Well, it's that time of year again -

Pop Warner starts Friday, August 1st.

This will be my daughter's third year and I must admit that when we signed the registration papers that first year, I had no idea what we were in for! If you are just starting out for the first time, this article will help you to know what to expect. I wish I had known then what I know now.

This is a BIG Commitment

Make no mistake, whether you realize it or not, you have just made a big commitment. You have committed your time, money and emotions. It is a roller-coaster ride for both you and your daughter.

And if you thought that this was about your daughter standing on the sidelines looking cute in her uniform for a few Sundays, cheering on the football tea, you are seriously mistaken.

This is about competition.

The goal of every team is to do well in competition and make it to Florida. Everything that these teams do is with an eye on that prize. It is the topic of all meetings, every conversation and most of the practices.

My first year, I remember thinking, "Oh, what are the odds?" whenever somebody started talking about making it to Nationals. It seemd very far-fetched and unlikely.

Well, I found out last year that it happens. For the first time ever, my daughter's team went to the National Cheer and Dance competition in Disney World. Three weeks before Christmas. Great timing!

Even if it seems incredibly unlikely, don't discount the notion! Always keep the idea in the back of your mind, that you might be going.

Your First Commitment - Time

Like any other sport that your children are involved in, this is time-consuming. Beginning August 1st, teams are allowed to practice 10 hours per week. Our team chooses to practice Monday through Friday from 6pm to 8pm.Right in the middle of dinner. Prepare to adjust your schedule.

Once school starts, practice is allowed for six hours per week. Again, ours runs from 6pm to 8pm. Practices continue until your team either fails to advance to the next level of competition or until they compete in Florida.

Additional demands on your time are football games, parents meetings, fundraising and group actviites for the children in the programs. Depending on how large the league is that your team is a part of, travel time can also be an issue. Our furthest games are about 40 miles away, but some leagues cover a much larger area, geographically. Also, try to find out where your competitions will be held. Ours are about and hour and a half away, but by the time we get to the Regional competition, some teams are travelling several states to get there.

Competition itself will pretty much take up a whole day. Most of it is spent waiting. Waiting for the bu to come. Waiting for your team to perfrom. Waiting for the scores to be tallied. Waiting for the winners to be announced.

Most organizations also require that all parents contribute volunteer time. This can be in the concession stand, field maintenance or any other area where they need help. Try to find out ahead of time what kind of obligation you will need to meet.

Your Second Commitment - Money

I remember paying the registration fee the first year and thinking I was done. Boy, was I naive!

Additional expenses can include "Cheer Gear", which is anything that is part of the unifrom but is not provided. My daughter is required to have specific sneakers, a turtle-neck crop top, bloomers, socks, a warm-up suit, and cheer bag. Try to find out what items your team requires and the approximate cost. I remember being told that my daughter needed to go to her first uniform fitting, thinking she was going to try on a uniform and shelling out $200.00, totally unexpectedly.

Some teams have club houses, but others practice in rented or borrowed gyms. Our team has at least a certain number of practices in rented facilities. We spend around $80.00 per year on gym fess.

Another expense which I was totally ignorant of the first year was bows and cheer curls. My daughter has a practice bow, a game bow and a competition bow. Bows run about $25.00 to $30.00 per season. Cheer curls are around $10.00 to $20.00.

Fundraising is seemingly endless, especially if your team makes it to Nationals. Every team has their own fund raising strategies and many have minimum amounts that you must meet. Again, ask what type of fund raising you will be responsible for..

Other expenses can include gymnastics classes or dance lessons. While coaches cannot technically require these, many set up group classes that everyone is more or less expected to attend. Our team does not do this, but I do know of some that do.

Expect to buy some t-shirts. Our team has practice t-sirts, competition t-shirts and sponsor t-shirts. T-shirts are also not just for the team. Competitions are wall to wall with parents who are also wearing the competition t-shirts. Again, not required but pretty much standard.

Competitions themselves are costly. Not only do tickets run from $10.00 to $20.00 per person per competition, but each competition is a virtual shopping mall of cheerleader paraphenalia. Be prepared to to be inundated with "PLEEEEASE?". You will be confronted with cheerleading pants, shirts, jackets, hats, pocketbooks and on and on.

Your Final Commitment - Your Emotions

Be prepared to get on an emotional roller-coaster that doesn't stop for months. You will endure a daughter who is cranky from long, hot practices. Who is frustrated from learning something new that doesn't always go as smoothly as it should. Who is learning, often for the first time, that some things can't be accomplished except as a team. And that not everybody in the group is going to be all that near and dear to their heart.

Add to all of these things the fact that every day they get closer to competition brings more stress and anxiety. They will be performing in front of literally thousands of people, most times in very large arenas. They are under pressure to perform perfectly and are scared and worried that they will be the one that messes up. The dream of Florida hangs in front of them like a carrot.

If they do well at competition, they are on a high that has them bouncing off the walls. If they do not do well, they are crushed. Your emotions on this will be mixed, also. While nobody wants their child to not do well, every time they advance brings a whole new round of stress and running.

The whole time you are swimming through all of this, you are fundraising like crazy because if they do make it to Nationals, the whole trip needs to be paid for within days of qualifying. So, you are fundraising like a maniac for something that may not happen.

The last thing I can tell you is that all of the running and all of the stress and all of the money melted away the second they came running out onto the mat in the Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

Everything we had endured for four and a half months was paid back ten-fold in two and a hlaf minutes.

PS - Second Place in the whole country!