The booming industry of cheerleading has become competitive in more ways than one, and local families are willing to spend big bucks and countless hours for the experience…

The decision to become a parent is perhaps one of the most important choices that an individual will face in their lifetime. The obligations, sacrifices, commitments and mounting societal pressures that accompany parenthood ensure that the job is not for the faint of heart.

Those who embark on this journey feel that, ultimately, the rewards will always outweigh the risks. However, as time and history have shown us, no amount of meticulous preparation and planning can wholly prepare two loving individuals for all that will be required in the creation of their blossoming family. Styles and strategies for dealing with both the everyday and the unexpected will of course vary, but most parents in today’s culture can agree that they will do everything in their power to give their children the brightest possible start in life.

For many parents, the desire to provide the best of everything translates to top-rated schools, organic meals, daily quality time and a long list of extracurricular activities and programs to help discover hidden talents and bring out their best attributes. Nowadays, there are many different programs that a child can participate in, and one of the more popular options is that of competitive cheerleading.

Baby Steps 
On an exterior level, competitive cheerleading has tremendous mass appeal. For eager young minds, cheerleading is an opportunity to develop an exciting skill, create lasting friendships, travel to new places and don those glittery, sequined costumes. Beyond the surface, however, there is an entire lifestyle devoted to the heavy lifting and behind-the-scenes operations that take place before the finished products take center stage. Competitive cheerleading is one of the most aggressive activities to partake in and, perhaps fittingly, comes with several additional obligations and sacrifices for both parent and child.

The world of cheerleading includes a high level of demand and an even higher level of competition. Those who wish to ascend to this level of performance have to be bold, strong, and most importantly, have to start young. The introductions into cheerleading are varied, but starting early remains one of the best ways to warrant a successful run. Parents across the country are well aware of this need for early beginnings, as they waste no time enrolling their young stars well before they reach double digits. Mothers are also quick to adopt the unofficial branding of “Cheer Mom,” and do so with pride.

Local resident and former cheerleader, Justine Prudente, has two daughters in competitive cheer currently. Her older daughter, Brooke, started performing at age 6 and her youngest, Elle, started at age 4. They have been involved for almost five years now.

Another cheer parent, Amanda Mathis, got the idea to put her daughters in cheerleading when she saw a friend enroll her young daughter. Her daughters, Kadynce and Kinsley, showed some interest in the process and were enrolled at ages 6 and 5, respectively.

Cheer mom Marla Kulek has one daughter, Hayden, whom she enrolled at age 8. Before cheerleading, Hayden was in a tumbling class and was eventually asked to join a competitive team. Kulek was beyond ecstatic for the opportunity to have Hayden become a part of the squad.

“I was so excited because I was also a competitive cheerleader and thought my daughter would love it as much as I did,” says Kulek.

Getting Down to Business 
Once the papers are signed and the introductions are complete, the training begins and the time and effort that is required increases tenfold. Holly Parnell, owner of Excel Athletics in Winter Haven, breaks down what a typical day looks like at her family-operated facility.

“Our days tend to start a little later because we are at the gym pretty late most nights,” says Parnell. “We run a pretty large after-school program, so pickup starts around 2 p.m. Our competitive teams practice until at least 7:30 p.m., sometimes 8 p.m.”

These hours are daily, but they expand during the off-season for training, camps, classes, and recreational activities. “During the summer we are open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. or later. It’s quite a bit, but we have an amazing staff that helps keep all our programs running smoothly.” Don’t let that terminology fool you, though, because competitive- level cheerleading has no off-season.

“The difference is [that] competitive cheer is literally year-round,” she says. “Most other sports have a ‘season,’ but in competitive cheer we just go from summer practices, to competitions, and back to summer practices.”

The weekly hours that are put in per family may fluctuate depending on the classes and number of children, but the commitments remain high. Prudente is involved on many levels, so she and daughters Brooke and Elle have a packed schedule.

“I am a cheer parent, but I also work and coach at the gym so [in total] I am there five nights a week for about two hours,” she says.

