Staying in Shape Nutrition is extremely important. I recommend a balanced diet that emphasizes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole wheat bread and cereals; protein items like lean meat, fish, and poultry, and dairy products like low-fat milk and cottage cheese. Try to avoid or limit the intake of foods with high concentrations of sugar, fats, or caffeine. In addition, of course, don’t smoke. If you do, it will definitely affect your endurance. Weight can be a big problem for cheerleaders. Cheerleaders who are overweight run a higher risk of injury, restrict their ability to increase their skill levels, and usually limit their effectiveness on the field because of a less-than-satisfactory appearance. On the other hand, those who maintain an appropriate weight will help decrease the potential for injury, be capable of improving their skills, and will have more confidence in front of the squad. In order to stay in shape, I recommend aerobic exercises. Any exercise that puts a constant stress on your legs is good. Walking, jogging, and swimming are all excellent endurance exercises. I recommend that any aerobic exercise you select be done for about twenty minutes four or five times a week. If you are already physically fit, and if you have your doctor’s approval, I suggest that you gradually work up to the following program: at least 20 cheerleader jumps per day, two or three sets of approximately 20 sit-ups per day, two sets of as many push-ups as you can per day, plus squeezing a hard rubber ball for 30 seconds in the palm of each hand.
Staying in Shape
Nutrition is extremely important. I recommend a balanced diet that emphasizes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole wheat bread and cereals; protein items like lean meat, fish, and poultry, and dairy products like low-fat milk and cottage cheese. Try to avoid or limit the intake of foods with high concentrations of sugar, fats, or caffeine. In addition, of course, don’t smoke. If you do, it will definitely affect your endurance.
Weight can be a big problem for cheerleaders. Cheerleaders who are overweight run a higher risk of injury, restrict their ability to increase their skill levels, and usually limit their effectiveness on the field because of a less-than-satisfactory appearance. On the other hand, those who maintain an appropriate weight will help decrease the potential for injury, be capable of improving their skills, and will have more confidence in front of the squad.
In order to stay in shape, I recommend aerobic exercises. Any exercise that puts a constant stress on your legs is good. Walking, jogging, and swimming are all excellent endurance exercises. I recommend that any aerobic exercise you select be done for about twenty minutes four or five times a week. If you are already physically fit, and if you have your doctor’s approval, I suggest that you gradually work up to the following program: at least 20 cheerleader jumps per day, two or three sets of approximately 20 sit-ups per day, two sets of as many push-ups as you can per day, plus squeezing a hard rubber ball for 30 seconds in the palm of each hand.
All About Stretching The best and easiest way for cheerleaders to exercise: S-T-R-E-T-C-H. Long before you start cheerleading, long before you attend cheerleading tryouts, stretch. It’s a simple exercise that may seem too simple to you, but there’s no denying the fact that stretching will allow your body to deal with everything cheerleading will do to it As soon as you get to practice, start stretching. Do not advance to splits in the first few minutes of exercising: stretch. Talk, joke, and stretch. In addition, keep stretching for at least 20 minutes. You do not have to do to anything more ambitious until then: you do not have to prove to anyone that you’re Superman or Wonder Woman. Anywhere you are, stretching is the most convenient exercise you can do. Your body is all the equipment you need to stretch and stretch. Need I add that it’s inexpensive? At home, stretch while you’re watching television. Twist and turn, twist and stretch. Don’t bounce. Don’t try to go too fast; pace yourself. Ankle injuries are common in cheerleading, since tumbling, jumps and dismounts from partner stunts and pyramids all put considerable stress on your ankles. Here are some stretches designed to increase the strength and flexibility of the ankles: Toe lifts - Move your foot up and down, ideally with suitable weight attached to your toe. Repeat this ten times. Ankle rotation - Move your foot in a circular motion, once to the right, once to the left. This can be done with a weight attached to your upper foot or toe. Repeat this ten times. Heel raises - Put the ball of your foot on any raised object, and then raise the heel of your foot so that it is even with the raised object. Repeat this ten times. Achilles stretch - Stand about three feet from the wall. With both feet flat on the floor, move your body toward the wall and then back. Repeat this ten times. Lateral stretch - slowly walk 50 yards on the outside edges of your feet, then walk back on the insides of your feet. Do this twice. Resistance against towel - Put a towel around one foot. Then, with someone holding the towel down, slowly straighten the foot out. Repeat ten times for each foot. Once you’re all stretched out, start your sit-ups and push-ups. Don’t forget rope-jumping. Half of exercise is mental discipline. So swim and jog and bicycle yourself into shape. In addition, don’t forget about aerobics to condition your cardiovascular system. Don’t forget to stretch first!
All About Stretching
The best and easiest way for cheerleaders to exercise: S-T-R-E-T-C-H.
Long before you start cheerleading, long before you attend cheerleading tryouts, stretch.
