It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year. COMPETITION TIME! All of the hard work, the many hours of practice, the sweat and tears all come down to two and a half minutes to showcase the best that you can do. It sounds stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Competitions are about more than winning and trophies. They are about showing everyone what you have worked so hard for and what you and your team can do when you work together!
Since competition days are so important, we want our athletes to enjoy the day with their coaches and team mates. And we want mom and dad to be able to watch their little Shark proudly and cheer them on as loud as possible. We got some Competition Day insight from Coach Missy to help make the day fun and as stress free as possible for athletes and parents.
Must have items – DO NOT FORGET!
Healthy snacks and water
Uniform
Bow
Competition makeup
Cheer shoes and white socks
Cheer Sport Sharks cover up shirt or jacket
Plan ahead!
Competition schedules for each team are sent out one to two weeks prior to the actual competition. Schedules will include meet time, performance time, awards time and spectator information. It is recommended to plan to book off the entire day for the competition as you never know what time your day will start and end! Once you have the competition schedule, do some research ahead of time to help avoid any surprises. It is always helpful to know in advance venue parking information, spectator entry fees and locations of restaurants in the area.
Understanding the Competition Day schedule.
Every team will be told to come to the venue at a specific ‘meet-time’. It’s usually best for the athletes to come to the venue before the meet time to get a feel for the venue layout, see what the competition floor looks like, get their parent’s a good seat and to avoid feeling rushed because there’s enough anxious vibes coming from lots of other athletes in the area already. Most teams will use this time to make sure everyone is ready to compete – meaning everyone has their shoes, uniform, bow, neat hair and full performance makeup. This time is also used for certain pre-performance rituals. Teams usually use this time to talk about their favourite parts of the routine, picture taking, games, and bonding. Then the team goes to the practice gym where they warm up each section individually and as a whole. After practice gym, teams are ushered into the holding area, awaiting their turn under the lights. This is the most nerve racking part of the whole day (for both the team and the coach) – waiting for the next moment when the team is announced. Once the team is announced, the time has come to take the main stage and perform their hearts out! After that wonderful moment, coaches will have a brief chat and/or celebration with the team, then deliver them back to their parents with instructions on where and when to meet for awards.
Time for Awards!
At meet time, coaches will give parents instruction on where and when to meet the team after their performance or awards. Depending on the day’s schedule, some teams will stay with the coach after their performance or some will be given back to their parents and asked to meet again before the awards ceremony. Athletes will be expected to be in full uniform and with their team for awards. This is the time for the team to celebrate their performance and have some fun.
Missy Prosper is the Head Coach for the Pacific Sharks and Piked Sharks in Ottawa. Missy’s favourite thing about cheerleading is the sisterhood. Her favourite competition was watching the Pacific Sharks take the World stage for the very first time in Florida last season. “I love watching the hours and hours of hard work come together is a dazzling athletic performance dripping with glitter! But the best part is the pride that I can see oozing from my girls’ faces after they’ve hit and performed their routine to their best abilities!”
