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| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (Page 3 of 3) What kind of travel and travel expenses can I expect? While it is true that our teams travel to National competitions, we currently do not travel anywhere that requires a flight. Almost all of our competitions take place in Illinois, and usually only about 3 competitions are two days long and require hotel stays (less for Tiny and Mini teams). Our far away National competition for the 2007-2008 season was held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The tentative competition schedule for each season is planned in advance so that families can have ample time to make any necessary arrangements. In addition, when the gym selects hotels, cost is a primary consideration. Most importantly, our Fundraising Committee provides numerous opportunities throughout the year which helps our athletes to raise funds for these trips. All athletes have the opportunity to participate in fundraising offered by our Fundraising Committee and all money raised will go directly to the individual. What are the costs associated with being on the Lions? Costs include an all-inclusive monthly tuition (includes gym tuition, competition entry fees, summer team camp/activities, choreography/music, and spirit fee), uniform/warm-up/practice shirts, and hotel stays for 2-day competitions (1-4 per season depending on team). Our Fundraising Committee sponsors about five fundraisers each year to help off set the costs associated with our teams. All funds raised will go directly to the individual. In the past, we have had many athletes raise a large amount of money through fundraisers. Do your athletes cheer for college programs after graduating from your program? Over the years, many of our athletes have gone on to cheer in college or become an NCA or UCA staff member. For athletes looking to continue their cheerleading career in college, our staff is there to assist them in that process. What is your facility like? Our facility is located off of Empire Street/Rt 9 in Bloomington, Illinois near Buffalo Wild Wings. Our gym is 17,000 square feet and contains a 54' x 40' spring floor and a 42' x 42' spring floor. We also have a tumble track and spring floor strip into an in-ground foam pit, and an in-ground trampoline and slat floor tumbling strip. Our gym allows our athletes to develop and progress their skills in a safe environment. How are practices run and how do the staff and cheerleaders interact together? While we believe that it is our job to push our athletes to reach and obtain their goals, the atmosphere at Victory is fun and enjoyable. Our coaches treat our athletes kindly and with the respect they deserve. We believe in positive reinforcement and in motivating and encouraging our athletes. While cheerleading training is certainly our primary focus, we realize that we are coaching kids and that they need to have fun in this sport. In an effort to maximize their enjoyment and success, we have a lot of outside activities for our teams and our athletes to participate in. Whether it is a team picnic or going to lunch together, we try to create strong team bonds and relationships among our kids that will last long into the future. While we certainly believe in creating strong and competitive teams, we also believe that there is much more to be gained from cheerleading than banners and trophies. What is the typical season for a Victory Academy Lions cheerleader? Evaluations to form our teams are held in April of each year. Team practices will begin in May and our teams will learn their competition routine during the summer. Competitions will begin in October and continue through mid-March. Each team will attend approximately 7-8 competitions during that time (less for Tiny and Mini teams). Our season is rounded out by our End of the Season Banquet to recognize all of our athletes on a job well done. What kind of instructional classes do you offer? We offer both tumbling classes and cheerleading classes. In our tumbling classes, the students will work solely on tumbling skills and are divided by skill level to ensure that they are able to get the most out of their class. The Tumble Cubs and Beginner classes do not have any skill requirements, but the Intermediate and Advanced classes do. Our cheerleading classes are divided by age groups and cover all aspects of cheerleading. In addition to tumbling, the classes also focus on stunts, jumps, motions, dance, and the students learn how to put these skills to counts and music. To see the days and times that classes are offered, please click here. Still have a question that wasn't answered here? Email us and ask it! |