Being prepared to travel to another city or state can be a lot of pressure for you. There are so many details to consider, and though they may all simple, they may be easily forgotten. There is great stress to be great and to be the best they can be. Good preparation could mean great focus to compete. Just in case you’re concerned about being as prepared as possible, here are a few tips to think about as you plan your trip!
CORRESPONDENCE AND TRAVEL DETAILS
Perhaps one of the most important things you can do to prepare for an out of state competition is to make sure that you have all the necessary correspondence and the most accurate travel details in place. Not having all your ducks in a row can be very devastating for both you and the entire team. For starters, you want to make sure that you comply with the competition rules, knowing these ahead of time, with clarity and detail can save you a lot of trouble, so that your team can compete. It helps to clarify with the competition itself if you are unsure about anything. Whether you’re traveling with a team or you’re traveling alone, you want to make sure that you have the right hotel and venue. This may seem like common sense, however, when you go to a city you’ve never been before, you want to be sure you the right name and address of the hotel, so that your dancing beauty, doesn’t feel left out of the team’s unity. Having the right details about the actual venue and confirming the right times is also highly important. Giving yourself some wiggle room for travel is very wise, as it will give you time to travel, and time to get enlisted. Once you get into the venue, you may need some form of ID in order to validate your right to compete. Having a receipt for any fees that you had to pay, as well as any extra proof that you are in good standing is helpful to have handy.
GARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES
Your garments are just as important as making solid travel plans and bringing important documents, more specifically, you want to make sure you bring any good competition dance bags. If you are a team in a competition, you want to find a good quality bag that is stylish and sassy, but durable. You, of course, want to be sure to bring the essentials, this could mean tights, your nude undergarments/leotards, warm-ups and warm-up shoes, dance shoes, pajamas, and leisure outfits should you have an extended stay. Should you have several clothing changes, it helps to use a clear garment bag and to label them so that you can easily and quickly find the suit that you need, these are not only convenient, but they are very protective. When it comes to all the garments, you want to make sure that you protect them the best that you can. You may want to bring doubles as well. If you have a team that has issued only one garment, then it may help to have ant bag in order to take extra special care of it. Other things to remember to bring are hairbrushes, combs, hair spray curlers, or flat irons, bobby pins, rubber bands or ponytail holders.
You would, of course, need to make sure to bring a very secure makeup bag. It is helpful to buy one with compartments, that have individual security so that your makeup doesn’t break, mix or spill during your travel. Making sure you have a makeup bag that seals securely is highly important so that you can prevent any irreversible damage to anything that you take on your trip.
It may help to make sure that you store your accessories safely. These accessories should be stored so that nothing gets tangled, ripped or broken. The accessories themselves may need to be stored separately as well as they could damage themselves. In speaking of separating items, having a bag specifically for soiled garments may be a big help!
EMERGENCY KITS
Having this kit of emergency items on-hand will make your experience go much more smoothly possible. When you don’t have to worry about the little things, it leaves you much more room to think about the dance competition itself. Not having to go to the drugstore last minute could prevent a lot of unnecessary stress. An emergency kit may seem like a bit much, but we’re not necessarily speaking about a First-aid kit, that is unless you think it is necessary. We would suggest, that you bring a kit for cuts, wrappings, and the like. It may help to have rubbing creams, band-aids, anti-biotic ointments, antiseptic wipes, and eye drops. You, of course, want to make sure that you have the basic toiletries on hand, like deodorant, body spray, tissue, tampons, and perfume. Towels are also helpful to bring. Another helpful kit to bring is a sewing kit, both this, super glue, or a glue gun may be helpful to have as well.
If you want to make sure that you have a smooth process getting to the competition, it helps to do the proper planning, to be knowledgeable about the details of your trip, bringing everything that you will need so that you don’t have to make any unnecessary stops. This will help you a great bit, whether you are a coach or a parent. You can focus on supporting your child or your team, and they can receive the support that they need to dance with confidence and focus! More importantly, both you and the team can enjoy the moment!