It’s a simple exercise that may seem too simple to you, but there’s no denying the fact that stretching will allow your body to deal with everything cheerleading will do to it
As soon as you get to practice, start stretching. Do not advance to splits in the first few minutes of exercising: stretch. Talk, joke, and stretch. In addition, keep stretching for at least 20 minutes. You do not have to do to anything more ambitious until then: you do not have to prove to anyone that you’re Superman or Wonder Woman.
Anywhere you are, stretching is the most convenient exercise you can do. Your body is all the equipment you need to stretch and stretch. Need I add that it’s inexpensive?
At home, stretch while you’re watching television. Twist and turn, twist and stretch. Don’t bounce. Don’t try to go too fast; pace yourself.
Ankle injuries are common in cheerleading, since tumbling, jumps and dismounts from partner stunts and pyramids all put considerable stress on your ankles. Here are some stretches designed to increase the strength and flexibility of the ankles:
Once you’re all stretched out, start your sit-ups and push-ups. Don’t forget rope-jumping.
Half of exercise is mental discipline. So swim and jog and bicycle yourself into shape. In addition, don’t forget about aerobics to condition your cardiovascular system.
Don’t forget to stretch first!
How to handle injuries Ever hear of a suicide jump? It is a popular stunt in the cheerleader’s repertoire that begins with a running leap and ends in a split. However, you know that when people name things, they do not throw in the word “suicide” unless there is a good reason for it. All too often when a cheerleader does a suicide jump, the result is a sharp pain. Usually, it is the hamstring, those three muscles at the back of the knee that sometimes overextend when they are over flexed. It is a very painful injury. Still, many times the injured cheerleader will smile and think, “I can’t let the squad down… the show must go on.” No, it must not. Stop in mid-routine. Even if you think it’s not the hamstring, stop, and don’t move. If you continue performing, you might aggravate the injury; what would have been three days with a bandage becomes six weeks on crutches. Be extremely careful when you’re doing routines that require partner stunts, pyramids, and high mounts. Luckily, injuries in cheerleading are pretty uncommon. Just watch out for the hamstring!
How to handle injuries
Ever hear of a suicide jump? It is a popular stunt in the cheerleader’s repertoire that begins with a running leap and ends in a split. However, you know that when people name things, they do not throw in the word “suicide” unless there is a good reason for it.
All too often when a cheerleader does a suicide jump, the result is a sharp pain.
Usually, it is the hamstring, those three muscles at the back of the knee that sometimes overextend when they are over flexed. It is a very painful injury.
Still, many times the injured cheerleader will smile and think, “I can’t let the squad down… the show must go on.” No, it must not. Stop in mid-routine. Even if you think it’s not the hamstring, stop, and don’t move. If you continue performing, you might aggravate the injury; what would have been three days with a bandage becomes six weeks on crutches.
Be extremely careful when you’re doing routines that require partner stunts, pyramids, and high mounts.
Luckily, injuries in cheerleading are pretty uncommon. Just watch out for the hamstring!
Cheerleading: No scale required iHigh.com Teen Correspondent Does cheering equal skinny? A question that I often ask myself. While male cheerleaders deal with not being "big" enough, females feel the pressure of being too big. In our society, it is already stressful enough to feel pressure from the media, parents, peers, or guys to "drop some pounds" if you are a female; but in cheering, the stress and pressure are turned up another notch. Sometimes it can be by the cheerleading coach, but more often it is the cheerleader herself buying into, "cheering means I can't have any body fat." Once the cheerleader buys into that lie, it gets worse. How many eating disorders and unhealthy girls are out there? In cheerleading, quite a few. Girls who are slowly killing themselves by starving or over-exercising. Girls who are constantly obsessing about a 1/2-inch of fat on their thigh, and constantly stepping onto the scale when they aren't over weight, or are under weight. Can there be a solution to this problem? The answer is no and yes. No, their cannot be a solution until we acknowledge the problem and how severe it is. No, not until the girls who have the problem get help and understand that they don't have to be skinny. Yes, if coaches, parents, and friends stress "health" and not "skinny." Yes, if this issue is talked about and cheerleaders are educated. In rare cases a cheerleader really could be at risk and need to lose weight, but that is a case in which your doctor is telling you to watch your weight, not someone with out a PhD. I would like to give props to my cheerleaders out there who are fighting the stereotypes of "no body fat" and understand that skinny and healthy are different. These girls are striving to be healthy and they know to do it the right way with sensible exercise and eating the right way! And if you are skinny there's nothing wrong with that either! You are healthy because this is the way you were made! A cheerleader does not come in one size. It takes all sizes to climb, base, or spot. It is important for those who cheer to know that being a cheerleader has to do with something you possess INSIDE yourself. A cheerleader is an incredible athlete. A cheerleader is one who works hard, has dedication, courage, and heart. Therefore girls, cheerleading and skinny do not go into the same equation.
Does cheering equal skinny? A question that I often ask myself. While male cheerleaders deal with not being "big" enough, females feel the pressure of being too big. In our society, it is already stressful enough to feel pressure from the media, parents, peers, or guys to "drop some pounds" if you are a female; but in cheering, the stress and pressure are turned up another notch.
