additional coachi additional coaching resources resources

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Effective Tryouts
Budgeting and Fundraising
Cheering Games
Pep Rallies & School Spirit
Community Service
Choreography
Team Building
Hosting a Competition
Team Websites
Effective Discipline
Building Your Program
ADDITIONAL COACHING RESOURCES
Effective Tryouts -------------------------------------------------------Organizing and running tryouts can be a very stressful and exciting time. This is your first look at your new
team and how your tryouts run will determine how your year will run. It is important to start thinking about
tryouts one year before: run your year how you want following years to run. Be consistent with your rules
and discipline, and let your cheerleaders know that they are trying out for next year’s team all year long.
Their skills should continually improve throughout the year.
Identifying talent is one of the most important jobs of the coach. You must be able to identify current skill
and future potential. A highly skilled athlete is usually easy to spot, as is the very poorly skilled. The expertise
in talent identification comes from being able to identify present and future potential in the middle group,
which usually comprises more than half of the athletes observed.
Performance is generally thought of as a factor of three variables:
1. Talent: Talent can be inherited or developed though training. Coaches must always be aware that
there are exceptions in physical traits, such as sports where size is important, but a smaller, quicker
player may also be successful. Talent is usually the first aspect you will consider in the selection of
athletes.
2. Character: The more experience a coach has, the more he or she realizes that the character of the
athlete is a key component of individual and team success. Coaches, naturally, are looking for
positive character traits, along with physical attributes and skill. Positive character traits include work
ethic, self-motivation, competitiveness, ability to get along and work with others, coach-ability, and
team orientation.
Coaches often find themselves victim of the “Talent Trap” – athletes who have talent but do not
work hard, or have a negative attitude. These athletes usually end up being a problem for coaches.
Coaches who allow these kind of athletes to work less hard than others are asking for problems,, and
the lack of effort will usually cause dissension within the team.
3. Opportunity: Some athletes develop later than others, and the classic example of a top athlete not
being selected at an early age is basketball superstar Michael Jordan, who was not selected for a high
school basketball team at age fourteen. Athletes need to be able to compete and develop their skills.
They require the right environment to develop – and by giving an athlete with future potential and
strong character the opportunity to develop will often create a well rounded athlete in the long run.
Planning Tryouts
Over the Summer: review your year and all of your paperwork from last year. Update anything that needs to
be updated. Research items you will need for the upcoming year (i.e. uniforms, events, pom pons, shoes,
mats, etc.) and create a budget, timeline and fundraising plan. Decide what the goals of your team will be for
the year and what you will be looking for at tryouts. Create your constitution/contract, medical forms, etc.
Early September (or before the end of school the previous season):
• Decide what you will judge at tryouts. Will you teach a short dance and cheer and then judge them
on it? Will they have to make up their own material? Will you have interviews? Will you give them
questions to answer?
• Book a meeting with your athletic director or principal. Discuss your plans for the year, any school
policies you need to know about, etc. Also discuss your tryout process and get forms approved. Find
out if there will be a school fee for students to be on the team and what the process will be for
collecting those fees. Discuss any memos that have come in from the NSSAF. *See the
communication section for a list of things you should have prepared for this meeting.
• Book your initial meeting, clinics and tryout dates; then promote them. Let cheerleaders know when
the dates and times will be so they can recruit candidates. Let them know that if there are enough
cheerleaders at tryouts, you may consider creating two squads (game and competitive, or
competitive and show, etc). Make sure that they understand that the more candidates there are at
tryouts, the better their chances of making the squad because of the previous statement. This will
help ensure that you get a fantastic turnout for tryouts.
• Check the provincial eligibility guidelines.
• Decide whether your tryouts will be opened or closed. It is up to you but typically closed tryouts
allow candidates to be less stressed. With open tryouts you have the potential for a lot more
interruptions. Instead, have a meeting with parents and interested candidates before tryouts so
they can ask you any questions they may have.
• Decide whether or not your tryouts will be judged by outside people. In the US, most school groups
bring in outside judges because there are scandals about tryouts, and there is a tryout appeal
process. Here in NS that is not usually an issue so it is recommended that you have the final decision
of who makes your team. You can have people help with tryout and get their opinions, but you
should decide in the end. After all, you are the one that will have to live with them for the rest of the
year. If you choose to use judges, recruit them early, determine if there are any conflicts of
interested (i.e. one judge is the mother of a girl trying out, etc); negotiate fees, and determine how
things will be judged (will each judge score all categories )jumps, motions, dance, etc) or will they
each have one category?).
• Secure any materials you will need for tryouts (photocopies, tables, mats, tape, numbers for people
trying out, etc.
• Recruit some people to help during clinics and tryouts. Make sure these people know their jobs and
take it seriously. These can be ex-cheerleaders from yours or another team, teachers, etc.
• Hang posters around the school to promote your meeting, clinics and tryouts. When the dates are
becoming closer, make announcements over the school PA. Put an ad in the school paper and
recruit the school radio to promote it too.
• If you are staring a brand new team, you may want to set up a small table a lunch hour for a few days
and play competition tapes and answer questions. Or, see if you can address students at an
assembly.
• Have a meeting for all those interested in game cheering. Put a group together and teach them
cheers, chants, jumps, motions, etc. Use this time for team building and for basic components
(jumps, motions, gymnastics, etc). This will also give you a good idea who works well in groups, who
is reliable, who are your leaders, etc.
One Month Before:
• Kick up your promotion of the tryouts.
• Have some open clinics for people to attend to see if this is something they will be interested in
• Get all of your materials organized for the initial meeting. This is where you will introduce the
program to potential candidates and their parents. Give them copies of the constitution and go over
it. Also go over the cheerleading contract, team philosophy and goals, any financial requirements,
budget and fundraising obligations, parent obligations, the yearly calendar and practice schedules,
medical forms and emergency contact information, cheerleader tryout application (name, contact
information, etc), and tryout questionnaires if they will be included, details of how tryouts will run
and be scored, tryout score sheet if it is used, tryout expectations, rules, and skill requirements. Be
ready to answer questions. If you want al candidates to dress in the same colors, let them know at
the meeting. Remind them about jewelry, makeup, nails, hair, etc.
• If you will require advance paperwork (permission to tryout, medical forms, emergency contact info,
etc) leave many copies at the office or at the athletic office (usually in or just outside the gym) so
people have access to them if they miss your meeting. Make announcements and/or add this
information to your flyers so candidates know where to get the forms.
• Hold some clinics for a few weeks before your tryout. Be ready to accept medical forms, signed
contracts, tryout questionnaire, etc at these clinics. Make sure you have lots of extra help and be
very strict about safety. Remind candidates of tryout times and locations. Start on time and end on
time to set precedence. You should open and close each clinic so that everyone knows that you are
the person in charge. Maintain an air of “control” but be pleasant and approachable. Pay attention
to how people are doing at the clinics (skills, how they work together, attitude, etc). Some people do
not perform well at tryouts but may be very good at clinics. This will help you avoid cutting people at
tryouts that may actually be really good. Have a “mock tryout” at the end of the last clinic so that
people know what to expect. If you plan to hold interviews during your tryouts, you can start them
in your clinic days.
• You should have at least two tryout days; one to teach material and one to test them on the material
• You may also test candidates on their physical fitness level (i.e. how many push ups they can do, how
long them can run, sit ups, etc).
The Day of Tryouts:
• Confirm that you have all of the materials you will need, including water and snacks for helpers
• Meet with all of your helpers earlier and confirm the process
• Ask what other sports each of them plays/plans to play and anything that may conflict with your
practice and/or competition schedule.
• Set up your tryout environment so that it flows well (i.e. administration/sign in table at the door,
each station is set up, etc). If you require permission forms and paper work from candidates, make
many copies of a checklist that includes all of the items you need from each candidate. Assign on
sheet per person so you know what you have and what you need.
• Do not let anyone tryout who has not completed your requirements (i.e. proper clothing, paperwork
if you require it, etc).
• Start and end on time.
• Use packing tape to tape names or numbers on the candidates so you can easily make notes about
them while you are walking around.
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If way too many people show up, consider doing two cuts. If not enough show up, consider adding an
extra day or two and get them to bring their friends.
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Have a short intro in the beginning to introduce yourself again and explain the goals and basic rules
of your team for any new people. Let them know approximately how many people you are taking.
Don’t give a solid number unless you have too or you may get stuck keeping people who are bad, or
cutting great talent (obviously you can only have 20 on the competitive team but you can take
spares; and you can decide after a few practices who will be spares and who will be on the
competitive team if you aren’t sure right away).
Have people tryout in small groups (3-7). This will prevent a lot of nervousness. Test each element
(dance, cheer, jumps, gymnastics, stunting, etc)
You should always open and close each tryout day with a little discussion. Be friendly and
approachable but firm and in control.
When tryouts are finished, thank and release the candidates and let them know how they will know
whether or not they made the team. Make it clear that your decisions are final. Don’t take too long
to decide on your team. There are many ways to do this.
o You can have a rose delivered to each student on the following day of school.
o You an post the list on the gym door
o You can post it on the website
o You can call them
o You can send them each a letter or email
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When tryouts are finished, thank and release the candidates and let them know how they will know
whether or not they made the team. Make it clear that your decisions are final. Don’t take too long
to decide on your team. There are many ways to do this.
Include with your team list information about the first team meeting or practice so they know what
to do next.
Be available after tryouts to answer any questions that non-successful candidates may have. Giving
athletes who are not selected the opportunity to inquire about strengths and weaknesses that they
can improve on helps to illustrate the difficult task the coach has in making those selections.
Sample Tryout Grading Form
Name: ________________________ Grade: ___________ Age: ____________
Elements
Jumps (height, form, variety)
Dance (timing, rhythm, precision)
Cheer (voice, projection)
Motions (precision, form, strong, tight)
Personality Projection (eye contact, facials)
Group Cheer (unity with group)
Poor
Fair
Good
Superior
Spirit
Stunt Position(s): __________________________________________________
Stunt Abilities/Details: ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Gymnastics Abilities: _______________________________________________
Notes: ___________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Sample Tryout Interview Questions/Questionnaire
(PLEASE ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS. USE THE BACK OF THIS SHEET IF YOU NEED MORE SPACE)
Name: _______________________ Grade: ____________ Age: _______
1. What other sports do you play, or do you intend to play? _______________________________________
2. Please review the practice schedule, competition schedule and game schedule. Do you foresee any
conflicts? (including family vacation plans, family reunions, other sports functions or any other
commitments…please be honest so that advanced preparations can be made)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. What three characteristics do you feel are most important for cheerleaders to possess? _______________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why are you trying out? ________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. What was your average grade last year (all courses added together)? __________________
6. Please note any subjects you failed or had trouble with last year: _________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7. What would your closest friends say is your best quality? ______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
8. What would your closest friends say is your worst quality? _____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
9. Do you have any enduring sicknesses or health issues that coaches would need to take into consideration
when planning practice? (examples: asthma, diabetes, knee surgery, ankle problems, eating disorders, prior
concussion, etc).
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
10. Please list any prior experience in cheerleading, gymnastics, dance, or anything you feel may be related:
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Possible Questions to Discuss With Your Team
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What is the difference between respecting an opponent and liking an opponent?
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Is it ever appropriate to:
Stare down an opponent?
Cheer when the other team makes a mistake?
Disrupt the psychological balance of an opponent?
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If you win a game or match, in what order should you express joy or appreciation to:
Fans
Family
FriendsTeammates
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Coach
Opposing Coach
Opponents
Officials
How should we behave:
After a victory?
After a loss, whether it’s a blowout or a heartbreaker?
When we receive awards?
When the other team receives awards?
When they play the national anthem?
When judges make a call we disagree with?
In the opponents locker room?
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How should we respond to unsportsmanlike behavior by:
Our own team?
The opposing team?
Unruly fans?
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How should we deal with:
The team player who uses tobacco, alcohol or other drugs?
Other athletes from our school who we know use tobacco, alcohol or other drugs?
Players who end up in disciplinary trouble at school or in the community?
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How might the saying: “Sir, I am going to treat you like a gentleman, not because you are one, but
because I am one” apply to athletics
“We must be the change we want to see.” - Ghandi
------------------------------------------------ Budgeting & Fundraising
1. Take Inventory: Find out where you are.
- uniforms
- poms
- signs
- mats
- equipment
- funds left over from last year
- etc.
2. Determine What You Need: And approximate costs
- warm-ups
- jackets
- shoes
- equipment
- poms
- team awards
- uniforms
- coaching courses
- hair pieces
- clinics
- mats (or mats fund)
- socks
- gym/facility rentals
- team building activities
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hair bows/clips
competition fees
travel & accommodations
hosting a competition
first aid kit
music mixing
etc.
3. Make a Budget
Create a detailed budget with all of your costs and goals for the year. Sometimes it is difficult at the
beginning of the year to anticipate costs that will arise later so try to think “seasonal”. Break It down by
category and priority (i.e. list most important items/costs first) and dates when you will need the funds (i.e.
if you want new uniforms by February 1st, you will probably need the money to order them about 2-2 ½
months in advance). Include in your budget approximate costs to run the fundraisers (you’ll have to
guesstimate those costs after you decide what you are going to do from the next step)!
4. Create a Detailed Fundraising Plan
Go through many fundraising options and determine which ones you think will work well in your community
with your team. Estimate how much you can reasonably expect to raise from each campaign. Always
estimate on the low side so you are not disappointed later. Expect to receive no assistance from the school
(in case you don’t) and do not count on donations from any sponsors. Make a plan of when you would like to
start each campaign, how long they will run, the prep time for each, the approximate costs for each, how
much each person is expected to sell (if applicable), and what the money from each campaign will go
towards. Consider the time of year for your campaigns (obviously February is not the optimal time to sell
Christmas wreaths but hot July weather may not be the best time to sell chocolate bars either). You can run
some campaigns concurrently if that works (i.e. selling chocolate bas for the month of October but also
having a bake sale and a car wash in there too).
5. Get Approval
Present your budget and plan to the athletic director/principal at your first meeting of the year. Answer all
questions honestly. Ask for any assistance the school can provide and ask approval for the fundraising plan.
Your athletic director/principal may have been in the school for a few years and may have some good ideas
for other fundraisers that may work well. Ask if they know of other team fundraising plans that may be
running at the same time. You don’t want to be selling lollipops the same month as the basketball team.
If the school is willing to give you some funds, you can adjust your plan accordingly. If the school is willing to
pay for uniforms and you planned on selling calendars to raise the funds for those (which is a very successful
campaign for you every year), you may want to still run that fundraiser in place of something else in your
plan that you were less sure about. Remember once your plan is revised to re-submit for approval from your
athletic director/principal. If you are planning to hand out a sponsor letter, get it approved and get it on
school letterhead with the principal or athletic directors’ signature and your own.
6. Enlist Some Help
At your parents meeting at the beginning of the year, present your plan and ask for suggestions. Again, some
of them have probably been in the community for a long time and may have some other great suggestions.
At this time, find out who your parents are (i.e. for example, if Sally’s Mom is the regional representative for
Nike, you could get your shoes at cost, or even for free!). Don’t be shy about asking if any of them have any
connections that may help in reaching your financial goals for the team. Let them know that parental
assistance will be crucial in being able to achieve the fundraising goals and ask for help. Hand out a
fundraising questionnaire (see samples at the end of this section) to find out who is willing and able to help
out with specific tasks and keep a record of everyone’s names and contact information. Find out who would
be willing to:
a)
b)
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d)
e)
f)
g)
Help sell products by taking brochures or product to their workplace
Chaperone student events like car washes, bake sales, dances, etc
Contribute their “secret family recipe” to the team cookbook
Ask employers to match the amount the kids raise
Ask permission to leave donation cans at their workplace
Donate goods to bake sales, craft sales, garage sales, pot luck dinners, etc.
Supervise events like spaghetti night, bingo night, luncheons, etc.
Using this information set up a fundraising committee and set up another meeting time for the next week or
two. Also find out if your parents have connections in other areas that may help your campaign (i.e. if
someone works for the community paper and can help advertise your events, parents that can donate
supplies like signs, markers, etc).
At your parents meeting you should also hand out the donations letters (see samples) that you of course had
approved and put on school letterhead. Many parents have connections and may be able to solicit funds
from family or family friends that own businesses or who would just like to contribute.
7. Publicize Your Campaigns!
Have a campaign kick-off.
1. Contact local media about your fundraiser via phone call, press release, or public service
announcement.
2. Encourage each member of your team to spread the word to family, friends, co-workers, and
neighbors.
3. Decorate your town with flyers and posters.
o Bulletin boards in offices, grocery stores, malls.
o Neighborhood electric and poles.
o Door to door
o Mass mailings (if your budget allows)
o Church bulletins
o School or club newsletters.
School Announcements over the PA or through monthly school papers
Add a sponsor listing on your team website and details of any campaigns coming up
4. Run an ad in your community newspaper.
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8. Kick Your Plan into Action
Make sure that all team members know what is expected of them and offer awards for those that go above
and beyond. Ask them for additional ideas too. Keep FUNdraising fun; after a car wash, have a team pizza
and movie party or use this time for other team building activities.
9. Take Stock
Keep track of where you are at. Keep detailed records of all earnings coming in and expenses going out, even
if you use a treasurer. You (or the athletic director), not a parent, should have ultimate control over the
account. Your school may want you to keep your funds in a school account so check with them about this.
Keep everyone in the loop and allow them to see the financial records. Make adjustments to your
fundraising plan if you fall short on some campaigns or if unexpected expenses pop up, or you meet/exceed
your needs earlier than expected.
10. Thank Yous!
Remember to budget in some important thank yous. Any company that makes a donation should receive a
certificate to proudly display at their workplace identifying them as an important sponsor. This can be done
easily and inexpensively on any computer. If a company donates $500 or more you may want to give them a
plaque to proudly hang at their workplace. And remember to thank all of the parents and helpers who
helped you get where you are with a friendly and well deserved thank you card. A “thank you” lets sponsors
know that they made a difference and they’ll be more likely to help again next year if they feel that their
donation was truly appreciated.
Other Fundraising Tips
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Check to make sure that you have all of the proper permits and licenses you may need to carry out
your fundraisers. If you are selling food items, make sure that you follow all of the rules of local
authorities on food handling and preparation (plastic gloves, those cooking/serving should not
handle cash, etc). Get permits if required. If you are selling tickets on something or having a mini
lottery, you will need a lottery license number so make sure you get that. It is free of charge for
non-profit groups and fairly easy to get. Contact your local Access Nova Scotia branch for details.
Your lottery number MUST be on all tickets sold so don’t print them up until you get your number!
Of course, you are holding a fundraiser to earn money, but make sure to let prospective donors know
that their time and/or expertise is valuable as well. For instance, in promoting your spaghetti dinner,
as well as relaying the time, the menu, and the price, you can ask for donations of foodstuffs or
volunteers to serve food, wait tables, wash dishes, etc. In asking for monetary donations, you can
also include a “needs list” for such items as office supplies, prizes, goods for your sales, etc.
Sell up. (“Do you want fries with that burger?”) At a Christmas craft sale, add gift-wrapping for an
extra dollar. Make sure that donation cans are visible next to your check out area. At a car wash,
offer a wax job or inside cleaning for an extra donation.
People will give a little more if you offer a little extra. Cut prices in half the last hour of a garage sale
or bake sale. Offer to pick up donated goods and to deliver products or prizes whenever possible or
appropriate. For instance, pick up donated bake sale cookies from a busy day-care provider and
deliver cookies from a product catalog.
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Discourage children from going door-to-door selling products and instead encourage them to take
orders/donations from friends, family, neighbours, and relatives. If they must go door-to-door,
encourage them to go in a group or better yet, with a parent.
Fundraising Ideas --------------------------------------------------------(from fundraisingtips.com)
Some of the fundraising ideas below can be merged and held along with others.
Creative Example: Carnival Fundraiser
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Start your fundraiser by contacting local business and asking them to 1) donate prizes or the money
to purchase them or 2) pledge to match a percentage or your proceeds.(e.g. Ask a merchant to
donate a new bicycle or tricycle and raffle it off. Post a “Donated by” sign near the prize!)
Hold a “carnival” with games like a dunk tank, fishpond, throwing rings over bottles, etc.
Hold a hula-hoop-a-thon and have participants get pledges for the number of seconds or minutes
they can hula before the hoop falls.
Have a balloon pop.
Fill a large jar with jellybeans (you’ll need to count them) and let carnival-goers guess the number in
the jar.
Sell canned soft drinks at your event. (You can also recycle the aluminum from empty cans!)
Have several donation jars on hand for attendees that don’t want to “play” but may donate to your
cause.
More Fundraising Ideas
Sales! Sales! Sales!
1. Garage Sales – Great spring and fall fundraisers. Hold one in conjunction with citywide garage sales
or other community events.
2. Bake and Craft Sales – Start your fundraising nest egg with donated goods.
3. White Elephant Sales & Silent Auctions – Ask businesses to donate close out merchandise.
4. Flea Markets, Collectibles Sales, Swap Meets – Sell space to participating vendors.
5. Door-to-Door Sales – A number of companies offer products for sale. If your group doesn’t have cash
to purchase prepaid products, collect the cash up front. *see fundraising tips!!
6. Cook Book Sale – A great addition to a bake sale! Your group’s members “donate” their “secret
family recipes!”
Sponsorships & Donations
1. Personal Donation Letters – Send a letter to members explaining your needs, your goals, and offering
different levels of donations. (e.g. single donation $10.00, family donation $25.00 or supporting level
$25.00, member level $50.00, sponsor level $100.00, partner level $500.00) Be sure to leave a space
for “other”.
2. Ask area businesses to donate raffle prizes, silent auction products, and small prizes for carnival
games.
3. Community Groups & Fraternal Organizations – Many groups such as Eagles and Lions Clubs support
certain kinds of activities. Ask them for participation or donations
4. Matching funds – Local businesses and employers are often willing to match proceeds or a
percentage thereof.
5. Grants – Especially for educational projects, your organization may find money available from
institutions that have endowments for grants.
6. Donation Containers – No fundraising event should be without them! In addition, local businesses
and employers will often let you leave them on countertops and community areas (lunch rooms, near
copy machines, etc.) Donation containers are also another opportunity to ask for matching funds.
7. Engraved & Donor Bricks or Plaques – A frequent site in Churches, Hospitals and other Institutions.
Fundraising Events & Activities
1. Car wash – Ask a local carwash owner to contribute the soap and water.
2. Benefits– Ask a local band or orchestra to do a charity benefit or to donate part of the “gate" to your
group. Your group takes care of promotion and collects entrance fees.
3. Handyman Job Bank – Spring and Fall, your team offers to do yard clean ups, painting, etc for a small
fee.
4. Carnival: Host a car push, tractor pull, or tug of war. Include games like a fishpond, dunk tank, throw
hoops over bottles, etc. Sell buttons as entrance “tickets” to your event.
5. Meals (Spaghetti Dinners, Pancake Breakfasts, Soup luncheon) – Another great occasion to sell
member cookbooks, candies, during your event.
6. Ice Cream Socials
Contests & Raffles
1. Balloon pops and releases – Put tickets inside balloons. Give a prize away for a certain numbered
ticket or write the names of prizes on slips of paper inserted into the balloons.
2. Ticket Raffles – Raffle off member made craft items or large items from contributing businesses.
3. Guess the number or weight – Jars of jellybeans, pennies, dried beans, etc. Give a prize for the
closest guess.
4. A-thons: bicycle, swim, walk, dance, hula-hoop, bowling, etc. Get pledges for total miles, laps, hours
(minutes), number of frames bowled, etc.
Drives & Collections
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Aluminum Can and Glass Bottle Drives
Plastic Containers
Recyclable Paper
Phones
Precious (and not-so-precious) Metals
Inkjet Cartridges
Coupon Collections
Some fundraisers can be almost completely organized and conducted by high school students...
1. Dress-down day: If your school has a dress code or kids wear uniforms, have a day when students can
wear casual clothes. Charge each student who wants to participate. Make certain that you ask
permission of your principal first. Use the same strategies for and Ugly Tie Day or Crazy Hat Day
2. Band and choir concerts: Ask your school band or choir to donate their time by performing a benefit
concert for your cause. Charge admission.
3. Bag groceries: Ask a local grocery store if you can bag people’s groceries for donations. Be certain to
put up a sign saying how the donation will be used.
4. Spelling bee: Look through some books or in the dictionary and come up with a list of words of
increasing difficulty. Charge admission to the event.
5. Battle of the bands: Great for high schools. Every town has a couple of “garage” or “basement” bands
that are waiting to debut! Bands can get pledges for the number of audience votes they receive. You
can charge admission to a voting audience as well! The winning band receives a prize or trophy.
6. Games night: Organize an evening of board games. (e.g. Monopoly, Backgammon, Chess… use your
imagination!) Entrants pay to play. Winners receive a prize.
7. Have a XYZ Idol night, a Fear Factor Challenge, or Survivor Night. Entrants pay a fee and win prizes.
Attendees pay a small entrance fee, or voting fee.
Involve the community
Although not everyone in a community has children is school, there are many ways you can turn school spirit
into community spirit!
1. Local businesses are often eager to show support for community schools and school activities in
many ways.
o Monetary donations
o Space to host your bake or craft sale, hot dog stand, or car wash.
o Donations of big-ticket items for raffle prizes
o Donations of small prizes for carnivals and door prizes.
2. Debate evening: Research a number of community or school related issues and invite various citizens
to debate. Create a cover charge and/or take questions from the audience for a fee. (25 or 50 cents
per question). The issues can be fun. For example, have your school principal argue that chewing
gum during class enhances the learning process versus a student who argues against allowing gum
chewing in class.
3. Bingo: Host a bingo night in the school cafeteria.
4. Progressive Dinners: Ask parents to cook specific foods, and then charge admission to a school
dinner. Do this with ethnic recipes and make it international, each course priced a la carte.
Alternatively, each course can be based on a subject (e.g. George Washington Cherry Pie for history,
Hawaiian or Taco Pizza for Geography!) and served in the related room of your school.
