Ken, when you get to the JV level of play in high school every practice is very important. The complete team has to been there for every practice. This is a team sport being played at a high level and every team member is critical. I understand your daughter wishes to do both sports, but I would not allow any of my players to miss a pratice for a different sport. I know that is not what you wanted to hear, but I am being honest.

Same opinion here . . . I only have 5-6 hours a week to accomplish everything that needs to be done; stretching, stunting, jumping, tumbling, routines, conditioning and water breaks.

Team sports rely on everyone being there and committed for the season. It is unfair for either team to suffer at the hands of the other. If the coach allows an exception for your daughter he/she has to allow the same for all. Pretty soon every practice is an incomplete practice with goals not being accomplished.

Her daughter needs to choose. The nice thing is that both of this sports offer private/all star leagues. Find one in your area that does not conflict with practice and games and she will be able to do both.

Sacrifice and compromise . . . one of life's great lesson.

Good luck with your decission

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weplay group: 1Cheerleading and Tumbling

Ken,
High schools are being encouraged to allow for multiple sport athletes as long as one sport does not directly conflict with another, such as volleyball and basketball. However a year long activity such as cheerleading will conflict with all sports. Usually the coach will weed this problem out before it occurs. I'm in agreement with the other advice here-she's going to have to choose one or the other.

well its great that shes doing different sports i think that takes a lot of work. At my school if you are a cheerleader then you cant do another sport because 1)your cheering for a sport, and i cheer for girls volley ball so i couldnt PLAY volleyball because i would be cheering for it.. and 2) because it just takes up your time. were always having practices and events that we cheer for so its hard to be at alot of places at once.. i hope that everything works out for your daughter! xoxo Melissa

My daughter also cheers on her Freshman squad and plays on the Reserve team. If they cheer they are allowed to do one fall winter sport. My daughter had to give up basketball. Their volleyball practices are at the same time as cheer but they excuse them from cheer practice. It is her responsibility to find out what they worked on at practice and find another time to work on her cheers. There are four girls on her squad that play softball and they miss cheer practice too. The five of them usually find another time to practice together.

I think playing two sports is recommended and should be encouraged, especially from a fitness and conditioning standpoint. I specialize in training female athletes. Is the cheer, spirit cheer, or competitive cheer? This makes a difference. If is is spirit cheer then the cheer coach should probably let her miss cheer to attend vb practice. The athlete should then try to learn the cheers on her own time by scheduling makeup days and times with another cheerleader or cheer coach. It wouldn't hurt for both coaches to talk about this and work it out on behalf of all the athletes.