Cheer competitions run long, start early, and have zero margin for the thing you forgot. Pack the night before. Every time.
Pack this the night before
The uniform. Lay it flat or hang it in a garment bag. Check for every piece: shell, liner, briefs. If any part stayed at practice or is sitting in the dryer, find it now. Pack a second pair of spankies, because the pair you’re wearing to warm-up is not your backup.
The bow. Put it in a hard eyeglass case or a small rigid box. A crushed bow at 7am in a convention center bathroom is a problem you prevent tonight. Bring one extra in the team color.
Cheer shoes. In a separate bag inside the main bag, not loose. Wipe them clean tonight. A scuff you notice during inspection is a scuff you should have caught yesterday.
Hair kit. Brush, comb, gel, hairspray (in a quart zip bag for the hotel), hairnet in team color, extra ponytail holders. Bobby pins: 50 is the floor, 100 is not excessive. Buy a new pack so you know you have them.
Makeup. Foundation in the right shade, mascara, lip gloss in team colors. If the team uses lashes, pack them with the adhesive in a labeled case. If your athlete is doing lashes for the first time this season, practice at home first.
Safety pins. Twenty in a small tin. They fix loose hems, broken straps, and costume malfunctions at every level of competition. This is the item veteran cheer parents never forget.
Rhinestones and glue gun. Stones fall off in warm-up, in the hotel, on the bus. Bring a small bag of extras in the team stone color and a mini hot glue gun. At any big competition, at least three families are trying to borrow one from a stranger. Don’t be those families.
Add this the morning of
Keep a smaller morning bag you carry into the venue. Into it goes: breath mints, travel deodorant, a blister bandage pack (Band-Aid Blister cushions, at least six), Tiger Balm for calves and ankles, pain reliever, and your phone charger.
Water bottle, full, lid sealed. Snacks for the morning: a banana, a granola bar, a small bag of pretzels. Easy carbohydrates that are already digested by the time you compete. Not a gas-station breakfast sandwich. Not a protein shake. Food that is sitting quietly in your stomach by 9am.
Cash for concessions. A camp chair, because the venue seating near athlete staging is never enough.
What most people forget
The school ID. Some competitions require it for athlete check-in. Read the event itinerary the night before and check the check-in requireme
Gear mentioned in this article (affiliate)
Youth cheer shoes →, a solid pick for youth cheer players.
Full Cheer gear guide →, all picks by age and level.
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