5. Put together a book of coupons donated by local business and sell them throughout the community.
6. Host a pet show, flower show, etc. at your school. Charge entrants a fee.
More Great Fundraising Ideas -----------------------------------------(from americanheerleader.com)
1. A fast and easy way the Calvin Christian High School Cheerleaders made money was to cut stars out of construction paper using
our school colors (green, gold, and white) and sell them for $1.00 each. The person who donates their dollar writes their name on
the star and the star is placed on a hudge paper in the gym during basketball season. The paper reads "Calvin Christian Super
Stars." This way the cheerleaders get enough money for uniforms and the fans get honored for their donation by having their
name displayed on the gym wall for all to see! Go Squires! -Summer
2. You can buy transfer papers and print out your teams logo or name (ex."The Masons") on the transfer paper and then iron it
onto white T-shirts. They can be bought at discount stores.Sell them at your school or before games. -Kaylyn
3. My squad and I had to get a lot of money and fast. We had to make these little mascots-shooting stars out of colored paper. We
decorated them with glittler and little stars and made them look very good. We sold them for $1.00 each and sold 387 of them!
Another thing we do is we make rainsticks. We take a soda bottle thats empty and we pour in some bird seeds or dry bean, beads
etc. We wrap colored paper around it, tape it and we put circles of tin foil around the top. Then we decorate them with glitter,
stars, our mascot etc. We sell those for $2.00 each and we sold 548 last time- $1,096.00! We do yard sales and mini camps too.
Good luck! -Andrea
4. We have a really fun idea for you to try. We call it Balloon Tag. Blow up regular balloons with helium and tie strings to them.
One person pays $1.00 to "tag" someone-- that someone has to wear the balloon. If the "tagged" person pays $1.00 he doesn't
have to wear the balloon. The "tagged" person can also pay $2.00-- $1.00 to not wear the balloon and $1.00 to "tag" somebody
else. We'll have people walking around with 25 or more balloons tied to their belt!!! If the teachers get involved, it's even more
fun!! -Kimberely
5. For a quick and easy fundraiser, try making spirit signs and selling them for 25-75 cents at the door of home games. It works
great and it doesn't cost a lot of money. -Angie
6. We got a large white roll of paper and laid it on the pepstand at lunch. We blocked off that area. We had purple, gold, and black
(our school colors) markers set up around it. For 50 cents we let students in to sign or write on it. Later that day we hung it on the
gate in front of the football field where the cheerleaders cheer during the game. We made over 200 dollars that one day alone it
was a great success!
7. Cheer Expo: Make your cheers, dances, and stunts worth money! Show off your squad's stuff at a Saturday cheer expo and
invite everyone to attend! Charge a small admission fee and sell donated goodies to the crowd.
8. Family Portraits: Say cheese! Hire a photographer for a day of family portraits. Advertise to the students and the surrounding
community. Many photography studios have special fundraising packages which give your customers low rates-and your squad
nice profits!
9. Dance Contest: Don't wait for prom to dance the night away! An all-night "dance-off" will give the students a chance to show
their moves, while you make money! Couples pay an entry fee, are assigned a number, and are eliminated when they stop
dancing. The contestants left dancing in the morning are the winners!
10. Pet Pageant: Calling all canines and felines! Give the students and community a chance to show off their precious pets by
hosting a pageant. Have a panel of "judges," several competitions (including beauty and "talent"!), and a prize for the winners
(doggie bones and catnip should suffice!). The entry fees are yours to keep!
11. Service Sale: No products needed-just willing and able students! Compile a list of volunteers, along with their "donated"
service (such as raking, painting, etc.) and fee, which goes straight to the school's pocket. Distribute the list to staff, parents,
alumni, and others in the community and watch the money roll in!
12. Spaghetti Dinner: Everyone loves Italian! Arrange for your school's food service to supply the main course (or purchase from a
discount market) and volunteers to provide the salad, drinks, and dessert. Make sure the room is decorated in true Italian style
(red, green, and white is a MUST)! Tickets can be sold in advance and at the door.
13. Raffle: This is a great addition to a rummage sale, auction, spaghetti dinner-or it can stand on its own! If the function has a
theme (i.e. Italian), than collect and/or purchase items that relate (i.e. colored pasta, specialty sauce, pizza stone, etc.). Sell tickets,
select winners, and count your money!
14. Music Recital: Don't sing? Don't worry! Just contact your school's music department and arrange a night for the chorus and
orchestra to show their stuff. The money you make will be music to your ears!
15. 5-Mile Marathon: Break out those sneakers! A marathon is a great way of staying fit and having fun - not to mention making
big bucks! The money comes from the "sponsors" of each runner. Host the run on a Saturday, and honor all the runners with
Event Ribbons. (A special prize should be awarded to the winner!)
16. Book-A-Thon: Not a runner? Try reading! Students gather monetary pledges for each book read during the book-a-thon and
the donations go straight to the school.
17. Art Contest: Calling all artists! Hosting an art contest (with one or several categories), with an entry fee, panel of judges (from
the art department, etc.), and prizes is a creative way to generate income. A photo contest could also be a winner!
18. Haunted School: Turn your school into a haunted house! Decorate the school with spiderwebs (not real ones!), ghosts, strobe
lights, and other creepy creations. In different rooms, have scary scenes (using student volunteers) like a ghost in a graveyard, a
vampire with his victim, and a witch stirring her pot. Use the haunted habitat for the entire weekend (ideally in October!) and
collect the cash!
19. Jewelry Sale: Get your gals together and string some beads! Make anklets, bracelets, necklaces, and rings with beads in your
school colors. Sell them at lunch time and game time!
20. Flower Sale: You don't need to be a florist to sell beautiful blooms! Contact your local nursery for plants, flowers, and seeds
and offer to place their name on the order forms in return for a discount/donation. Your community will love the flowers-and
you'll love the income!
21. Carnation Sale: Nothing expresses your true feelings better than flowers! Carnations are ideal ways for students, staff, and
parents to show their affection for that special someone, while supporting your school! Attach little note cards to each stem for
their messages.
22. Cash Cans: It doesn't get any better than this! Simply request permission to place collection cans in several stores in your
school's area. Decorate the cans in school colors with your school name and collect the cash every week!
23. Candy Sale: Sweeten the school day with candy! When holidays roll around (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day), decorate
bags with the holiday theme, fill with festive candy, and sell to students! Prepare "order forms" for students who wish to order
candy for a special friend. Provide tags for their personal message.
24. Spirit Towels: Here's a fun and easy way to raise money and school spirit at the same time! Imprint spirit towels in your school
colors with your mascot and school name. Sell them to fans as they enter the game, and you'll have spirit and cash all at the same
time.
25. Sports Calendar: Feature your team and squad year-round with a custom calendar! Get the athletes together for a photo
session and include action shots and posed group shots. Most large photocopy stores will print these calendars for you, so all you
have to do is assemble the photos and get ready to sell!
26. Candy in a Cup: Everybody loves receiving candy - especially when it's for a good cause. This time, place all of the yummy
goodies in one of our Imprinted Stadium Cups for a delicious and worthwhile gift!
27. Imprinted License Plate Frames: Now that you and all of your friends are driving, you definitely want to show your school spirit
on the roads. Imprinted License Plate Frames will be an awesome way of doing this, and an awesome fundraiser!
28. Sports Highlight Video: Immortalize school victories and key plays with a special sports highlight video. Parents, students and
alumni will all love reliving these nail-biting moments. Makes an awesome fundraiser!
29. Poncho Power: No one likes to get caught in the rain at the big game, so be prepared! Sell Imprinted Rain Ponchos before and
during games. Fans will be thankful for the poncho, and you'll raise money in the process.
30. Sports Raffle: Set up a raffle that includes your stadium's special front-row seats, a "training camp" with either the sports
players or the cheerleaders, a session with the coach, and other sports-related items.
31. Dance Lessons: Ask the dance team or the cheerleading squad to share their knowledge with the rest of the students. Hold
dance lessons in the school gym and raise money at the same time. Teach students how to line dance, break dance, do the salsa,
swing dance, etc.
32. Talent Night: Everybody loves to show off, so set up a school Talent Night and ask students to sing, dance, tell jokes, or do
whatever it is they do best! Sell tickets to students, parents and siblings – they'll love this opportunity to see their family members
struttin' their stuff on the stage.
33. School Basketball Tournament: Organize basketball teams with faculty members, staff members, students and cheerleaders.
Set up a tournament and invite the whole school to come and watch for a small donation!
34. Pre-Homecoming Dinner: Organize a special dinner on the eve of the homecoming game in the school cafeteria for students,
parents and alumni. Ask local restaurants to offer their food at a special discount. In exchange for this discount, print the name of
the restaurant in the homecoming program, or hang a large banner with the restaurant name at the game.
35. Fund-Raising Candy: We've got America's favorite candy (like M&M's and Snickers) packaged for easy and successful sales!
We've even priced them as low as possible to ensure the highest possible profit for you! (And as you know, these candies
practically sell themselves!)
36. Glow Necklaces: They're the ultimate fund-raising favor for nighttime games. Get them in your school colors!
37. Imprinted Wearables: Almost every teen is into clothes, so take advantage of this desire and reap huge profits! Just dedicate a
corner of your school bookstore to imprinted wearables like earrings, gloves, hats, jackets, ponchos, shoelaces, shirts, shorts, and
more! (Stumps offers them all at prices that will make you flip!)
38. Stadium Cups: Help reduce wasted paper and make a profit, too! Order Stadium Cups imprinted with your school name and
mascot, and set a benefit package into action that will Homecomingpt students to purchase the cups. Work out a deal with the
school cafeteria and a few restaurants so that when a student presents the cup, he or she will receive a discount on a soda refill.
39. Collectible Cookbook: Love your best friend's cheesecake? Think your mom makes a killer veggie dip? Chances are, others will
love these dishes, too. Compile the best recipes in town into your very own cookbook, and then sell ads to local businesses and
restaurants. Put it all together at your local copy store (be sure to edit carefully!) and you're on your way to a gourmet way of
collecting cash.
40. Homecoming Fashion Show: Don't be behind the fashion times! Host a "cutting-edge" fashion show full of pretty Homecoming
dresses, fabulous tuxes and all the latest accessories. Have department stores, boutiques, men's clothing stores and hair salons
contribute their products and services for the event. You'll all benefit from the big night – they'll get a chance to display their
latest styles and you'll be fabulously hip on the night of your Homecoming.
41. Family Sock Hop: Get Moms, Dads, brothers, and sisters involved in a family night of fun. Keep preparation and set up to a
minimum, the idea here is to raise money. Rent a jukebox or simply hire a DJ. If you have someone in the school who likes to spin
records, hire them for free. Get a popular teacher, coach or parent to act as the DJ. Sell rootbeer floats and ice cream desserts.
Sponsor a dance contest and a best dressed family contest. Have a dance contest by age. Enjoy the night with the entire family.
42. Pom Power: We have so many Poms and even more ways to make money from them! Have local merchants sponsor ring tab
handle poms that allow students to punch out a coupon and redeem it for big savings. Grab our cheer ball poms for field day and
pep rally fun. Anything you can do with a ball, you can do with these poms!
43. Engraved Bricks: Our engraved bricks will help you raise a substantial amount of cash and create an honorable walkway
simultaneously! (Each brick sold will easily bring you $20 in profits!) Parents, teachers, teams, and school organizations can use
the bricks to pass words of wisdom and encouragement on to future generations. Just determine where you will place a brick
sidewalk and how many bricks you'll need. Contact www.stumpspirit.com
44. Dollars for Donuts: Most teens just don't have enough time to have breakfast every morning, so your early-morning donut
stand will be a great treat for hungry tummies! Set up a deal with your local donut establishment so you turn a higher profit. Small
containers of OJ would be a healthy and satisfying way to wash down this tasty treat!
45. Field Goal Fun: Create a game just outside the football field entrance gate for tailgaters. Set up our balloon goal post, and give
contestants one chance to approach a marked line and throw a foam football through the goal post. Winners take home a spirit
trinket (like a pencil or a button with your school's name and mascot printed on it).
46. Face Painting: Offer face painting just outside the entrance gate, and you're sure to collect a large profit from fans! Children
young and old love to sport their school mascot on their cheek.
47. Holiday Treats: Here's a totally simple way to raise some cash! Depending on the holiday, arrange candies and holiday treats in
festive bags. Buy carnations or other economical flowers in appropriate colors and tie them individually with a ribbon. Set up your
booth and you'll be turning a serious profit in no time! Your pals will totally appreciate your ingenuity when you present them
with a serious holiday treat.
48. Going Once, Going Twice!: A community auction is another way to collect some dollars, while clearing closets of clutter and old
junk. Collect things from home that you don't want anymore (that old CD, those old books), clean 'em off and give them an
opening price! You'll also want to offer delectable baked goods and nifty craft items at your auction. May the highest bidder win!
49. Raise Plants; Are you working with a small budget but expect a massive cash return? Have your school's agricultural (or
biological) classes raise tomato plants or geraniums for the public. The seeds are totally cheap, and the plants are hardy and will
withstand traveling. It's a fab learning experience that generates a bundle of cash!
50. Adopt-A-Tree: Organize an "adopt-a-tree" program that gets the community involved with your school. Locate an area around
your school or in a nearby park that looks sparse and in need of some TLC. Consult a landscaper on what trees would flourish in
the area. Next, persuade a local garden shop to donate a few trees in exchange for a plaque advertising the generous donation.
Have students plant and care for the trees. The trees will be "adopted" by community members who pay a fee to help in the
upkeep. In exchange, each "parent" will have his or her name printed on a tag that is attached to an adopted tree's limbs.
51. Recycle Aluminum Cans: Host an aluminum can-recycling contest. Many recycling companies pay up to $.30 a pound for
aluminum. Create collection bins from our corrugated paper, and place one bin in each homeroom. At the end of the contest, the
winners will receive prizes donated by local merchants, and you'll have a large profit with minimal investment.
52. Craft Bazaar: Host a food bazaar just before a big football game. Each school club will have a booth set up in a designated area.
Tail-gaters will purchase food tickets from one booth and trade the tickets for the goods they desire.
53. Toy and Book Drive: Start a couple of months before the sale and collect slightly used children's books and toys. Give parents
plenty of time to clean out old closets and toys. Allow two or more dates to drop off the items. Send out numerous reminders –
print it each week in the newsletter/ newspaper. Clean the toys and have a huge sale. Give part of the proceeds to a local charity
and keep the rest for Homecoming. Or, keep all the cash and donate the left-over toys to a local children's organization.
54. Spirit Balloons: Use permanent markers to write spirit messages on our Star-Shaped Mylar Balloons. Teens love the reflective
balloons, and you'll love the profits!
55. Class Color Day: Ask members of each class to deck themselves out in their class colors for the day. Raise money by selling
poms, bandannas and imprinted T-shirts to match each class color. Your campus will explode in a rainbow of colors!
56. Car Wash: This tried and true fundraiser is sure to bring you big bucks Gather up your buckets and sponges, change into your
old clothes, and get ready to make those cars shine!
57. Poinsettia Sale: A fantastic holiday fundraiser! Take advance orders for your poinsettia sales and deliver plants just in time for
the holidays. Offer both red and white poinsettias for even greater profits. Tie a ribbon around each plant in your school colors
for an added punch of school spirit!
58. Hoagie / Sub / Hero Sandwich Sale: Depending on what part of the country you live in, host a "large sandwich" sale. Give a
wide variety of meat and cheese selections, and be sure to include some non-meat options for vegetarians.
59. Yard Sale: It's time to clean out your home and garage! A yard sale is the perfect opportunity to get rid of things you don't
want anymore, and to raise a little cash in the process. Ask neighbors and friends to contribute to the sale, and let them know
their contributions are going to a worthwhile cause.
60. Merchant Sponsors: Merchants in the community are usually willing to contribute to school fundraisers. At your next event,
give them the option of being a sponsor. They will typically attract customers to their business as a result.
61. Holiday Bazaar: Set up a fantastic selection of homemade crafts and goodies just in time for the holidays. Ask teachers,
parents and students to contribute something to the Bazaar. Invite community members to the Bazaar and watch the money roll
in – just in time for your holiday dance!
62. Wrap It Up!: Get into the holiday spirit, and earn some cash in the process. Contact your local mall and find out if you can set
up a "Gift Wrapping" stand at the mall during the holiday season. Once you have the mall's approval, purchase festive wrapping
paper, bows, ribbons, boxes and cards. Offer to alleviate shoppers' stress by wrapping their purchases right there and then.
Charge a fee based on gift size, and watch the money roll in!
63. Badges: A badge can be worn just about anywhere, and can feature just about anything! Multicolored badges, helmet badges,
letter banner badges are just some of the hot badge styles to sell at your next fundraising event.
64. Sell Flags: at Canada day or Rememberance Day or parades. They cost about $2 and you can sell them for $7-10.
65. Sell Food: Set up a concession stand at all school and community events.
66. Sell your School!: Get school permission and permission to use the school name and then sell of the field or school gym by the
square foot. Make fake but realistic looking “deeds” and remember to add somewhere in small by readable print that the deed
doesn’t transfer any real property rights. Unframed for $15 and framed for $25. Check the Dollar store for cheap frames that look
good. Sell to fans at all school events.
67. Host a community dance for all ages.
68. Pie Toss: Take donations to determine who the “winner” will be (principal, other teacher, community leader, local sports hero,
etc). After the first pie toss, allow students to take a shot from 10-15 feet away at their favorite “target” for between $2-$5 a
shot. Pies are paper pie plates and whipped cream. Have water and towels ready!
69: Have a bed race and give prizes for ugliest, craziest, prettiest bed and of course the winner of the race. Use the school parking
lot and make sure you follow appropriate safety measures (helmets, etc). Teams solicit sponsors to raise the most money. Can be
a school event (teams against teams) or a community event (businesses against each other).
70. Take collections at your competition (with school approval) or sell 50/50 tickets!
Fundraising Questionnaire:
Name: _________________________________________ Parent of: _________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________________ Email: ___________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Occupation/Place of Work: ____________________________________________________________________________
Any help your business may be able to provide: (donations, donation can set up, advertising help, etc. Use back if required):
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Our fundraising committee needs a secretary and a financial resource person. We also need someone that is proficient in writing
letters and advertisements and volunteers to copy and mail them. Other tentative plans include a youth car wash, a bake sale, a
bazaar, and a walk-a-thon.
Please indicate your level of interest 1 (not interested) to 5 (very interested) below:
1.
The committee secretary will take notes at meetings, list who’s in charge of different activities, and keep track of our
progress, etc.
I enjoy taking notes. (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
2.
Our treasurer will keep track of expenses and make deposits of incoming funds.
I enjoy working with numbers (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
3.
Using a template, we will be soliciting donations from local business and industry.
I can write letters (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
I have free time for copying and mailing (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
4.
Using a template, we will be submitting press releases to the local media to kick-off our fundraiser. We also need press
releases and small classified and/or display ads for different events as they are scheduled.
I can write press releases (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
I can write ads (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
5.
Are you an organizer? Tentative activities include a craft bazaar, a bake sale, a walk-a-thon, and a car wash. We need
volunteers to chair and organize each event.
Craft Bazaar (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
Bake Sale (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
Walk-a-thon (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
Car Wash (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5)
6.
Our team needs a person who would be willing to call parents and/or team members if there are changes in the
fundraising or practice schedule. This person will make calls on behalf of the activity organizers selected from the above
question.
I enjoy organizing and talking to others. (1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 )
7. Our team also needs:
1.
2.
Y or N: Promotional Organizer: develop a committee to write ads, make posters, hang flyers, deliver handouts to
businesses, etc. Needs to make sure that promotion of specific events is timely, appropriate to the event, and
doesn’t conflict with other aspects of the campaign. The promotional organizer may also be in charge of
correspondence like donor letters and thank you notes.
Y or N: Follow through sub-chair: Develops a committee to keep track of donated goods, pick up donated
merchandise, do callbacks to prospective donors, and make deliveries of prizes and orders if necessary.
Fundraising Letters ------------------------------------------------------(from fundraisingtips.com)
One of the most effective tools for raising large amounts of money is the fundraising letter. You can use
fundraising letters to request grants or endowments from institutions, to request donations from business
and industry, or to inform members of the needs of your organization.
Before you write a fundraising letter…
Know why people give.
The simplistic answer is that people give to get. However, most people give for reasons that stem from
emotion, not logic.
1. To get satisfaction through involvement in a worthwhile activity
2. To get satisfaction by helping to solve a common problem
3. To get recognized for contributing to a cause.
The paradox of a fundraising letter is that nobody likes to be sold, but fundraising letters are sales letters. To
be effective, your fundraising letter must sell your campaign in a way that makes donors feel that your
organization recognizes their donation as an important contribution to solving a common problem.
When you get your mail, think about what you read and what you throw away. Then, structure your letter to
be one that you would read if it was sent to you. Although fundraising letters are business letters, you want
to write a friendly letter that turns donors into active allies for your cause. Parts of a fundraising letter:
1.
2.
3.
Your Greeting— You only get one chance to make a good first impression and in a fundraising letter, that impression
starts with your greeting. “Dear Sir or Madam” may sound businesslike but it is very impersonal. Likewise for “Dear
Businessman”, “Dear Loyal Member”, and even “Dear Friend”. The objective is to make each donor an involved and
contributing friend. If your letters are few, be sure to put a name in each greeting. If your list is long, start your letter with
one cheerful word, “Greetings!”
The Body— Telling your story. An effective sales technique is to:
o Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Present your campaign in a positive light by beginning with a smile. Get
them involved. Pay a compliment either here or in your next paragraph.
o Tell them. Be brief, but be detailed. Most importantly stress what they “get”. Explain both your overall goal and
how donors can help you achieve it. Let them know your time frame. Do ask the question, (i.e. “Can you help
us?”). In addition, offer donation options like “supporter, subscriber, member and grantor” or “business, family,
individual, student”. If there are many seniors on your list, senior is another good option as well.
o Tell them what you told them. Again, summarize the problem, your proposal to solve it, and emphasize how
their contribution is an important part of the solution.
The Closing—
o Include any pertinent contact information.
o Remind them that you have enclosed an SASE (Self-addressed stamped letter), or they can have the option to
present the donation to the person who gave them the letter.
o Thank them for their support.
o Leave them with a smile.
USE YOUR ALUMNI! Find out where ex-cheerleaders from your school are now and send them these letters.
Chances are the team meant a lot to them when they were there and they’ll be more likely than others to
give a donation. You could design a sponsorship letter specifically for team alumni so they can donate on a
yearly basis. You could also organize an alumni get together, and make sure you invite them to all
fundraising events and competitions you’ve got planned by adding them to an alumni email list.
Sample Fundraising Letter Template:
From fundraisingtips.com
Greetings!
From the condition of the cheerleading uniforms at XXXX, it looks like we need to buy capes, uniforms, or house
coats! I vote for new uniforms. How about you?
Seriously, though, the uniforms at XXXX are in sorry shape. ABC Uniform Makers’s has given us a low bid of $X,XXX
st
to replace the uniforms and can complete them in time for the first competition of the year February 1 . They plan
st
on starting on January 1 , which gives us two months to raise the money. We are counting on supportive
members like you to help us reach our goal. Can you help us?
Although your name won’t appear on the uniforms, it will shine proudly on a plaque (to be mounted in the school
gym) under the appropriate category. Every category is open to your donation. A suggested type of donation is in
parentheses.
•
•
•
•
Platinum: $300.00 + (business)
Gold: $200.00 + (family)
Silver: $100.00 + (individual)
Bronze: $25.00 + (students & seniors)
We also have several fundraising events planned to help us reach our goal. We believe that our events will result in
improving the appearance of our cheerleaders and also help us increase the school spirit by showing the students
that the community is actively supporting their sports groups.
We’ve included a list of planned activities, donated goods that we need for our events, and of course a card for you
to sign with your donation. Please return the donation card along with your check in the enclosed envelope. If you
have questions, concerns, or just want more details about buying a spot on the plaque or other fundraising events,
please call me at 555-5555.
Thank you again for your continued (and much needed) support!
Kind Regards,
Your Name
Coach, XXXX School
Sample Fundraising/Sponsor Letter #2 (two pages long)
XYZ High School Cheerleaders:
April 2003
Dear Cheer Enthusiast:
XYZ High School Cheerleaders are a competition and game cheering squad. The team had a very successful program last year
nd
coming in 2 place at the Provincial Cheerleading Championships. This year we are training hard but we need your help. The
Provincial Championships will be held in the Halifax area this year and we will need the funds to get all 25 of our athletes to the
competition. Also, We are in dire need of mats to provide a safer environment for our athletes to practice their aerial skills.
Speith Anderson, (an equipment company and avid school sports supporter) has generously given us a break on the price of the
st
matted cheerleading floor of $XX,XXX but we need to purchase the mats by March 1 .
st
st
We would like to add that we also achieved 1 place at the CheerExpo Championships last year and 1 place at the Regional
Championships. This awesome team needs your support.
We are hoping that individuals, organizations and businesses will support our team. Your sponsorship will help the team attend
championship competitions and provide them with a safer training environment. Please list your company’s necessary information
on the enclosed sheets and we will proudly list your company as one of our teams’ sponsors on our webpage, our event
advertisements and our team T-shirts that we wear to all fundraising events. We will also be selling shakers (pom pon noise
makers) with our school colors and mascot on them at ALL school games and pep rallies for $1 to all fans. There is room on the
shakers for your ad. In addition to all of the fans that attend our sporting events, news reporters frequently attend our basketball,
hockey, and other sports tournaments so it is quite likely that your ad could be seen on the nightly news if your ad is on our
shakers. We will be hosting our own competition in February and we invite you to attend as a sponsor. As we start our new season
we hope that you can open your hearts to help support our program.
Thank you in advance for assisting these talented athletes!
Coach XXX
XYZ High School
123 Alphabet Street
Avenue Road
Nova Scotia
B0B 1N1
(902) 123-4567
coach@coachesemailaddress.com
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Cheering Games --------------------------------------------------------Like it or not, the primary purpose of the scholastic cheerleading team is to support the school’s athletic teams.
