When and where is your 1st competition?

Date: Tue Sep 12 12:50 PM, 2006

When and where is your 1st competition?

Date: Tue Sep 12 2:17 PM, 2006

1st competition is November 12...Jamz in Irvine.

Date: Tue Sep 12 9:37 PM, 2006

Ours is Nov 18, GSSA at UCLA

Date: Tue Sep 12 9:56 PM, 2006

Where and when is yours? What team are you on?

Date: Wed Sep 13 8:44 PM, 2006

Are there any competitions in October that anyone knows of?

Date: Wed Sep 13 9:14 PM, 2006

Cheergyms is going to Jamz (in Stockton) October 29th. Good luck to everyone this season. My wish is for a safe, fun and memorable year for ALL the gyms.

Date: Wed Sep 13 9:36 PM, 2006

Jamfest is October 7, Jamz has a couple regionals, USA has regionals, UCA has t heir regionals at Marine world. There will be about 5 events.

I thought cheergyms.com was doing jamfest on cotober 7?

Date: Wed Sep 13 9:57 PM, 2006

I sooooo don't miss going to competitions at amusement parks like Great America and Marine World. THey are the absolute worse, and to force people to pay to get into parks just so they can see their son/daughter cheer is just ridiculous. I'm surprised they still have cheer competitions there, most gyms avoid them.

Date: Thu Sep 14 5:40 AM, 2006

Actually when I cheered I enjoyed those places. Great America was fun, and if you know in advance its not that much money. Most of the time they have promotions and offer discounts. The only reason we don't go is because its to early for us, but I like the Great America event.

Date: Thu Sep 14 9:48 AM, 2006

actually wrote:

Actually when I cheered I enjoyed those places. Great America was fun, and if you know in advance its not that much money. Most of the time they have promotions and offer discounts. The only reason we don't go is because its to early for us, but I like the Great America event.

Is the only drawback that spectators have to pay to get into the park?

Is it a fun competition otherwise? Full size spring floor (54x42), etc? Sounds like fun........competing, then playing in the park. Did anyone (allstar) go last year?

Thanks,

Date: Thu Sep 14 11:10 AM, 2006

We've never gone to a comp at Great America, but the ones in Marine World have always been more of a pain than anything else (the cost, dealing with the crowds, parking, administrative mistakes on their end including not opening the gate to the parking lot early like they were supposed to). And then there's the weather. Unpredictable of course with outdoor competitions. It's either too hot out there, or too windy and cold. We had rain one year as well. Not fun. Not fun at all.

But hey, everyone should do it at least once just so they can see for themselves. I hope that the weather is perfect for you and everything goes well. There are enough people who have a great time so I think we've just been unlucky. Dress for all types of weather, bring lots of bottled water, and remember where you parked!

Date: Thu Sep 14 11:23 AM, 2006

Our first competition is Jamfest in Louisville...Sept. 24th.

Date: Thu Sep 14 12:01 PM, 2006

To Nor Cal Competitions, Cheergyms was originally going to Jamfest on Oct. 7th but they changed it a month or two ago to Jamz on 10/29. I am not sure the reason, probably due to the teams needing more time to get their routines down but that is just a guess on my part. I am disappointed as all of us parents really liked Jamfest in Long Beach alot last season and were looking forward to their competition again this year. Now we are not going to any of their comps. :(

To all gym owners: I know that it is more expensive for you to go to Jamfest comps due to the fees being higher per participant, but I know that I as a parent would rather have that fee worked into our gym fees to go to those comps instead of one like Jamz that is not as well attended (regionals anyway) and charges an arm and a leg to get in. I also know that Jamz pays prize money to gyms for winning certain categories at their regionals and that is a motivating factor for you to go. But, it sure seems that that prize money is coming right out of my pocket in the form of over priced admission fees ($20 per person for Regionals) and on top of it, having to pay for a program in order to get a performance schedule. I understand that these are not things you are thinking about when you choose comps to attend each year, but we as parents are paying a big price! My husband can't handle all day at the competition and it is just not worth it for him to drive an hour by himself and have to pay $15 to $20 to get in to watch our daughter for 10 minutes and go home. At least at Jamfest he can do it without having to pay the admission fee and it feels more worth it for him to come. I am sure the same can be said for grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, etc. I know I am not the only one that feels this way. Just a thought for the future!

