I can't decide if this is cool, or a sign of misplaced priorities or both...

[Dmmetler]

Even though DD isn't likely to ever go back to cheer, I'm still friends on social media with a lot of folks from the gym, and one thing I noticed this season was that a lot of the kids who really take cheer seriously (and often, those with parents who are homeschooling or virtual schooling to allow a more intense training schedule) gym hopped this season. Which usually doesn't happen unless there is something specific that one gym has and the other doesn't. 

 

I figured out this past weekend why-most competitions in the US are scheduled, but most are ending up cancelled at the last minute. But, gyms in NZ, some parts of Asia, and Australia have largely worked it out to be virtual or hybrid.  So, instead of Waiting to see if competitions will even happen in the US this year, they are competing "live" from their gym-in competitions on the other side of the globe. According to the parents, the kids are loving it (and competing at 10:00 PM just adds to the excitement) because instead of it being a pale shadow of the competitions they're used to, they are getting to participate in a completely different competition structure, in different countries, and seeing teams they would never see.  

 

I still think that letting your kid go train in a cheer gym, where social distancing is impossible and there is a culture of being there even if you're sick, is a bad idea. But I must admit, that's kind of a clever way to give the kids something exciting to look for in a "non-travel" season!

 

 

[school17777]

Two of my dd’s cheer competitions turned virtual just today.  They’ll record the competition a few days before and then have a live viewing a few days later. 

[SKL]

I have a friend whose 3 daughters (ages 6, 8, and 10) are in competitive cheer.  They practice in the gym.  They wear masks except for certain moves.  They had some kind of so-called "virtual competition" that involved the judges traveling to watch each team separately.

I really think the benefits of the activity outweigh the risks for the families who choose to participate.  The kids I know are not around their grandparents during the cheer season.

Of the family's 4 children, the only one who has had a possible exposure (and is currently quarantining) is the 4yo son.  He got "possibly exposed" on the school bus.