Is cheer worth the time and money?

Is cheerleading worth it? It’s tempting for us just to yell a resounding “YES! ” but the truth is that cheerleading is a major commitment, and it isn’t for everyone. Cheerleading has a lot of benefits. It keeps you active, helps you build great friendships, instills good character qualities, and is fun! But it also comes with a big price tag and a major time commitment. Then there’s the negative stereotypes some cheerleaders have to deal with, depending on how cheerleading is accepted at your school. Cost is a major factor in cheerleading. Cheerleaders typically have to fundraise more than other sports because if cheerleading isn’t considered an official sport at a school, the school budget probably doesn’t cover cheer costs. This leaves cheerleaders and parents responsible for covering the cost of uniforms, travel, competition fees, and other costs. Fundraising helps, but cheerleaders and their families need to be aware that when they sign up for cheerleading, they might also be signing up to spend a lot of time fundraising rather than stunting and tumbling. Cost is something that cheer parents will usually have to deal with more than cheerleaders. The time commitment affects both cheerleaders and their families. The average cheerleader commits to eight hours of travel and 11 hours of practice each week. That is on top of school and other activities‚ and that’s just the average! Many competitive cheerleaders have to drive hours to a gym in another town or even another state a couple times a week. This time commitment can take away from school, social activities, and family time. One cheerleader featured in this video about commitment from cheerleading brand Chasse even skipped her senior prom for a cheer event. This type of sacrifice is common in the cheer world. Cheerleaders on a squad from California only get two weeks off after their last competition before they start practicing again. The mom of one of these cheerleaders told KERO Bakersfield, “For me to sacrifice my time, my money, my sanity for them to be happy right now and to succeed in life, I’m more than willing to give it up.” Cheerleading does give young athletes confidence and teaches them to challenge themselves and work hard to achieve goals. For many cheerleaders, the sacrifices are worth it. Cheer is their life, and there’s nothing they’d rather do with their time. Now it’s time to sound off! Do you think cheerleading is worth the time and money? Tell us about your experience in the comments!