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SEASON COST CALCULATOR
What will your cheer season actually cost?
Most gym packets quote tuition and competition dues but skip travel, hotels, spectator entry, parking, and end-of-season costs. Answer six quick questions and we'll show you the real total — plus the month it's most likely to hurt.
YOUR SEASON
Tell us about your team
Program level
Exhibition
Novice
Prep
Elite
Tumbling included?
Without
Travel intensity
Drive-In Local Season
Regional Hotel Travel
National Flight Travel
Mix of drives and 2-night hotel stays at regional events (5–10 hours away).
What this assumes:
•
2-night hotel stays per hotel competition ($250–$400/night)
•
Driveable distances — no flights required
•
Gas for the longer drives + extra meals on the road
•
Spectator entry, venue parking, food at the competition
Athletes in your family
−
+
Hotel-stay competitions
How many comps require an overnight stay? Most regional teams have 3–5.
−
+
Spectators per competition
Adults attending — usually 2 parents, sometimes grandparents.
−
+
Summit / end-of-season bid scenario
Layered on top of your travel intensity — Summit is a separate late-season trip with prorated May tuition, extra coaches fees, bid registration, hotel, flights, and a 3-day spectator package. Toggle on if your team is realistically Summit/D2 Summit-hopeful.
No bid expected
Optional extras (check what applies)
Banquet meals
Spirit gifts / team gifts
Warm-up jacket
Cheer makeup kit
Extra spectator / sibling tickets
YOUR ESTIMATED SEASON
$8,040 – $11,480
For 1 athlete at Prep level
HOW THIS COMPARES
Typical first-year family
Novice or Prep level, mostly drive-in, 2-3 hotel comps
$5,000 – $10,000
← your scenario
Typical Elite season
Elite level, regional travel, no Summit bid
$9,000 – $15,000
Summit / Worlds-track Elite
Elite + national flight travel + Summit/D2 bid
$16,000 – $28,000
THE GAP NOBODY MENTIONS
Gym packet quotes
$4,800 – $5,500
Tuition + comp dues + uniform + reg
Real family cost
$8,040 – $11,480
+ travel, spectator, parking, food, banquet
Gap your packet didn't mention:
$3,240 – $5,980
PEAK MONTH
Apr
~$1,509 – $2,042
Tuition + comp dues + travel + bid spike. Most families don't see it coming.
WHERE IT GOES
Cost breakdown
Gym fees (tuition, comp dues, uniform, reg)
$4,800 – $5,500
Travel + hotels
$2,440 – $4,300
Spectator entry, parking, venue food
$800 – $1,680
Almost never in the packet
MONTH BY MONTH
When the bills hit
May
$125
Jun
$744
Jul
$615
Aug
$651
Sep
$393
Oct
$624
Nov
$624
Dec
$854
Jan
$854
Feb
$1,085
Mar
$1,545
Apr
$1,776
May
$0
The amber bar is your peak month. The early months pace evenly — the back half is where most rookie families get caught off guard.
SAVINGS TARGET
$737 – $1,052 / month
Set aside this much each month for 12 months and you'll cover the full season plus a 10% cushion.
WANT THE FULL PLAN?
CheerBanq turns this estimate into your real budget.
Upload your gym's actual packet, pick from the gym library, or enter manually. CheerBanq projects every month with real numbers and tells you which month will hurt most — before it hits.
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On iPhone? Join the iOS waitlist →Or read: 7 costs almost never in the packet →
Estimates are based on typical all-star cheer programs in the US. Your specific gym and competition schedule may differ. CheerBanq's app uses your actual gym's numbers for a precise plan.
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