To Comp Companies: I wish more comp companies would structure their comps like Jamfest and have free admission to spectators so more people can come and watch! It is working for them, and I have heard nothing but positives from parents and cheerleaders that have been to their comps. They seem to be making money and expanding every year, so follow their lead!

Sorry for the long rant, but it has been on my mind for a while and I feel better now that I have said it!

Date: Thu Sep 14 12:12 PM, 2006

I'm with you, cheer mom. We went to Jamfest regional last year and loved it. Free admission is the way to go -- comps make enough money with their per cheerleader fee, wouldn't you think? We couldn't make it this year (Jamfest) for probably the same reason, it's a little too early and we're not quite ready. I think I'll email Jamfest to ask if they could make theirs later in October next year.

Jamz is fun, I like it. But they're out of their minds charging $20 for a regional comp. And I refuse to buy a program just to see when our teams are performing. I'll take my chances and print out what's on the internet and hope they haven't changed the times by much. I think while I email Jamfest, I'll email Jamz to complain about their admission fees. So a family of five has to pay $100 to get in? That's insane.

Date: Thu Sep 14 12:36 PM, 2006

Another Jamfest benefit is that you can bring your own camera and camcorder! Also, it is so kid friendly that you could bring younger siblings and they would not get bored. Oh and another thing....I love how they split up the award ceremonies. I am very disappointed that our gym is not attending a Jamfest comp. and that we are going to several Jamz comps.

Date: Thu Sep 14 1:18 PM, 2006

You can videotape at all Jamz Regional competitions. Not at Nationals though.

I like Jamz competitions, I just hate the admission fees.

Cheergyms, are you going to Jamz Nationals in Vegas too?

Date: Thu Sep 14 2:22 PM, 2006

Cheer Mom, I don't know if you went to Jamfest regional last year, but I thought I'd mention that even though it was free, it was not that well attended (meaning there weren't that many teams in each division). Perhaps because it costs so much per cheerleader. Most only had a few teams in each division to go against. Nationals may have been different.

Date: Thu Sep 14 3:02 PM, 2006

No, we did not go to any regionals of Jamfest last year, just Nationals. The problem is, Jamz regionals are not well attended either. We went to a couple of them last year and most of the time competed against our own teams and no one else. The only teams that competed against other teams were the level 2 teams for the most part. So to have to pay $20 to get in and another $5 to $10 to get the program so you have a correct performance schedule, not to mention the gas to drive an hour each way, it is not very appealing to us as parents. We did go to Jamz Nationals last season and did very well and competed against good competition and had to pay the same to get in there. This year we are not going to Jamz Nationals or Jamfest Nationals and I know when we were at Jamfest in Long Beach a lot of us parents told our gym owners how much we liked their comps and that we would like to do them again, but I guess it didn't work out. I just wish Jamz and other companies would follow in thier footsteps as it seems it is the most popular idea among all of us that actually pay the money for them to do what they do! Also, I know for me personally, if I don't have to pay to get in at the door I am much more likely to spend more at the concession stands and at the merchandise booths, so they still get there money and everyone is happy!

Date: Thu Sep 14 3:23 PM, 2006

I remember cheergyms at Jamz stockton last year and they had levels 2, 3, and 4 teams who did have competition at those levels. I think what you're saying is true for the level 5's .. I remember Pyramids going against Motions, but I can't remember if there were any others. I think it will be different this year because you no longer have Jr. Prep and Sr. Prep divisions. I find that at most regionals, be it Jamfest, Jamz, USA, or others you don't have that much competition because there are plenty of regional comps to choose from. Nationals, different story.

Let's hope the change this year makes a difference and we see more teams in each division!

Date: Thu Sep 14 3:31 PM, 2006

At Jamz in Davis we had our level 3 Focus and Pyramids go against eachother with plenty of other competition for them