Why You Should Try a Virtual Competition!
Have you ever thought about competing, but something was holding you back? While there are so many reasons people choose to compete, there are also several things that often hold people back. With the way the world is right now, competing in a pole competition might be something you think wouldn't be possible even. But with these challenging times has come innovation, and Pole Sport Organization (PSO) has announced they will be hosting the rest of their competitions for the 2020 year online! While this definitely doesn't provide the same competition atmosphere and experience, this new way of competing could help address some of the barriers and reasons that individuals have shied away from competing in the past.
Several different organizations hold pole competitions across Canada, the United States and all over the world. Whatever organization you choose to compete with, no matter how different they are, likely all have one thing in common. Travel will be required as we currently haven't had a competition held in Saskatchewan (yet!). The travel (out of province or international) that comes with attending competitions creates a significant cost and time off of work/away from home. This is a huge commitment and barrier, especially if you aren't completely sold on competing. By competing in one of PSO's online competitions, there is zero cost to travel and no time required off of work to travel! PSO also reduced the cost to enter the online competitions, so you also save extra money here!
Competing requires getting up on stage in front of an audience full of strange and judges. While some may find this exhilarating, most find this downright intimidating and nerve wracking. With the online competition, this is gone. You pre-record your competition entry prior to the event and submit it. So while you may have a couple of people there to cheer you on and film your routine, this is significantly different than getting up on stage in front of a room full of strangers!
For live-in person competitions, you only get one shot at your routine. Sometimes you have a great run, and sometimes it's disappointing and things go so wrong on stage. You could have a costume malfunction, the combo you always nail might just not work, or you could blank out on stage. While this is part of competing and something you have to be okay with under normal circumstances, with PSO online competitions, you do not! You can record your routine as many times as you like to ensure you get a great run before you submit it!
While competing online doesn't provide all of the positive elements of in person competitions, there still are quite a few that cross over. You will still get the challenge and experience of putting together a competition piece (much different than a showcase performance in my opinion). You still get the feedback and scoring from judges. They are still awarding prizes. And....you still get to feel so proud of yourself for challenging yourself and putting a piece of your art out there for the audience to see! It could be awhile until we can travel and compete in person, but trying out one of PSO's online competitions this fall could be a great way to see if you enjoy competing and having the experience. Who knows, maybe you will fall in love with it and be anxiously waiting to take it to the next level when in person competitions can happen again!
-Instructor Sheri