Sometimes it can be by the cheerleading coach, but more often it is the cheerleader herself buying into, "cheering means I can't have any body fat." Once the cheerleader buys into that lie, it gets worse. How many eating disorders and unhealthy girls are out there? In cheerleading, quite a few. Girls who are slowly killing themselves by starving or over-exercising. Girls who are constantly obsessing about a 1/2-inch of fat on their thigh, and constantly stepping onto the scale when they aren't over weight, or are under weight.
Can there be a solution to this problem? The answer is no and yes. No, their cannot be a solution until we acknowledge the problem and how severe it is. No, not until the girls who have the problem get help and understand that they don't have to be skinny. Yes, if coaches, parents, and friends stress "health" and not "skinny." Yes, if this issue is talked about and cheerleaders are educated.
In rare cases a cheerleader really could be at risk and need to lose weight, but that is a case in which your doctor is telling you to watch your weight, not someone with out a PhD.
I would like to give props to my cheerleaders out there who are fighting the stereotypes of "no body fat" and understand that skinny and healthy are different. These girls are striving to be healthy and they know to do it the right way with sensible exercise and eating the right way!
And if you are skinny there's nothing wrong with that either! You are healthy because this is the way you were made! A cheerleader does not come in one size. It takes all sizes to climb, base, or spot.
It is important for those who cheer to know that being a cheerleader has to do with something you possess INSIDE yourself. A cheerleader is an incredible athlete. A cheerleader is one who works hard, has dedication, courage, and heart. Therefore girls, cheerleading and skinny do not go into the same equation.
The Cheerleader's Fight for Respect If you’re already a cheerleader then I don’t need to tell you twice that cheerleaders deserve respect. If anything, cheerleading can be MORE demanding than many sports. And yet there are folks out there that still look down on cheerleaders. Maybe it’s the old stereotypes still clinging to people’s brains. Maybe there are still some squads out there that just scream and jump around like fluffy popcorn in tiny skirts. Maybe folks just don’t know any better. All I can say is “wake up” because cheerleading has evolved into an activity that includes the tumbling of a gymnast, the daring of a circus acrobat, the flare of a dancer, the strength of a weight-lifter and the endurance of a runner. Cheerleaders have no off season. What does this mean? This means that cheerleading is a year-round activity. If cheerleading were to be in the olympics they would have trouble deciding if it was a summer or winter sport. In the fall cheerleaders have football season to cheer for, in the winter there is basketball (or hockey or wrestling) and competitions, in the spring we have soccer AND competitions and in the summer we have cheerleading camps, competitions and cheering for summer leagues. Then we’re back to fall again. Cheerleaders also need to have endurance, strength and flexibility, skills that are essential to ANY sport. And yet cheerleaders are still not considered to be athletes. This is a battle that every cheerleader must fight. We fight it for each other. How to Fight the Battle at your school It’s no secret that many cheerleading squads get stiffed when it comes to school fund$. They also don’t get recognition as a sport and therefore don’t receive the kind of coaching and medical attention that an athlete deserves. For some reason, the athletic funds get funneled away to the football team, the basketball team, the volleyball team or the hockey team and all the prime practice spaces get taken too. This leaves the cheerleaders with the “leftovers.” In order to understand how you might receive respect from your athletic director, you first have to see it from their perspective. Cheerleading is NOT a sport at most schools. What I mean by this is cheerleaders don’t have regular competitions against other squads from their conference like the football team or basketball team. In an athletic directors eyes, why should the school pump lots of money, time and practice space to a team that won’t win their school glory? While many schools do enter cheerleading competitions, it’s still not the same as having regular meets every week (like the gymnastics or diving team.) As far as your athletic director is concerned, cheerleaders are just an “extra” at football and basketball games. We all know that cheerleading is a very demanding, athletic activity and whether it will ever be considered a sport still remains to be seen. There are ways you can improve your position at the school.
Cheerleaders have no off season. What does this mean? This means that cheerleading is a year-round activity. If cheerleading were to be in the olympics they would have trouble deciding if it was a summer or winter sport. In the fall cheerleaders have football season to cheer for, in the winter there is basketball (or hockey or wrestling) and competitions, in the spring we have soccer AND competitions and in the summer we have cheerleading camps, competitions and cheering for summer leagues. Then we’re back to fall again.
Cheerleaders also need to have endurance, strength and flexibility, skills that are essential to ANY sport. And yet cheerleaders are still not considered to be athletes. This is a battle that every cheerleader must fight. We fight it for each other.
How to Fight the Battle at your school
It’s no secret that many cheerleading squads get stiffed when it comes to school fund$. They also don’t get recognition as a sport and therefore don’t receive the kind of coaching and medical attention that an athlete deserves. For some reason, the athletic funds get funneled away to the football team, the basketball team, the volleyball team or the hockey team and all the prime practice spaces get taken too. This leaves the cheerleaders with the “leftovers.” In order to understand how you might receive respect from your athletic director, you first have to see it from their perspective. Cheerleading is NOT a sport at most schools. What I mean by this is cheerleaders don’t have regular competitions against other squads from their conference like the football team or basketball team. In an athletic directors eyes, why should the school pump lots of money, time and practice space to a team that won’t win their school glory? While many schools do enter cheerleading competitions, it’s still not the same as having regular meets every week (like the gymnastics or diving team.) As far as your athletic director is concerned, cheerleaders are just an “extra” at football and basketball games.