Cheerleaders should work to promote upcoming events and games and encourage people to support the teams. The
game should not be observed as an opportunity to show off; your purpose is to cheer on the athletes. Instead of
gripping about it, get excited about it! It’s not a chore; it’s a privilege! This is what school year memories are made of.
This is your chance to create a lifelong lasting impression of school spirit within your student body.
In Nova Scotia, where you cannot start your competitive training team until November 1st, cheering games give you a
chance to build on fundamentals (jumps, motions, dance, voice, team unity, etc). It will also provide a sense of school
spirit that will continue throughout the year.
At the beginning of the year, meet with the athletic director and/or coaches of the other school sports teams and
obtain their schedules. Determine which games they would like you to cheer at and which games you can cheer at.
Being able to cheer at all games is not essential. If you have to choose, pick ones that are home games, tournaments,
or championships. If you can travel with the team, choose some away games as well. Be careful not to overload your
team but make sure you are fulfilling your obligation as well.
Make sure you know the sport that you are cheering for. Know the correct terminology and rules. Find out where you
should stand and when NOT to cheer at specific sporting events. Teach the dynamics of the particular sport. At the
end of the lesson, give your cheerleaders a test to reinforce what they've learned. Have them study a sheet of referee
signals. Make sure they understand the scoreboard. Teach them to "read" the game, selecting appropriate chants for
the situation. Show a video of an actual football game and ask the squad members to call out chants as it plays. Make
it a contest. The challenge will be fun!
Create simple positive chants that you can easily teach the student body at the next pep rally or assembly. Short oneliners are better than long “story” type cheers.
Have a plan! Don’t go into a game without know who is calling which cheers, and what order you will do cheers,
stunts, etc. Pre-planning before the game (i.e. having fan cheer-off contests and providing a small prize, etc) can help
make sure that the experience is fun and rewarding for everyone.
Brainstorm with the Student Council to find ways to increase school participation and spirit
Cheerleaders should cheer as loud as possible:
•
•
•
When the players are being introduced. Cheer for both teams. Clapping during introductions for the other team should
be done out of respect and sportsmanship.
When the other squad is performing (halftime, quarters, periods, etc.) cheer along with them. If they are doing a crowd
response cheer, do the response part. Not only will this make them feel good, they will most likely do the same for your
squad. It's a win-win situation. It makes squads friendly and more sportsmanlike. After they perform, always clap for
their squad.
When the game is close. Try a few crowd response chants. Yelling one word like “Defense” or your mascot’s name is an
easy way to get the crowd to join in!
Get your cheerleaders to "think like the crowd." Have them brainstorm different ways to grab and keep the crowd's
attention. Crowds like to do stomping and hand movements.
Provide your cheerleaders with a list of chants divided into "Offense," "Defense" and "Spirit" on a clipboard positioned
where it can easily be seen.
During your games, keep track of what things worked and what things might need improvement.
If want to be treated like athletes; behave and act like athletes!
Consider yourself "on duty" at the games. Your squad members should be able to look to you for direction and
assistance. Place yourself in the general vicinity of the squad and concentrate on evaluating and recording their
performance. Briefly meet at the beginning of half-time to offer constructive feedback. "Great facials, Sarah/Kristin.
You did a good job of involving the crowd.
Game Plan
Advance Game Preparation:
1. Specific crowd activities for the game:
a)
b)
c)
2. Promotion Plan of the game and spirit contests/activities (i.e. fan cheer off, crazy dressers, skit time at half time,
etc).
a) Signage (who will make them and who will put them up)
b) Announcements: Who will create and read the announcements staring at least 3 days before
c) Spirit table at lunch before the big game (who will run and sell items)
3. Spirit Items
a) Who will make
b) Who will distribute to fans on the way in
Pre-Game Activities:
1. Greeters for visiting cheerleaders and/or team
a)
b)
2. Sign Hangers
a)
b)
c)
d)
3. Stretch and warm up stunts, jumps, etc
First Quarter:
1. Assign person to call cheers
2. Cheers & Chants to be performed
a)
d)
b)
e)
c)
f)
3. Stunts to be performed
a)
d)
b)
e)
c)
f)
4. Assign cheerleaders to go into stands for cheers
Second Quarter:
1. Assign person to call cheers
g)
h)
i)
2. Cheers & Chants to be performed
a)
d)
b)
e)
c)
f)
3. Stunts to be performed
a)
c)
b)
d)
4. Assign cheerleaders to go into stands for cheers
g)
h)
i)
e)
f)
Halftime: no going into stands for food or drink or talking to friends. Rest and talk with visiting cheerleaders. Some
teams bring fruits and snacks. Use halftime for any special performances (dances, etc). And get the crowd going with
some games.
Continue schedule for rest of game. Stunts in 1st quarter should be stronger and more difficult than stunts in last
quarter.
Managing Game Cheering ----------------------------------------------(by Pam Headridge, Developing a Successful Cheer Program)
Philosophy:
Process:
Coaches need to have a plan for games. Make sure you know the district policy on
transportation and your requirements for attending games.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Set a time and place to meet to warm-up and discuss game plan.
Know what is included in your warm-up.
Have game plan sheet with a list of all chants, cheers, dances, stunts.
The team needs to know how they line up and where. Will it change at
quarters or half-time?
5. Set aside time to meet and greet visiting cheerleaders. Assign a couple of
cheerleaders to do this.
6. Assign who will call the chants.
7. Who will coordinate with the band for the next song played?
8. Will there be a performance at half-time? Who coordinates the music if
needed? Who coordinates with announcer?
9. Assign someone to be in charge of the signs and spirit items.
10. Do you have a run-through for halftime? Assign someone to be in charge of it.
When do you unroll it for the players to run through?
11. Where are the administrators or security if needed?
12. What do the cheerleaders do if the crowd boos, becomes unruly, etc?
13. Have an "Opponent Information" form that lists the names of the school you
play, address, phone, cheer coach's name, mascot, and school colors.
14. During the game do "cheerleader evaluations". Form below.
15. Will you have post-game meeting to evaluate performance? If not do it at the
beginning of next practice.
16.
Be prepared for problems. Do not be afraid to gather the cheerleaders together and
huddle during the game to tell them how to solve a problem. It is like a "time-out"
and it is appropriate for a coach to call a time out.
CHEERLEADER GAME EVALUATION
Date: __________________
Place: ________________
Game: ________________
OVERALL GAME PERFORMANCE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Entrance
Spirit
Use of signs with crowd
Jumps
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5.
6.
7.
8.
Tumbling
Smiles
Voices
Dancing
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
CHEERS/STUNTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
Crowd Oriented
Sharp Motions
Climbing Technique
Timing
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5. Formation
6. Knowledge of Material
7. Perfection of Stunts
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
COMMENTS
Need to Improve
Worked well
------------------------------------------------------- Game Management
(from NCSSE 2005)
1. Be prompt. Arrive early to greet visiting cheerleaders, to stretch, and to cheer the team onto the
floor
2. Appearance should be neat, clean (no flashy makeup) and uniform (same socks, bows, etc)
3. Delegate who will be responsible to call cheers and chants
4. Material should be reviewed in practice, not in front of the crowd. Look organized and prepared
5. When not cheering, stand in an organized formation and pay attention to the game
6. Keep all conversation to a minimum
7. Cheer between plays
8. Be prepared by knowing what will be done during next time out, half time, offensive play, etc.
------------------------------------------------------ Crowd Involvement
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Concentrate on crowd involvement, cheers, and sidelines
Cheers should motivate the team
Use the momentum of the game to catch the crowd when the excitement is high
Large, strong, visible motions will lead the crowd best
Cheer to the entire crowd. Move around of necessary. Do not cheer to opposing fans.
6. Use easy, simple words like Defense, Go-Fight-Win, school colors, mascot, school initials, etc
7. Create and promote traditions (i.e. after every goal do the same chant or do push ups, etc)
8. Use strong clear voices and enunciate words
9. Use megaphones to enhance volume
10. Use large clear signs that are easy to follow
11. Display genuine enthusiasm
12. Compliment the crowd when they cheer with you. Get them involved and make it fun!
---------------------------------------------------------------- Pep Rallies
(from NCSSE Handbook 2005)
The goal of the pep rally is to get your school excited and pumped up for upcoming events. Be careful not
make the cheerleaders the main showcase. It is about all of the schools’ teams. Get the student body
involved in the rally and everyone will have fun.
Planning
•
•
•
•
•
Keep a record al all pep rallies for future reference
Keep a notebook for new ideas and themes
Have a dress rehearsal
Check the sound system
Publicize
Effective Pep Rallies
•
•
•
•
•
Short in Length (15 – 20 minutes)
Experiment with different types of rallies, change school groups hosting or participating
Variety of cheers, chants, music (CD and/or Band)
Teach new material to students
Spirit Contests
Sample Pep Rally Schedule
1. Student body entrance: Make sure you are completely prepared for the rally as the student body
enters. This is their first glimpse of the action, and you want them to be interested in what is going to
happen. Have music playing as they enter.
2. Alma Mater: The school song calms the crowd a bit and is a great unifying time for the student body.
Make sure the words are visible in your gym so everyone can sing (good time to involve the choral
groups of the school).
3. Fight Song: band plays fight song as cheerleaders lead in the team. Use of flags and tumbling help
make this exciting.
4. Work the crowd: Begin cheering using short repetitive cheers and chants. Include signs,
megaphones, flags, etc. Use the mascot and band for traditional songs.
5. Skit: Center your skit around a theme. Include as many students from different grade levels into the
skit as possible. Remember the cheerleaders should not be the main focus of the skit.
6. Speakers: Have the coach and/or team captains speak about the upcoming game.
7. Spirit Stick: Have class chants for spirit stick competition (and maybe a pizza party).
8. Exit: Have the band play as the students exit the gym.
Get Organized
Who’s in charge? Each school has a different policy for pep rallies. Find out or decide who is responsible for
organizing a pep rally (coach, coach and captain(s), pep club, student council, etc). It may end up being your
job. Don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to others if it is. Make sure you check with your administration before
making final decisions
What will we do? Use the Pep Rally Planner (next page) to get started. Brainstorm with other coaches at
camp and conferences to learn what works for them. Get coaches of other teams involved too. Plan well in
advance so you won’t have to scramble at the last minute.
Who will help? Make a list of student organizations (drama club, choral groups, band, art clubs, pep or glee
club, etc) that may be able to help or provide props or materials for your rally. Many organizations would
love to get involved – all you have to do is ask.
Ideas for Pep Rallies
•
First pep rally at night in stadium. Parents and supporters can attend. Get local radio station to do a
live remote. Get the school paper and radio involved too. Have lots of giveaways, games and
activities. Band can practice for first game.
•
Last pep rally senior farewell. Use the last pep rally to farewell senior players. Include
valedictorian(s), senior club reps, etc. Use a song about memories and have that as your theme.
•
Recognize all sports at a pep rally. Take one pep rally to recognize all fall sports – not just football.
•
City-wide pep rally. Have a pep rally outside (downtown, shopoing center, possibly near
homecoming) and invite the city. If there are several teams from the city involved in a provincial
championship, coordinate with other schools as well. Include radio stations And businesses that
support the school. Include the band and clubs for big support.
Pep Rally Planner
Date and time of rally: ______________________ Date of game: _____________________
Opponent(s): _______________________________________________________________
Opponents’ Mascot & Colors: _________________________________________________
Pep rally uniform: ___________________________________________________________
Date and time of gym decorating: __________________ Theme: ______________________
Props/decorations needed: _____________________________________________________
Clubs, teams, groups and individuals assisting and their tasks: ________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Planning/Creative Meetings (Date, time, place, purpose): ____________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Speaker(s): ________________________________________________________________
Agenda:
Time
Activity
Points to Remember
Pep Rally Pointers (from American Cheerleader Magazine)
1) Incorporate Annual Traditions, if you don’t have traditions, create them.
2) Engage the fans. Pump up the crowd with good natured games and competitions. Have classes
compete over the spirit stick, pit the basketball team against the baseball team in a tug of war, or
incorporate “fear factor” style competitions.
3) Put a twist on old favorites. Instead of just the cheerleaders dancing, get the football team or a few
of the more adventurous teachers to wear uniforms and perform too!
4) Don’t over do it. Though you want to impress with your stunting skills, make sure your routine and
stunts are perfected. If something falls or comes down, that is all anyone will talk about.
5) Give incentives to attend. Have fun games and prizes. If your gym isn’t big enough for everyone,
require attendees to wear spirit or school T-shirts to be admitted. That way the small fraction of kids
who could care less can head off to study hall and the kids attending the pep rally are the ones who
really want to be there.
Spirited Ideas for Games and Pep Rallies ----------------------------(by American Cheerleader Magazine, Pam Headridge and Marci Klein – Pep with Pizzaz)
Don't forget the power of music—either band or tape—to get spectators really rocking! Work with your band director
and drill team.
Use your mascot to help motivate the crowd.
Use signs: Pam Headridge says “One of our crowds’ favorite signs is a big one that says "MAKE SOME NOISE" When the
girls hold it up and the crowd goes crazy and then we turn it around and the other side says "I CAN'T HEAR YOU" and
they get even louder. Sometimes we just hold up the "I CAN'T HEAR YOU" side when we're cheering sidelines. Another
one says "CHEER WITH US" on one side and "GET ON YOUR FEET" on the other. We also have "YELL" with the reverse
saying "LOUDER".
Get the crowd to move. Often this is easier then having them yell words. Have signs for - “CLAP”, “STOMP”, “MAKE
SOME NOISE”
Know the material! Make sure all cheerleaders know the words and motions for all of the cheers and chants you plan
to do. If one looks bad, don’t do it.
Use props : Giant Flag - teach the crowd that every time they see the flag they have to yell “GOOOOOO CATS!”
FENCE - use it in a defense or offense chant.
SEA OF FANS - Create a sea of color in the stands! Give the first person in each row a 19" roll of gossamer. The roll is
passed from person to person along the horizontal row (A 100 yard roll covers the length of a football field!) When the
fans are covered, start a giant wave.
DANCING LETTERS - Make large stretch pillow cases with your school's letters on the outside. Make them big enough
for a cheerleader to fit inside.
BALL TOSS - Every time the team makes a touchdown, throw a huge beach ball (painted your school colors) into the
audience and have them toss it around. Take it away after kickoff.
Why not have a crazy hair game and get your entire school to wear their hair “Mohawk” style and use temporary hair
coloring (Halloween gel or spray) to make the hair in your school colors!
Make huge run-through signs out of mural paper that say things like “Welcome to our House!” or “XYZ Rocks!”.
Create a tradition to do the same thing after every goal or touchdown: pushups, same chant, fire a cannon, throw out
t-shirts, mini-balls, etc.
At night games, try tying glow sticks to your wrists and ankles to light up the show!
Acknowledge the fans individually. Have a #1 fan award to give away to the fan that cheers along most during the
game. You can also tie school colored balloons to the wrists of worthy fans to let them know they are appreciated.
SPIRIT FENCE: Paint Styrofoam cups with your school colors. Spell out spirit slogans and mascot name pulling the cups
through the holes in a chain link fence at stadium.
Pick a THEME SONG for your team and play it at the pep rallies and games. Example, if you school color is purple,
choose "Purple People Eater", or "Purple Rain". If your school color is black use "Men in Black". Or choose a theme
idea like " Danger Zone", "Superman", "Raise the Roof", “Survivor”.
SNAKE DANCE through town to your stadium on the evening of your Homecoming game. Have the cheerleaders and
band lead the way!
Tie BALLOONS in your school colors to telephone poles and signs on the street that leads to your stadium on the day
of the big Homecoming game.
Make PVC ARCHES over the front entrance to your stadium or gym and decorate with balloons.
DANCING LETTERS---make large stretch pillow cases with your school's letters on the outside. Make them big enough
for a cheerleader to fit inside.
BANNERS: Make your own reusable run-through banner from vinyl window shade cut in half and velcro (lightly)
together. Paint banner with cloth paint.
SPIRIT LADDER: Paint a ladder (or a big ladder size poster) in school colors and decorate it with Wildcat on top. On
each rung, put the name of the opponents and date of game, starting with the bottom rung being the first game.
SPREAD THE NEWS: Decorate the wall with newspapers and write a slogan on top of newspaper" Spread the news, the
Wildcats are gonna beat the _______"
YARD SIGNS: Make a bunch of yard signs about the upcoming game. Could do a theme or series of messages.
STOMP OUT THE _______________. This poster could be in the shape of a paw. Put this big poster on the floor for
everyone entering the school to walk on.
UPCOMING GAME: Have an Upcoming Game" sign. Could be in the shape of a football, soccer ball or volleyball. As the
game approaches, change the signs to refer to that game. Tell the date, time and location.
PLAYER RECOGNITION: Make giant paper football field out of poster paper and put mini-helmets on it with the name
and number for each player. Display on the wall. Other examples: Soccer field with little balls, pool with swimsuits, net
with volleyballs, net with tennis balls, megaphone with mini-poms, basketball court with mini-basketballs.
GIANT MEGAPHONE: Make a giant megaphone and display it in the hallway. List the spirit winners of the week.
CHANT OF THE WEEK: Have a special location in the school where you hang a poster or banner with the words to the
chant for all the students to learn before the game.
LOCKER SIGNS & TREATS FOR PLAYERS
"You're Worth Grand"- $100,000 candy bar
"Go Big Red" - Big Red gum
"Give It Extra Effort" - Extra gum
"Score Big" - Skor candy bar
"You're Red Hot" - Red Hot candy
"Work Together Like the Three Musketeers" 3 Musketeers bar
"Roll-Em Over" - Tooties Rolls or Rolos
"Charm the Opponent" - Charm suckers
"Mighty & Mean" - M&Ms
"Beat the Cats" or "Cat Power" - Kit Kats
"Crunch the Opponent" - Crunch candy bar
"Send'em to Mars" - Mars candy bar
"Burst Their Bubble" - Bubble gum
"You've Got the Power" - Power Bars or Poweraide
"For all your "egg"tra effort!" - treats in plastic easter eggs
Basket full of oranges with message written on their skins
"You CAN do it! - Decorate cans and fill with candy
"Crush your opponent" - Give out Crush soda
"You are all that and a bag of chips" - Give a bag of chips
"Shock the opponent" Shock candy
"Let's leave the _______ behind in our trail to victory" - give a bag of trail mix
"Bubble up and blow them away" Give small bottles of bubbles
QUOTES
If it is to be, it is up to me
Success is getting up one more time than you fall down
Leadership comes from those who show up!
A good leader doesn't make the same mistake twice.
Be quick to praise and slow to criticize.
Don't wait for others to be friendly, show them how.
Shoot for the moon and if you fail, you will land among the stars.
Nothing in the world can take place of persistence.
No one gets credit for half done work...finish what you start.
Before you say you can't, give it a try.
A little progress every day adds up to big progress.
Train with intensity and perform with confidence.
Defeat may test you, it need not stop you.
The greatest mistake is giving up.
In a team sport, every time you help somebody else, you help yourself (Pete Carrill)
Working together works (Rob Gilbert)
Either we are pulling together or we are pulling apart.
Teamwork divides the task and doubles the success.
SPIRIT BAGS
From Tonya Cox and Sheila Angalet
These bags are put together with much love and inspiration from many sources. They are to help you get your team
spirit together. They are special reminders to encourage your cheerleaders to be their best!
BALLOON - to keep your spirit inflated
PENCIL - to help you get the cheers (w)rite
GLOVE - to keep your hands on your stunt
POPSICLE STICK - to remember to keep good straight arms
GUM - to help you stick your stunts/tumbling
SMARTIES - you are a 'smartie' when school work comes first
LIFESAVERS - because cheerleaders can save the game with their spirit
RIBBON - to show your team colors everyday
RUBBER BAND - stay flexible
BOUNCY BALL - keep your bounce and spirit
RAISINS - remember to keep 'raisin the roof'
SPONGE - to soak up all the new information and ideas you'll be getting
COTTONBALL - for the rough times, always go for the comfort of your teammates
MIRROR - On a post-it note write, "Face It - You make a big difference in our team"
HAPPY FACES STICKER - Remember to smile
PEANUTS - "It's ok to be nutty sometimes!"
SWEETTARTS - to accept and appreciate the differences in others
TOOTHPASTE - To keep that sparkling smile
A STAMP - to keep "stamping" to the beat
CANDLE - remember, you are the bright spot in someone's life everyday!
BAND-AID - for healing hurt feelings (yours or others)
ERASER - to remember that every day is a clean start
SPARKLING CONFETTI (or sequins) - because YOU are all sparkle and shine
PUZZLE PIECE - you are a part of something bigger that isn't complete without you
HERSHEY HUGS - we all give and receive hugs here
STARS - "because that's what you are!"
"STIRRER" - because cheerleaders can stir things up
GUMMY FROGS - to make you jump high
STARBURST - to give you a "burst" of energy when you need it
THROAT LOZENGES - to soothe your throat after yelling for the team
HAIR TIES - to tie up your frustrations
PEP RALLY IDEAS
A great pep assembly not only gets students out of their classes – it gets them fired up for the big game!
Here are just a few ways to guarantee that your pep rally will be a huge success.
Audience Art: Select teams of four people from the audience. Give each team a box of materials (crepe streamer,
balloons, permanent markers, stickers, cardboard, etc.) and five minutes to create the best spirit display. The crowd
response determines the winning team, whose members get a small reward like an imprinted stadium cup.
Wrap Your Rival: Choose teams of three people from the audience. One member of each team represents the rival
school. The other two team members are given rolls of crepe streamer in your school colors. Hold a contest to see
which team completely wraps the "rival school" team member from head to toe the fastest.
TP Streamers: Mount a toilet paper roll on a stick so it can roll. Use a leaf blower and blow against the toilet roll and
use it as a blowing streamer.
Hunt: At our school we do a hunt. We will hold big signs up that say what they need to have (real tattoo, guy & girl
with shoelaces tied together, 3 people with same name in same grade, miss matched socks and girlfriend carrying
boyfriend).
TP a Teacher: Have about 4 pairs of teachers (try to pair them up with one tall teacher and one short teacher). Then
have 2 reps from each grade come down. They all have to empty a roll of toilet paper as fast as they can covering the
teachers head to toe. The first grade that wins gets an activity day (try a movie day) to themselves so encourage the
crowd to cheer them on! It’s a riot! Play music like "Tootsie Roll" and have cheerleaders throw tootsie rolls while all of
this is going on.
Mix Up Shoes: Have 5 people from each grade take their shoes off and place them in the middle of the gym floor.
Make them take their shoes strings out, too. Place 5 people from each grades on different sides of the gym. On “Go!”
they have 2 minutes to find their shoes and lace them. The grade with the most people finished, wins!
THEME ASSEMBLIES/PEP RALLIES
For Example.....
MONDAY: Report to the school that your mascot is missing.
TUESDAY: Report that the mascot was seen in front of the school - display a picture
WEDNESDAY: Report the mascot was picked up by police - display a picture
THURSDAY: Report the mascot in jail - show a picture
FRIDAY: PEP RALLY- Report that the mascot was picked up by aliens and was returned to the school by
the MEN IN BLACK, aka the principal and another teacher in MIB suits and glasses. Have them walk out to
Men in Black by Will Smith. Then get the cheerleaders to dress as aliens and do a short dance to the song.
OTHER IDEAS:
1. Structure the assembly around a song or TV/movie theme. Examples: Mission Impossible, Tribal Dance (especially if
your mascot is an Indian), Funky Town, Star Wars, Buffy the (Anti-Spirit) Slayer, Millionaire, Weakest Link, Survivor,
Fear Factor, etc
2. Structure the assembly around a phrase
“Sock It to the _______”. Use 50’s music. Pie in the face skit. Everyone wears knee socks.
“Beach the ________”. Use Beach Boys music.
“_______won’t Stay Alive”. Use Disco music -Saturday Night Fever. Decorate a dance ball or strobe light
“Black Out ________” Use current music. Have everyone dress in all black. Do chants in the dark using flashlights
and/or glow sticks.
GUESS THE POMS: Toss a bunch of pom pons in a large, clear container. Then set the container in an open area where
students can guess how many poms are inside the container. Announce the winner at next pep rally. The winner
receives a pair of poms and free admission to the big game!
TWAS the Night Before the Basketball Game:
Twas the night of the game when all through the school; All the fans were stirring because ______________ ruled.
The basketballs were stored in the locker room with care; In hopes that the Mighty _________ soon would be there.
The students were nestled all snug in the stands; Because they knew victory soon would be at hand.
The cheerleaders and fans all dressed in ______ and _______; Showing their school colors for all to behold.
When out in the parking lot there arouse such a clatter; I sprang from my desk to see what the matter.
Away to the lot I flew like a flash; Tore open the door and out I dashed.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen rain; Gave a lust of midday to objects again and again
When what to my wondering eyes should appear; But an _________ bus and the basketball players were here.
A big grizzly driver ready to attack; I knew in a moment it must be the ___________.
More rapid than _______ their courses they came; Coach ________ whistled and shouted and called them by name:
NOW... (names of key players, last names or nicknames only; try to make them rhythm)
To the top of the league, to the top score on the wall; Now play hard, play hard, play hard all!
So into the gym the players they flew; With the cheering fans and Coach _________ too
As they don on their suits of ______ and ______; Out to the court what a sight to behold
A wink of Coach ______'s eye and a twist of his head; Soon gave the crowd to know they had nothing to dread.
And laying his finger aside of his nose; And giving a nod up the points the score rose
So throughout the game the _________ dribbled and shot; Passing and scoring and harder they fought
A bundle of points they scored on the board; The fans were delighted and cheered "We want more!"
The cheerleaders were excited and yelled "Go fight win!"; The crowd joined in and they shouted again!
Stunting and jumping and pumping the crowd; The cheerleaders yelled more and the gym was quite loud!!!
The opponents had not a chance and you know the rest; The _____ beat them bad because they are the best
At the end of the game, the fans formed a victory tunnel; and sang the fight song as out the team funneled.
The coach sprang to the bus to his team gave a whistle; And away they flew like a down of a thistle
But I heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight; The _______ are Number One and to All a Good Night!!
