Effective Cheer Practices

These are good ways to run a cheer practice to ensure your team is having a good time yet still being productive.

1. Warm-Up:
- Well the team is warming up tell them the goals you want to achieve well practicing
- Let different people lead streches
- Jumping Jacks are a great way to start practice and get the team warmed up
- Pick a routine you want to start working on

2.  Jumps:
- Warm up about 5-10 of each jump ( toe touch, pike etc)
- Do leg lifts to strengthen legs

3. Tumbling:
- Practice tumbling skills
- Work on new skills
- Show coach skills they want to do at the game

4.  Water/ Bathroom breaks:
- Allow water and bathroom breaks whenever you feel they are neccessary

5. Stunt:
- Work on skills you plan to put into the routine
- Learn new stunts
- Make sure well stunting you are practicing safety as well

6. Chants:
- Work on all chants for the games so everyone is prepared to do them
- Incorporate stunts and tumbling to your chants

7. Cool Down:
- Strech
- See if you reached that days goals
- Talk about paperwork or any other miscellaneous information

Extra Tips:
- Keep a positive attitude
- Give constructive criticism
- Make routines built around your teams abilities
- Incorporate team building activities into some of your practices

What Does It Take To Be A Cheerleader?

Not everyone is fit to be a cheerleader just like everyone is not fit to be a hockey player or football player. By the time you plan to try out for a cheer team you should have already been in gymnastics and mastered many skills. It also does not hurt to be involved in dance. Other things that you must have to be on a cheer team include:

1. Upper body strength: In order to lift someone into the air it in important that you have upper body strength and can hold them in the air for certain amount of times. For the flyer it is important so you can stay tight in the air making it easier for your bases. Upper body strength is also beneficial for your tumbling.  In a backhand spring it involves strength so you can keep your head from hitting the mat.

2. Confidence: You are going to be cheering in front of a crowd so you must be confident to perform. You must be have confidence well preforming a stunt and know that it will not fall.

3. Good sportsmanship: You must work together always as a team so you win together and you lose together. Just like every other sport there is only one winner so sometimes you could lose. You need to show good sportsmanship even when you lose, don't be a sore loser.

4. Determination: You will not get everything on the first try but if you are determined you will eventually get it. If you give up on something the first time you do not get it you never will.

5. Commitment: Cheer requires a lot of dedication. Everyday you practice and have competitions over the weekends. If you are not willing to put in this much time cheer is not your sport.

Cheerleading is Danergous

A lot of uninformed people consider cheerleading a sport for wimps but they just haven't tried it yet. Cheer is very hard and everyday you cheer you could get an injury. Cheerleading is actually in the top 10 most dangerous sports to be involved in.

The top 10 most dangerous sports include:
1. Horseback riding
2. Cheerleading
3. Bull riding
4. Gymnastics
5. Football
6. Hockey
7. Boxing
8. Lacrosse
9. Motocross
10. Wrestling

As you can see in ranked second in the most dangerous sports category beating sports that most people would say are more dangerous. Cheerleading has more emergency room visits than any of the sports listed.

Why is cheer considered so dangerous?

1. There are no pads: Football and hockey are full contact sports which involve the players wearing lots of padding. In cheerleading there is no padding worn at all. This is truly a full contact sport. You are throwing a girl in the air and then catching her again with the possibility of getting knocked out by an arm, leg or head. For the person in the air you are getting thrown up with the possibility of getting dropped flat on your back. You could also we whacked in the face with an arm or even head butt someone.

2. Concussions: Cheer is the sport with the most concussions. It is proven that cheerleaders are the main athletes that continue to practice without even knowing they are concussed. Concussions can lead to mental damage if they are severe and not taken care of. Continueing to practice could make it worse.

3. Broken bones: Everyday at practice you have the possibility of getting hurt. There are no days where you done throw someone in the air or tumble. One wrong mistake could lead to a minor sprain or a broken leg. Also if you are fooling around you could mess up on a tumbling pass and break a wrist or ankle. Everything involved with cheerleading could cause a broken bone if not done correctly.