We all know that cheerleading is a very demanding, athletic activity and whether it will ever be considered a sport still remains to be seen. There are ways you can improve your position at the school.
1. Basic Training. In order to be treated like athletes, you have to act like athletes. It’s a good idea for other people to be able to see you practicing hard. Your squad should go jogging at the beginning of practice. You should also make an appearance in the weight rooms (if your school has any). Your practices should be tough, no standing around talking. If you’re not doing anything you should be stretching or doing conditioning. If you practice hard, people can’t help but take you seriously. But if every time they stop by you’re talking and giggling, well then you don’t deserve respect anyway. 2. Present a Good image. What I mean by this is whenever you’re at school, you are representing the squad whether you are in uniform or not. If you keep your grades up, participate in class and follow the rules you will gain respect for your team. If you are a snob, a whiner, a slut or a slacker you will loose respect and as a consequence your whole squad will look bad. 3. Ditch the attitude. What I mean is stop playing the whiny “no one cares about us” role. So what if the crowd doesn’t yell back at games? Who said cheerleading was easy? Whining will get you nowhere. 4. You can’t change the crowd, you can only change yourself. Many cheerleaders wrote me and said that they don’t even want to cheer at games anymore because no one cheers back and the crowd ignores them. They only want to do competitions. Well, I think games are not only essential to cheerleading but they are great places to show off and get FREE exposure. If your crowd isn’t taking notice of you then that means you aren’t exciting enough. A bunch of girls (and guys) yelling and jumping around just isn’t exciting to watch, I’m sorry. Even just going out there and performing a routine isn’t enough anymore. Your squad MUST come up with something spectacular, exciting and different if you want people to notice you. Think awesome stunts. Think neat transitions. Set off fireworks if you have to! And always cheer with your heart and soul. That is one thing that people WILL notice. 5. Choose your battles and be A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. Cheerleaders are only allowed to walk on each other (during stunting). Don’t let anyone else push you around. Fight the battles that need to be fought but know that you just aren’t ever going to get the funding that football and basketball does. Not in this decade anyway. Concentrate on safety, you should be granted access to the training rooms, weight rooms and have a safe place to practice. You should be given a qualified coach. Anything beyond that are bonuses. Choose your battles carefully. If you get free uniforms, you’re not likely to also get a free trip to Nationals. If anyone else has ideas, please email me or post a notice. We all deserve respect, as cheerleaders and as athletes. Let’s fight the battle together!
1. Basic Training. In order to be treated like athletes, you have to act like athletes. It’s a good idea for other people to be able to see you practicing hard. Your squad should go jogging at the beginning of practice. You should also make an appearance in the weight rooms (if your school has any). Your practices should be tough, no standing around talking. If you’re not doing anything you should be stretching or doing conditioning. If you practice hard, people can’t help but take you seriously. But if every time they stop by you’re talking and giggling, well then you don’t deserve respect anyway.
2. Present a Good image. What I mean by this is whenever you’re at school, you are representing the squad whether you are in uniform or not. If you keep your grades up, participate in class and follow the rules you will gain respect for your team. If you are a snob, a whiner, a slut or a slacker you will loose respect and as a consequence your whole squad will look bad.
3. Ditch the attitude. What I mean is stop playing the whiny “no one cares about us” role. So what if the crowd doesn’t yell back at games? Who said cheerleading was easy? Whining will get you nowhere.
4. You can’t change the crowd, you can only change yourself. Many cheerleaders wrote me and said that they don’t even want to cheer at games anymore because no one cheers back and the crowd ignores them. They only want to do competitions. Well, I think games are not only essential to cheerleading but they are great places to show off and get FREE exposure. If your crowd isn’t taking notice of you then that means you aren’t exciting enough. A bunch of girls (and guys) yelling and jumping around just isn’t exciting to watch, I’m sorry. Even just going out there and performing a routine isn’t enough anymore. Your squad MUST come up with something spectacular, exciting and different if you want people to notice you. Think awesome stunts. Think neat transitions. Set off fireworks if you have to! And always cheer with your heart and soul. That is one thing that people WILL notice.
5. Choose your battles and be A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. Cheerleaders are only allowed to walk on each other (during stunting). Don’t let anyone else push you around. Fight the battles that need to be fought but know that you just aren’t ever going to get the funding that football and basketball does. Not in this decade anyway. Concentrate on safety, you should be granted access to the training rooms, weight rooms and have a safe place to practice. You should be given a qualified coach. Anything beyond that are bonuses. Choose your battles carefully. If you get free uniforms, you’re not likely to also get a free trip to Nationals.