FOOTBALL:
It was the night before the kickoff and all through the town; The ________ were dreaming of tomorrow's touchdowns.
The ______ uniforms were hung in their lockers with care,; All ironed and pretty and ready to wear.
Our quarterback was nestled all snug in his bed; While visions of victory kisses danced in his head.
And coach in his cap with his plays on his lap; Was just looking over them when he heard a light tap.
When out in the lawn he heard such a clatter; He sprang from the couch to see what the matter.
Away to the door he flew like a flash; Hoping it was Ed McMann bringing him cash.
When what to his brilliant brain caught his eye; But some ____________ punks, trying to spy!
With a little quarterback so scrawny and lean; He knew in an instant, must be the _______ team!
They were dressed in their pj's from head to their feet; Trying to steal our plays so they wouldn't get beat!
With their papers and pens and binoculars too; They were trying to get all our plays that were new.
Their knees how they trembled, their brow how they sweat; They knew they were busted and their pants they did wet.
Coach spoke not a word but went straight to his work; Throwing out each little player with one simple jerk.
They sprang to their feet, whimpering all the way back; There was no way now, they could stop the _______ attack!
The next day soon came, and the big game did start; But the poor baby ________ soon wished to depart.
Before the fans knew it the game was all through; With the little old __________ all black and blue.
And we hear them exclaim as their bus drove out of sight; "Take us home, this was too much for one night!!"
from Pep with Pizzaz, Marcy Klein
------------------------------------------------------ Community Service
Building a relationship with your community is a great way to get support from the community for both your
team, and your school sports teams. Do a routine at the local county fair, participate in the local parade, or
enter a group or two in the local skit night…anything to get the community familiar with your team and your
school. Make sure you hand out information about upcoming games and competitions too!
To instill a sense of pride in your community, you can also perform some community service. At first glance,
this may seem very “Mr. Rogers” and a lot of work and planning. It doesn’t have to be. And the rewards are
well worth the effort. You can also use this time for some very important team building group activities.
Why go to a movie together when you can donate a few hours to the Special Olympics instead? As always,
keep safety in mind and get approval from your school in advance. Keep track of your community service so
you can let school officials know what you’ve been up to all year; which is especially helpful when asking for
financial support. Kill them with kindness but give for the spirit of giving, not receiving.
Listed below are a few possibilities for community service: (from NCSSE Handbook 2005)
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Make Christmas decorations for local merchants, hospitals, nursing homes, and business doors
Send a squad to help at charitable events during the year
Send thank you notes to businesses that have supported your events throughout the year
Volunteer for faculty, clubs, or community projects
Raise money for charitable groups
Support the local humane society
Donate goods to local food banks and thrift shops
Perform for local nursing homes
Remember Fathers/Mothers Day at nursing homes
Participate in local clean up days
Send Christmas cards (with a group picture) to those businesses who have supported your events
throughout the year
Bag groceries for free for a local grocery store that has supported your squad
Donate time with special education programs in elementary schools
Donate time for Special Olympics
Donate time at the local soup kitchen
Volunteer to decorate the local nursing home for Halloween, Christmas or Valentines Day
Some coaches require each participant to log in a certain amount of hours each year or term to community
hours. If this is a route you would like to take with your squad, use the handy Community Service Log:
Community Service Log
Date: Cheerleader Name:
Location/Job/Task:
Time: Initial:
------------------------------------------------------------- Choreography
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Assess what you’ve got to work with. What talents or skills do you want to highlight? What music do
you like?
Find some creative ideas by checking out what others are doing and then giving the skill a twist to
make it your own. Try watching gymnastics competitions, acrobatics, Cirque du Soliel, and other
cheerleading competitions. Review the rules and make sure that your ideas are legal. If you have any
doubt, check with the judges association. When reading the rules, try to picture different ways of
doing things. Be original and creative. Bend, but don’t break the rules.
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The ultimate routine = clean + hit + ooh aah sequence. Give them something to remember you by,
even if it is only one element.
Know the rules. Know what the boundary lines are, the time limit, and the deductions.
Know the scoresheet so that you can build a routine to maximize points in every category.
Try to incorporate elements that will engage and involve the audience. MAKE them pay attention.
Know your strengths, and more importantly…know your weaknesses! Building a routine is about
highlighting your strong points and hiding your weaknesses.
Keep in mind that it is better to have a clean routine than a difficult routine that doesn’t hit. That
means not only being able to perform each section, but all sections together as one unit. Although
many coaches start of with a high difficulty level and then drop it down if it’s not hitting, this is
probably not the best way to go. If you start at a high level, there really aren’t a lot of choices of
lower level stuff, so you’ll probably end up putting stuff in your routine that really isn’t visually
appealing, just because it fits in that music section. Instead, start with clean but visually effective
skills that you can nail. Then add difficulty. There are more options for adding difficulty to skills (i.e.
twist down instead of regular cradle, toss double bases instead of regular, etc) than when you need
to take difficulty away. If it was visually appealing when it was easier, it will just as appealing (if not
more) when difficulty is added. This doesn’t always work in the reverse.
Map out your routine. You want to keep the audiences attention but you still need to deliver all
components. You will have to mix it up a little. In general, tosses, pyramids and stunts are high level
attention grabbers. Tumbling and jumps (if they are impressive) are medium level attention
grabbers and dance, cheer and motions tend to be lower level attention grabbers. Try your best to
make the low and medium level attention grabbers more exciting and visually appealing. Also, you
may not want to put your cheer, dance, motions and jumps all back to back. That will result in a
large section of your routine being less appealing and may make your routine as a whole seem less
than it is. Instead, try to scatter those things in throughout, but make sure they flow with the rest of
the routine.
Hit ‘em hard in the beginning and in the end to leave a lasting impression. Start with a very clean and
interesting segment to indicate the pace and energy of your routine. In the middle, hit your ohh aah
segment so you keep their attention. The in the end, build up to a strong and clean ending.
Continually revise what you have when the need arises. It’s ok to change the order of your routine.
Clean, Clean Clean!
DOs
• Add formation changes, level changes, roll/peel offs,
ripples, patterns, kicks, turns.
• Pick your music but add additional sound effects later
• Pair up opposites according to size and ability level
• Pay attention to your opposites, try not to cross the
center unevenly
• Develop a style or add a theme, but don’t go overboard
• Make talent sacrifices to highlight choreography
DON’Ts
• Stay in the same place throughout the entire
routine
• Add elements that your team has not perfected
• Walk from one formation to another (especially in
a “dance only” routine, like a pep rally routine)
• Use moves that are too suggestive
• Repeat dance sections more than twice
Choreographing For a Halftime or Assembly/Pep Rally Performance (by Pam Headridge)
Try use themes; they are both entertaining and easy to work with. Below are some suggestions.
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Splish Splash: Costume - towels on head and bath robes, (have cheer uniforms underneath). Dance
up to the part “How did I know there was a party going on?” Splice a recording of a pop song after
this line, take robes off and finish off with a funkier dance.
Car Wash: Costume - mechanic’s overalls
Mission Impossible: Costume - trench coat, hat & dark glasses
It’s Raining Men: Cheerleaders with umbrellas dance then guys join in and stunt
Kung Foo Fighting: Costume - Karate uniforms and use kick boxing moves
In the Navy: Costume - Sailor hats
Typical NS School Competition Routine -----------------------------10-12 8-counts for opening music (approximately 32 – 42 seconds)
40 seconds – 1 minute cheer section (if applicable)
5-8 8-counts for dance (approximately 15-26 seconds)
10-12 8-counts for ending music section
The dance and cheer (if applicable) can be in anywhere in the routine, they don’t necessarily have to be in
that order. Keep in mind that there is a jump and tumbling category on the score sheet so you need to have
them showcased in your routine. They can be a part of your cheer or dance or they can be a separate
section.
Opening Music *these are just ideas and not set in stone!
Opening voice over or 4 count intro
Stunting section (5-6 eight counts)
Transition to tumbling (1 eight count)
Tumbling or jumps (2-4 eight counts)
Transition to pyramid (1 eight count)
Ending pyramid (2-4 eight counts)
Cheer Section
The cheer should include tight motions, jumps, stunting and/or whatever else you want to showcase). Voices should be loud, clear
and uniform.
Dance Section
There is a dance category on the score sheet and judges want to see enough dancing to be able to score here. Don’t go overboard,
but give them enough to give you an appropriate score. If dance is a strong point for your team (or if stunting is not a strong
point), you may want to have a slightly longer dance or two short dances. Make sure your dance is actual dancing, not just
motions. Your dance should have at least on formation change and remember that levels add visual appeal.
Ending Music
4 count voice over or intro
6-8 count stunting
3-8 eight count of final transition/pyramid
Piece your routine together by deciding what elements you want to include and what order you would like
them to go in. Make several copies of the eight count sheet on the next page to help plan out your routine.
Use the formation ideas (after eight count sheet) to give you some ideas for formations and formation
changes.
Eight Count Sheet
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Formation Ideas ----------------------------------------------------------(from NCSSE Handbook 2005)
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Formations should be balanced and centered
Use formation changes to keep your material interesting
Formation changes and transitions should be quick, smooth, simple and well planned
Plan formation changes and transitions on paper. Ensure that people are not moving too much too
far
Level changes add to the visual appeal of a cheer routine
Team Building -----------------------------------------------------------(from Tami Canale, Camden County High School)
A team that plays together; stays together. As a coach you role encompasses many roles. One of the most
important ones is making sure that your team works as a team. The only way to accomplish this is to allow
proper time for your team to get to know and trust each other to keep lines of communication open.
Your team will come with many different personalities. Each member will need to learn how to deal with
each of the other members in order for the team to work together as a cohesive unit. Although this may
take extra preparation, it is well worth it. When team is close, they strive to work together and not let one
another down. This results in a more disciplined team and a more positive atmosphere for everyone, which
will result in faster skill development and a higher level of dedication. Every team member should be aware
that they personally are largely responsible for the success and attitude of their team.
“You must learn how to hold a team together. You must lift some men up, calm others down, until
finally you’ve got one heartbeat. Then you’ve got yourself a team” - Bear Bryant
When many become one:
Start before tryouts. Identify the qualities you are looking for in each person, and make it part of your
selection process
The needs of the team are a priority. Provide common bonds, unifying goals, and opportunities to
overcome common challenges
Create ways to demonstrate public and physical signs of unity
Make sure that each athlete has a role, and praise them for their contributions to team success
“Catch ‘em being good!” Reward all efforts towards team play
Provide a consistent routine. Do not allow unacceptable behavior
Some Ideas:
Camp, overnights
Team parties/meals
Squad books
Thank you notes, motivational quotes
Keep parents involved; recognize them too. Keep a sense of FAMILY among the team. They should
think of each other as brothers/sisters
Big Bro/Sis. Fire up buddies
Team clothing
Scrapbooks
Movies
Recognition (team and individual)
Pick ups – reward the team for encouraging each other. Reduce the number of laps they have to run
for every “attaboy” you hear
Team building activities:
Ropes course: Create a rope obstacle course and put cheerleaders in pairs/groups that will have to
work together to get through.
Circles
o Say why the person next to you is great
o Learn something about the person next to you
Baby Pictures: Have athletes write down something about themselves that they think most of their
teammates don’t know. Have them bring in a baby picture. Lay out the pix and little know facts and
have them go around and try to identify their teammates.
Toss a Name: Use a tennis ball or hackey sack. One person tosses the ball to another and says their
name. Keep passing it until everyone has had a turn. Challenge the group to do it faster.
Body English: Spell out the words to a well known proverb with bodies (not fingers). One group
spells, the other group tries to guess what it is.
Trust Fall: One person stands in the middle of a tight circle. The people in the circle should be
shoulder to shoulder and close enough to the person in the middle to catch them safely. The person
in the middle must stay tight and fall backwards, forwards, or sideways and trust his/her teammates
to catch them. Ask everyone to have a turn in the middle. Bases will get to feel what flyers go
through. Can do from an elevated position (table, stage, stunt, etc) when lower levels are mastered.
Remember that safety is crucial.
Candlelight Ceremony: Have a candlelight ceremony to induct new members. Make it special and
important.
Hog Call: Similar to Marco Polo. Get a partner and each of you is one half of a team. Best in an open
field. Partners are blindfolded and have to call out to each other until they find each other. Ex: I call
out peanut and my partner calls out butter until we find each other and make peanut butter.
Everybody Up: Ask 2 people to sit on the ground feet to feet and grasp hands. They should pull
themselves up to a standing position. Once they do this, ask them to add one more person. Keep
adding people until the tea has done it together. They must keep hands clasped and feet touching.
Use a mat. Criteria for success: all bottoms must be off of the mat at the same time.
Touch the Can: A group of 10-15 participants must make physical contact with an open soda can
without making physical contact with each other. One person’s nose must touch the can. Hair does
not count.
Over Under Through: Tie a rope in a “Z” formation between 2 poles or trees. Team stands on one
side and must get everyone to the other side. They have to establish a pattern going over, under, or
through the middle. All three positions have to be used, and whatever pattern they set, they have to
do it that way the whole time. They cannot touch the ropes. They cannot go around the poles. If they
touch, they have to start over.
Quick Line Up: Have your team line up by anything – height, shoe size, birthday, alphabetically,
second letter of last name, etc. Make it harder by telling them they can’t talk, or they have to close
their eyes, etc.
Hula Hoop Pass: Get in a line or circle and join hands. Pass a hula hoop from one end to the other
without disconnecting. Varieties include two hoops, time limit, joining hands and legs, etc.
Team on a towel: Have the whole team get onto a small area – a small mat, towel, square, wooden
platform, etc. No one can touch “out of bounds”. When they all get up, have them count, do a cheer,
or sing “Row, row, row your boat”. Variations: Get them to stand on towel, table cloth or small
blanket and then flip the towel over without stepping off of the mat!
Monster Race: Divide group into two. Each group must make a monster by attaching themselves to
one another. The monster must make a sound and move from point A to point B, with only so many
feet and hands on the ground (i.e. a group of 12 may have only 5 feet and 5 hands touching, etc.).
Both groups start at the same time and race.
Back Stabbers: All team members must wear T-shirts, not lycra. Put athletes in teams of three-four
and give them three-four clothes pins (the springy kind). They must get rid of their pins by pinning
them on the back of another team (pins MUST go on the back, above the waist). A legal “pin” is one
which stays on for at least 5 seconds. The only person only person who can “unpin” you is your own
teammate. Then they must get rid of that pin by pinning it on another team. A team is finished when
they have used up all of their assigned pins and the ones that have been attached to their own team
shirts. Set outer boundaries that they must stay within.
Blind Square: Blindfold everyone and give them a large rope tied in a loop. They have to make it into
a perfect square. Everyone must have at least one hand on the rope.
Blind Trust Walk: Pair up and have one partner guide a blindfolded partner through a SAFE obstacle
course.
Glad Wrap Challenge: Ask your team to get together in a tight group. Try to eliminate any space
between them. Walk around them with plastic wrap and wrap them up (not faces though)! They
have to move from point A to point B.
Tangled: In groups of 10-15, stand in a tight circle. Everyone reaches in with right hand and grabs the
right hand of someone else. Then everyone reaches in with left hand and grabs the left hand of
someone else, it MUST be someone different than the right-hand grab. Then give them a time limit of
10-15 minutes to untangle themselves without letting go. They should end up in one (or two) large
circles holding hands with one person facing in, the next out, then in, then out, etc. Try it without
talking too!
Lava Pit: Team must cross a “Lava Pit”. They have three boulders (pieces of non-slip carpet or mat) to
keep them from being burned by the lava. They cannot touch anything but the carpet pieces and
must get the whole team across. No one can stay on a boulder longer than 5 minutes.
Lost Valley: Split the team into 5 groups. Place each group on a side of a taped off square. Each team
may only enter the square through their own portal. Any person who enters the square must be
blindfolded. The team outside the square must direct the blindfolded person to collect small objects
– coins, eggs, water balloons, plastic army figures, etc. There are also distractors or “mines” that they
may not touch. Use cones, rocks, garbage, etc. If they touch a distractor object, they must leave
anything collected and start again. The activity is over when 50 objects are retrieved from the lost
valley. Secret solution: usually they will think they have to collect 50 objects for their group, but
there are only 60 objects in the valley, so the only way to complete the task is to work together.
Jumping Jack Flash: All members of the team must jump through a spinning jump rope so that the
rope never turns without someone being in there to take a jump. If the rope turns without someone
in it, or if it gets caught up, the whole team must begin again. The two on the ends (turning it) must
go through also.
Other Team Building Games --------------------------------------------from
Pam Headridge (coach of Oak Harbor)
Back to Back: Divide into partners with one person left over in the middle. You need one person to
be the “caller”. The call will yell directions telling the partners to line up “back to back”, “foot to
foot”, “elbow to elbow”, “shoulder to shoulder” and so on. When the caller yells “people to people”,
everyone must find a new partner. The one left over is now in the middle. This is a form of people
musical chairs.
Machinery: Divide the group into teams (3 or more teams). Assign each group to build a certain
machine with their own bodies such as a toaster, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, lawn mower,
television, etc. Give them time to work it out. Then they build the machine and the other teams
guess what it is.
Self Disclosure Introductions (this is great for new teams): Ask each team member to state her
name and attach an adjective that not only describes a dominate characteristic but also starts with
the person’s first name. Examples: Serious Susie, Nice Natalie, Loving Lauren.
Amnesia Game: A participant is identified as suffering from amnesia. That person needs to pretend
not to know anything about the past. The rest of the group tells some things that help the amnesia
victim to remember and to become the same person as before. The amnesia person can ask
questions to gain more insight. Some questions could be “What would I do in a certain case”, “What
is my favorite saying”
P E E R –O: Make up bingo cards with nothing in the squares. Hand out one to each cheerleader.
Every person has a cheerleader sign in a square. Each person can only sign a cheerleader’s card once
unless you do not have enough cheerleaders to fill all the squares of one bingo card. You want to
have a different name in each block. Put all the names in a container. The coach draws out a name
and that cheerleader must stand up and tell something about themselves. The rest of the
cheerleaders block out the name. The first cheerleader to get “bingo” or “peer-o” wins.
Name Crostics: Give a piece of paper to every cheerleader and ask them to write their name in the
middle of the paper about a half an inch high. When given the signal, the cheerleaders should move
around the room, attaching their names to their name if the letters fit (like a crossword puzzle). The
person who is able to attach the most names is the winner.
Cheer Idol: Appoint 3 of your most outspoken members to be judges. Instead of just singing, have a
talent show and give small prizes for people with the craziest talents. Or, make groups and have a
skit night cheer idol.
Getting to Know You Bingo: The head coach draws up a quiz with questions pertaining to each squad
member (i.e. who went to Florida for Christmas break?; which cheerleader has a brother named
Jazzy? etc.) Cheerleaders have to mingle to find the answers. They fill in the names in the
corresponding squares. The first person to fill in their bingo card or to get a specific pattern (predetermined by you) wins!
Team Motto: Create a team motto by using words or phrases that are important to your team. Make
the motto an important, visible, steady and dependable part of your program.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Facilitating (by
Tami Canale)
The important part is relating it to what you can do as a team. Discuss what you learned from the
activity – communication, leadership, trust, dealing with fear or frustration, listening, teamwork, peer
pressure, competition, spotting, stereotypes, achieving, etc. During this debrief you get a chance to
make your point.
Get into it! Create scenarios for them to solve. Maybe they are scientists who have discovered a cure
for cancer, and they need to get it from the jungle to the hospital; explorers running from cannibals,
etc.
Keep rules to a minimum. Make them as clear as possible but leave a loophole if you want them to
think outside the box
Keep it SAFE! Adapt to the surroundings
Know when to stop if they are just not getting it
Keep players playing. Don’t use rules the permanently eliminate players
Change rules as necessary and as the game develops. Add difficulty, make it easier, hurry them along,
etc.
Pick teams that are fair. Split genders, tops, backs, bases, seniors, etc.
Emphasize competition against itself. Try to beat a time of your own or a made up “world record”.
Groups of 10-15 work well. You may have to split the team in two or three groups
Present the situation and then step back and let the group work through it. Allow a certain amount of
frustration and chaos (as long as everyone is safe) but know when to step in if things get too heated.
The interaction provides the learning process so providing hints will do little good.
Individuals play the game, but teams win Championships – New England Patriots
Once you’ve got your team working together well, revisit some team building games throughout the year to
keep moral up and reinforce the “team” focus.
Hosting a Cheerleading Competition ---------------------------------I. Securing Your Facility: (This should be done 6-12 months in advance).
A. Check on the date & availability of your facility first. At the school level, this is done with the approval
from one of your administrators such as your athletic or activities director. See if you can put this date on
your school’s calendar (the one given out to all students). If you can not use your school, check on other
facilities early. Confirm that you will have access to the facility either the night before or early in the morning
to set up if required. You will also need the facility longer than the intended competition (see booking
timeline).
BOOKING TIMELINE:
As a general guideline, if you have no alternate warm up space and you are allowing 10 minutes per team for warm up;
2 hours per 10 teams should be adequate. For each competition, each team should have no less than 5 minutes of
practice time. If you have 10 teams competing with a start time of 12 noon, you may want to start floor times at
around 9:30am. This will give you adequate time for each team to have 10 minutes of floor time (plus a 2 minute buffer
between teams), and give you enough time to have an “open floor” time while allowing spectators to enter and be
seated without interrupting individual team floor times. This time may also be used for teams that arrive late due to
directions or minor accidents, etc. Using the example above, you should book your facility around 8-8:30am (depending
on how much decorating/setting up is required beforehand) so you have time to post directional signs, set up chairs
and judges tables, make sound checks, set up concession stand (optional), set up registration desk, confirm all judging
materials and judges room is prepared, confirm all awards are ready for the awards ceremony, etc. (this is of course
assuming that the entire team is pitching in to help set up).
When booking your facility, use this as a guide: Each team will take between 8-10 minutes of competition time (approx.
1 minute to get on floor, 2:30-3:00 minutes of performance, and 5-6 minutes of judging. Even if the judging moves
quickly, you should allow for extra time so as not to go over your booking agreement with the facility (which could cost
a lot extra!).
If your start time is 12 noon, budget 10-15 minutes for introductions, announcements, welcome, etc. Using the example
above, if you have 10 teams, budget about 100 minutes (10 teams x 10 mins each = 1 hr 40 minutes) for the
competition portion of the day. Including the intro time, this will take you to approximately 1: 50pm. The judges may
have a short meeting afterwards to break ties, etc. Allow approximately 20 minutes for this.
The awards ceremony time will vary. It is highly suggested that if you doing individual awards for team members (Spirit
and MVP) that you have a short 10 minute break after the last team and then commence announcing these awards,
whether or not the judges are ready. This typically takes about 10 minutes. If the judges are still not back, you can
break until they are ready; or have some stunt, jump or tumbling competitions. If they are back by the time the
individual awards are done, you can start with general team awards. Usually some words of wisdom and a reminder of
sportsmanship are discussed before the announcements. Allow 5-10 minutes for this. In general, it will take about 5-8
minutes to announce each 3 placing team division. At competitions where each team member is named, (ie.
Provincials, etc.) this will take between 10-15 minutes per team. Therefore, at a regular competition with only one
division, you should allow for approximately 35-40 minutes after the last team for the end of the competition. In our
example, your competition should finish around 2:30pm.
Allow for at least an hour of clean up. Most teams will have to wind down and change before they leave. Some will
have to wait for drives. You will have to wait for them to leave before you can check their rooms and make sure they
are clean, remove any signs, put away tables, chairs, roll up mats (if applicable), etc.
Allow for 30 minutes of “just in case time”. You may need this if there is an interruption of the competition due to
injury, etc., or if there is a problem with the score sheets, (tallied incorrect), etc. Although the competition is over, there
will always be people hanging around chatting afterwards as well. In our example, you should book the facility until
approximately 4:30pm. This should give you plenty of time. If you finish early, you may be reimbursed for any time you
did not use. You can be pretty sure that unless something drastic happens, you should be safe time wise, and shouldn’t
run into any overtime charges.
IF you have a specific out time (ie. the gym is booked for 4:30 for another event, game, or tournament) let the judges
know! That way they can try to keep things running a little faster so you can all be out on time, or the judges may elect
to have a double judging panel to run things faster.
B. Your facility’s gym should be large enough to hold your expected audience and competing teams. There
should be adequate space for parking. Usually large high schools, convention centers, etc are perfect for
cheer competitions.
C. Competition Area: A regulation basketball gym is the best location. The ceiling clearance must be
adequate.
D. Warm up area: (Optional in NS) This is a separate area from the competition area & must have a flooring
appropriate for the intended divisions. Check the ceiling clearance so that teams may practice entire
routines, including stunts. Each team should have no less than five minutes to practice. This may eliminate
the need for so much time in the morning as teams can practice while others are performing.
II. Other Areas Needed:
A. Dressing/Changing Areas: This can be done in locker rooms or you can assign classrooms to each team.
That way they can keep their belongings in this room & feel safe about it.
B. Judges Room: This area is needed for your judges to be sequestered prior to the competition, during
breaks, and/or after the competition. This gives them an area to prepare their necessary forms, discuss the
competition, review the schedule of performers, eat lunch, etc. Snacks & beverages should be provided if
the competition is long. If the competition intends to go all day, a lunch may also be provided but is not
required. If you are providing a lunch, let the judges know what the meal will consist of BEFORE the day of
the competition to avoid any allergy complications. If you are at a school, usually a “teacher’s lounge” works
best. It usually has comfortable seating, tables, bathrooms, appliances, etc. Also, check with the judges to
confirm whether or not it will be your responsibility to provide score sheets, tally sheets, etc. At school
competitions this is usually taken care of by the judges association but you may want to touch base with
them just in case.
