Thinking about the joining the world of competitive cheer? Let us try and answer some questions you might have.
Question: Do I need experience or particular skills to be on a competitive team?
Answer: Nope! We have teams in a variety of levels for every age group. CheerStrike offers Novice teams for athletes ages 3-12 and Prep teams for ages 3-17. These teams offer athletes the opportunity to step into the sport of cheer at a beginner level and compete against athletes with the same amount of experience and skill.
Question: I’ve been playing a different sport for years. Will those skills transfer to cheer?
Answer: Yes! Cheer is a very athletic sport. All around athletes excel in this sport. Dance and Gymnastics especially compliment the sport of cheer, but we’ve had kids from all sorts of sports join and fall in love with the physical challenge and competitiveness of cheer.
Question: What is the weekly schedule normally like for competitive cheer?
Answer: Novice teams practice once a week for no more than 1.5 hours. Prep and All-Star teams practice twice a week from September to April (once a week during the summer). Practices run between 1 hour to 2 hours depending on the age and level of the team.
Question: How much travel does competitive cheer involve in a normal (non-COVID) year?
Answer: The amount of competitions and travel depends on the age and level of team. Novice teams attend 2-3 competitions (all one day competitions and within a 2 hour drive from London). Prep teams attend 4-5 competitions (some competitions will be two day events and all are within a 2 hour drive from London). All-Star teams attend 5-6 competitions (most are two day events and all are within a 2 hour drive from London). PRE COVID we would normally attend one weekend competition in Ohio at the Kalahari Resort and the oldest and highest level teams potentially travel to Florida once a year for competition. We look forward to when we can return to offering our families these two very special travel opportunities. Young athletes will not be expected to travel to Florida.
Question: What are the attendance requirements at CheerStrike?
Answer: Since we offer a variety of programs at CheerStrike that provide clients with a variety of commitment levels, competitive cheer does come with a high expectation for attendance. If mandatory practices do not jive with your family life we offer many recreational classes and tumbling classes that might be a better option for participating in cheer. Our competitive cheer program requires mandatory practices in order to ensure success for our teams. We stress team virtues and one of the most important is being able to trust your teammates and know that everyone is on the same page about the importance of attending practice.
Question: What are the extra costs?
Answer: We try to limit any unexpected or extra costs throughout the season. Included in your tuition costs are most of the fees involved in competitive cheer, so that it is evenly paid for throughout the year, and there are no surprises for you. Extra costs (that we fully outline in our registration package) are for the competition uniform (you only need one), any EXTRA practice clothes you’d like to purchase, makeup and shoes, and your Cheer Canada/OCF fee (approx. $20). In a normal year we include all competition registration fees in your tuition but for this season we won’t be charging those fees until we are assured that the competitions are taking place.
Question: How do the purchasing of uniforms work?
Answer: We are entering our third year of a three year cycle of our current competitive uniform. This means that you can either buy a brand new uniform for your child (approx. $345) and this uniform will be used for every competition we attend this season, OR you will have the opportunity to purchase a used uniform from a previous athlete or someone who has grown out of their current uniform at a reduced rate that we control.
Question: How do you decide what team a child should be on?
Answer: Most importantly EVERYONE MAKES A TEAM! We are so proud to be able to offer a variety of teams at every age and skill level so we can place every child on the right team for his/her skill and social development. We take a variety of things into consideration when placing athletes on a team. Tumbling skill level, experience in the sport, stunting skills, ability to listen and pay attention, coordination, ability to learn and memorize choreography, work ethic, attitude, and what needs the particular team may have. Our priority is to place athletes on a team that they will thrive on – physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Over the years we have learned that when a child is placed on the right team their confidence soars and with that confidence comes better skill growth and development.
Question: Who coaches your teams?
Answer: Only the best, more qualified, caring and creative cheer coaches in London Ontario! Our coaching staff is truly incredible. They all participated in cheer throughout their lives, fell in love with the sport and are now giving back to the athletes of London. They all have years of experience and qualifications that allow our families to trust in them to coach every team and athlete compassionately and effectively. We continue to educate ourselves as a staff to make sure we are offering our clients the very best in cheer training.