If anyone else has ideas, please email me or post a notice. We all deserve respect, as cheerleaders and as athletes. Let’s fight the battle together!
Are Cheerleading Tryouts Unfair? There have been countless controversies on whether or not cheerleading tryouts are fair. I’m going to tell you right now that no cheerleading tryout is ever fair. They can’t be, no matter what precautions are taken. The reason is that tryouts are judged by humans, and humans make errors and have favorites. Think of it like olympic gymnastics or ice skating. Ever notice how favorite athletes can score high even with a fall? Well cheerleading tryouts are the same idea. A favorite cheerleader of a coach will always make the team no matter how horrible they do. There are politics involved with cheerleading because of the prestige the sport carries. Many little girls dream about being a cheerleader and mothers often want that for their daughters. Sometimes mothers live vicariously through their daughters and want them to be cheerleaders because they weren’t. This means that there are some little girls who make their cheerleading team just because their mothers know someone in a high place, or because their mom bugged the coach to put them on the squad. It’s not right, but it happens all over. I just wish the mothers would realize that they are really hurting their daughters instead of helping them. For one, the daughter knows that her mommy got her on the team which is a blow to her self-esteem. She might begin to feel that she couldn’t make the team on her own; that she isn’t really good enough to be on the squad. Other girls might resent her and treat her differently, another blow to her self-esteem. Finally, she might tryout for another team where her mom doesn’t have any influence and she won’t make it. Children aren’t stupid, they know more than we give them credit for. Some schools have tried to make tryouts more fair by using impartial judges, giving everyone a number instead of a name, disallowing former members of the team to identify themselves by shoes or tee shirts, making the coach pick a whole new team each year or having a no-tryout rule (where everyone makes the team). I don’t think any of these are necessarily a good idea. Sometimes the “impartial judges” end up being people who don’t know a thing about cheerleading and therefore have no idea what to look for. Not allowing former members to identify themselves or picking a new team each year is like picking a whole new football team each year and not allowing the star quarterback from last year to be on the team. The no-tryout rule is great for little children because I believe that every child should have a chance to be a cheerleader. But in middle school and high school I think cheerleading should follow the same tryout guidelines as the other sports. If the middle school’s volleyball team has an A and a B team then the cheerleaders should have the same. If the high school’s football team has tryouts then the cheerleaders should as well. I think it is impossible to have a “fair tryout.” I don’t think the members of the squad should be picked solely on how well they look at tryouts. For instance there could be a cheerleaders who is really talented but she has a bad attitude. Should she make the team? Well, if she was being judge by an “impartial panel” she would definitely make the squad...and also make the squad miserable. On the other hand, there could be a girl with great potential but doesn’t have a lot of experience. Should she make the team? Of course. She could be a tremendous asset with a little training. What if all the girls that were talented athletes were all tiny fliers? What if the best cheerleader had a different style of cheering than the coach? The only way to pick a good mix of cheerleaders is to have the coach watch each girl during the pre-tryout clinics and pick the ones he or she believes will work the best together. The coach will be looking for potential, attitude, grades, work ethics and talent. A truly talented cheerleader will have all five, but it is impossible to know if a person has all of these characteristics by watching them do a ten second sideline. For this reason, cheerleading tryouts will never be fair. The judging is subjective and usually the coach has picked the team before the actual tryout. The only purpose of the tryout is to see how each girl performs under pressure and in front of an audience. However, some tryouts are blatantly unfair, meaning talented girls don’t make the team and untalented ones do. If this happens to you, there are several things you can do. 1. Call the coach and find out why you didn’t make the team. Maybe there is a good reason like she didn’t like your attitude or your style was different. Remember, you can be a talented cheerleader but have a style that just doesn’t mesh with the squad. This doesn’t mean you are a terrible cheerleader, it just means that the squad wasn’t the best place for your skills. Hopefully, when you call the coach, she will be able to tell you why you weren’t picked and maybe give you some things to work on for next year.
There have been countless controversies on whether or not cheerleading tryouts are fair. I’m going to tell you right now that no cheerleading tryout is ever fair. They can’t be, no matter what precautions are taken. The reason is that tryouts are judged by humans, and humans make errors and have favorites. Think of it like olympic gymnastics or ice skating. Ever notice how favorite athletes can score high even with a fall? Well cheerleading tryouts are the same idea. A favorite cheerleader of a coach will always make the team no matter how horrible they do.
There are politics involved with cheerleading because of the prestige the sport carries. Many little girls dream about being a cheerleader and mothers often want that for their daughters. Sometimes mothers live vicariously through their daughters and want them to be cheerleaders because they weren’t. This means that there are some little girls who make their cheerleading team just because their mothers know someone in a high place, or because their mom bugged the coach to put them on the squad. It’s not right, but it happens all over. I just wish the mothers would realize that they are really hurting their daughters instead of helping them. For one, the daughter knows that her mommy got her on the team which is a blow to her self-esteem. She might begin to feel that she couldn’t make the team on her own; that she isn’t really good enough to be on the squad. Other girls might resent her and treat her differently, another blow to her self-esteem. Finally, she might tryout for another team where her mom doesn’t have any influence and she won’t make it. Children aren’t stupid, they know more than we give them credit for.
