Your Cheer Competition Weekend Plan

A smooth competition weekend starts weeks before you take the mat. This guide is a planning timeline and packing checklist for competition weekends: booking housing under the event’s rules, getting your gear competition-legal, and running competition day. For flying with cheer gear and TSA rules, see our travel advice for cheerleaders.

Weeks Before: Registration and Housing

Many large all-star events have housing rules, so check them before anyone books a hotel. Varsity Spirit’s Stay Smart program is one example:

• Three event types: Varsity labels events as Housing Required, Housing Rewards or Housing Offered. Stay Smart applies to a limited number of its largest destination championships.
• Housing Required events: teams book through Varsity’s housing partner, Team Travel Source. Varsity says you must be registered for the event before the booking date, and booking waves are set by when you registered.
• Local teams: teams 75 miles or less from the venue are automatically marked local and can commute. Prep and Novice teams within 150 miles don’t have to book hotels.
• Exemptions: teams farther away but within driving distance can ask for a commuter roster. Families can apply for exemptions in some cases, such as hotel points that fully cover the stay, military or hotel employee discounts, or an owned vacation home. Rentals and Airbnbs aren’t approved.
• Nights: Stay Smart doesn’t set a minimum number of nights, but individual hotels may.

Other event producers run their own housing policies, and rules change by season. Read your event’s housing page and ask your coach or gym before booking anything yourself.

Two Weeks Before

• Get the schedule from your coach: check-in, warm-up and performance times, and when the final schedule will be posted.
• Save the venue address and parking or shuttle information.
• Try on your full uniform and shoes. Replace anything that doesn’t fit or is worn out.
• Plan meals and snacks for the travel day and competition day.
• Arrange transportation and decide who’s bringing what.

The Week Of

• Do a full hair and makeup run-through using the team’s look.
• Remove jewelry and check nails. USASF rules ban jewelry of any kind (including clear plastic jewelry), and it can’t be taped over. Medical ID tags and bracelets are allowed.
• Keep your normal sleep schedule. The night before isn’t the time to stay up late.
• Follow your coach’s practice plan. Don’t add extra hard sessions on your own.

Packing Checklist

Uniform and rule-check items

• Full uniform: top, skirt or shorts, liner and bloomers.
• Competition shoes. USASF rules require soft-soled shoes with a solid sole. Dance shoes, boots and gymnastics slippers aren’t allowed.
• Bow and any team accessories, plus a spare bow if you have one.
• Team warm-up for before and after you perform.
• Rhinestones only on the uniform. USASF rules say they’re illegal when stuck to skin or hair.
• Any props your routine uses. USASF allows only flags, flat banners or signs, poms, megaphones and pieces of cloth.

Hair and makeup

• Hair ties, bobby pins, brush, hairspray and any styling tools your team uses.
• Your team’s competition makeup kit.

Recovery and first aid

• Athletic tape, pre-wrap and blister pads or moleskin.
• A zip-top bag for ice.
• Any braces you normally wear. USASF requires braces that have been altered from the manufacturer’s design to be padded.
• Your own prescribed medications, and only medicines your doctor or parent has approved.

Food and water

• A refillable water bottle.
• Familiar snacks such as fruit, granola bars, crackers and trail mix.

Paperwork and extras

• Any forms, IDs or credentials your coach or the event asks for.
• Phone charger, the schedule saved on your phone, and money for food or merchandise.

Need a bag that fits it all? See our guide to cheerleading bags for competition day.

Competition Day

1. Morning: wake up early enough for hair and makeup without rushing. Eat a familiar meal. KidsHealth suggests eating 3 to 4 hours before activity, or a lighter carb snack if there’s less time.
2. Arrival: follow your coach’s call time, not your performance time. Check in with your team and stay together.
3. Before warm-up: sip water, use the restroom, and take out any gum or candy. USASF rules ban having anything in your mouth that could cause choking during a performance.
4. Warm-up: stick to your coach’s warm-up plan in your assigned slot.
5. Perform: trust your training and perform full out.
6. After: refuel with a snack that has carbohydrates and protein, rehydrate, and support other teams through awards.

Handling Nerves

Nerves are normal. Relaxation techniques such as slow, deep breathing and visualization can help. Picture your routine going well, focus on your own job in each section, and lean on your teammates. If anxiety before competitions keeps getting in the way, talk to your coach, a parent or a counselor.

After the Weekend

• Unpack and wash your uniform the way your gym or team asks.
• Restock tape, pre-wrap and hair supplies for next time.
• Tell your coach about any pain or injury from the weekend.
• Note what you forgot, and add it to your list.

For more, see our guides to staying healthy during cheer season, warm-up routines and keeping your energy high while performing.

Sources: Varsity Spirit, Stay Smart and Stay Smart Event Housing Required Events; USASF, Cheer Rules (effective June 1, 2026); KidsHealth (Nemours), Feeding Your Child Athlete; National Institute of Mental Health, I’m So Stressed Out!. Last checked October 1, 2026.