Balancing a Sport and School

Here are some tips for balancing a sport and school. In an athletes life both school and their sport are very important to them so it is important to find a happy medium so you can do well. In most school acquainted sports you must maintain a certain GPA or percentage in every class to be able to participate in that sport. Therefore time management in very important for members of a sports team.

1. Get organized: Calendars or agenda planners are very helpful with staying organized. You can write down all if your practice times and the outfits you are supposed to wear. You can also write keep track of when you have assignments due, tests, quizzes and big projects due. If you have your life written down in this planner you are less likely to forget something or not show up to a practice.

2. Manage your time: Writing in your planner what time school and your sport are allow you to see what time you can give to studying, homework and social time. If you do not have a certain time you do homework you will probably never do it or stay up late trying to cram it in, leaving you tired for the next day.

3. Plan your week: Every week you should look ahead in your schedule to see what upcoming events you have such as games, competitions, tests, quizzes etc. If you look ahead you can plan ahead. If you have a project due on Friday and do not have school on Tuesday you can fit in time that day to do your project.

4. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!! This is the most important when you are an athlete. Procrastinating will make you stressed out! If you procrastinate you will have to cram everything into one day and will not be able to do as well as you may have hopped. Eventually procrastination can lead to you falling behind in classes. You want to stay on top of your schedule and do not let your schedule control you.

Cheerleading Bags

What are cheerleaders always carrying in their bags? They always carry around some kind of bag whether it be to practice, games, camp or competitions but what's in there?

Practice:

Practice Clothes/ Extra Clothes: This includes shorts, sports bras, spandex, t shirts and socks.
          - Sometimes practice is right after school so you have to being all of your clothing to school and keep              it in your locker so you are prepared for practice later.

Cheer Shoes: You always want to have your cheerleading tennis shoes because there really is nothing else you can practice in, so cheer shoes are a must.

Water: It is important to hydrate at practice so bring a water bottle and keep it in your bag.

Hair Supplies: A hair brush, hair ties and a bow are a must for cheer.

Wraps: You may have a hurt some area on your body and need a wrap so you should always bring this. Tape is also something cheerleaders may use.
          - If you are unsure how to tape your wrists or ankles you can always have the school athletic trainer                 do it.

Games:

Warm Ups: You can always find a warm up outfit in a cheerleaders bag. It is important to bring them because if it ends up getting cold at the game you can put them on.

Pom Poms: Cheerleaders don't always just carry them around so you can keep them in your bag.

Gloves/ Ear Muffs/ Warm Clothing: You never know what the temperature of the game will be so extra warm clothing is a smart idea.

Camp:

Sunscreen: You are outside all day and do not want to get burnt so you can always find sunscreen in a cheerleaders bag.

Camera: Cheer camp is full of memories and you want to capture them when you can!

Water: You always have to stay hydrated.

Clothing: Matching outfits, bows, uniform, pajamas etc.

Competition:

Uniform and gear: Cheerleaders perform in uniforms so this is a must! You will also have shoes, socks, wraps, and warm ups in your bag.

Hair Supplies: Hair spray, hair ties, bows and clips

Money: You may want a t shirt or food after the competition so money is smart to have.

*IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO MAKE A CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU GO ANYWHERE! THIS ALMOST GUARANTEES YOU WILL PACK EVERYTHING YOU MAY NEED!

Competitive Season

Competitive Season

Competition season is between the months of November and February but actual competitions don't start until December. Competitions usually fall on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Wednesday competitions typically start at 6 and only last about 2-3 hours but Saturday competitions start earlier about 8 and can go all day. There are many different competitions you can attend, the ones you go to depend on the ones your coach picks. On the other hand some competitions you must be invited to. All year you compete at these competitions but in reality they do not really count for anything. The competitions that really matter are districts, regionals and states.