Some schools have tried to make tryouts more fair by using impartial judges, giving everyone a number instead of a name, disallowing former members of the team to identify themselves by shoes or tee shirts, making the coach pick a whole new team each year or having a no-tryout rule (where everyone makes the team). I don’t think any of these are necessarily a good idea. Sometimes the “impartial judges” end up being people who don’t know a thing about cheerleading and therefore have no idea what to look for. Not allowing former members to identify themselves or picking a new team each year is like picking a whole new football team each year and not allowing the star quarterback from last year to be on the team. The no-tryout rule is great for little children because I believe that every child should have a chance to be a cheerleader. But in middle school and high school I think cheerleading should follow the same tryout guidelines as the other sports. If the middle school’s volleyball team has an A and a B team then the cheerleaders should have the same. If the high school’s football team has tryouts then the cheerleaders should as well.
I think it is impossible to have a “fair tryout.” I don’t think the members of the squad should be picked solely on how well they look at tryouts. For instance there could be a cheerleaders who is really talented but she has a bad attitude. Should she make the team? Well, if she was being judge by an “impartial panel” she would definitely make the squad...and also make the squad miserable. On the other hand, there could be a girl with great potential but doesn’t have a lot of experience. Should she make the team? Of course. She could be a tremendous asset with a little training. What if all the girls that were talented athletes were all tiny fliers? What if the best cheerleader had a different style of cheering than the coach? The only way to pick a good mix of cheerleaders is to have the coach watch each girl during the pre-tryout clinics and pick the ones he or she believes will work the best together. The coach will be looking for potential, attitude, grades, work ethics and talent. A truly talented cheerleader will have all five, but it is impossible to know if a person has all of these characteristics by watching them do a ten second sideline.
For this reason, cheerleading tryouts will never be fair. The judging is subjective and usually the coach has picked the team before the actual tryout. The only purpose of the tryout is to see how each girl performs under pressure and in front of an audience.
However, some tryouts are blatantly unfair, meaning talented girls don’t make the team and untalented ones do. If this happens to you, there are several things you can do. 1. Call the coach and find out why you didn’t make the team. Maybe there is a good reason like she didn’t like your attitude or your style was different. Remember, you can be a talented cheerleader but have a style that just doesn’t mesh with the squad. This doesn’t mean you are a terrible cheerleader, it just means that the squad wasn’t the best place for your skills. Hopefully, when you call the coach, she will be able to tell you why you weren’t picked and maybe give you some things to work on for next year.
2. Watch the team during one of the games. See for yourself if a good squad was picked or if the squad needs a lot of work. Try to be objective even though you are disappointed. Sometimes when you see a squad in action you will realize why the coach made the the decisions she did. For example, maybe you were a great cheerleader but she already had enough fliers and needed a base. 3. If you passionately believe that the tryout was unfair, speak out. Talk to other people and see if they agree with you, then all band together. Maybe the daughter of the principal of the school always makes the team but she is really terrible. Remember when you speak out you could run the risk of damaging your reputation. People are likely to see you as a sore loser, even if that isn’t true. You might feel like running to the press but don’t do it. Call a meeting with the coach, the athletic advisor and maybe the principal instead. Try not to make accusatory remarks like “Sara made the team just because she’s the daughter of the principal.” Simply state that you think tryouts are unfair and you hope the situation can be remedied. It is probably a good idea to have solutions to the problem as well. Don’t try to force them to put you on the team, you’ll only make your life miserable. The coach and the rest of the squad will resent you, and that’s no way to build a team! Hopefully if enough people agree with you then something will be done. The best solution is to get a new coach. In fact, I really believe that is the only solution. If tryouts are unfair that means the coach is a bad egg and (like in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) the bad egg has to go. 4. Try out for a team elsewhere. There are cheerleading squads popping up everywhere. If there isn’t one in your area start your own at a local park district. Remember, if tryouts are unfair it’s probably because the coach is being persuaded by “outside forces.” You don’t want to be on a team like that anyway. A note to parents: Could it be that your daughter might not be as good as you think she is? I’m not saying that biased coaches don’t exist. I’m just saying that as a coach myself, parents often think their children are a wee bit better than they actually are. And just because your daughter made teams in the past doesn’t mean she has the right style or the right skills to be on this team. That’s not to say if your daughter was passed up because of a biased coach you shouldn’t say anything. But it might be a good idea to get a second opinion on the talents of your child. In a nutshell, cheerleading tryouts have been unfair and will always be unfair. Because of the nature of the activity, it is impossible to have a “fair tryout.” The most you can do is hope the coach knows what he or she is doing and do your very best. After all, cheerleading, like life, is never fair. Success depends on how well you play the game.
2. Watch the team during one of the games. See for yourself if a good squad was picked or if the squad needs a lot of work. Try to be objective even though you are disappointed. Sometimes when you see a squad in action you will realize why the coach made the the decisions she did. For example, maybe you were a great cheerleader but she already had enough fliers and needed a base.
