Pros & Cons To Competing
Hey guys, Sheri again!
I know that right now might be a strange time to be talking about pole competitions with all the in-person events being cancelled or postponed. But right now could be a great time to be day dreaming or planning a piece if competing is ever something you've thought of. I've been sidelined for quite awhile now, but it hasn't stopped me from thinking about what I want to do next! I've competed in pole several times over the past couple of years and wanted to share some thoughts on competing. There are so many aspects of competing I could talk about, so for today I will focus on what I believe are some of the pros and cons of competing.
Everyone has different reasons and motivations for competing, so some of these may not apply to everyone. Keep in mind that I am super competitive, so this is only reflective of my training experience. But here are some of the things I have found to be highlights and some of that have been less pleasant when it comes to my competition experience.
Cons:
-It takes a lot of time: It takes time, seriously so much time, to put together a competition piece. Just when you think you have things figured out, you realize a combo that worked so well in your head actually just won't work and you have to go back to the brainstorming. Sometimes you end up in a creative block. So many roadblocks can come up, so give yourself even more time than you think you'll need if you are preparing to compete.
-Risk of repetitive injury: Practicing the same routine and the same tricks on the same side over and over again can do so much damage to your body. Prepping to compete puts you at higher risk for repetitive injury. It can be so tempted to run your piece to death, but really, I think you'd be setting yourself up for injury if you do that. I've found a wiser approach is to make sure I'm still cross training or training the tricks/combos on both sides. Running through the piece in your head is also super helpful to save your body!
-Lack of "fun" training: I have found that "fun" training and taking classes just for the hell of it really fall to the way side when preparing for a competition. This is for a few reasons. The first being the time commitment that competing already requires. It can be really hard to find the time and energy to take a fun class. Another reason "fun" training tends to take a back seat for me is fear of injury. Now, I never want to get hurt or risk injury, but when preparing for a competition I'm always extra cautious and often avoid trying anything too new or crazy.
-Expense: It is expensive to compete! Unfortunately, being in Saskatchewan, we aren't really that close to too many competitions. Except for Pole Theatre Canada, this is held in Edmonton (seriously check it out next year, it's my favourite competition!). You need to consider the cost of flights/transportation, hotels, costume (these are pricey if you aren't making your own), private lessons/training packages, hair and make-up costs, shoes (if you wear them). It adds up fast, and it isn't cheap!
-Judging is Subjective: Let's face it, even though there are score sheets for competitions, it is still a subjective sport to judge. It's not clear cut like a track and field race where the winner is whoever crosses the finish line first. You have to be prepared for this and accept the results, whatever they are. Honestly, I have struggled with this a couple of times!
Stay tuned for Part 2!
-Sheri