C. Judges Area in Gym: The technical judges should have table front and center of the competition floor.
They should have adequate clearance from spectators on all sides. Their view can not be obstructed. If
possible, this area should be sectioned off. If possible, they should be elevated high enough in order to give
them a slightly overhead view of the teams as they perform. This helps them to see formations and all team
members fairly. Sometimes this can be done in the center of your bleachers or on a platform that can be set
up with tables and chairs. If they will be situated in the bleachers, no spectators should be sitting in the
three bleacher lengths behind, 5 feet on either side, and three bleacher lengths in front. There will be one
appointed head judge for the competition. Safety Judges should be positioned on each side of the mat.
There should be a minimum 3 foot clearance around the perimeter of the competition floor for safety judges
to move around. This area should be sectioned off from spectators if possible. A chair should be provided for
each of them to sit between performances and during breaks. It is also their choice if one wants to sit with
the technical judges to get a front view of the performers. Some safety judges may wear headsets for
communication purposes. Keep your judges happy. Assign one person to be responsible for things they
might need throughout the competition such as water, sharpened pencils, photocopies, etc. If the
competition is lengthy, you may also need to have a couple of scheduled breaks in addition to lunch so they
can use the facilities.
III. Format of Competition: Your format for competition should include:
1) The registration of all teams
2) Scheduled Practice times (coaches notified beforehand)
3) Scheduled judges pre-meeting time
4) Time spectators will be allowed entrance
5) Spectator fees (if applicable). Notify teams of costs well in advance and have receipts ready.
6) A set starting time.
7) Welcome & introduction of judge panel, technical & safety judges (if applicable), spotters (if applicable)
and general rules specific to the competition (if applicable). Announcements should be made to let
spectators know their boundaries around the competition floor and/or judges table. This announcement
may need to be repeated throughout the competition.
8) A competition schedule for the judges indicating the order of performances (if applicable).
9) Next, start you competition per your scheduled program, lunch break (if applicable), rest of competition,
judges meeting (if applicable), conclusion, awards, and after meeting (if applicable).
10) Clean up
IV. Costs:
A. Registration : Decide on what you are going to charge for cheer teams to register. Some directors charge
by the team or by the person. Don’s go overboard, you want this to be affordable so teams will participate,
but, you also have to cover all of your costs including awards, facility, judges, etc.
B. Judges: There are set fees for judges. For a school competition, each judge will be paid a $50 for each
competition day. There is also a $50 donation required for the judges association itself. They use this money
for photocopies, and gas/accommodations if judges have to travel to judge. You will need 5 judges per
competition, but the minumum requirement is 3 judges per panel for team divisions (school = 2 technical
and 1 safety). As soon as you know how many teams are expected, you can determine how many judges you
will need. For more than 12 teams, you may want to use a double judging panel (total of at least 6 judges).
This keeps your competition moving with no delays. While one panel is finishing up their judging and
tabulations of one team, you can start another team performing while being judged by the second panel.
You can also accept more teams for registration. You will need to contact the assignment coordinator to let
them know about your competition at least two weeks beforehand. If you think you may need a double
judging panel, let the judges know ASAP.
C. Awards: Decide on how many awards will be handed out and order them accordingly.
Other costs: Try and get volunteers for the remaining of your personnel. Utilize your team, parents and
family members. Offer them a free meal at the concession stand in exchange for their time.
V. Personnel Needed: These are your most valuable people to have in order to make your competition run
smoothly and be successful.
Regular Competitions (Essential People):
A. Competition Organizer: This is you. 10 minutes of organization saves an hour of time! Assign the following
jobs as needed to a person that you know will do the job correctly, efficiently and will not need you too
often. Use your coaches, teachers, parents, cheer team members, & anyone else who will help out. You
should make sure that the judges have all of the materials they need (calculators, pens, pencils, erasers,
drinks, score sheets, tally & summary sheets, judge’s room, etc).
B. Announcer: This person should have no other responsibilities but to announce the teams and other
information. He/she should have a clear & pleasant voice and be knowledgeable of the competition format.
It might help if you have a script prepared in advance. He/she should have a defined area so people know
where to go if something needs to be announced (i.e. car lights left on, lost & found items, etc). In the
beginning, he/she should read the bio’s and introduce all of the judges. This impresses the teams and your
audience and insures them that you have qualified judges. He/she should know who is about to perform,
who is on deck next, who is in the hole getting ready & announce this accordingly. At some NS competitions
the order is pulled from a hat so. If you choose to do it that way, make sure that you have team names in a
hat and ready to go. There might be other announcements such as good luck wishes from parents to their
teams, (which you can also sell for $1.00), what’s at the concession stand, sponsors or vendors that might
also be there. He/she would also help in the announcement of the awards.
C. Sound System and Coordinator: Your sound system is essential for the quality of your competition. Have
this set up early, checked and double-checked. The sound table should be positioned on the side, against the
wall, not in any performer or judges way, but have full visibility of the performances. The person running this
system should be knowledgeable about how your system works. Have various selections of music to play
during the breaks between performances and during the lunch break. Male sure the music is appropriate.
The coaches or one of their representatives should submit their cued tape or CD prior to the performance.
Have them label their CD/tape clearly. There should be a duplicate back-up just in case a problem occurs
with the original. Sometimes the announcer and the sound system person is the same and would also have a
helper. At most competitions in NS the coach or another team representative is required to run their own
music.
D. Timers: At competitions that require timers, there should be at least two timers. They are responsible for
keeping the time on each performance. During school competitions, the safety judges may time the
performances. In club competitions, typically, one or all of the judges will time the performance. In either
case, you should have two timers ready just incase, and two stop watches.
E. Score Tabulator/Tally Judge: This is a person who tabulates all the scores per division after collecting them
from the safety (if applicable) and technical judges. Typically two tally judges are used in NS. They check to
make sure all forms are there, including safety violation or time deduction. They should staple each team’s
score sheets together. Transfer the final scores on a summary sheet for each division. Give this to the head
judge in order to determine the awards to be handed out. You should have someone else double-check all
figures.
F. Spectators Table: This table should be in the best position & located near a main entrance. Have two cash
boxes so you can handle two at a time. Collect their monies for the entrance fee (usually around $2.00) and
stamp their hand in case they need to go in and out the main entrance. Spectators should not be able to
enter at any other location other than this specified door. Place signs outside so they know where to go and
how much it costs. This will make your lines go faster. At smaller competitions you can assign one or two
people specifically to register teams, judges and media instead of having the separate table below. Just
make sure that they have all of the information they need to convey (i.e. Where judging room is, where
team change rooms are, when floor time are, what the competition fee for teams is, etc).
G. Floor Time Director: This person should help run floor times by timing the intervals and informing teams
when their time is up or when it is starting.
Large Scale Competitions and Non-Essential People:
H. Registration Table for Competitors, Judges and Media: This table should be by one of your entrances,
separated from the spectator door. A sign should be placed at the door letting these important people know
where to go. You should have 2 or 3 helpers at this table. This makes registration easier and saves time. Your
helpers need to have a list of all competitors, coaches, judges and any media personnel you may be
expecting. It helps if you have name badges already prepared and hand out as they register. The importance
of these badges would be if you are monitoring the doors for paid spectators verses personnel and
competitors. Have a packet that you can hand your coaches that tell them where the location of bathrooms,
concessions, their assigned room, warm up area, the program with schedule of performance and anything
else you feel they should know about the competition.
I. Door Monitors: There are several areas in which you will need monitors. One should be at the main
entrance and check hands (look for stamp) of those who may be returning from outside. The main entrance
to the gym may also need two monitors. Or you may choose to just use monitors at the main gym doors.
J. Program Sellers: These can be located at the same table as the spectators table. However, think about
ways to keep your line moving. You could send some program seller out to people in line before they reach
the cashiers. After your big rush of spectators you could have a separate table located by concessions, etc. If
you don’t charge for a program, just hand spectators a program as they pay upon entrance.
K. Trainer/First Aid: This person you will probably have to pay. Arrange this through your school if possible. If
you know of someone else that is certified and would volunteer his/her services, this would be more cost
effective. Although this is not considered essential in NS it is a very good idea to have someone just in case.
L. Videographer: This an opportunity for fundraising. Make arrangements to have this person tape the entire
competition and decide on his/her cost and your profit off of each tape purchased. You could even utilize
your school tech department as a project in order to keep the cost down. A suggested sale price is $15.00 to
$25.00.
M. Concessions: This is another great way to earn extra money. Have your parent group run this. Decide
what foods you would like to serve. Besides the usual type of concession food, (hot dogs, popcorn, etc) you
might want to add various kinds of sandwiches, fruit, Gatorade, bottled water, specialty coffees, homebaked cookies, etc.
N. Runner: This person is for anything you, or your essential personnel need.
O. On Deck Coordinator: This person keeps the teams in order and sends the appropriate team out to
perform when announced.
VI. Competition Packet:
A. These should be distributed at least 3 months prior to your competition date. This gives the teams time to
fill out the forms, collect the competition fee and then register and pay in a timely fashion.
B. Forms to be included: Entry/Registration Form, Rules of the Competition, Time, Date & Time of Arrival, List
of Classification/Divisions, Statement of Appropriate Conduct of Coaches and Competitors, Samples of Judging
Sheets, Sample of Technical/Safety Violation Form, Location and Site Maps with Directions, Order Form for the
Video, List of Local Hotels, Evaluation Form, etc. If the competition is relatively small (most NS school
competitions), you may not require a competition packet.
VIII. Finances/Final Follow-up:
A. Judges: You should have checks ready to pay the Performance and Technical Judges at the end of the
competition.
B. Make a list of anyone else you will need to pay such as trainers, spotters, etc.
Above information adapted from the Washington State Cheer Coaches Association Competition Manual written by Sheri Ramsey
--------------- Typical Nova Scotia School Competition Check List
**If you are hosting provincials or a regional championship, please refer to the NSSAF Handbook for information and contact
your athletic director and/or regional rep to determine who is responsible for what. Keep in mind that an NSSAF Regional or
Provincial Championship is an NSSAF event, not an invitational event that you may personalize. This is not the time or place to
hand out awards to coaches or make special awards presentations of any kind (stunt groups, best tumblers, coach awards, etc.)
other than the ones determined by the NSSAF. The event sponsors may consist of NSSAF sponsors only.
This is a general checklist and does not have to be followed exactly as long as everything gets done. If you choose to add other
items (i.e. concession stand, 50/50 draws, stunt competitions, selling programs, etc) you will have more planning. Or, you may
choose to give out water and/or fruit to teams. Some teams recruit younger teams, or dance groups to entertain in between
teams. Or, you may choose to have a cheerleading get together for all teams the night before or the night of the competition. It is
totally up to you. Just make your competition fun so you can continue to have a great showing each year.
6-12 Months Ahead
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Check dates of other major competitions (i.e. provincials, etc) and book your competitions date around those dates.
Confirm now the amount of time and space you will need and if there will be a sound system available.
Let everyone know your date as soon as possible so nobody else books a competition that could conflict with your date.
2-3 Months Ahead
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Let the judges know your confirmed date. They require at least 2 weeks notice of your competition but to ensure that you
have 5 judges present, let them know early.
Confirm that you have a sound system that plays both CD’s and tapes. Check it out to make sure that it will be loud
enough. If it isn’t, you may need to rent one for the competition.
Confirm that you will have a microphone and address system for your MC.
Start asking around for someone to MC your competition. Have this person booked early so you don’t have to worry
about it and you won’t get stuck doing it yourself.
Start pricing trophies/medals/banners and find out how much advance notice they will need for you to get them on time.
1 Month Ahead
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If you haven’t already done so, inform all teams about the competition and/or send out formal invitations. Let them
know how much the team registration price will be, how much it will cost spectators, the time spectators will be allowed
entrance, the competition start time, directions to the school, deadline to enter, your contact info, and all floor times.
Make sure your trophies/medals/banners are ordered.
Inform judges of competition start time and find out who is responsible to make sure there are enough judging sheets.
Determine who your extra people will be (i.e. tally judges, timers, floor time coordinator, registration desk people, etc).
Advertise your event in your school with posters.
2 Weeks Ahead
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Confirm which teams will be attending.
Put together a decorating group from the members of your team to make signs for each team.
Ask your athletic director or someone else who has first aid and CPR if they can attend the competition.
Confirm that you will have ice available if needed.
Start making up some notes for your MC.
Compile some music to play at the competition between teams. Make sure that it is appropriate.
See if your team can get into the location the night before or the morning of to decorate, do sound checks and get
everything set up.
1 Week Ahead
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Work out your floor plan so you know where teams are getting changed, teams will be sitting, coaches will be sitting,
judges will be situated, etc. Make sure you have some way to mark of the “floor area” in front of the judges and around
the floor if required. Make sure you have two cash boxes ready, change, and signs ready to post for directions for teams
and judges and costs for spectators.
Finish your MC announcements and if possible give a copy to the MC.
Make an announcement in the school about the competition and send out press/media releases.
Pick up your awards.
Confirm all of your extra people
Day Before/Morning Of
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Make an announcement at the school.
Get everything set up (registration desk, judges room, ice, change rooms, floor lines, mats, spectator seats, awards table,
sound system, changes to announcements, signs, judges table with pencils/pens, timer, calculators, etc) and make sure
that all people are aware of their tasks/jobs.
Check bathrooms for cleanliness, paper towel, toilet paper, etc.
If you are doing draws for individual awards and/or team performance order, have slips of paper with team names and a
hat ready.
Team Websites -----------------------------------------------------------Why?
- Share information with team members and parents (less phone calls and handouts!)
- Develop team pride by showcasing accomplishments
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Promote your team/program locally and globally
Provide up-to-date calendars, schedules and information
Provide team training information (i.e. workout plans, game cheers, jumps drills, etc)
Provide links to other great resources for reference and/or information
Opportunity for sponsorship page
If you opt to have a message board included, you can allow communication between coaches,
parents, and athletes. If you choose to have it accessible to anyone, you can get messages from all
over the world and it allows interested individuals to ask questions about your program. Or, you can
choose to password protect it for just team members, coaches and parents.
How?
- If you have no webpage developing knowledge, you have two options:
A) Hire a webpage designer (suggestions: www.JAMSpiritSites.com or
www.gymndesigns.com
B) Do it yourself with many of the free easy to use (fill in the blank type) services. No
knowledge is required. This option will also allow you instant access to make changes
easily and quickly as required. Some suggestions:
1)
www.eteamz.com: Online registration allows parents to make easy online
payments using a credit card, and/or the community to make donations
2)
www.groups.yahoo.com: A mailing list allows coaches and parents to write one
email and send it to the entire team
3)
www.leaguelineup.com: Security features allow you to password protect
pages/areas of your choice
*Often you have the choice to upgrade these sites if your group creates a budget to make the
site more professional.
- If you or a parent is internet savvy, you can create your own website inexpensively. The advantage
here, or with option A above is that you can usually pick your own website address (i.e.
www.cheerextreme.com instead of www.leaguelineup.com/cheerextreme. You can also be much more
creative, and there will be no annoying pop ups. It will come with some costs though. Premium sites are
not required. You can get a basic plan from websites like www.netsol.com and www.godaddy.com, or
anywhere else you can find a good deal.
What should you include on your website?
- Brief history or information about the team/group
- Team policies and/or mission statement/purpose
- Bios of coaches (for potential cheerleaders and their parents)
- Contact info for coaches (i.e. phone number and/or email address)*Tip: To avoid getting tons of
spam, write your address like this: lauraatcheerexpo.net instead of like this laura@cheerexpo.net,
that way computer generated programs can’t steal your address off of the site.
- Tryout dates, location, info and guidelines
- Team handouts
- Schedules and announcements
- Rosters
- Competition information and results
- Photo album
- Sponsor list
- Links
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New Update section. Always make changes on the same day of the week so parents know when to
look. You can also send emails letting people know there are changes.
Password protected area with team rosters and contact information for each member. If you cannot
password protect the information, do not include it!
TIPS:
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Personalize your website to your team but don’t go overboard! Don’t put blue text on red
background. It has to be readable! Instead, use black text on a white background and use red and
blue as accent colors. This will make it easier for parents/cheerleaders to print off information as
well.
- DON’T USE ALL CAPS (it’s too hard to read) and dOn’T uSe mIxeD tExT (it’s too frustrating to read).
- Don’t use blinking text (funny…but not functional).
- Keep updating your webpage by removing old information and adding new info
- Make sure all info is easy to find
- Make your website professional looking
- Avoid information overload on pages by restricting the number of pictures, logos, flashing things,
quotes, different sets of information, links, etc on each page.
- Promote your site! Exchange links with other websites and add the web address to all informational
handouts and promotional materials.
WARNINGS!!
- Get approval for your website from your athletic director or principal first. Outline what will be on
the site so they understand its purpose. School teams represent the school and you must have
permission to present it to the public.
- If you have a message board, monitor it regularly to avoid nasty comments.
- If you get someone else to create the site for you, make sure you have easy access to make simple
text changes yourself so changes can be made immediately and without extra charge.
- Do not put pictures of illegal skills up on your site for all to see, especially if your team is performing
them. This is an NSSAF rule for school teams in Nova Scotia, for which your team can be penalized.
------------------------------------------------------ Effective Discipline
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Effective discipline starts before tryouts.
Assess the age and maturity level of the team as a whole and each individual.
Have your rules and guideline clearly set before they even walk in the door.
Kids will walk all over you if you let them. You must establish control at the first meeting or tryout to
set the standard. If you don’t want people to talk while you talk, make it known now. They will test
your boundaries early on so be prepared. That doesn’t mean to act like a drill sergeant. Be friendly
and approachable but maintain control.
What is the past of each cheerleader? What are their parents like? It is difficult to discipline a
teenager who has never been disciplined before. Many students think that an excuse negates the
responsibility. Teach the cheerleaders that they are answerable for all of their tasks, duties and
behaviors.
Be very clear in what is expected. What are excusable absences?
Establish consequences and be consistent. It doesn’t really matter how strict or liberal you are as
long as you are consistent. What is okay for one person should be okay for all. That doesn’t mean
that you have to establish what will happen in every situation, but when something happens keep
records of what you did. Fix anything that doesn’t work but stay consistent in your decisions.
Always take some responsibility in the mistakes of your team. You may need to let them know that
you feel you haven’t gone over the rules enough. Reinforce what is expected and make it
meaningful.
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Don’t be aggressive. If you set the tone as being “stand-offish” you are more likely to have students
lash out at you when a situation arises.
People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Make sure your punishments match the mistake
Don’t expect failure…expect success!
Give respect and listen to what your team members have to say
Don’t back down. Stick to your guns. Parents may try to override your decisions by going to the
principal or athletic director. Make sure you give them a head ups on the situation so they have the
tools to back you up.
Keep record of what works and what doesn’t. A lot of this is trial and error since many things that
would work with one person, may not work with another. Keep track for following years.
Practices
Periodization
Symptoms of Overtraining
Effective Practice Tips
The Individual Practice
Worksheet for Practices
Conditioning
Warm Up & Stretching
FITT Principle
Aerobic Exercise
Cool Down
Strength Training
Flexibility
Flexibility Exercises
Nutrition
Eating Disorders and Body Image
Practices & Conditioning
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Practices -------------------------------------------------------------------“Coach your cheerleaders so thoroughly that you do not have to at competition. Competitions are won in
the months before the competition” – Scott Williams, Charlotte Allstars
Have organized practice plan in writing:
• Quality of practice is more important than quantity. Well thought out practices should allow you to
achieve your objectives within a two hour time frame. Each activity should have a purpose.
• Keep records of your practice plan to use in future years. Keep track of what works and what doesn’t.
In the event of a law suit, providing practice plans shows that you are a responsible coach
• Recognize the teams’ ability levels and match the difficulty accordingly.
Key Components:
1. Opening:
• Greet each team member and ask how their day is going.
• State the objectives of today’s practice and set goals.
2. Warm up
• Should be enough to get the heart rate up and blood pumping but shouldn’t be overly exerting. A
good idea is to cheer while you jog a few laps around the gym. A proper warm up (5 – 10 minutes)
will decrease your chances of injury
• Stretch muscle groups. Stretching helps prevent injuries. See more in the flexibility section.
• Your captains can run stretching and preparation while you get ready for the bulk of the practice
3. Bulk of practice (skills and drills)
• Keep constant supervision
• Stay positive, not matter how poorly the practice is going
• Stay on time with your practice plan
• Get creative with your practice techniques to keep it interesting and motivating
4. Closing
• Discuss the progress of the practice.
• Allow for cool down and possibly conditioning
• Remind the team of any upcoming deadlines, events, meetings, etc
• Thank the group for their efforts and always end on a positive note
Periodization -------------------------------------------------------------Periodization is a systematic division of the training year into phases to allow the coach to develop the
athletes to perform at their peak for the main competitions of the year. The concept is based on the theory
that “the training process can and must be aimed at achieving optimal form at the right moment”.
Take a look at the periodization chart on the next page:
The Annual Plan
Preparatory Phase
General Prep
Specific Prep
Competitive Phase
Pre-Competitive
Competitive
Preparatory Phase
Preparation is the phase during which he foundation is built for the development of the athlete. The basis of
the physical, technical, tactical, and psychological areas is developed during this phase, with an emphasis on
high volume, which in the physical area should result in greater resistance to fatigue. The basic purposes of
this phase are:
• Acquire and improve general physical preparation
• Improve the physical factors required by the sport such as strength, speed, power, endurance, agility,
and flexibility.
• Develop, correct and/or improve technique
• Familiarization with the basic tactics and skills, as well as theoretical and methodological knowledge
of the sport.
This period usually lasts two to three months. You will need to speed this part up to keep on track with the
new cheerleading season, but don’t skip any steps. Make your practices very effective by planning your
practices advance and encouraging student athletes to do some training (i.e. conditioning, things they can
do on their own) outside of practice time. By cheering games, you can help develop some basic skills and
team cohesion before your official training season begins.
General Preparation: The prime concern of the general sub-phase is the development of a high level
physical conditioning, on which the athlete can build in future phases. This stage is characterized by a
gradual and progressive increase of volume at medium intensity.
Specific Preparation: The objectives of the specific preparation phase are similar to those of the general
phase, but the training is more specific. Mental preparation begins to deal with game-like situations, and
tactical involvement is taken to a higher level, although actual competitions do not occur until the
competitive phase.
Competitive Phase
In the competitive phase, the level of physical conditioning must be maintained for the base for further
technical and competition-specific training. Ninety percent of the training in this phase is sport-specific. In
this phase, intensity increases, while total volume of work is lowered. This period usually lasts four to six
months. Objectives of this phase are:
• Continuous improvement of physical abilities and psychological techniques in accordance with
specifics of the sport.
• The perfection and consolidation of technique.
• Featuring and developing tactics and gaining competitive experience
• Maintaining general physical preparation
Pre-Competitive Phase: This sub-phase is marked by more intense training and volume than the competitive
period and should include unofficial, non-league, or exhibition contests that test all the elements of the
sport and give athletes an example of the experience yet to come.
Main Competitive Phase: Specific sport related exercises are included in this period with intensity levels
reaching their highest levels two to three weeks prior main competitions. Maintenance of the physical
preparation should be highlighted with specific strength and endurance work.
During this phase, keep competition in perspective. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and start
planning lots of extra practices. Piling on the stress before competition is not a good idea. If your team
cannot get the routine that you have put together with the practices you have, make it easier. One or two
extra practices may be acceptable, but not per week. Instead, keep your practices productive.
Symptoms of Overtraining ---------------------------------------------Psychological
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Generalized fatigue
Loss of motivation
Poor Sleep & Appetite
Loss of Confidence
Decreased or suppressed
mood
Fear of competition
Increase in recovery time
Confusion in competition
Agitated easily
Physiological
• Increased resting heart rate
• Increased resting blood
•
•
•
•
pressure
Weight Loss
Postural Hypotension (low
blood pressure)
Chronic muscle soreness
and/or stiffness
Frequent illness or injury
Physical
• Performance decrease
• Decreased maximum work
output
• Prolonged reaction time
• Increased perceived exertion
at a set workload
• Decreased coordination
Close observation can help eliminate the possibility of serious effects of over-stressing. As soon as symptoms
are noticed, loading should be reduced, recovery pursued and all competition pressures removed.
Causes of Over-Training
It is possible to categorize certain factors, if permitted to accumulate, which will bring about a state of overtraining. They are as follows:
1. Inappropriate increase in frequency of training (more practices)
2. Demands are increased too quickly
3. Too rapid increase of loading after forced breaks (injuries, illness)
4. Too great an extent of loadings of maximum and sub-maximum intensity (harder)
5. Too high an intensity of duration loadings in endurance training (too hard, too long)
6. Excess of competitions with maximum demands, combined with frequent disturbance of the daily
routine and insufficient training
------------------------------ Tips for Designing an Effective Practice
1. Set the goals and objectives of the practice. Inform the assistant coaches and cheerleaders of what you
are trying to accomplish
2. Plan a general progression through the practice from individual skills to team skills
3. Arrive early, be available
4. Project a good mood, use idle chatter to create a feeling of ease at the beginning of the practice
5. Teach new skills and drills early in the practice
6. Give clear, concise instructions throughout the practice, and be in command
7. Use effective teaching formations, and make sure you have the attention of all athletes when speaking
to them
8. Explain and demonstrate skills and drills clearly
9. Be concise, keeping explanations from thirty to ninety seconds
10. Keep your assistant coaches informed and use them effectively. Keep them active in all drills, and make
them part of everything you do
11. Keep all cheerleaders active, and use all the training surfaces. Get them to do drills while you spot
skills, etc. Keep everyone busy!
12. Observe, evaluate and give feedback throughout the practice
13. Keep drills effective, competitive, active and challenging
14. Be positive and upbeat. Greet the athletes before practice or at the start of practice
15. Include a warm up and cool down in each practice
16. Use mass stretching or a fun warm up drill to get the team together and ready for the main part of
practice
17. Include a fun drill in most practices
18. Stop the drills when a common error or lack of effort is apparent
19. Speak to team as a group at the end of practice to discuss upcoming games, general information, etc.
20. Demand excellence. Repeat a drill (as long as it is safe to do so) until all members get it right. Come
back to it if frustration sets in.