Districts

At districts there are many teams competing. You compete against schools in your district and the top four teams advance to regionals. So you must out on a really good performance in all three rounds if you want to make it out.

Regionals

At regionals now there are four teams from each region. Here the competition is pretty stiff everyone wants to make it out so bad to go to the state finals. Again at regionals only four teams will make it to the state finals where they get to compete against the best of the best.

State Finals

At the state finals it is the best teams in Michigan. They are help in Grand Rapids at the Delta Plex and are also shown on television. There can only be one winner and everyone wants the title of state champions. As a state champion you get a medal and ring along with bragging rights. For some people on the team this could be a once in a lifetime experience so they are out to win.

Delta Plex

The Delta Plex is an arena in Grand Rapids that holds many events not just cheer competitions. They have the cheer state finals as well as a huge competition on Valentines weekend. This competition is really fun because you get to stay in a hotel and competition in a huge arena. Although this competition is an extremely long day it is fun. There is a curse at the Delta Plex though. If it is your teams first year going then you are bound to either have someone get sick or hurt or your routine goes horrible. So it is almost a guarantee your first year there you will not do good and something will go wrong.

Football Season

Football Season

During this season you focus mostly on skills and preparing for football games. The season lasts from June all the way until the end of October. You practice all summer long coming up with skills and routines to perform at the games. You also learn all of the chants for during the games and the band dance.

In the summer you also go to cheer camp where you can learn many new skills. At camp it is a great time for the team to bond and get to know each other. Some camps are a weekend long, others only a day and some camps actually come to your school. Personally my favorite were the weekend long ones because you can learn a lot more since you have so much more time. Although camp is very exhausting it is extremely worth it with how much you will learn.

Cheer Camp

Two cheer camps that I have personally been to and have a great reputation are Champion and North American Spirit. Both of these camps are very good and you can learn a lot from them.

1. Champion Cheer Camp is usually help at Alma College and is a weekend long stay. This camp is all outdoors as long as there is no rain. They have very experienced staff and unique stunts. At Champion there are different camps you can attend there is the regular camp or the beast camp, which is when your team really wants to be pushed. All weekend you learn routines and new stunts, then on the final day you perform them for your parents and the other cheer teams. This is an awesome camp that really advances your skills.

2. North American Spirit is another great cheer camp. This camp is typically held at Echo Grove but they also have many other locations they go. North American Spirit also does camps at Saginaw Valley University, Great Wolf Lodge and at your school. This camp is great for learning new skills and team bonding. They also do a final day routine so you can show off what you and your team learned at camp. Camp with North American Spirit is a fun learning experience.

Homecoming Game

On homecoming game day the cheerleaders always wear their uniforms to school and go to a big tailgate before the game. At school there is a pep assembly to get everyone fired up for the game later on. During the pep assembly the cheer team puts on a performance for the school. After school there is a big tailgate before the game. Right before the game the cheer team does the same performance again for everyone. At this game the alumni cheer girls come back to cheer the game along with the freshmen and JV cheer teams. This game is a big event!

The Dos and Don'ts

Getting Competition Ready... The Dos and Don'ts

1. Do wear makeup
     If you do not wear makeup you will be washed out and not look as presentable.

2. Do not over do it
     You do not want to look like a clown so do not put on too much.

3. Do wear hairspray
     You want your hair to be sleek, with NO pieces sticking out.

4. Do not spray without a mirror.
     Chances are you will only miss your hair and hit a teammate.

5. Do have big hair.
     The bigger the better!

6. Do not over do it.
     Big hair is good, messy hair is not, keep it controlled.

7. Do wear deodorant.
     You do not want to smell.

8. Do not wear lotion.
     You do not want to slip or drop anything.
                                        

9. Wear glitter.
     You want to sparkle while performing.

10. Do not wear jewelry.
     You do not want it to fall off or hit someone.

Cheer Terms

The following are all common cheer terms and all definitions are based off of the MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletic Association) cheer leading glossary.