3. If you passionately believe that the tryout was unfair, speak out. Talk to other people and see if they agree with you, then all band together. Maybe the daughter of the principal of the school always makes the team but she is really terrible. Remember when you speak out you could run the risk of damaging your reputation. People are likely to see you as a sore loser, even if that isn’t true. You might feel like running to the press but don’t do it. Call a meeting with the coach, the athletic advisor and maybe the principal instead. Try not to make accusatory remarks like “Sara made the team just because she’s the daughter of the principal.” Simply state that you think tryouts are unfair and you hope the situation can be remedied. It is probably a good idea to have solutions to the problem as well. Don’t try to force them to put you on the team, you’ll only make your life miserable. The coach and the rest of the squad will resent you, and that’s no way to build a team! Hopefully if enough people agree with you then something will be done. The best solution is to get a new coach. In fact, I really believe that is the only solution. If tryouts are unfair that means the coach is a bad egg and (like in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) the bad egg has to go.
4. Try out for a team elsewhere. There are cheerleading squads popping up everywhere. If there isn’t one in your area start your own at a local park district. Remember, if tryouts are unfair it’s probably because the coach is being persuaded by “outside forces.” You don’t want to be on a team like that anyway.
A note to parents: Could it be that your daughter might not be as good as you think she is? I’m not saying that biased coaches don’t exist. I’m just saying that as a coach myself, parents often think their children are a wee bit better than they actually are. And just because your daughter made teams in the past doesn’t mean she has the right style or the right skills to be on this team. That’s not to say if your daughter was passed up because of a biased coach you shouldn’t say anything. But it might be a good idea to get a second opinion on the talents of your child.
In a nutshell, cheerleading tryouts have been unfair and will always be unfair. Because of the nature of the activity, it is impossible to have a “fair tryout.” The most you can do is hope the coach knows what he or she is doing and do your very best. After all, cheerleading, like life, is never fair. Success depends on how well you play the game.
Practice makes perfectBy iHigh.com Staff Jul 31, 2001 You've heard it before-practice makes perfect. But there's more to success than simply showing up at workouts. Practice alone doesn't make perfect-perfect practice makes perfect (Well, almost!). Successful teams know that a structured practice spells success. Most squads have only a few hours each week to hone their skills, but the top teams know how to maximize that time. With the right attitude and a few helpful hints, your squad can be on its way to a successful season in no time. Make sure you are on time and ready to go when practice starts. This means getting to practice 10-15 minutes early to warm-up and stretch out, giving the squad more time to work on necessary material. As a coach or captain, schedule out each practice beforehand and be as specific as possible. This is especially helpful for new coaches who have a hard time deciding what to work on once practice has started (or turned into chaos). Set a certain amount of time to work on each skill and diagram out pyramids and stunts so you aren't setting them up and taking time away from actually practicing these skills. And, most importantly, stick to your schedule! When one group is working on a skill you may not be involved in, don't sit down, start to gossip with friends or do your homework. Walk to the side and work on your jumps or tumbling or go over cheers and dances. Your coach can't be your shadow all the time, so take it upon yourself to improve your skills-even when no one is watching. Practice is not the time to spend hours going over cheers, sidelines and dances each week. This is stuff you can-and should-work on outside of practice. The same is true of jumps and tumbling. Schedule extra gymnastics classes if you know you are behind the rest of the squad and do the exercises your coach recommends to improve your jumps. You can not become a great cheerleader by simply working three days a week. Work out on your days off. This includes weekends. If you simply put cheerleading aside on the days you have off, you'll show up at the beginning of each week rusty and behind those who spent a couple hours each day at the gym, running laps and going over their material. Teach everyone on the squad how to spot tumbling and stunting. This way, when you break to practice back handsprings, there is not a long line behind the coach or the one person on the team who can spot. Everyone should be able to spot any member of the team. Cheerleading is -- and should be -- fun. But save the goofing off for after practice. Once you start working, the talking should be kept to a minimum and it's important to pay constant attention and focus. This is especially true when you are working on stunts and pyramids. During this time, your coach should be the only person speaking at all. Too much noise causes confusion-and injury. When working on pyramids and routines, follow these steps to maximize your time: 1. Set counts 2. Mark it a couple of times until everyone knows the counts well 3. Pyramid: Work only on hitting the stunts without the counts. / Routine: Walk through the pyramid/routine working only on hitting the stunts 4. Routine: Walk through the routine working only on nailing the tumbling 5. Pyramid: Run through it full out to counts until you are satisfied. / Routine: Put everything together and run through the routine full out a few times or until you are satisfied.
Practice makes perfectBy iHigh.com Staff
Jul 31, 2001
You've heard it before-practice makes perfect. But there's more to success than simply showing up at workouts. Practice alone doesn't make perfect-perfect practice makes perfect (Well, almost!). Successful teams know that a structured practice spells success. Most squads have only a few hours each week to hone their skills, but the top teams know how to maximize that time. With the right attitude and a few helpful hints, your squad can be on its way to a successful season in no time.