-------------------------------------------------- The Individual Practice
In every phase, it is recommended that coaches come to practice with a prepared agenda specific to the
current phase of their program. For example, a practice during the first two to three weeks might look like
this:*
3:00pm – 3:30pm: Warm-up
3:30pm – 4:30pm: General Training on basics of the sports and athletics in general
4:30pm – 5:00pm: Conditioning
Whereas, a practice during the specific preparation phase might look like this:*
3:00pm – 3:30pm: Warm-up and jumps
3:30pm – 4:00pm: Stunting
4:00pm – 4:30pm: Dance, motions and cheer
4:30pm – 5:00pm: Conditioning
*Your practice plan should be way more detailed than this (i.e. what are you doing in warm up, how long to
hold each stretch, how many jumps, types of jumps, spotting techniques, etc).
Worksheet for Practice
I. Warmup (Time_____)
Date: ___I____I_____
Routine Whole (Time _____)
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
Pep Rally (Time____)
3. _______________________________________
1. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
5. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
II. Goals: (Time____)
Game Material (Time____)
1. _______________________________________
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
III. Work On (Time____)
Conditioning (Time _____)
Stunts (Time____)
1. _______________________________________
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________
5. _______________________________________
5. _______________________________________
6. _______________________________________
Jumps/Tumbling (Time____)
IV. Cool Down (Time____)
1. _______________________________________
V. Discuss (Time____)
2. _______________________________________
1. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
Motions/Cheer (Time____)
Dance (Time____)
4. _______________________________________
Routine Sections (Time ____)
5. _______________________________________
1. _______________________________________
6. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
3. _______________________________________
4. _______________________________________
5. _______________________________________
Follow up on old business:
New/future business:
VII. Dismiss
--------------------------------------------------------------- Conditioning
One of the misconceptions in the sports world is that an athlete perfects their skills by just playing or taking
part in his/her chosen sport. If a stationary level of performance and consistent ability in executing a few
limited skills is your goal then engaging only in your sport will keep you there.
However, if you want the utmost efficiency, consistent improvement and balanced abilities, athletes must
participate in year round conditioning programs. The bottom line is sports conditioning and fitness training is
stress. Not mental stress, but adaptive body stress. Athletes must put their bodies under a certain amount of
stress to increase physical capabilities.
Exercise scientists have identified nine elements that comprise the definition of fitness. The following lists
each of the nine elements and an example of how they are used:
Strength – The extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance (holding or
restraining an object or person)
Power – The ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of
movements (jumping or sprint starting)
Agility – The ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in
opposing directions (zigzag running or cutting movements)
Balance – The ability to control the body’s position, either stationary (handstand) or while moving
(gymnastics skill)
Flexibility – The ability to achieve an extended range of motion without being impeded by excess
tissue (fat or muscle) or rigid tissues (tight ligaments). (heel stretch or splits)
Local Muscle Endurance – a single muscle’s ability to perform sustained work (rowing or cycling)
Cardiovascular Endurance – The heart’s ability to deliver blood to working muscles and their ability
to use it (running long distances)
Strength Endurance – A muscle’s ability to perform a maximum contracture time after time (boxing)
Coordination – The ability to integrate the above listed components so that effective movements are
achieved.
Of all the nine elements of fitness, strength and cardiac respiratory qualities are the most important to
develop because they enhance all the other components of the conditioning equation.
-------------------------------------------------- Warm Up & Stretching
Prior to any physical activity and before stretching, you should always to a proper warm up to warm up the
tissues and get the blood and oxygen pumping through your body. Warm up with a low intensity aerobic
type exercise for about 5 minutes or until athlete feels warm or just starts to sweat. Then stretch (see
stretching section).
The FITT Principle ------------------------------------------------------F – Frequency (how often)
I – Intensity (how hard)
T – Time (how long)
T – Type (the type of training; strength, endurance, etc)
The FITT principle is adapted to each type of exercise you do. It will be different for Cardiovascular activities
and Strength training. For cardiovascular activity the FITT principle may look like this:
Frequency – 3 times per week
Intensity – 50 - 80% of MHR (as explained below)
Time – 20-30 minutes
Type – Jogging (aerobic)
Cardiovascular (Aerobic) Exercise ------------------------------------The Heart Rate is a reliable indicator of how hard the body is working. The goal of cardiovascular exercise is
to exercise at an intensity of between 50-80% of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). This 50-80% range is
called the Target Heart Rate (THR). Each persons target heart rate will be different and the activities
required to achieve the target heart rate will vary (one person may reach it after 10 jumping jacks, another
may need to do up to 150 jumping jacks, etc). Therefore the intensity will be different for each person. It is
important to monitor your athletes and know both their MHR and their THR.
Your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) equals 220 – Age. So, if you have a 16 year old athlete, their MHR will be
204 heart beats per minute (bpm). The Target Heart Rate is between 50-80% of the MHR. So this persons
THR range will be between 102 – 163 bpm. (204 x .50 = 102 and 204 x .80 = 163). If the athlete is working at
less than 50% they should increase the intensity of the work out (i.e. run faster). If they are working at above
80% they need to slow down.
Show your athletes how to calculate these numbers and keep record of them in your coaching kit. Early in
the year, take time out of your exercises to check heart rates. The way to check heart rate is to place two
fingers (not thumb) over your carotid artery (the area just to the side on your neck below the jaw line).
Count the number of pulses you feel for a specified amount of time that can be simply multiplied to get 60
seconds (one minute). For example, count the number of beats for 6 seconds and then multiply that number
by 10 to get the number of pulses that would have occurred in one minute. That is your bpm. You can also:
Count for a whole minute
Count for 10 seconds and multiply by 6
Count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4
Count for 20 seconds and multiply by 3
Count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2
All are pretty accurate but usually multiplying by 10 is the easiest to do quickly in your head, and takes the
least amount of time away from your exercise (6 seconds). Check your heart rate a few times during practice
to see whether or now you are in your THR. Your athletes should be within their THR range for 20-30
minutes at least 3 times per week. This 20-30 minutes does not include warm up or cool down.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Cool Down
Cool downs are important to let the body return to its’ normal resting state, especially those with high or
low blood pressure. If you are jogging laps, walk a couple to cool down. A good cool down helps to release
lactic acid and other waste fluids that build up during exercise. Lactic acid can cause muscle cramps. A good
cool down will help prevent DOMS – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This is when you are so sore that you
have trouble moving for a few days after your exercise. DOMS is caused by lactic acid build up and muscle
fibers tearing due to inadequate cool downs. During your cool down you should incorporate some light static
stretching and/or some light music, calm talking or meditation. The entire cool down process from slowing
down, stretching, etc. should last about 10 - 15 minutes.
--------------------------------------------------------- Strength Training
Three Principles of Training:
1. Specificity: The exercise must be specific to the type of strength required, and is therefore related to
the particular demands of the activity.
2. Overload: A muscle will only strengthen when forced to operate beyond its customary intensity. The
load must be progressively increased in order to further adaptive responses as training develops
and the training stimulus is gradually raised. Overload can be progressed by increasing these
factors:
•
•
The resistance e.g. adding 5kg to the barbell
The number of repetitions with a particular weight
•
The number of sets of the exercise (work)
•
The intensity- more work in the same time, reducing the recovery periods
3. Reversibility: When training ceases the training effect will also stop. It eventually gradually reduces
at approximately one third of the rate of acquisition. Athletes must ensure that they continue
strength training throughout the competitive period, although at a much reduced volume, or newly
acquired strength will be lost
Muscle Fibers
Muscle fibres are classified into three types:
1. Type I Fibres: also called slow twitch or slow oxidative fibres have a slow contraction velocity and are
very resistant to fatigue. Such fibres are found in large numbers in the postural muscles of the neck.
2. Type II A Fibres: also called fast twitch or fast oxidative fibres have a fast contraction velocity and are
resistant to fatigue. Such fibres are infrequently found in humans.
3. Type II B Fibres: also called fast twitch or fast glycolytic fibres fatigue easily and have a fast
contraction velocity. Such fibres are found in large numbers in the muscles of the arms.
Most skeletal muscles of the body are a mixture of all three types of skeletal muscle fibres, but their
proportion varies depending on the usual action of the muscle. For example, postural muscles of the neck,
back, and leg have a higher proportion of type I fibres. Muscles of the shoulders and arms are not constantly
active but are used intermittently, usually for short periods of time, to produce large amounts of tension
such as in lifting and throwing. These muscles have a higher proportion of type I and type II B fibres.
Various types of exercises can bring about changes in the fibres in a skeletal muscle. Endurance type
exercises, such as running or swimming, cause a gradual transformation of type II B fibres into type II A
fibres. The transformed muscle fibres show a slight increase in diameter, mitochondria, blood capillaries,
and strength.
Endurance exercises result in cardiovascular and respiratory changes that cause skeletal muscles to receive
better supplies of oxygen and carbohydrates but do not contribute to muscle mass. On the other hand,
exercises that require great strength for short periods of time, such as weight lifting, produce an increase in
the size and strength of type II B fibres. The overall result is that the person develops large muscles.
Strength Training
Strength training is very benefical for all teams. There are a multitude of different exercises that you can do.
Search the internet, read cheerleading magazines or ask other coaches what works for them. Below are
some samples of exercises for you can try during your conditioning program. There are also some examples
in the jumps sections. Vary the intensity as time goes on by increasing the number of reps and/or sets in
your program. In the beginning, take it slow and make sure the technique is right. For safety reasons, it is
absolutely essential that you know the proper technique of the exercises you do at practice.
Lower Body:
- Lunges
- Squats
- Calf raises
- Squat with inner thigh lift
- Thigh curl
- Leg raises
- Step ups
- Jumps
Upper Body:
- Push ups (and variations)
- Arm holds
- Arm circles
- Hand Stands
Abdominal & Back (Body Core):
The abdominal and back muscles are extremely important in cheerleading. They are used in all aspects of
the sport and are essential to achieve excellence in the techniques used in stunting, gymnastics and jumps.
Strength train abdominal muscles every day. Strong abdominals will help reduce the strain on the lower back
by keeping the upper body erect. This is paramount for bases and flyers. Many different methods can be
used to strengthen the abdominal area. To see improvement, you should have the team include
approximately 50-100 technically correct crunches (or their variations) at every practice.
- Crunches
- Leg pushes
- Side Crunches
- V ups
- Bicycle Crunches
- Push up hold (stabalizing)
Remember to have fun when exercising and keep it fresh. If the team has surpassed a certain activity,
change it up and make it more difficult. Variety is the spice of life!
Weight Training
If you have a weight room at your disposal or you are thinking about incorporating weight training sessions
into your practices, seek the advice of a qualified professional. Make sure they know the age group you are
dealing with. Have them come in and teach the athletes how to use each piece of equipment properly and
safely. Monitor and supervise weight room activities closely and pair up the team so they always have a
spotter and someone to critique their technique and progress. Groups of 3 work well too. Only work on one
area of the body per day (i.e. arms/chest/back or calve/quads/gluteus, etc.) and have a rest day in between.
Two key elements:
1. If you want to gain muscle mass and more strength/power, use heavier weights with low
repetition.
2. If you want to tone and have strength/endurance, use lighter weights and higher repetitions.
Sample Home Training Schedule --------------------------------------Name: ______________________________________________ Position(s): ________________________
(Top, Base, Back)
Warm up: 100-200 jumping jacks
Stretching: We really need you to work on your leg flexibility for both your jumps and your extended onelegged stunts (heel stretches, needle, scorpions, etc). Do each stretch 2 times and hold each stretch for 30
seconds. Please do this flexibility portion 2 times per day (morning and night), but be careful not to stretch
cold muscles!
Stretch 1
Stretch 2
Stretch 3
Stretch 4
Stretch 5
Stretch 6
Stretch 7
Stretch 8
Stretch 9
Stretch 10
Monday, Wednesday, Friday Conditioning:
3 sets of 20 Push Ups
Stretch 11
Stretch 12
Stretch 13
Stretch 14
Stretch 15
3 sets of 20 Bicep Curls
3 sets of 20 Dips
3 sets of 20 Sit ups
3 sets of 20 V- ups
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Conditioning:
10 of each of the following jumps: Toe Touch, Herkie, Pike
10 Tuck Toe Touches
3 sets of 20 squats
3 sets of 20 Sit ups
3 sets of 20 V- ups
* be especially careful to make sure your technique is correct as taught at practice for all conditioning and stretching. Remember to breathe correctly!
Cool Down: Light stretching and review routine music with visualization techniques. Practice relaxation
techniques as taught at practice.
------------------------------------------------------------------ Flexibility
Flexibility is the ability of a joint to move in a full range of motion. It is the ability to stretch your arms, legs
and other joints of your body. It is also the elasticity of the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joint.
Stretching improves flexibility.
Why Become More Flexible?
There are many benefits of improving the flexibility of the joint. Here are just a few:
•
Flexibility greatly improves performance. When a joint is flexible, it will take less energy to move it in
a greater range of motion.
•
When designing your routine you will have a much greater variety of skills to perform and choose
from (i.e. bow & arrow, needle, heel stretches, scorpions, etc).
•
Helps to prevent injury and soreness. Stretching improves muscular balance and relaxation and also
decreases the resistance of your tissues.
•
Flexibility (stretching) increases blood supply and nutrients to your joints and surrounding tissue. This
in turn promotes greater elasticity and improved performance.
•
Improves muscle coordination. Stretching improves the time a nerve impulse takes to travel to your
brain and back. This helps muscle groups work together and improves coordination and reaction
time.
How to Increase Your Flexibility
•
Stretch every day, more if possible. Your muscles, tendons and ligament need a constant reminder of
their ability to stretch. It will take the average teenager one month to learn the splits if they stretch
the appropriate joints twice per day for five minutes (holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds).
•
It is important to stretch all muscle groups from your neck to your toes.
•
Warm-up before you stretch. Never stretch a cold muscle. Remind your team of this for home
stretching too.
•
Stretch only to the point where you feel a little resistance. You should not feel pain and your should
never bounce.
•
Hold each stretch (except PNF and Dynamic) for 20-30 seconds then relax and repeat. As you
improve, take your stretch a little further, but never to the point of pain. Stretches held for less than
20 seconds will do little to increase flexibility but will have an effect in reducing injuries if held for at
least 10 seconds.
•
Always stretch both sides of your body in the same way and stretch all muscle groups (i.e.
hamstrings, arms, shoulders, groin, etc).
•
Breathe correctly. Exhale as you begin your stretch ad then relax and breathe normally. Do not hold
your breath or tense up while stretching. Relax and concentrate.
•
Never stretch when you are agitated. This may cause you to push yourself past the safe point.
In Any Movement There are Two Groups of Muscles at Work :
Adapted from http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/coaching.htm
•
•
Protagonistic muscles which cause the movement to take place and
Antagonistic muscles oppose the movement and determine the amount of flexibility
Types of Flexibility Exercises -----------------------------------------The various techniques of stretching may be grouped as Static, Dynamic, Active, Passive, Isometric and
Assisted.
Static stretching: involves gradually easing into the stretch position and holding the position. The amount
of time a static stretch is held may be anything from 6 seconds to 2 minutes. Often in static stretching you
are advised to move further into the stretch position as the stretch sensation subsides.
Dynamic stretching: consists of three types.
a) Dynamic Range of Motion: controlled leg and arm swings that take you gently to the limits of your
range of motion. A muscle is taken through a full, slow and large amplitude movement. The opposing
muscles are used to produce the force in this type of stretching. This type of stretching is done under
control and is not jerky in nature. Where the event/skill requires a dynamic movement then it is
appropriate and perhaps necessary to conduct dynamic stretching exercises. Start off with the
movement at half speed for a couple of repetitions and then gradually work up to full speed.
b) Ballistic: uses the momentum of a moving body or a limb in an attempt to force it beyond its normal
range of motion. Can be very dangerous as tissues can be quickly forced past their maximum stretch
point. It is done fast and rapidly and through large ranges of motion. An example is leg swings to
stretch the hamstrings. The benefit of this type of stretching is that it is sport- specific to ballistic
sports and it allows integration of the 'stretch reflex' if done quite often over a period of time. As the
neuromuscular system adapts to this stretching, the stretch reflex will minimize its contribution to
limiting muscle range.
c) Bouncing: similar to ballistic, but it is performed in small oscillations at the end of range. The dangers
of (b) and (c) are that they can lead to significant muscle soreness and/or injury caused by the rapid
lengthening of the muscle. This in itself initiates the stretch reflex and increases muscle tension.
Furthermore, it fails to provide adequate time for the tissues to adapt to the stretch.
Active stretching: where you assume a position and then hold it there with no assistance other than
using the strength of your agonist muscles. Active stretching is also referred to as static-active stretching.
Passive stretching: also referred to as relaxed stretching, and as static-passive stretching. A passive
stretch is one where you assume a position and hold it with some other part of your body, or with the
assistance of a partner or some other apparatus.
Isometric stretching: type of static stretching which involves the resistance of muscle groups through
isometric contractions (tensing) of the stretched muscles.
Assisted stretching: involves the assistance of a partner who must fully understand what their role is
otherwise the risk of injury is high. A partner can be employed to assist with Partner stretches and
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) techniques.
b) Partner stretches: Your partner assists you to maintain the stretch position or help you ease into the
stretch position as the sensation of stretch subsides. You should aim to be fully relaxed and breathe
easily throughout the exercise. Partner assisted stretches are best used as developmental exercises,
with each stretch being held for thirty seconds.
c) PNF technique
1. You move into the stretch position so that you feel the stretch sensation
2. Your partner holds the limb in this stretched position
3. You then push against your partner by contracting the antagonistic muscles for 6 to 10 seconds
and then relax for 6 to 10 seconds. During the contraction your partner aims to resist any
movement of the limb.
4. Your partner then moves the limb a little further into the stretch until you feel the stretch
sensation
5. Go back to 2. Repeat this procedure 3 or 4 times before the stretch is released.
Which Stretching Method is Best?
•
Static methods produce far fewer instances of muscle soreness, injury and damage to connective
tissues than dynamic or ballistic methods. Static methods are simple to carry out and may be
conducted virtually anywhere.
•
For maximum gains in flexibility in the shortest possible time PNF technique is the most appropriate
if done properly. Not recommended for young children whose bones are still growing.
•
Dynamic - slowed controlled movements through the full range of the motion - will reduce muscle
stiffness.
•
Where the technique requires ballistic movement then ballistic stretches may be employed. They
should not bounce and should be done in a gradual manner with control.
What Order Should the Flexibility Methods be Used?
When conducting flexibility exercises it is recommended to perform them in the following order:
1. Static
2. Assisted
3. and then Dynamic.
When Should They be Performed ?
Flexibility exercises could be part of:
• the warm up and warm down program
• a stand alone unit of work
It is considered beneficial to conduct flexibility exercises as part of the warm down program but should not
include ballistic or dynamic exercises as the muscles are fatigued and more prone to injury. Static exercises
are recommended as they relax the muscles and increase their range of movement.
Some Factors that Affect Flexibility
(from http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0838.htm)
1. An older muscle has more inherent stiffness
2. A muscle that has been immobilized with a cast will increase in stiffness over time
3. Excessive training increases stiffness.
4. Increase in temperature causes a decrease in muscle stiffness. This can be environmental temperature or
temperature increases induced by friction of muscle contraction. We therefore tend to be less stiff around
2:00 in the afternoon. Keep this in mind if you plan on having early morning practices, and at competitions
and games.
Nutrition ------------------------------------------------------------------Different People Need Different Amounts of Food
The amount of food you need every day from the 4 food groups and other foods depends on your age, body size, activity level, whether you are
male or female and if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. That's why the Food Guide gives a lower and higher number of servings for each food
group. For example, young children can choose the lower number of servings, while male teenagers can go to the higher number. Most other
people can choose servings somewhere in between.
When dealing with nutrition issues, it is best to recommend the Canada Food Guide for healthy eating. If a
member of your team wants to slim down, recommend they see a nutritionist, cut out junk food, cut out
high fat foods, and exercise regularly. Do not recommend fad diets or supplements. Leave that to a
professional. This is to protect you from a possible law suit. Keep in mind athletes need more energy to fuel
their working muscles and each person is different. Your best course of action in the nutrition arena is to be
a good role model. Are you coming to practice with a McDonald’s bag in your hand? Are you skipping meals?
Are you fad dieting? If you do, keep it to yourself. Remember that all people react differently to different
diets so what works for one may not work for another, and worse, it could make them gain weight or
become sick. If possible, have a nutritionist attend one of your practices to have a short seminar and address
any pressing questions.
-------------------------------------- Eating Disorders and Body Image
Today’s cheerleaders, dancers and gymnasts often suffer from a distorted body image which can lead to an
eating disorder. It is estimated that 15% of women in the general population have substantially disordered
eating attitudes and behaviors (Blackman, 1996). Cheerleaders, dancers, and gymnasts may have an even
higher rate, and it is not just women.
Although most programs have removed body weight and body image as part of their selection process,
many hopefuls still believe it is considered a very important factor at tryouts. As a responsible coach, it is not
only important for you to be able to recognize and deal with the situation appropriately, but also to play an
integral role in the prevention of these deadly diseases. After all, an overweight but strong cheerleader is
much more beneficial to your team than a sick, emotionally disturbed, or dead cheerleader.
Include a statement in your tryout form or constitution about eating disorders. Eating disorders can seriously
decrease the amount of nutrients and energy available to your body. During group activities, and especially
during stunting, this can be a major safety concern not only for the affected cheerleader, but all of their
team mates as well. Explain that anyone even if suspected of having an eating disorder may be temporarily
suspended from the team for safety reasons and will be expected to receive professional treatment.
Furthermore stress that all athletes will be expected to sufficiently fuel their bodies for all practice and
events. Refer athletes to the Canada Food guide for information regarding nutrition. Since you are not a
nutritionist, do not suggest fad diets or any type of weight loss regime involving medications or food.
Anyone who approaches you with questions about weight loss should be referred to a specialist in the
nutrition and/or physical training field.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia involves self-imposed starvation to the point of emancipation (Karen Newton, 1993). An anorexic
often has a low appetite due to an intense fear of obesity and/or intense desire to be thin. Usually has a
distorted body image.
Characteristics: amenorrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, hypothermia, dry skin, constipation (Brownell &
Foreyt, 1986).
Danger Signals:
(AABA, Inc, 2001)
o Losing a significant amount of
weight
o Continuing to diet (although thin)
o Feeling fat, even after losing weight
o Intense fear of weight gain
o Losing monthly menstrual periods
o Dry, brittle skin
o Heart tremors
o Preoccupation with food, calories,
nutrition, and/or cooking
o Preferring to diet in isolation
o Cooking for others
o Cold hands and feet
o Hair Loss
o Fainting Spells
o Shortness of breath
Medical Consequences: (AABA, Inc, 2001)
o Low body temperature
o Low blood pressure
o Slowed metabolism and reflexes
Bulimia Nervosa
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Exercising compulsively
Lying about food
Depression, anxiety
Weakness, anxiety
Periods of hyperactivity
Constipation
Growth of fine body hair on arms, legs,
and other body parts
Shrunken organs
Bone mineral loss, which can lead to osteoporosis
Irregular heart beat/cardiac arrest
Bulimia is characterized by a binge-purge cycle in which huge amounts of food are eaten over a short period
and vomiting is then induced (or diuretics and/or laxatives used) in an attempt to control weight (Newton,
1993). Unlike an anorexic, the bulimic is usually a normal weight or slightly overweight. The physical
symptoms such as tooth enamel decay and frequent throat irritation may not be noticeable for years
(Newton, 1993). The average duration of illness is 5 and ½ years (AABA, Inc, 2001).
Characteristics: tooth decay, vomiting, excessive use of diuretics and/or laxatives, dehydration (AABA, Inc,
2001).
Danger Signals:
(AABA, Inc, 2001)
o Binging or eating uncontrollably
o Purging by strict dieting, fasting,
vigorous exercise, vomiting or abusing
laxatives or diuretics in an attempt to
lose weight
o Using bathroom frequently after
meals
o Preoccupation with body weight
o Irregular periods
o Dental problems, swollen
checks/glands, heartburn and/or
bloating
o Experiencing personal or family
problems because of drugs or alcohol
o Feeling out of control
Medical Consequences:
(AABA, Inc, 2001)
o Dehydration
o Damage to liver, intestines and kidneys
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Sore throat
Vomiting blood
Weakness, exaustion
Bloodshot eyes
Indigestion
Depression or mood swings
Constipation
Electrolyte imbalance, which may lead to irregular
heartbeat, and in some cases, cardiac arrest.
Are You Unknowingly Contributing to the Problem?
-
Are there weigh-ins at tryouts?
Do you weigh females but not males?
Are there scheduled weigh-ins throughout the year?
Do you reward lighter cheerleaders with better positions?
Do you give positive comments like “you look great!” or “I wish I could lose weight that fast!” when
student athletes lose weight?
Do you pretend not to notice when someone loses an excessive amount of weight in a short amount
of time?
Do you order uniforms that show off the body?
Do you discuss your wishes to lose weight in front of your team but put no plan in action?
Do you associate weight loss with better performance (i.e. “Sally’s jumps are so much better now
that she loss some weight”).
Do you state that flyers must be small to be good? Or state that so-n-so is too large to be a flyer?
Do you talk about the importance of good nutrition but eat junk food in front of your team?
Coach Do’s (Rochman, 1998); (Higgins, from Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine, Fall 2004)
-
-
Concentrate on performance, health, strength and agility, not on weight and body image
Avoid uniforms that are overly revealing (i.e. crop tops, belly showing)
Keep communication lines open
Don’t threaten those who may have eating disorders with being removed from the team but do
stress the importance of eating well for safety reasons and explain that being suspended from the
team may occur because of safety. Stress health; not the importance of being on the team.
