The Summit National Cheer Competition Takes Place in Orlando
The Summit Nationals that takes place every year, in the spring, is a national championship for all cheerleaders that qualify for the Summit. The Summit took place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida this year at April 28-May 1. The Summit is a competition for all non world teams that are the best of the best cheerleaders going to compete together for the last competition of their season. Cheerleading teams are required to get what’s called a “bid to Summit” if cheerleaders do not receive this bid they aren’t able to attend. Multiple junior and senior level teams look forward to this amazing, memorable, and very prestigious end of the season competition to wrap up their incredibly hard working season.
Competitors across the country are extremely excited for this approaching competition. Multiple cheerleaders have been working in their gyms extra hard and really pushing themselves to be the best that they can be to prepare for this competition. When you arrive at the Summit, on Thursday, April 28th your team has a practice on the field with many teams around you, the energy, the excitement, the drive that you have to succeed is insane. David Lengling, a Choreographer from Varsity stated, “ I think the Summit is a really important competition. It gives teams an end goal and a focal point to look forward to all season. Under that pressure, kids learn, grow and improve. The Summit teaches them how to work hard and come together to accomplish something incredible.”
Friday April 29th is competition day. The nerves, the excitement, the anxiousness, the smiles and joy, its' unexplainable. The energy in warm ups, being on the mat before the music turns on and your about to do your routine, and you don't know if it will be your last time performing your routine or not, it's just an insane feeling. The adrenaline rush and the bright lights with a roaring crowd makes everything feel like it isn't real.
“My favorite thing about the Summit is my entire team gets the opportunity to travel and spend time together for the entire weekend. I love practicing on the football field with all of the teams around you and your parents watch from above. The energy is crazy!” Maddie Jensen an athlete from Green Bay Elite stated, on Varsity. On Saturday April 30, all cheerleaders have an off cheerleading day and are able to spend the entire day with their cheer teams and their cheerleading coaches. They are able to go park hopping all around Disney and take the entire day off to also go in the pool and enjoy these memorable times with their friends. The Summit block schedule will list all of the times your team has to be on the baseball field, because there you will find out if your team will be going to finals and finishing your competition out on Sunday. This is such an exciting experience, especially if you know you did very well on Friday and have a lot of hope that you will be headed to finals. The amount of fun all of these cheerleaders have tog/ether is amazing because they are also able to meet new cheerleaders from other gyms that are at the same parks as them and all around the ESPN Wide World of Sports.
On the finals the day of the Summit, May 1st, if your team has made it, its competition day again! Your team will be competing again and experience the same thing like on Friday. Sunday is a fun day because it really wraps up the competition after competing and getting awards on Sunday. On Sunday night Disney closes the following rides to the public, Astro Orbiter, Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Mad Tea Party for all cheerleaders, cheerleaders family members, and cheerleading coaches. These rides are open from 10 pm-2 am. This is the final hooray of the Summit Nationals competition.
To conclude, the Summit Nationals is an overall memorable, exciting, and incredible experience especially for the all star cheerleaders. Everything cheerleaders have ever worked for happens and it feels amazing. As of right now, being an all star cheerleader on April 7 exactly 20 days before I get on a plane to go to the Summit, I cant even explain the excitement I am feeling. Varsity states, “ I cant wait to be back at the Summit and give these athletes something to look forward to.”