When working on pyramids and routines, follow these steps to maximize your time:
2. Mark it a couple of times until everyone knows the counts well
3. Pyramid: Work only on hitting the stunts without the counts. / Routine: Walk through the pyramid/routine working only on hitting the stunts
4. Routine: Walk through the routine working only on nailing the tumbling
5. Pyramid: Run through it full out to counts until you are satisfied. / Routine: Put everything together and run through the routine full out a few times or until you are satisfied.
Competition checklistBy Shane WomackiHigh.com Cheerleading Correspondent Feb 19, 2002 - Before You Leave Have each squad member prepare a checklist of what they need to bring. Be sure they check off their list before you head out. Prepare a checklist for what the whole squad will need. It's a good idea to assign members to be responsible for seeing that each item is packed. Again, take the time to check off each item before you leave. Plan for emergencies. Check your medical releases for current information such as phone numbers, allergies, etc. Discuss your emergency injury procedure with the whole squad. If you don't have emergency injury procedure, now is the perfect time to institute one. Check your first aid kit and be sure to bring it. Replace any old items and add any new ones you might need. Ask a parent or non-squad member to take pictures or preferably video the competition. Assign someone to keep up with the competition by taking notes. They can write down the scores, comment on the competition and make general observations. This might prove valuable for future competitions. When You Get There Stay calm and focused. Competitions can be fun, exciting and stressful. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. Look over the facilities so everyone knows where everything is. Check the schedule and be sure all squad members know where they are supposed to be and when. Be polite and remember your behavior reflects not only on you, but on the whole squad. Be supportive of the other squads’ members and other squads. Make mental notes or even jot down things you think might help your squad next time. Think positive. Remember no one likes a poor loser or a boastful winner. Ask questions, if you have any and don't forget the educational aspect of competitions. Have fun. When You Get Back Have a squad meeting and critique your performance. Go over your strong points and discuss your weaknesses. Talk about what worked and what didn't. View any videos or pictures that were taken. Learn from them. Read any notes and discuss comments that were written down or remembered. Make sure all criticism is constructive and doesn't hurt any one person’s feelings. Remember you're a team and you're only as good as your weakest member. Your goal should be to improve as a squad and not to alienate people or make them feel bad. Once you've rehashed the last competition and learned from it, put it behind you and move on to your next one. I hope these tips and ideas will truly help to make your next competition a success. Cheerleading competitions can be a lot of work, but they are also a lot of fun. You'll be making memories that will last you a lifetime. So, if your squad comes away from a competition having given it a 100%, then you are all truly winners!
Feb 19, 2002 - Before You Leave Have each squad member prepare a checklist of what they need to bring. Be sure they check off their list before you head out. Prepare a checklist for what the whole squad will need. It's a good idea to assign members to be responsible for seeing that each item is packed. Again, take the time to check off each item before you leave. Plan for emergencies. Check your medical releases for current information such as phone numbers, allergies, etc. Discuss your emergency injury procedure with the whole squad. If you don't have emergency injury procedure, now is the perfect time to institute one. Check your first aid kit and be sure to bring it. Replace any old items and add any new ones you might need. Ask a parent or non-squad member to take pictures or preferably video the competition. Assign someone to keep up with the competition by taking notes. They can write down the scores, comment on the competition and make general observations. This might prove valuable for future competitions. When You Get There Stay calm and focused. Competitions can be fun, exciting and stressful. Don't let your emotions get the best of you. Look over the facilities so everyone knows where everything is. Check the schedule and be sure all squad members know where they are supposed to be and when. Be polite and remember your behavior reflects not only on you, but on the whole squad. Be supportive of the other squads’ members and other squads. Make mental notes or even jot down things you think might help your squad next time. Think positive. Remember no one likes a poor loser or a boastful winner. Ask questions, if you have any and don't forget the educational aspect of competitions. Have fun. When You Get Back Have a squad meeting and critique your performance. Go over your strong points and discuss your weaknesses. Talk about what worked and what didn't. View any videos or pictures that were taken. Learn from them. Read any notes and discuss comments that were written down or remembered. Make sure all criticism is constructive and doesn't hurt any one person’s feelings. Remember you're a team and you're only as good as your weakest member. Your goal should be to improve as a squad and not to alienate people or make them feel bad. Once you've rehashed the last competition and learned from it, put it behind you and move on to your next one. I hope these tips and ideas will truly help to make your next competition a success. Cheerleading competitions can be a lot of work, but they are also a lot of fun. You'll be making memories that will last you a lifetime. So, if your squad comes away from a competition having given it a 100%, then you are all truly winners!
When You Get There
When You Get Back
I hope these tips and ideas will truly help to make your next competition a success. Cheerleading competitions can be a lot of work, but they are also a lot of fun. You'll be making memories that will last you a lifetime. So, if your squad comes away from a competition having given it a 100%, then you are all truly winners!