The athletic trainer should emphasize how important it is to optimize the athlete’s performance
without breaking down the body
-
Also, the trainer should emphasize the importance of recovery time, interval training, and cross
training as a means to improve performance
If you Suspect a Problem:
According to Karen Newton (1993) you should suspect an eating disorder if you see the following symptoms:
-
Repeated complaints about feeling fat
A drive to exercise excessively
Wide fluctuations in weight over short periods
Edema or bloating of the face, hands or ankles, not related to menstrual period
Complaints of dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue and muscle cramps
Questions about the use of diuretics, laxatives or diet pills
Move than average dental problems (caused by erosion and decay from vomiting)
Frequent throat irritations (from vomiting repeatedly)
Loss of hair and/or growth of fine body hair
Extreme distress over missing a workout or failure to meet a weight-loss goal.
Take a look at the following checklist and check any that apply. If more than 50% of the items are checked,
seek professional help. (from NCSSE Coaching Cheer Fundamentals, 2005)
1. (
2. (
3. (
4. (
5. (
6. (
7. (
8. (
9. (
10. (
11. (
12. (
13. (
14. (
15. (
16. (
17. (
18. (
19. (
20. (
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Constantly concerned about weight
Feels “fat” even though other people see thinness
Rapidly loses weight, but remains frightened of becoming fat
Prefers to eat alone
Weighs more frequently than once a day
Moves food around on plate, plays with food, but eats little
Menstrual cycle has stopped or becomes irregular
Exercises compulsively
Feels guilty after eating
Eats only very few, select foods
Goes to bathroom immediately after meals
Uses diuretics or laxatives regularly to control weight
Eats large amounts of food secretly
Self-induces vomiting after eating
Feels depressed and worthless
Feels afraid or out of control when eating
Isolated from social contact
Has lost his/her sense of humor
Pre-occupied with eating and food
Consumes large amounts of food, but remains thin
Eating Disorder Treatment Team
o
o
o
o
Athletic Trainer
Family Physician
Sports Psychologist or Psychiatrist
Nutritionist (Rochman, 1998)
Do:
-
-
Take the behavior seriously. There is 10-15 percent mortality rate and 25% suicide rate for eating
disorders (AABA, Inc, 2001)
ASK FOR HELP! Discuss the issue first with your athletic director to determine what the school policy
is
If the athletic director gives you the go ahead, discuss the issue with the parent/guardian then decide
how to proceed as a team. You may need to educate parents on the topic and explain the reasons
why you suspect their child may have an eating disorder (symptoms). Highly suggest help from
professionals as many parents may wrongly feel that they can deal with the situation themselves. It is
a disease, not a fad or a phase they are going through.
Approach the individual by addressing his/her feelings of depression, loneliness, withdrawl or
isolation, low self-esteem, perfectionistic tendencies, attempts to reach unrealistic goals, etc.
Attempt to assist the individual in getting professional help.
Don’t: (Rochman, 1998)
-
Do not approach the individual by discussing his/her eating behavior. This will perpetuate the
behavior.
Do not assume the problem will go away on its own.
Do not attempt to interrupt the behavior or challenge its significance to the individual.
Do not attempt to change the individual’s eating behavior (i.e. purchasing different foods for them to
eat, changing meal times, etc).
Do not comment on the individuals’ weight reduction or increase regardless if the change appears to
be positive.
Do not attempt to cure the individual yourself.
After the Fact:
Lets’ say you already went through the process and the individual got some help, or you had a person tryout
that told you they once had an eating disorder. How would you recognize a relapse?
Relapse – Physical Signs (Rochman, 1998)
-
Low energy levels
Loss of Strength
Changes in body composition
-
Stress fractures
Cramping
Dehydration
-
Light-headedness
Headaches
Dizziness
Relapse – Behavioral Signs (Rochman, 1998)
-
Athlete leaving the table immediately post meal
Withdrawing from social interactions around
food
-
Excessive exercise
Decrease performance in academic work
g
“Since weight is not an indicator of fitness or ability, regular weigh ins are not necessary. Good coaches can tell if an
athlete is progressing in a positive direction by evaluating performance. It is important for team members to
understand that ability, technique, and effort are the key ingredients for success in cheerleading, dance and
gymnastics, not weight” ------ Leanne Higgins, Ed. D, Coach of University of Delaware Cheerleading Team.
Stunt Progressions ------------------------------------------------------The Road to Success
Cheerleading stunts as in other gymnastics related activities, should be taught in natural progressions from
easy to hard and low to high. Why progressions and not just desired stunts? Here's why!
1. Memory of movement - it's important that cheerleaders develop a memory of movement. That is,
they learn how
w their body reacts each time a certain movement is performed. An example might be
performing a heel stretch on a side thigh stand. The top person finds that by locking the leg, keeping the hips
forward, she can reach a balanced position with her hips over the base. Conversely, if she bends a leg, her
hips will move outside of the base and she will fall to the side. After mastering this skill and remembering
how the body feels and reacts in certain positions, the person should be able to duplicate the movement at
other levels; i.e., from shoulder level or extended.
2. Assessing performer readiness - Learning stunts in progression should give the coach an opportunity
to assess an athlete's progress, determine the proper ability level of the squad, and decide when to move on
to more difficult stunts. Students should show mastery of lower skills before being allowed to progress to
more difficult maneuvers. This does not mean that one must do every stunt on the following list to move to
another. A performer may be able to move to extensions after shoulder stands and still not be able to
perform shoulder splits which utilizes different skills. However, a person should not try an extension without
mastering the double base/prep.
3. General concepts - Generally speaking, key points should be broken down for the top, base and back
spotter separately, explaining their own tasks in the particular stunt. As well, they should be aware of each
other’s tasks to help them better understand the goal, and the possible problems that could occur.
4. Base - The base for each stunt must control the hips and offer resistance to pressure from the top
person. Bases tend to be taller and stronger than flyers but ultimately it is skill and technique that make a
good base.
5. Top person - The top person must learn to control the hips (usually by locking the legs and tightening
the thighs and hips), and to climb "lightly". Climbing lightly refers to the concept of removing some of the
force or pressure from a small area when climbing. Three examples of climbing lightly are: 1. pushing off of
the ground when taking the first step, 2. pushing through the arms when climbing, and 3. lifting with the
hips and/or shoulders. This is probably the most sought after position in that it offers a thrill and the chance
to be the center of attention. Although height and weight may play a part in the role each person plays on
the team, ability and skill should be the ultimate determinants.
6. Spotter – The responsibility of preventing injury to the flyer rests on the shoulders of the spotter. A
spotter must be able to “read” a stunt to aid in correcting problems and predict and respond quickly to falls.
A spotter should always be in contact with the performing surface and should be an alert, fast thinking,
aggressive, person with very quick reflexes. Typically spotters are taller than other members of the team
because this gives them the ability to reach higher on the stunt. A spotter assists the flyer into the stunt but
is not the primary support. They help steady or balance the stunt. They are usually the person that calls
everything in the stunt. EVERY person on your team should be able to fill the role of spotter if called upon.
Use your best spotters most. Spotters should always use the “Hand’s On” method of spotting so they can
feel the stunt and will be able to react more quickly. Spotters must pay attention; an inattentive spotter is
not a spotter.
------------------------------------------------- Basic Rules for Stunting
•
•
•
•
No one should talk while stunting except coach or back spotter
The back spotter is the most important person in all stunts. They should be aggressive, smart, and as
tall as possible.
The back spotter calls everything while stunting (what stunt is being performed, when to start, when
to break, when to cradle, etc).
Every stunt should be done to counts for timing purposes.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Flyers should know how to fall. Bases should know how to catch.
Everyone should know what position they are and what their job will be during the stunt. They
should realize that each position is important.
Flyers should not let their feet go more then shoulder width apart.
Bases should stand no further apart then the width of the flyer's shoulders.
Be sure the bases do not back up while stunting and flyer does not bottom out.
Everyone should know how the stunt will dismount before attempting any stunt.
-------------------------------------------------------------- Spotting Tips
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A spotter is imperative when learning a stunt, no matter how simple you think the stunt may be
In most instances it is always better to use more than one spotter
Spotters hands should always be extended and eyes looking up at the flyer
Always be alert to what is happening. Don’t talk, laugh or play around
Use the “Hands On” spotting technique whenever possible
Always expect the unexpected
Move with the stunt when it is falling
Everyone should attempt to catch the falling stunt, not just the one spotter in the general vicinity
Always spot a falling stunt by holding above the knee
The most important areas to protect are the head, neck and back
------------------------------------------------------------- Spotting Drills
The best teams in the world will tell you to work from the basics up. Although most people will begin with
the most basic stunts when first starting a new team, or a new year with an old team, you should go back
even further than that, at the first building block of stunting…spotting. Any competitive team that has great
stunts has great spotting skills. You really can’t have one without the other. Having great spotting skills
allows you to progress through stunting levels much quicker. Why? Because the team is much more
confident in the safety abilities of the team and there are typically less injuries. If you were a top (flyer) and
you knew that your base group could not sufficiently catch you from a thigh stand, would you really feel
comfortable trying a double base (prep, elevator prep)? Or if you are a base and your top does not know
how to fall correctly from a double base, would you really want to try an extension (elevator)? If your group
frequently has accidents at lower level stunts, are you going to feel comfortable trying higher level stunts?
Once each individual is comfortable in the spotting abilities of their group, they can stop worrying about
falling and catching, and start focusing on the task that they are actually trying. Once you take out the fear
element and replace it with trust, things will progress much quicker.
There are some people that have no fear, should they bother learning spotting drills? They are already
comfortable in the air or on the bottom so does it really matter? Of course it does! Just because they are not
scared does not mean that accidents will not happen. You will not progress very far if your team mates
consistently have broken and sprained ankles, arms wrist, etc. You have to make sure that your team is
prepared for falls. And besides, just because one person in the group has no fear, doesn’t mean that every
person in the group has no fear.
In these drills, I usually say “top” or “base” in the explanations. This is only intended to make the
explanations read easier. Bases should learn some of what it feels like to be a top (if possible), and tops
should definitely learn how to spot.
Spotting should be taught and practiced, just like any other skill. Practicing spotting is the only way to be
really good at it. When falls happen, you have to react quickly, if you do not have much experience, your
choice of catching techniques (or falling techniques) could cause more harm than good. Being able to choose
the right course of action very quickly is the key. The only way to make your responses quicker, and more
accurate, is with practice, practice, and more practice.
WARNING! In all of these drills, make sure you use the gymnastic type floor mats underneath the drill.
When I say “floor”, I mean the mat on the floor.
Drill #1: Stiff as a Board, Light as a Feather
You may have heard of this drill before, or even tried it as a young child with your friends. Although this drill
is particularly effective for tops (flyers), bases can try this drill too, to feel what it feels like to be lifted. One
person should lay straight with their back to the floor with everyone else standing around them. This person
must be very tight; stiff as a board, especially concentrating on tightening their midsection (squeeze your
butt and tighten your belly!). Normally when people try this drill, the middle person (top) has their hands
down by their sides. But when actually falling from stunts, it is usually recommended for the top to keep
their arms up in a touch down position (straight up by their ears, hands in fists) so that their hands are free
to brace for a fall if the catch is not stable or sufficient. Therefore, when trying this drill, instead of practicing
the wrong position, the middle person should have their arms in the touch down position. It is a little harder
to stay tight this way so they will really have to squeeze all of their muscles. Someone should first check if
the person in the middle is tight enough. Lift just under the shoulder blades. If the body lifts up like a board
would if you lifted one end, then you can move on. If the person in the middle bends at the waist (or any
other joint), they need to be tighter. Keep checking until they are as stiff as a board.
Next, the “bases” bend down all around the “top” and put their hands underneath the top’s body. Because
the head, neck, and spinal cord are so important (and heavy), make sure that you have strong people
dedicated to that section. One base should be standing in a position to protect the head, lifting at the
shoulders. Two (one on each side) should be under the shoulder blades; two (one on each side) lifting the
back; two (one on each side) lifting the buttocks area; and two (one on each side) lifting the legs. You can
use more people than this but it is not recommended to use less.
Usually during this drill the bases only use two fingers from each hand to lift. This is not recommended since
it can cause strain on the fingers and it is very easy for your fingers to slip from the top’s body. The object of
the drill is to see how much lighter a person feels when they are tight. They will still feel just as light when
using your whole hands and it will be much safer. Once everyone is in position and ready, and the top is very
tight, the person standing at the head will count 1-2-3 Lift! On “Lift” the bases slowly lift the top up into the
air, marveling at how light the top is. Hold the top up for a few seconds and then SLOWLY lower the top back
down to the floor. The top must stay tight from the time the bases start lifting until they return the top to
the floor. Next, the bases do the exact same thing but the top will not be tight. Tell the top to be very floppy.
Make sure that the bases understand that it will feel a little heavier this time so that they are prepared. The
same person will count again 1-2-3 Lift! On lift the bases lift the top up and realize that the top is much
heavier and harder to control. Slowly lower the top back to the floor.
What’s Happening?
Well we all know that the top did not gain weight in that 5 minute time span, so what did happen?
Each part of your body has its own Center of Gravity – the point where it is heaviest. Think of balancing a
pencil lying flat on your finger. If your finger is not in the correct spot, it will tip. When the pencil balances
flat, you are probably holding it at its center of gravity. Each part of your body (arms, legs, head, etc) has its
own center of gravity. These centers of gravity change as you move. For example: The center of gravity of
your arm will change if you bend or straighten it.
Your body as a whole has its own center of gravity. When you determine the center of gravity for the whole
(body), you have to take into consideration the centers of gravity of each of its parts (arms, legs, head, etc).
When the top is tight and has their arms above the head in the touch down position, the body’s center of
gravity will be closer to the head than it would be if their arms were down at their sides. If the joints are
loose, the centers of gravity keep moving around (unstable) which shifts the center of gravity of the whole
(body) making it very difficult for the bases to be under the main bulk of the weight (since it keeps moving).
All of these centers of gravity pull on each other and cause the weight to be unbalanced. Just like in the
pencil example, the body may tip in many different directions. For example: When lying flat and loose, the
weight of your arm flopped to the side may pull your upper torso to the side, the weight of your legs may
pull your upper body down at the buttocks, etc).
When the top is tight they seem much lighter because all of the body’s attachments are kind of acting as
one. Their centers of gravity are pulled towards the center body core (torso) and because the joints are
locked, the centers of gravity are not moving around pulling in different directions (they’re stable), making
the body much easier to control. Something that is solid is much easier to control than something that is not.
For example: again balance your pencil. This time balance it upright (standing up) in the palm of your hand.
Notice how difficult this is. Now try the same thing again with a cooked spaghetti noodle. Notice how much
easier the pencil was. The moral of the story: It is not easy for bases to control your body, but you can make
it easier by being tight. Repeat with at least each top.
Drill #2: Tick Tock
Again you’ve probably already heard of, or even tried this drill as a child. This drill is mainly for tops to build
their confidence in their bases, and again, to learn the importance of staying tight. The bases will also get a
good feel for weight coming at them before we complicate matters by having the tops fall from greater
heights.
One person (the “top”) stands in the middle of the rest of the group (“bases”). The bases (about 10 of them)
stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder, facing inwards with the top in the middle about a foot to two feet
away (depending on the height of the top).
Usually when people do this drill, the top either keeps their arms at their sides or crosses them across the
chest. As with the last drill, we are going to get the top to put their arms up over their head in the touch
down position to simulate how tops are recommended to fall. The top should tighten all muscles. The object
is for the top to keep their feet together in one spot (their feet are the pivot point) on the floor and let the
bases push the top in different directions to each other. The tighter the top is, the easier it is for the bases to
catch and manipulate the top’s body. The bases will also get a good feel for the weight of catching and
realize that when the top is in motion towards them, the top feels a little heavier than when the top is
stationary. They will also realize how important it is to use their legs (strongest big muscles in your body)
when catching.
Many people try this drill with the top having their eyes closed. This is a scary sensation for the top (to have
no visual cues) and really does not add anything to the drill (unless of course you plan on stunting in the
dark…highly discouraged!). Many people say that it adds to the “trust” of the top for their bases. The
problem with this is that when first trying this drill there may be bases on your team who are not prepared
for the amount of weight that will come at them when the top is pushed towards them at different speeds.
A top with eyes closed does not know if the base is going to catch them securely or not (of course, that is the
whole reason that it builds trust, right?). Wrong. If the base does not catch early enough, or with enough
strength, the top may fall. Opening your eyes just a split second before you hit the floor is very scary and
does not give you very much time to react and catch yourself. This may cause less trust, not more.
Some people try this drill with somebody in the middle holding the feet of the top in place. Good in theory,
but not recommended for basically the same reasons as above. If the top is going to fall (the top is not
caught well), having their feet free will allow them to take a step or put a leg down to slow down the fall and
brace themselves a bit. Without this aid, the top has a much greater chance of breaking a wrist or arm from
the impact.
Something to look out for: Some team members can be quite competitive with each other, or, they may just
think that it is really fun to push the top as hard as they can to the other side of the circle to see if the bases
on the other side of the circle can handle it. These drills are intended to prevent injuries, not cause them.
You have to remember that you are dealing with a human (breakable) body and you are trying to BUILD the
trust of the top, not break that trust. If this starts to happen, stop them immediately and re-explain the
purpose of the spotting drills. Let them know that if they are not mature enough to take the drills seriously
then they will not be stunting. If there is a particularly pushy base, put them in the middle next and let them
see what it feels like. Do not give them a taste of their own medicine though. They can imagine for
themselves what it must have felt like with the big pushes.
Drill #3: The Bear Hug
The bear hug is a type of catch. It works best when the top is falling straight down.
It’s best to first try this catch on the ground to make sure that everyone has the proper grip. The top should
stand up straight and tight with the arms in a touch down position. One base will stand at the top’s side
facing the top. The base bends down a little and wraps their back arm around the top just underneath the
buttock area, making sure to wrap all the way around to the other side. The other arm will go around the
top’s chest, just under the breast level but above the bottom of the rib cage, again making sure to wrap all
the way around to the other side of the top’s body. The base’s head should be positioned slightly behind the
top’s back. This is to prevent the “elbow in the head” occurrence if the top bends their arms at the elbow
upon catching impact. In this position, the base should be able to lift the top.
For the drills, we will use two catchers (bases). The other base stands facing the top on the opposite side of
the top’s body. This base will also wrap their back arm around the top under the buttocks and their front
arm across the chest area. When doing this, the arms of the bases should cross at both points, making an “X”
under the buttocks and across the chest. The base should also position their head behind the top’s back. Pick
up the top to see what it feels like. Next, get the top to jump, just from floor level. The object is for the bases
to catch the top and prevent the top’s feet from touching the floor. Both bases should move in and hug
tight. The top has to make sure that they stay tight and keep their elbows up during the catch.
When the group is consistent and comfortable with this, try it from an elevated height, like a stage. The top
should stand at the front edge of the stage. Bases should stand below the top on the floor with arms up
ready to catch. The top, with arms in a touch down, hops both feet at the same time off of the stage. It is not
a big jump, just a little hop to clear the stage. The bases should reach up high to start catching the top in the
bear hug position as high in the air as possible, but above the knee level of the top. The bases should hug the
top tight and try to prevent the top’s feet from touching the floor. This may take a few tries. The top should
stay tight and keep elbows up. If the top’s feet do touch the floor, the top should not keep legs locked. The
top should land in this sequence – Toes-Heels-Knees-Hips to absorb the impact and prevent shin splints.
Common Problems:
1) The bases usually start off too far away from the top which does not give them enough time to get in
close enough to hug the top tightly before the top’s feet hit the floor. The bases must be close, and
they must hug tightly, bending only at the legs.
2) The top’s feet slide down the base’s legs, causing a feeling of “road rash”. Each base should reach up
high with the arms but keep their legs separated just over shoulder width apart. This will also give
each catcher a good base of support. If a base’s legs are too close together, he or she may lose their
balance and tip over when catching, and may experience “road rash” as the top’s feet slide down
their legs, a good tip that the legs are too close together. Also, check to make sure that the top is
keeping their legs together. If the top’s legs are apart, this may also be what is causing the “road
rash” syndrome.
Tip! Before doing this or any other drill, make sure that all non-essential jewelry is removed including
watches and bracelets as these can scrape the top’s skin. Essential jewelry (i.e. medical bracelets) should be
completely covered and secured to the body with a wrap or tape to prevent scraping.
Drill #4: The Cradle Catch
As with the last drill, you should first try this drill on the floor so that everyone gets a good feel for their
positions. Normally there are four positions in a cradle catch: one top, two bases (sides, catchers), and one
back spotter (third, back catch, etc). The top should stand with arms in a “T” position, arms straight out at
the shoulders. The back spot will scoop under the top’s arms so that the insides of their elbows are flush
with the top’s armpits. The back spot’s arms should be bent at the elbows and hands in fists. Next, the two
side bases will stand on either side of the top, facing the top. They will put their back arm high across the
top’s back; across the shoulder blades but under the back spot’s arms. The top will then wrap their arms
around the shoulders of the bases to “catch themselves”. Then the top will kick up their legs into a pike
position (bending only at the waist, legs straight, buttocks the lowest point; should look like a stretched out
“V” from the side). The bases use their other arm (front arm) to catch the top’s legs. Each base should catch
both legs. Depending on the height of the top, the base’s arms should be just below the knee level. If the top
is quite tall, the arms may have to be higher, above the knee. The buttocks of a tall top in the pike position
may be close to the floor. If the catch is low, the top may hit the floor. Try not to catch in the knee pit as this
may cause the top to bend their knees.
Try bouncing the catch up and down to get a feel for the weight and positions. The bases should notice right
away that they have to absorb the catch with their legs, and not bend at the waist (catching with back), or
they will hit faces. The catch is easiest for the bases if they are very close to the top, hugging the top close to
their bodies. The bases should be careful not to pull the top away from the other base. They should move in
under the top’s body, not pull the top on to theirs. The back spot should note that in order to avoid
punching the top in the face, the back spot must pull their wrists slightly away from each other (pulling out).
The elbow should remain in the same position. If the back spot pulls their elbows apart, the top’s arms will
be stretched backwards (very uncomfortable) making it impossible for the top to catch themselves on the
base’s shoulders.
Next, the top should stand up with arms in a “T” position and fall backwards to just the back spotter. The
back spotter must scoop under the arms and prevent the top from hitting the floor. The bases should spot
on the sides to ensure the safety of the top for the first few tries. Next, the top should jump back from the
floor, to the pike position. The bases and back spotter must get under the top and catch as high as possible.
The top should practice wrapping their arms around the base’s shoulders as soon as they start to catch. This
is a safety measure in case the bases slip or do not have a good catch. This also takes some of the weight off
of the bases and back spot. Eventually the top should be able to “catch themselves” by wrapping their arms
over the shoulders of the bases.
When everyone is very comfortable with this, try it from an elevated position, like the stage. The top stands
at the front edge of the stage facing backwards, with arms in a “T”. The bases and back spot stand on the
floor under the top, with arms up ready to catch. The back spot’s arms should be above the bases arms. The
base’s arms should cross each other. They should be fairly close to the stage. Even though the top is going to
lie backwards, the top will bend at the waist, which will shorten the distance of the fall from the stage. The
top should look back to check that everyone is ready. When everyone is ready, the top should fall backwards
as if lying back on a bed. Then the top will pike (bend at the waist), pulling the feet up. The top’s buttock
should be the lowest point, with the head and the feet being about equal height from the floor in the catch.
The bases and back spot reach up and start to catch the top as soon as possible, aiming their arms for the
catching spots, just like you would when catching a ball. The bases and back spot absorb the catch with the
legs. It will be a little bit scary for the back spot at first because it may look like the top’s head is coming
straight down on top of their own head. At the last second the top will pike, and the body will shorten with
the head moving slightly forward. The back spot has the most important job and it will take a while for them
to be comfortable with, and be able to judge how far away they should be for the catch.
The bases and back spotter should make sure that they are catching in the correct positions, and that their
legs are just over shoulder width apart. All catchers should be careful never to lift one of their knees during
the catch or they may knee the top in the back causing pain and/or injury. If the bases knees are too close
together during the catch they may knee the top in the back as well. The top should practice wrapping their
arms around their base’s shoulders as soon as possible, using their arms to help with the catch.
Common Problems:
1) The top is being pulled backwards. This is a common problem in the beginning as back spots are a little
leery to get in close. They stand a little too far away and reach forward to catch. When the impact
occurs, they pull the top back to them. As a result, the bases do not get a good grip on the top, the
top cannot catch themselves, and the back spotter gets a lot of the weight. This is usually detectable
by watching the top or the back spotter. If the top is piking, but then seems to flatten out in the
catch, missing the base’s shoulders; this is a good clue. If the back spot is standing far from the bases
and reaching forward before the catch; this is also a good clue. Check how deep the back spotter’s
catch is. If they are catching under the top’s armpits with only wrists or hands, this is probably the
problem. They must catch up to the elbow to ensure a good solid catch. Also make sure that the back
spot is pulling wrists apart (so as not to punch the top in the face) but not elbows as this could cause
the top to pull away from the bases and lay flatter (making for a more difficult catch).
2) Sides (bases) not close enough. Detectable by a) distance between bases before catch, b) each base
only catching one leg, c) top slipping through catch or having a hard time reaching shoulders of
bases, or d) bases hitting faces. When bases catch the weight too far in front of them, it causes them
to lean forward, catching with the back instead of the legs, and hitting faces in the middle. Both
bases must catch both legs of the top, reaching across to the other side of the top’s body, and getting
in close under the top so that they can catch with the legs.
3) Top and back spot are smashing heads. This usually happens because the top is looking up, trying to
see the catchers behind them while they are falling backwards. The top’s head should be in a neutral
position when falling and they should look straight ahead at their toes during the catch.
4) The top is slipping through the catch. If the bases are catching close enough together, this can be
caused mainly by two other reasons. A) the top does not have a strong enough “T” arm position
causing the top to slip through the back spot’s arms, or B) the top is very flexible and is over piking
(bending too much at the waist) during the catch. The top should be piked with the head and feet at
equal height, but the top must resist the force of the bases when they catch the top and not allow
them to bend the top more, or the top will slip through the catch.
