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Cheerleading Tryout Tips

Mon, Jun 7, 2010

There is one thing that stands between wanting to be a cheerleader and actually becoming one.  One word that every cheerleader experiences anxiety over, veteran and rookie alike.  Tryouts.

Although this can be a rather nerve wracking time for most, it doesn’t always have to be.  Often times the best girls can get overlooked in a crowd of many.  The name of the game is to get noticed and stand out.

Ever wonder what the coaches are looking for?  Well there’s no one word answer to that since they look for a combination of things, but here are a few things to focus on:

  • Coaches are going to want the most committed and dedicated girls for their squads.
  • A combination of appearance, voice, enthusiasm, leadership, team work, attitude and personality.
  • Versatility and coach-ability are two of the most valuable assets a cheerleader can have.

Being “tryout ready” includes knowing specific requirements like proper dress attire and hair, along with having all the paperwork ready prior to your tryout date.  It might also be beneficial to ask cheer veterans on a team for any advice they have to offer.  They will probably tell you that on the day of tryouts, it’s ideal to be in the best possible physical condition as an individual.  This can mean eating right, exercising more to build stamina and strength, and stretching to increase flexibility.  Being in peak physical condition is as important for a cheerleader as it is for any other athlete.

One thing to keep in mind before making the decision to become a cheerleader is that they are going to require a specific skill set.  Those skills might include basic tumbling and dance moves, or they might be more advanced.  It might be a good idea to attend cheer performances the squad competes in prior to trying out, to make sure your goals as an upcoming cheerleader are in tune with the rest of the team.  Remember you can always work to improve as a cheerleader once you are on the squad, but basic tumbling skills are going to be expected.  You might need to take a few gymnastics classes before tryouts to better prepare yourself and make sure your skills are up to par with the rest of the team.

The day of tryouts it’s important to be rested, stay confident, relax, and smile.  Be sure to stay hydrated throughout the day to avoid fatigue.  Make eye contact with coaches and if mistakes are made, keep going.  Coaches will look to see if you know how to recover from a mistake rather than let it ruin the rest of your performance.  Have fun and remember every situation is a learning opportunity.  If for some reason you don’t make the squad this year, don’t let it get you discouraged, just keep working towards next year!

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Coach’s Tips to an Effective Practice

Mon, Jun 7, 2010

Coaches say that it takes 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at any sport, and cheerleading is no exception.  Cheerleaders put in hours of practice every week, seeking to improve their athleticism, strength, endurance, timing, and coordination.  As a cheer coach, effectively utilizing the precious hours of practice that you get with your squad can mean the difference in first place and last place at your next competition.  Here’s a few tips to ensuring your squad gets the most out of its practices:

  • Organization is imperative to running a successful practice.  Practices need to be regularly scheduled, follow a routine, and of course mandatory for any cheerleader on the squad.  Even injured athletes should be expected to attend practice with the exception of a doctor’s appointment or physical therapy (which should still try to be scheduled at the end of practice).
  • Every practice should have a goal for that day. Practices are primarily where development and strength occur, both of which should show measurable results from week to week.  This will encourage coaches and athletes showing incremental goals and progress.
  • Tardiness should not be tolerated.  The entire squad should be doing the same thing at the same time which is only possible when everyone shows up on time.  Before any practicing of jumps, stunts, cheering, and tumbling occurs, cheerleaders should be advised to stretch and do a mini warm-up on their own, prior to the scheduled practice.  This will increase performance and reduce injuries.  Encourage your squad to do this before practice, meaning they will have to show up early.  If practice is at 5, tell them to show up at 4:45 to get their own stretch in first.
  • Have a schedule and follow it.  When the actual practice begins, a general warm-up of 10 minutes should be conducted including aerobic conditioning and additional stretching.  After warm-up, it is recommended to set aside 10-15 minutes each for jumps and tumbling.  Approximately 30 minutes of cheering should be sufficient to go over routines, but every squad is different.  A new routine may require more time dedicated to it – in any event, decide this well before arriving at practice.  It’s probably wise to fit in a mini 5 minute break so cheerleaders can re-hydrate with water.  Practices should wrap-up with a 5-10 minute cool down along with any additional reminders for the upcoming weeks.

Effective practices combined with constant supervision are essential for developing strong squad members. As important as it is to be organized and productive, the practice should be an overall fun and enjoyable experience for the athletes.

