2008-009 season!!

Date: Sun Jun 8 1:16 AM, 2008

RE: 2008-009 season!!

Date: Sun Jun 8 7:28 AM, 2008

I travel a good distance to a gym outside of my area. I love our gym but I have to say the gas crisis is really concerning me. So far I'm still better off than if I'd gone to our local gym which offers fundraising but costs more than other gyms. I guess the "future" of gas prices is where everyone will make decisions about where to cheer or even IF they'll cheer. Scarey times.

I have a question for others who travel to gyms outside of their area (I'm talking 45 minutes or longer one way to the gym). Assuming that you have chosen your gym because they offer something that your local gym cannot or will not offer, if/when high gas prices begin to cause problems with your (our) ability to attend normal and extra practices during comp season, would you consider going to your local gym - regardless of your initial concerns about attending? Would you continue to search for more alternatives that will allow you to continue travelling the distance to your gym of choice? Or would you feel that it would be best to sit out 1, 2 or more seasons or maybe even not return to cheer at all?

Also, are any of you fearful that you may not complete this cheer season? It's early but I'm not going to say that it hasn't crossed my mind a time or 4.

(Warning: No bashing, posted names, or sarcasm allowed. This question is for parents who feel my pain.)

Date: Sun Jun 8 7:56 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Okay so what is considered local to most, taking into account that I assume most posters are in Cali. Being in the bay anything that is an hour drive to me is local. So going to San Jose, Oakland, SF isn't a big deal for us. So for us we typically stay "local" with the exception of Nationals. Now this past season when times started to get rough, we did have two competitions that were two day events. I opted not to stay in the ridiculously priced hotel at $180.00 per night near the convention center and just drove home. So that day was about $40.00 in gas for me, but it beats spending $180.00 for a hotel. The next morning we got up early to be back at the convention center at 8 am and brought food with us which we always do because the food at those types of large competitions are just crazy ($7.00 for one serving of nachos).

We are partcipating in every fundraiser, booster event, sponsorships etc. These options have always been available but now people are actually participating to make sure they don't have to break their child's heart and pull them out of something they love so much.

Yeah, I would say if you're in Northern California the local comps are San Jose, Sacramento, Stockton, San Francisco. And a few of those we've attended had more competition than our trips to Southern California.

Date: Wed Jun 11 2:44 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Okay so what is considered local to most, taking into account that I assume most posters are in Cali. Being in the bay anything that is an hour drive to me is local. So going to San Jose, Oakland, SF isn't a big deal for us. So for us we typically stay "local" with the exception of Nationals. Now this past season when times started to get rough, we did have two competitions that were two day events. I opted not to stay in the ridiculously priced hotel at $180.00 per night near the convention center and just drove home. So that day was about $40.00 in gas for me, but it beats spending $180.00 for a hotel. The next morning we got up early to be back at the convention center at 8 am and brought food with us which we always do because the food at those types of large competitions are just crazy ($7.00 for one serving of nachos).

We are partcipating in every fundraiser, booster event, sponsorships etc. These options have always been available but now people are actually participating to make sure they don't have to break their child's heart and pull them out of something they love so much.

Yeah, I would say if you're in Northern California the local comps are San Jose, Sacramento, Stockton, San Francisco. And a few of those we've attended had more competition than our trips to Southern California.

Which Socal comps didnt have more competition then norcal ones?

Date: Wed Jun 11 3:17 PM, 2008

I think you can go both ways, there are Northern CA comps that don't have as much competition as Southern CA comps too, for various reasons and it also varies year to year. I think that is the point, you don't always have to drive 5 hours plus to go to competitions that will be fun and challenging for your teams. Over the years we have travelled too far just to go against two or three in a division. With the price of gas and today's economy, it just doesn't make sense.

I should add sometimes the reason we only have a couple or few to go against is because of the way a competition divides the teams (which is why it can vary year to year). It also depends on whether they have scheduled their competitions on the same day as others.