Every now and then, we have a hard conversation with a family. A parent might feel frustrated that their child isn’t progressing as quickly as some of their teammates. And I get it. As parents, we all want to see our kids grow, succeed, and feel proud of what they can do.

But here’s the honest truth: progress in dance and cheer is directly linked to the hours a child spends training.

If one athlete has been training across multiple teams and classes for two years, and another has been training on a single team once a week over that same period, the difference in progress can look dramatic. In real terms, it’s often the equivalent of two extra years of training for every one year.

That doesn’t make one child more talented than another.
It simply reflects time, repetition, and exposure.

💪 What More Hours Actually Do

The athletes who progress the fastest aren’t just “naturally gifted.” They’re the ones who are getting:

• More repetition of skills

• More time under coaching eyes

• More conditioning for strength and safety

• More opportunities to fail, refine, and try again

Many of our athletes who progress quickly are involved in:

• 1–2 cheer teams

• Jazz, Hip Hop, and Pom teams

• Solos

• Additional tumbling

• Ballet, technique, stretch and lyrical (TSL) classes

That combination builds strong, conditioned, safe bodies. Ballet, TSL, stretch and tumble in particular develop the small stabilising muscles, core strength, and pelvic stability that allow kids to attempt harder skills safely and with confidence.

And here’s something we’ve seen time and time again:

👉 The strongest cheerleaders almost always train in Jazz and vice versa
Jazz builds power, control, lines, strength, and stamina — all of which directly transfer into cheer skills and performance quality. Cheer builds upper body strength, power, cardio and tumbling which helps create more impressive and conditioned jazz dancers.

⚖️ Balance Matters (Burnout is Real)

Of course, more hours isn’t always the right choice for every family.

There is a point where overload can lead to burnout, emotional fatigue, or family stress. Not every child thrives on multiple teams. Not every family has the time, emotional energy, or financial capacity to take on more training — and that is completely okay.

At NRG, we deeply respect:

• Your family’s capacity

• Your child’s personality

• Your time, budget, and emotional load

We believe in sustainable training. Progress should never come at the cost of a child’s wellbeing or their love for the sport.

🤍 What We Need to Be Honest About

What isn’t fair — to the child, to the coach, or to the team — is blaming coaching when a child’s progress reflects their training volume.

If a child is attending one competitive team per week, they are being coached and challenged to the level that is appropriate and safe for that amount of training. They are being supported. They are being pushed. But they are not receiving the same volume of skill exposure as peers who are training across multiple styles and multiple sessions per week.

This isn’t about pressure.
It’s about expectations matching reality.

🌱 Every Path is Valid

Some children are here to train multiple days a week, chase big goals, and immerse themselves deeply in dance and cheer. Others are here to enjoy being part of a team, grow steadily, build confidence, and have a beautiful, balanced childhood with space for other interests.

Both paths are valid.
Both are celebrated at NRG.

Progress isn’t a race.
But it is shaped by time.

And when we’re honest about that, we create a healthier culture for our kids — one built on understanding, compassion, and realistic expectations.

At NRG Allstars, we don’t measure success by how fast a child gets a skill.
We measure it by how safe they feel trying, how supported they are when they fail, and how proud they are of the effort they put in.

That’s the growth that really matters. 💖