For many cheerleading families, the cost of competition extends far beyond entry fees and uniforms.
Hotel blocks, airfare, parking, transportation, and multi-night stays have become a routine part of the competition cheer or youth sports experience, particularly during championship season. As the sport’s travel economy has expanded, so has scrutiny surrounding the systems used to manage where athletes and families stay during major events.
That conversation moved further into public view this week after Almeida Law Group announced it is investigating Team Travel Source over allegations tied to Stay-to-Play hotel booking practices connected to youth sports tournaments and competitions.
The California-based consumer protection law firm disclosed the investigation through an online attorney advertisement seeking families who booked hotel reservations through Team Travel Source for sports events.
According to the advertisement, the firm is reviewing allegations involving mandatory booking-related fees, reservation requirements, and the company’s advertised “Lowest Rate Guarantee.”
The advertisement alleges some families believed they were required to reserve hotel rooms through Team Travel Source in order for athletes to participate in certain Stay-to-Play events. It also claims some consumers found lower pricing directly through hotels or third-party travel websites but were unable to obtain refunds or price adjustments.
No public lawsuit involving Team Travel Source tied to the allegations has been identified as of publication.
Team Travel Source operates as a sports housing management company serving youth sports tournaments and event producers across the country. The company describes itself as “The Leader In Tournament Housing For Youth Sports” and states it works with more than 125 tournament partners while managing over 1,600 events annually.
Founded in 2012 by sports event producers, the company says its services are designed to simplify housing logistics for event operators while increasing revenue opportunities connected to hotel partnerships and booking systems.
“We manage your event housing from beginning to end,” the company states on its website, positioning its services as a way for organizers to focus on competition operations while Team Travel Source manages hotel coordination and attendee reservations.
The company also advertises what it describes as an average 20% revenue increase for tournament partners using its housing systems.
That business structure has become increasingly common throughout cheerleading.
Many large-scale events rely heavily on hotel room commitments tied to convention centers, tourism agreements, and destination partnerships. In some cases, securing venue space for major competitions depends on demonstrating the number of hotel room nights an event can generate for a city.
Housing companies often act as the middle layer between event producers, hotels, and traveling families, managing reservations, compliance reporting, and booking communication.
Within cheerleading, Stay-to-Play policies are now standard at many national-level events.
Families attending major competitions are frequently directed to approved hotel portals connected to the event producer, with some programs facing penalties or additional requirements if reservations are booked outside designated systems.
Supporters of the model argue those agreements help stabilize event operations, secure large venues, and prevent hotel shortages during peak competition weekends.
Critics, however, have questioned the transparency of the process for years.
As participation costs across cheerleading continue to rise, frustration surrounding hotel pricing and booking restrictions has become increasingly visible among parents and gym owners. Concerns often center around:
- Higher nightly room rates during event weekends
- Mandatory service or booking fees
- Limited flexibility in accommodations
- Restrictions tied to loyalty rewards or discounted rates
- Pressure to remain inside approved booking systems
For many families, hotel expenses now represent one of the largest financial commitments attached to competition travel.
The investigation announced this week does not establish wrongdoing, and Almeida Law Group states it is currently gathering information from consumers who may have been affected by the alleged practices.
Whether the inquiry develops into formal litigation remains unclear.
But within cheerleading — where travel weekends have become central to the business of the sport — the investigation has renewed attention on the systems operating behind the scenes of nearly every major competition season.
