Coach’s Tips to an Effective Practice

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.