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Flexibility

Wed, Mar 24, 2010

stretch

While some individuals are naturally born flexible, the majority of us are not.  Flexibility is something that takes time, patience, and dedication, and although flexibility is a key component in cheerleading, everyone, cheerleader or not, can benefit from working to increase their own personal flexibility level.  Keep in mind that a cheerleader, gymnast, or dancer is probably going to be held to a much higher flexibility standard than the average person.

Stretching consistently on a daily basis is the first step to increasing flexibility, which will in turn reduce joint stiffness, improve posture and improve balance.  Stretching can be broken into two categories, static and dynamic.  Static is the more traditional “stretch and hold” technique, while dynamic stretches involve movement and use your body’s leverage and gravity to stretch muscles.  Since every individual’s body is unique, different stretches might be geared towards different people depending on their current flexibility and where they would like to be.

Static stretches like head tilts, shoulder rolls, and calf and quadriceps stretches are simple enough that almost anyone is capable of performing them.  More intense stretches like splits, toe touches, backbends, and heel stretches are more likely beneficial for advanced individuals, particularly cheerleaders.  Pilates and yoga are also great ways to workout and increase flexibility at the same time.

While static stretching, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.  To achieve full effect of a stretch, holding a position for around 30 seconds is recommended.  More importantly, breathing is crucial while stretching.  Often times taking deep breaths can ease discomfort or tightness throughout the body.  A fine line can be drawn between a painful stretch and a normal discomfort you might feel in certain positions.  It is important to know the difference and stop if you are in pain to prevent injury.

Dynamic stretching, on the other hand, involves body movement, and can also be a great warmup prior to exercising.  It’s important to be very careful when ballistic stretching, not to over extend a muscle beyond it’s stretched position.  It’s recommended when dynamic stretching to use slow, controlled movements like arm circles, leg extensions, or toe touches.

It’s important to stay motivated and keep in mind small improvements usually occur over time.  If you don’t notice a drastic change in your flexibility over night, do not become discouraged, improvements are slowly happening.  Grabbing a partner and stretching together usually makes doing less than comfortable exercises more fun.  Although working to increase your flexibility might not come easy, you’ll certainly reap the benefits later whether it be in practice or your next performance.

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Cheer Workouts

Wed, Nov 25, 2009

357591-main_FullCheerleading requires a great deal of strength and stamina, acquired only by exercising regularly and properly with the right routine.  This strength building not only improves performance, but greatly reduces the risk of muscle and joint injuries that are all too common in cheerleading.  A cheerleader should incorporate muscle-building to target the muscles that will be used in stunting and tumbling, as well as cardio to build endurance and stretching to improve flexibility.  Athletes should create routines that are challenging, but realistic relative to their current abilities, keeping in mind that everyone has different abilities and strengths.  A common starting point is to designate 3 days a week for strength training, and 2 days to endurance building, but there are numerous different routines to accomplish specific goals.

First and foremost, before attempting any exercise in a workout should be a warm up and stretch.  Doing this will elevate body temperature, promote blood flow, and prepare the body to work.  Warm ups should usually only take about 5 minutes, and can include jumping rope, a light jog, or any non-stop movements using large muscle groups.  After warming up, a static stretching session should follow.  Once again, you want to target all the large muscles in your stretches.  A coach or trainer can provide a proper stretching routine to ensure maximum prevention of injuries.

Following stretching will be the actual workout.  On a cardio day, at least 30 minutes is recommended of activities including running, step aerobics, dancing, biking, hiking, or an elliptical machine – any activity that raises the heart rate to 75% of maximum heart rate.  Here’s a simple calculation to find maximum heart rate:

Max HR = 70 % x (225 minus age).

For each of the 3 strength training days, focus on different muscle groups.  For example, focus on legs and abs one day, arms and shoulders the next, and chest and back on the last.  Body weight exercises are very effective and include exercises like lunges, push ups, squats, and pull ups.  Incorporating core muscles increases the effectiveness of many standard exercises.  This can be accomplished using an exercise ball, standing while exercising, or alternating one side of the body at a time.

The more a cheerleader workouts out, the harder they can push themselves, trying new exercises and strength training routines.  Be sure to keep interested mentally too, by switching up routines regularly.  This will also shock your muscles and demand more from them to adapt.  When looking for an actual routine, it all depends on your individual skill level.  Below are links to a few college cheerleading workouts – these are difficult and we do not recommend them for beginners.  Ask a coach, trainer, or doctor, to recommend a program or routine that’s appropriate for you.

http://www3.malone.edu/media/1/4/36/Malone_University_Cheerleading_Workout_Plan.pdf
http://clubs.marist.edu/cheer/2009-2010/Marist%20College%20Cheerleading%20Workout%20Plan.pdf

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