Stunting Positions:

Base: The person on the ground that holds the other girl in the air. They hold the weight, catch and support the person in the air. There are typically two bases per stunt that you want to be around the same height so the stunt is even.

Flyer:  The person that everyone sees in the air that is being help up by the bases. There is one flyer per stunt group and they are usually very petite.

Back Spot: They hold the flyers ankles while she is in the air as well as catch her head, neck, shoulder and back when she is caught. There is one back spot per stunt group and they are typically very tall.

Stunting Terms:

1.Basket Toss: The tossing of a flyer by three to four bases, two of which must have their hands interlocked in a basket position. Once the flyer is tossed she is no longer in contact with anyone and able to do tricks in the air.

2.Bracer: A bracer is a flyer who stabilizes a stunt with another flyer. Bracers are used in pyramids to keep it stable.

3.Cradle Catch: The flyer is caught in a face up position with the catcher’s hands/arms up and by placing one arm under the back and one under the thighs of the flyer. If the Bases are not close enough the flyer will fall through their arms.

4.Cupie: The flyer is held in a feet together standing upright position above the bases heads.

5.Dismount: At the end of the stunt when you set the flyer back on the ground.

6.Elevator: A stunt in which the bases are bent and at shoulder level and the flyer is standing in the hand(s) of the bases.

7. Extension: A stunt in which the bases arms are fully extended above the head, and the flyer is standing in the hands of the bases with the back spot holding the flyers ankles.

8. Liberty: A one-legged stunt with free leg bent, knee facing forward, foot touching inside knee of support leg. You should be able to balance a coffee cup on your thigh if you are doing the position correct.

9. OLE: One-legged extension, any one legged stunt.

Cheer Leading Stereotypes

Cheer leaders often get a bad reputation around school and in the public. They are often portrayed in a negative light  and seen to be something they most likely are not. A stereotypical cheer leader usually seen as mean, cliquey, provocative and not smart. These stereotypes are not true of cheer leaders, but where do people come up with these? Movies are the main source of where these stereotypes are generated from.

Movies such as "Bring it On" and "Fired Up" make people think that cheer leading is something it isn't. These movies are where the public get these negative stereotypes about cheer leaders. In both of these movies most of the things shown do not actually happen. For example, there are no dance battles between cheer teams. The cheer team does not do provocative dance moves during their routines, nor do they wear provocative clothing. There is no sacred spirit stick that if you lose it bad things will happen to your team. Movies place a negative images on cheer leaders making the public think down on cheer.

Lots of sports teams are seen as cliquey and cheer leading is among those teams.

In movies the cheer team only talks to other cheer leaders and our very unapproachable but this isn't true. Actually most cheer leaders do not hang out outside of cheer they would rather be apart. Although you do have some very close friends on cheer that you always hang out with there are others you only see at practice and games. They do not travel in a pack around school and town everyone goes their separate ways after practice. Cheer leaders are not like the mean girls in movies walking around the hallways in packs making people move out of their way or fighting other cheer leaders.

The stereotype that cheer leaders are provocative is beyond false but since the movies show it that is what people believe. Cheer leaders wear very covered uniforms unlike in the movies where they have on very tiny uniforms. Cheer leaders practices in shorts and t shirts not barely anything. They also do not go around hooking up with all the boys on sports teams. In "Bring it On" and "Fired Up" the cheer leaders are shown shaking their butts and stretching for the boys, this doesn't happen.

As seen in movies all cheer leaders are shown as the dumb girls and it isn't true. Anyone is capable of being smart whether they are involved in cheer or not. There are some girls who are not the smartest but that is not due to being apart of cheer. Cheer leaders are not going around school paying the smart kids to do their homework, they are perfectly capable of doing it themselves. In fact I graduated with multiple cheer leaders that were valedictorians.

Cheer leaders are far from what is shown in the movies but people continue to think of them so negatively. Movies portray them so negatively that the public thinks this is what goes on. Hopefully a movies comes out one day showing the world how different cheer leading really is.