The stage lights grow brighter as athletes decked in sparkling uniforms take the floor by storm, listening to an eager crowd’s mighty roar as they do so. Glitter fills the air as good luck clips are passed between athletes. This is the competition every All-Star cheerleader dreams about, and it has finally arrived. Summit is here.
Widely known across the globe, Summit is the cheer season’s final competition, occurring this year from May 2 to May 5. This championship invites All-Star cheerleading teams, who are not in the Worlds division, to compete against the best of the best, allowing a chance to end the season with a bang. It will be held at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports, giving athletes and their families an opportunity to have fun at the parks when not competing. Since summer, teams have spent hours in the gym every week improving their skills. As the date comes closer, athletes in every gym are doing whatever it takes to receive the so-admired first place title.
“[Summit] is so much fun; I have spent eight years going to Summit, and I finally won last year. It is a huge part of my memories when it comes to cheer,” Addison Bishop, sophomore, said.
Despite the extensive hours already committed to practicing for Summit, many gyms feel that it is still not enough. For further preparation, teams everywhere are changing their routines to better impress the judges. Choreographers travel from team to team, giving athletes different motions, harder skills, more eye-catching dance moves, and other dazzling additions to make the routine shine. Still, there is plenty more to do; at practices, coaches spend time fixing any problems they see in the routine, making athletes drill new skills repeatedly until they reach perfection. This tiring work can be frustrating, annoying, or even scary, depending on who is asked, but it is necessary if one wants to secure a win.
“I would say that Summit is pretty nerve-wracking. Once I am on stage, though, adrenaline pushes me through,” DeAnna Haygood, freshman, said.
Due to Summit being one of the All-Star cheer season’s most prestigious events, not every team is eligible to attend. The teams that received a bid are lucky, as this is an invitation to compete at the season’s last milestone. However, there are various types of bids to strive for (a Wild Card, an At Large, a Partial Paid, and a Paid Bid), which can be won at competitions leading up to Summit. A Wild Card bid allows for teams to compete in the event’s preliminary round, the competition before Finals. An At Large bid consists of skipping the preliminary round and heading straight into the semi-finals, though registration fees are not covered. A Partial Paid bid also allows teams to compete in the semi-finals, with the host organization covering a portion of each athlete’s registration fee. Finally, a Paid Bid is the most difficult to achieve, as it means the host organization covers the team’s registration fees entirely, granting them permission to compete in the semi-finals. Though bids can be challenging to receive, many believe the work is worth it to secure that desired spot in the competition, even for Worlds teams hoping to win at their own season finale.
“After 13 seasons of cheerleading and competing four of them at Worlds, [getting bids] has been more than an honor. The pressure and the crowd all play a factor into how well you can do your job on the mat. Winning a World Championship in sophomore year was the highlight of me ever competing at Worlds because I genuinely felt on top of the world,” Morgan Bradley, senior, said.
As Summit rolls nearer, cheerleaders everywhere are doing all they can to prepare. For more information about the upcoming event, click here.
