What Is Nationals in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: "Nationals" means a national championship competition. In cheer there isn't just one: many different event producers and organisations each run their own "nationals", for All Star, school and college teams. For many teams, a nationals event is the biggest goal of the season, alongside or instead of bid-only championships like Worlds or The Summit.

Why There's More Than One

Unlike most sports, competitive cheer doesn't have a single national championship run by one governing body. Event producers - the companies and organisations that run competitions - each hold their own end-of-season or major-season championship, often with "Nationals" in the name. A team might call one event "Nationals" while another gym in the same town calls a completely different event "Nationals."

All Star, School and College Nationals

• All Star nationals are run by event producers for gym-based teams, usually following USASF rules (in the US) and spread through the season, often in large arenas over two days.
• School and college nationals are run separately, under school or college rule sets, for school-based teams. In the US, for example, the big Varsity-run high school and college championships have a long history, dating back to the national championships first televised in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• National championships in other countries - such as in the UK - are run by national governing bodies or event producers in that country.

How Teams Get There

Depending on the event, a nationals may be open entry - any eligible team can register - or require a qualification or bid from earlier events. Nationals are not the same as Worlds or The Summit: those are specific bid-only championships, while "nationals" is a general label used by many events.

Where Nationals Fits in a Season

For many teams - particularly those not in contention for Worlds or Summit bids - a nationals event is the high point of the season: often bigger, more spectacular and more competitive than local events, with larger divisions and bigger awards.

What to Expect as a Parent

Nationals events are often held in large arenas or convention centres, may involve travel and hotel stays, and usually run over a weekend. Ask your gym early which nationals the team plans to attend, as costs can be significant and planning ahead helps.

Related Terms

See Worlds and Summit for the major bid-only All Star championships, and Bid for how qualification often works.