by corporations who are used to hundreds of gyms with several teams taking part in their 1 and 2 day events all over the country. Entry fees from each competitor of each team are collected together by the companies in order to pay for the venue, prizes, trophies etc. These entry fees range from $25 per person for a local event to $500 for a worlds competitor with the average being around $80.

These huge competition venues are very expensive to rent and it stands to reason therefore that the more teams that attend the event the less money it costs each individual participant to attend. Don’t forget that we as parents usually have to pay to get in as well, oh, and then there is the parking fee, photo, dvds, T shirts, concessions etc
Without a large numbers of gyms attending these competitions they will no longer be viable for the competition companies to promote and with no competitions there is no point in all star cheerleading.

Who amongst you would pay $20 a person as a spectator to enter an arena with only the remaining four teams in your state competing against each other. I can’t imagine what the cost per competitor would be…. but let me help you out there, it just wouldn’t happen.

So there you have it, its up to you, if you decide to join the team down the road just because its free and you feel like your cheerleader needs to go there to be with every one else, just pause for a while and think about the reasons that you got involved in the sport in the first place and the values that brought you to your local gym.