Mathis does not provide coaching services, but her girls, Kadynce and Kinsley, are enrolled in multiple classes, so the hours they spend on the mat add up quickly, too.

“I have two girls in three teams, and we do two-hour practices, twice a week,” she says. “I would say [we spend] a solid 10-11 hours a week at practice, which does not include the closed practices for competition weeks.”

Beyond the time obligations, there are some relatively large financial investments that are required as well. It’s often too hard to estimate how many dollars go into an ongoing and all-consuming activity such as competitive cheerleading, but the approximations from the parents are signs of a promise that is taken very seriously.

“I believe our cost was $3,000 for a returning cheerleader, not including hotel stays, travel and a few other things,” says Mathis.

Kulek’s estimates were a little bit higher, but she accounts for some of the additional expenses. “Between tuition, uniforms, completion fees, hotels, travel and miscellaneous [purchases] I would say $5,000 a year.” Prudente’s estimates were broken down by month, but her calculations amount to about the same totals as Kulek and Mathis over the course of a year.

“We spend around $200 a month, and I have two children so normal costs are doubled for us,” she says.

The training hours and financial investments are no small addition to the load of an already busy family, but the desire to be a part of this lifestyle continues to overshadow any sacrifices that are made long before the final competitions.

A Balancing Act 
When cheerleading began to develop into a competitive level, there was concern among parents and teachers in regards to the balance between cheerleading and education. Given that these obligations occur during crucial teaching periods, this worry remains justifiable.

Mathis acknowledges this concern, but she works around it by communicating with the teachers, and tries to limit the amount of time away from the books to less busy days of the week.

“If we have a long travel weekend, I will take the girls out of school on the Friday before,” she says. “I just give their teachers a heads-up in advance when I take them out of school for a competition.”

Fortunately, Parnell’s gym fosters a positive relationship between education and practice with her after-school program, and her cheerleaders are picked up from class and taken straight to the mats. This service has tremendous benefit for parents like Prudente, because it alleviates some of the stress and saves a lot of valuable time.

“The gym picks my children up from school, where they [then] work on homework and have a snack before practice,” she says. “So by the time I get off work and arrive at the gym, they have already completed homework and are dressed for practice.”

Even with the help of the after-school program, Prudente knows that there are only so many hours in a day to accomplish everything that needs attention. Cuts are often made, but she ensures that her daughters understand the expectations. “School is the No. 1 priority, and cheer is second.” This policy has kept time-related issues to a minimum.

The hours are long, the training is grueling and the costs are nothing short of demanding, but the rewards that come from embracing this industry and adopting the lifestyle are plenty and permanent.

“Hayden was a very shy 8-year-old when she started cheer,” says Kulek. “Now in her third season, she has grown into a social butterfly and has more confidence in herself. As a parent, that’s all I can hope for my child.”

Mathis feels these benefits when her children are performing. “Seeing their faces when they win first place is priceless. All of the blood, sweat and tears disappear. They understand then, that hard work pays off.”

Prudente’s biggest takeaways come in the form of understanding difficult lessons. “My children learn discipline and teamwork, and they also learn to be confident,” she says. “They also learn that quitting is not an option and that through hard work and dedication you can achieve so much and be rewarded. They also learn about defeat; you can’t always win, and if you don’t you be a good sport anyways.”

Parnell sees all of this and more unfold at her gym, and she’s grateful to be a part of the process. With her own mother as her business partner, she sees all of the other families as one big extension, and she wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.

“While cheerleading is a huge time and financial commitment, it definitely teaches kids things that you can’t learn at home or in a classroom; it teaches them commitment, perseverance, teamwork and loads of other skills that are so important to molding a successful adult. It’s not always rainbows and butterflies, but when you see a child turn into an athlete and one day a successful adult, they can look back on competitive cheer and say, ‘I may have learned a lot of cheer skills at Excel [Athletics], but I learned a lot of life skills too.’”

This article originally appeared in Orlando Family Magazine’s December 2017 issue.