Premier Cheer

Let’s talk about the side of All-Star Cheer that nobody really wants to talk about. The empty spot on the mat.

All-Star Cheer is hard enough when EVERYONE shows up. But throw in basketball 🏀, volleyball 🏐, school sports, family vacations, and about 47 scheduling conflicts, and suddenly you’re playing a whole different game.

And listen, I GET IT. I really do.

Most gyms understand that school comes first. Grades matter. Required school activities matter. Coaches give grace when they can. They work around games, allow late arrivals, and try to make it all work.

But here’s the part nobody wants to say out loud…📢

Just because your child has somewhere else to be doesn’t mean the rest of the team stops needing them.

When ONE athlete is missing, an entire stunt group can be grounded. Four girls who showed up ready to work are suddenly standing around because their fifth isn’t there.

Again.

And when the solution is “let’s schedule an extra practice,” but that same athlete has another game, another practice, or another conflict?

It’s exhausting. It’s frustrating. And eventually, it’s heartbreaking.

Because on the other side of that empty spot is a parent who is rearranging their entire life to get their child to the gym.

A parent paying for extra tumbling classes, private lessons, choreography, camps, and everything in between.

A parent whose child WANTS to win. Who WANTS to improve. Who shows up tired, sore, and sometimes overwhelmed because they made a commitment to their team.

And then you hear…

“Oh, we’re missing two weeks over winter break for a cruise!”

“We can’t make choreography because of volleyball camp!”

“She has a game, so she’ll miss practice again!”

And somewhere deep inside, you’re screaming…

THEN WHY ARE WE DOING ALL-STAR CHEER?! 😩

Now before somebody comes for me in the comments, I absolutely believe in raising well-rounded kids. I believe in school sports, family memories, vacations, and letting kids explore what they love.

But I ALSO believe that when you sign up for a TEAM sport, you’re making a commitment to more than just your own child.

You’re making a commitment to every athlete who depends on yours.

Because in All-Star Cheer, your child’s absence doesn’t just affect your child. It affects the flyer who can’t go up. The bases who can’t practice. The stunt group that falls behind. And ultimately, the entire team walking onto that competition floor.

And here’s where my mama heart struggles…

I don’t expect perfection. I expect commitment.

I don’t need every child to be the best athlete in the gym. But I do need every child to show up and give their best.

Not their leftover energy.

Not their “if we have time” effort.

Not their second-best because cheer comes after everything else.

Their BEST.

Because, BABY… 💸

That little girl walking onto the mat is wearing a uniform covered in enough rhinestones to pay off my car loan. Her monthly gym tuition is giving MORTGAGE PAYMENT vibes. And don’t even get me started on the competition merchandise we buy like the zombie apocalypse is coming and rhinestone hoodies are the only way we’re surviving. 😂

We are INVESTED.

Financially. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally.

And more importantly, our kids are invested.

They have goals. They have dreams. They want the hit-zero routine, the championship jacket, the ring, the bid, and the moment when all those hours finally mean something.

So when one is missing, it’s never really just ONE.

It’s an entire stunt group missing an opportunity.

It’s a team missing a chance to get better.

It’s a child who showed up, ready to work, wondering why everyone else didn’t.

And maybe that’s the hardest part of All-Star Cheer.

Teaching our kids that being part of a team means showing up for people who are counting on you, while also teaching them how to handle the disappointment when others don’t.

Because at the end of the day, you don’t have to make cheer your child’s ONLY sport.

But if you’re going to make it one of their sports, please remember that it’s somebody else’s EVERYTHING. ❤️🖤

“What if she doesn’t know anyone?”
“What if she’s never cheered before?”
“What if she’s scared?”

Then she’s exactly who this post is for.

Day 18 of 31 Days of Premier: 5 not-so-scary things about walking through our doors.

You don’t have to arrive with every skill or all the confidence. Come as you are. We’ll help with the rest.

Swipe for a little less spooky and a lot more Premier.

Send this to a mom whose daughter wants to try cheer but hasn’t taken that first step.