It’s not nearly as hard as people make it out to be. We seem to do a pretty good job of having competitive shows that our Friday night crowd enjoys! And you’re right, those big pops from the home crowd (or sometimes the Away crowd!) are very rewarding, and help motivate the kids.

It’s really about learning your crowd. The shows that are fan favorites at my current school would not have done well at my previous school.

And, there have been some really entertaining shows lately that have competed (The Woodlands show last year for starters). During Covid, we aimed at our audience and didn’t even worry about UIL, and they did really awesome at Area. The best part, listening to the judges enjoy the show on their tapes. One giggled out loud on the tape while complimenting the kids for selling it.