5) The catch is very hard because the top is sitting straight up or lying too flat. When cradling, some tops
are scared to lean their upper body backwards so they sit back off of the stage with their butt first
and chest leaning forward. Or, when cradling, they bring their legs up, but do not lean back. Both
scenarios cause the top to be in an “L” position (side view) when caught rather then the stretched
out “V” position. The top must practice laying back flat and then piking by bringing their feet up and
leaving their chest where it was (i.e. do not bring it forward), right before the catch. If the top is lying
too flat, they are either forgetting to pike, trying to pike too late, or not bending enough at the waist.
This may also be caused by looking up when falling backwards. Tell the top to bring their feet up as
high as their head and make sure that the neck is in a neutral position. Usually this is because they
are afraid that their butt will hit the floor. Tell them that it is much easier for the bases to catch
correctly if their butt is lowest. It may just take a little practice.
Drill #5: Side Catch with Two Catchers
There are two ways to do a side catch. Again, it is best to try the catch on the ground to make sure that you
have the correct grips before trying the catch from an elevated position.
The top stands tall and tight with arms over the head in a touch down position. For this example, the top will
be falling to his/her right side. One strong base will stand behind the top about a foot and a half to the right,
facing the same direction as the top. When this base catches, they will be concerned with catching the head,
neck and shoulder area of the top, catching in the armpit and chest level areas. The other base will stand in
front of the top about a foot to the right hand side of the top, but facing the top. This base will be concerned
with catching the abdomen, buttocks and hip area of the top. This is all the same for both types of catches.
The reason that it is optimal to have one catcher in the front and one in the back is because people are not
as stable on their sides as they are on their front or back, they tend to roll forward or back. If they roll back,
the strong base in the back can prevent the top from hitting their head and neck. If they roll forward, the
base in the front will try to prevent the top from hitting the floor. If the base in the front cannot prevent the
fall, the top has their hands available to brace themselves if they need to. If both bases were catching from
the back and the top rolled forward, the bases can do very little to prevent the top from hitting the floor. If
both bases catch in the front and the top rolls back, again, there is very little that the bases can do.
Sometimes, it is the actual catch that causes the top to roll when being caught. This is why the back base
should catch the higher portion of the top’s body. If the front base was catching the higher portion of the
top’s body (head, neck, and shoulders), and they cause the top to roll backwards, the top cannot catch
themselves with their hands as easily as they could if they are falling forward. Remember, the most
important part of the body is the head, neck, and lower back so you want to put your catchers in a position
to prevent injuries to these areas, and allow the top to have some way of preventing the injury themselves if
the catch is not stable or sufficient.
1) In the first example, the bases both catch with both arms underneath the top, almost like a cradle
catch. Both bases must make sure that they are very close to the top and get under the weight so
that they can catch with their legs. If they are too far away, they will cause the top to roll forward or
back. If your bases are smaller, this is the catch of choice.
2) If your bases are quite large and strong, they can catch with one arm under (preferably their stronger
arm) and one arm over the top to prevent rolling. This type of catch must be timed right and will take
practice to getting that top arm around in time to prevent the roll. Hug the top tight and get under
the weight. The back base should catch just under shoulder level (high chest level) with the bottom
arm. The front base should catch around the hips/buttocks area.
Please Note: If you are the only one spotting and the top falls to the side, the second option is the best
one unless you are directly underneath the stunt when it starts to fall. If you catch using the first option
(both arms under) and the top rolls, there will be very little that you can do to prevent the fall at that
point. Whether you are in the front or back, try to catch the around chest area to prevent the fall and still
allow the top to use their arms if they need to. Everyone should learn both types of side catches for this
reason. As always, make sure that you are very close to the top and get under the weight.
First try both of these catches on the floor. Get the top to stand and lean, falling to one side. The bases
should concentrate on catching in the correct areas. When everyone is comfortable with this, try it from an
elevated position like a stage. Have an extra spotter or two on hand for the first couple of tries to ensure
the safety of the top. Try falling to the other side (top falling left) on the floor first and then elevated as it
will feel slightly different from catching a right side fall.
Drill #6 Front Catch
When a top is falling forward, there are a few different ways to catch. Bases can catch pretty much the
same way as they did when the top is falling backwards. One base on either side; catching with special
emphasis in protecting the head, neck, and lower back areas. You could also do this catch as we did in the
last drill where one bases is concentrating on the upper part of the torso and one base is concentrating on
the lower part of the torso (hips and buttocks). This is also a good opportunity to try the bear hug at
another angle. You can do the bear hug with one or two people depending on how many catchers you
have. It is not recommended to catch directly under the top (facing the top) as the top can easily put the
catcher off balance and there is a high incidence of smashing heads/faces when catching this way. The
bases should catch from the side as they are more stable in this position.
Try all of these catching methods on the floor first and then progress to an elevated position like a stage.
Have extra spotters on hand to ensure the safety of everyone during the first couple of tries. The top
should always have arms up in a touch down position to be able to brace themselves if the catch is not
sufficient. The bases should be very careful not to catch the top in the facial area as this could not only
hurt or injure the eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, facial bones, etc. in could also cause serious strain on the neck
muscles.
When falls happen, you may not be in the best position to catch the “optimal way”, and during real life
falls, you do not usually have a lot of time to adjust your position to catch the best way. It is important to
note that if the top is falling in any direction, the most important thing is to get in under the bulk of the
weight and catch. Using the tips in all of the drills will help you determine what is important when catching
in each direction. Of course there will be other factors that may determine how you will catch; maybe the
top is falling head first, maybe the top is falling on a diagonal, maybe the top is rotating during the catch,
or is curled up in a ball, etc. There is no way to determine the best way to catch every single fall since there
are so many variables that come into play. Practicing these drills will help the entire team be more
confident in catching and falling, and should help them determine the best course of action faster when
falls do occur; making practice a much safer environment and helping your team progress through stunts
quicker.
Advanced Level Spotting Drills
The following drills are for stunt groups that have mastered all of the drills above and have already started
lower level stunting. These drills are particularly good for teams that have started a new year and have
recruited a few new cheerleaders. It is best to match up new tops with experienced bases and a new base
in a group with an experienced top. These drills are not recommended for teams that are new to stunting
until they are very comfortable with the double base (prep, elevator prep, level 1, etc) and have mastered
all of the other drills.
All of the drills below will be done from a double base that has two bases, one back spotter, and one top.
We will also incorporate 4 separate spotters that will spot in each corner for each one of these drills:
Spotter
Spotter
Back Spotter
Base Top Base
Spotter Spotter
Corner spotting is a great way to spot. It is important for each spotter to know which areas they are
responsible for. For example, the spotter in the lower left hand corner would be responsible to catch if the
top fell towards them or anywhere between themselves and the spotter in the lower right hand or
between themselves and the spotter in the upper left hand corner. Each spotter has a 90 degree radius
that they must catch in. This means that the top should always be caught by at least two people. The
spotters must be quick and smart. Spotters should try to assist in catching a top even if the top is not
falling in their area.
Many people use this method of spotting:
Spotter
Back Spotter
Spotter Base Top Base Spotter
Spotter
This is also a fairly good spotting model with each person having a 90 degree radius but it does have some
problems with it:
1) The spotter in the front should not stand directly in front of the top because it is recommended for
them to catch on the side, not face to face.
2) The spotter in the back is redundant since the back spotter will move back and scoop catch if the top
falls backwards.
3) The bases will be able to control the fall much more and be able to catch pretty sufficiently if the top
falls directly to the side. Therefore the side spotters are not very useful in that position.
4) If the top is falling on a diagonal, in any direction, these are the falls that bases find most difficult to
control, slow down, and catch. The spotters, because they are not in the diagonal positions, will
have to move to get there to catch. If the bases have a hard time slowing down and controlling the
fall, the spotters may not get there in time.
Therefore, the first model of spotting (corner spotting) is recommended for the following drills. Spotters
must pay attention at all times to the top and have arms up and ready to catch. They must be close to the
stunt and be ready to move very quickly if they need to.
Drill #7: Surprise Falling
This drill is great for groups to practice the catches that they just learned. The top in double base should
lean and fall, in any direction, without letting the group or spotters know the direction of the fall
beforehand. In all of the other drills, it was easy to catch because everyone knew the direction of the fall.
This drill is much more like real life since the spotters have to be ready for anything. The bases and back
spotter should not just let the spotters catch the fall. They must practice trying to slow down and catch the
stunt themselves since eventually they will not have spotters all around them.
Drill #8: Walking the Stunt
This is a great drill for a new top that is a little nervous in the air, or a new base that is a little nervous on
the bottom. Once the double base is up, try walking the stunt in different directions around the floor. The
group must try to keep the stunt up and sturdy while moving. The spotters should follow the stunt and try
to stay in their relative positions around the stunt (corners). Once the group is comfortable moving in one
direction try switching directions frequently, and/or moving the stunt at different speeds. Everyone must
be ready (spotter, back spot, and bases) for the top to fall in any direction. This is a lot like the last drill for
spotting except that this time, even the top does not know when and how they will fall. Typically these
falls are slow and controlled though.
Drill #9: Shaky Bases
This is a drill where everyone must be ready for anything. This drill is very helpful for new tops. Once the
group is up and sturdy in their double base, and all spotters are ready, the bases and back spotter will try
to make the top fall. That’s right…try to make the top fall. The top’s job is to stay tight, keep the chest up,
and balance to try to stay in the air as long as possible. Make a contest out of it so that they can keep
trying to beat their last time score. This is where tops really learn how to “stick it” and learn how much
control they really have in keeping the stunt up. The bases can bounce, dip toes or heel, try to bend the
knees, move the stunt, move the feet around, lift legs up and down alternately, etc.
A few rules:
The bases cannot release the feet of the top
The back spot (if tall enough) cannot pull on the tops thighs or waist
The extra spotters are not allowed to help in making the top fall
The bases and all spotters (including back spotter) must be ready at all times for any type of fall. Since the
stunt will be moving around quickly, everyone must pay close attention and be ready. This is a lot like the
last drill in that nobody knows which way the top will fall but the fall in this type of drill will be much faster
than they were in the last drill. Bases should practice slowing down falls to make catches easier (see the A
Spotting Guide for Bases and Back Spotters in the next section).
Once everyone is quite comfortable with this drill, move on to the next and final spotting drill.
Drill #10: Tipsy Top
This drill is a lot like the last one except that this time the top will try to make the bases and back spotter
drop the stunt. The top can bounce, push legs apart, lean all of the weight to one side, point and flex feet,
alternate lifting feet (like trying to jog in the stunt), etc. The bases and back spot must follow the top and
stay under the weight while trying to compensate for the movements of the top. They have to try not to
let the top push them around. As with the last drill, time the drill and make a contest out of it to see if they
keep getting better and better. This drill will help the bases and back spot learn how to control a stunt that
has gone wrong, and will show tops just how much control their bases and back spotter have under their
feet. Spotters must be ready at all times for the top to fall. Nobody knows when or how the top will fall
and since the fall will be initiated by the top, not the bases, usually by a quick movement, the fall will
probably be very quick so everyone must think fast to control the situation.
These last two drills should build up the confidence level of the entire group. Once you have mastered
these drills at the double base level, you can try them from some other stunts as well. Just make sure that
you proceed with caution and always have enough smart spotters on hand.
Warning: these drills do have a small amount of risk involved and should only be attempted by stunt
groups that have mastered all of the other drills.
Once you have mastered all of the spotting drills you will now start putting them into practice during
everyday stunts. Once you have practiced a stunt for a while, you will no longer need four spotters.
Instead of just forgetting about spotters all together, you should gradually practice with less and less.
When there are only two spotters, they should spot in opposite corners, one in the back and one in the
front:
Spotter
Back Spotter
Base Top Base
Spotter
This seems to be the best method IF both of your spotters are right handed. This means that if the top is
falling forward, the spotter in the front will be catching the top across the chest with their strongest arm
(right). If the top is falling backwards, the spotter in the back will be catching the top part of the top’s body
with their right hand as well. If a spotter is left handed, they should switch sides so that they are catching
the heaviest part of the top with the strongest arm.
When you go down to only one spotter, where should they be? Well you already have a back spotter in the
stunt that can move around and catch if the top falls backwards, so you really should put the spotter in the
front. This will really depend on the stunt that you are trying and the people that you are trying with. If a
certain group has the tendency to always fall a certain way, then put your spotter(s) in a position to catch
easily. If not, then they should probably go here:
Back Spotter
Base Top Base
Spotter
This way the back spot can take care of things in the back arc and the spotter in front can take care of
things in the front arc and the bases can help with anything in between. The spotter is in a good position to
catch the top with their strongest arm if they are right handed. If the spotter is left handed, they should
spot on the other side.
Whether or not you have spotters, the bases and back spotter should always be trying to catch the fall
themselves. Eventually there will be no spotters and you will need to know what to do and be prepared
when falls do occur.
------------------------------------ A Top’s (Flyer’s) Guide to Falling
When first learning stunts, it is inevitable…you will fall. Knowing how to fall correctly can help your bases
catch you and make your stunting experience much safer. Falling from a stunt is much different than falling
in every day life. You cannot just react when you fall from a stunt because your natural reaction may hurt
you. Your natural reaction to falling has being developed through falling in everyday life…without catchers.
Since falling from a stunt is not an everyday thing for humans, you probably won’t know how to do it when
you start. You will have to override your natural reaction and train your body to “fall the right way”, not an
easy thing to do.
Here are some general tips and ideas for you to use when falling at practice. These are not “rules” and will
probably not work in every situation, but for the most part, you should find them very useful.
Basic Tips:
1) Never scream!
2) Try to indicate the direction in which you are falling by saying “back”, “front”, “side” “right”, left”, or
if falling straight down say “down”. Do this only in practice, not in competition.
3) Stay tight
4) Always try to “stick” the stunt and make it work.
5) Don’t get into the habit of frowning when a stunt doesn’t work. Start practicing now covering up
mistakes and not making deductions worse than they have to be.
6) Stay calm (this will get easier as you get more experience falling).
1. When falling straight down--(feet first) as when doing a double base (prep, elevator, etc) and
neither base catches your feet.
•
Do not bend your legs! Your bases can catch you around your legs and stabilize you, but only if your
legs are locked. If you bend them, they have no leverage.
•
Do not bend backwards or forwards reaching for hands. This trains you to be unbalanced and you
may poke or punch someone in the eye. It is very scary to catch someone when their extremities
(arms, hands, etc) are coming down on your head. Also, as with the above, if they catch you
around the leg or hip area and you bend, you will probably still fall. Stay tight! If the stunt can be
salvaged, bending at the waist will almost guarantee that it won’t be salvaged because again, the
bases have no leverage point. If the bases have your legs or feet, they can only control you up to
the first bent/weak joint. To illustrate this point, try to balance a pencil in your hand (straight up
and down). It is not easy. But try again to balance a cooked spaghetti noodle (straight up and
down) and you’ll realize how much easier the pencil was. If you stay tight, you bases can control
your top section by manipulating the bottom (feet and legs).
•
If you have time, put your hands straight up in a touch down position with hands in fists. When
they catch you, keep your arms up and locked (nobody likes an elbow to the head). If you don’t
have time to get your arms up in a touch down position, and your arms are down, keep your arms
straight down at your side. The reason you should try to get your arms up is that if they catch you,
but it is not a great catch, they may knock you off balance on the ground. If your arms are down,
they probably have their arms around your arms and you will not be able to catch yourself. If your
arms are up, they will be out of the way for the catch, and free if you need to brace yourself for a
floor fall.
•
Lock your whole body straight and tight as this makes you lighter and easier to catch (as with the
pencil/noodle example above).
•
Point your toes to ease landing
•
When landing remember to not let your elbows jerk down and always land in this sequence- TOESHEELS-KNEES-HIPS. That is, land on your toes first, then your heels, then bend your knees, and
then at the hip. This will help to absorb the landing and help prevent shin splints and sprained
ankles.
2) When falling sideways--As when you are in an offset or liberty and you lose your balance, or
when a base loses their grip.
•
Do not bend your legs. Bending your legs makes your top half (the decidedly more important half
including your brain and spinal cord) fall much quicker towards the ground, making for a much
harder hit if you do hit the floor. Keeping your legs locked will give bases more time to slow you
down and catch you, making for a much more controlled fall. Legs - keep them locked! If one is
already bent, slowly straighten it down by the other one, being careful not to kick anyone in the
face.
•
As with any stunt, TRY TO STICK IT! If the stunt is just a little unbalanced, try to compensate to keep
it up.
•
If you cannot stick it, lock your whole body and do not bend anywhere.
•
Put your arms up in the touchdown position (if you have time) and keep them there.
•
Do not point your toes! Lock your feet in a flat footed position. This will act as a lever that will help
the bases to slow down your fall.
•
IMPORTANT-- If you are past the point where nobody is going to catch you, or they caught you
awkwardly and your head may still hit the floor (i.e. about 1 1/2 feet from the floor), turn and put
your arms up by the side of your head in the backhand spring position to break the fall. The
backhand spring position is the triangle formed by your hands -- thumbs pointing towards each
other, index fingers at the top of the triangle. Hold your hands about 15cm from your head to
absorb the fall. Try not to let your head hit the floor but do not lock out your neck. You could pull
muscles in your neck, or even sprain it, which is very dangerous territory! You have already broken
the fall with your hands and arms so even if you do hit your head, you'll probably only have small
bump, which is much better than having a cast on your neck for a few months, or worst, having
whiplash for the rest of your life.
3) When falling backwards:
•
Lock your legs.
•
Try to stick the stunt.
•
Lock your feet in a flat footed position. Your bases can use these as levers to slow down your fall, or
maybe even salvage the stunt.
•
Keep your whole body tight.
•
Put your arms in the T position so anyone behind can catch you in a scoop cradle catch position to
protect your head.
•
Do not sit your butt down. For three reasons: 1) as with bending the knees, this makes your top
half fall faster because the bases cannot control anything above the bend, 2) if they catch you but
the catch is low, you may hit your butt (and spinal cord) on the floor, and 3) if there is someone
behind you waiting to catch you in a scoop cradle catch position, and you bend, your body will pull
away from your catcher (closer to the bases) and he or she may miss you.
•
If you fall too far to be caught (1 1/2 feet from the floor), twist to the side and do the handspring
position with your hands to protect your head. (Again, this is why we always keep our hands up in
a touchdown or a T, if you have your hands at your sides and someone is wrapped around your
arms, but you are still falling towards the floor head first, you wouldn't be able to help yourself,
this way your hands are always free to protect your head if you fall too far).
4) When falling forward:
•
Lock your legs.
•
Try to stick the stunt.
•
Do not bend forward or backwards, or reach for people.
•
Lock your arms in the touch down position.
•
Do not point your toes or keep them flat footed, find some happy medium and keep them there. If
you are falling forward and your feet are pointed or flexed, you cannot balance any further. You do
most of your balancing on the ball of your foot (just under the big toe) and your heel. You may be
able to salvage the stunt if you leave yourself some leeway to balance a little.
•
If your feet hit the floor, make sure that you land in the TOES-HEELS-KNEES-HIPS sequence.
•
Again, if you are past the point where you may hit your head, get your hands ready in the trianglebackhand spring position to brace your fall.
•
As with all other falls, keep your whole body tight so that the bases can control you. If they catch
you around the belly area, try not to bend, this may cause your catcher to lose their balance and
both of you may fall. You and you catchers are not safe until BOTH of you are standing on the
floor.
No matter what, always keep calm!
A Spotting Guide for Bases and Back Spotters (Thirds) ---------When first learning stunts, it is inevitable…tops (flyers) fall and you have to catch them. Knowing how to
catch correctly can help your top develop trust, and make your stunting experience much safer. Catching
someone who is falling through the air is not a natural thing. In fact, in daily life, when something that
weighs about 100 pounds is about to fall on you, you move. Your first reaction is not to get in there
underneath the falling object and catch it. You have to override this natural reaction and train yourself to
catch correctly so you do not hurt yourself or your team mates. When tops are falling, there is not a lot
of time to decide how you are going to catch them. Learning through trial and error can be dangerous so
here are some general tips and ideas for you to use when spotting at practice. These are not “rules” and
will probably not work in every situation, but for the most part, you should find them very useful.
**In this section, the top (flyer) is always referred to as a female. There are many great male tops out
there and we do not wish to offend anyone. On 99% of teams the tops are female and it is much easier
to say “her” than it is to say “his or her” or “their” etc. Please excuse this and adjust the section for
yourself if you need it to read for a male top.
Basic Rules:
1) Never scream
2) Never walk away from stunt
3) Always watch your top
4) Never talk while stunting (except back spotter who calls the stunts)
5) Always keep calm
6) Always try to stick the stunt
7) Never absorb a catch with your back, use your legs
8) Try not to catch on or below the knee as these can buckle easily which makes it very difficult to
control the top. You can only control her to the next bent joint. This means that if you catch her
below the waist but above the knee and she bends at the waist, you will have very little control
over the top half of her body. Catching below the knee will do very little if she bends her knees
since the heaviest parts of her body are above the knee. This is one reason why it is so important
for tops to stay tight when falling.
9) Do not wait for the other bases to catch her! No matter which way she is falling, if it's possible for
you to get to her, always assume it to be your responsibility to catch her. Do not assume that the
other bases will catch her because they could be thinking the same thing about you. And besides,
two catchers are better than one. This does not mean that ten catchers are better than two.
Once you get more than three catchers, things start to get a little confusing in the catch and this
may cause an accident.
10) Do not stop spotting until the top has both feet on the floor. Do not assume that the top is safe if
someone catches her but she is not yet on the floor. Someone falling, no matter how small they
are can put the strongest person off balance. If someone catches around her legs she could still
bend forward, backwards, or sideways, and she could still hit the floor, or she could put the
catcher off balance and they could both fall. Your job is to make sure that the top does not hit the
floor…ever!
(1) When the top (flyer) is falling straight down:
•
If both bases miss the tops feet, as quickly as possible, wrap your arms around the top's body
where ever it is. Do not wait for her waist. If her legs are just passing your face, wrap your arms
around them and hold her up. The object is to reach up and catch her as high in the air as
possible since she will probably slide through your arms a little, and you will have to bend your
legs to absorb the catch. The best place to catch (on a side) is one arm around the chest and
one arm below the butt, preferably with your stronger arm across her chest (Bear Hug), and
your head to her back (so you don’t get an elbow to the head), but in a situation like this where
she is probably falling quite fast, catch as soon as possible. You also have to consider your
height versus her height. If you are quite a bit taller than the top, then you may be able to wait
for her waist to Bear Hug. If you are about the same height, catch as soon as possible (keeping
in mind not to catch below or on the knee). In this situation, if you wait for her waist, her feet
may already be touching the ground by the time you start to catch her and absorb the catch
with your legs. Her landing on her feet is not all that bad…until she gets shin splints. The back
spot (if tall) should catch around the waist or chest area, being careful not to put a lot of
pressure on the tops’ stomach (or she may buckle). If you are a relatively short back spot, you
should catch just below the butt, make sure that you turn your head to one side or you may get
quite a surprise in your face.
•
If you have some kind of a grip on her foot but the stunt is still coming down, lower her feet very
quickly while trying to slow down and control the fall. Try not to tilt her body in any direction
and stay under her center of gravity (the bulk of her weight). The back spotter should catch the
top as explained in the above example, or the front spot should wrap around if one is present. If
there is no back or front spotter, lower the feet a little, to try to slow down and control the fall
and then release and wrap your arms around her in a bear hug position. Lower her to about
your waist before you let go to bear hug her.
•
If one base catches one foot and the other base misses. The back spot should always try to fix the
stunt and keep her as upright as possible by controlling her at the ankles or the highest place
that you can get a really good grip. Lift the uncaught foot/leg as much as possible so that the
base that missed can get a grip on it to salvage the stunt. If this is not possible and she is
coming down the back spot should catch (as explained above) as soon as possible. If you are the
person holding the foot, do not let go. Lower the foot down quickly, but do not jerk the
movement, and bring the foot very slightly and slowly inwards (towards the other base). While
lowering the foot, do not walk backwards, always move into the stunt, trying to lower the foot
to the center of the stunt. Never let the foot tilt outwards. The object of this is to slow down
the fall so the other base(s) and spotters can catch easier and they have less impact when the
top lands on them. This also keeps the top falling straight down. If you walk out or tilt the foot
outwards, the top will fall sideways which makes for more difficult catching. If you are the other
base, the one who missed or lost the foot, very quickly try to catch the foot again to salvage the
stunt. If this is not possible wrap around the tops body as soon after the knee as possible,
catching her high in the air in a bear hug.
•
If both bases have the feet but the stunt is unstable. Example--the feet are slipping out of the
hands, or the top is too heavy for the bases, etc. Lower the feet to the center of the stunt. The
back spot should catch high (as explained above) but above the knee. If you are one of the
bases and the foot slips out of your hands while you are lowering down, wrap around the top's
body right away in a bear hug.
(2) When the top is falling sideways:
•
If you have a hold of the top's foot, try to get underneath the top--follow the way the top is
falling. IF YOU CAN, let go of the foot with one hand, and put it up against the top's leg to try
and keep her vertical. While doing this, lower her to the floor. If the top is falling your way,
follow her, lower her foot a bit and then let your hands slide up her leg to above knee to slow
her down, then let go and wrap around in a bear hug. Try to grab her around the hips or higher
so she does not go over your head. Lower her down slowly. If you are the back spot, follow the
top and try to catch her around the chest area. The object is to save the head, neck and spinal
cord.
•
•
If nobody has the feet, then the outside person grabs at calve/shin level, follows the top and tries
to straighten the top vertically. If the top is falling your way (i.e. you are the inside person), you
grab at chest or shoulder level to save the head and prevent her from going over your head.
The back spotter gets under shoulders, head or whatever they can to help the base.
(3) If the top is falling backwards:
•
Her feet will be locked in the flat-footed position, therefore, try to get up underneath her, follow
her, and press up on her heels while holding the toe level, and lower her feet a bit. The back
spotter should put their hands up high on the top's legs and try to hold her straight to save it.
•
If you can't save it, still keep her as straight as possible. The bases should lower the top's feet
slowly to about their waist level, then slowly let go and wrap around the top as high as possible.
If this is slow and controlled, the back spot should be able to “walk up” the tops body keeping
her upright and then catch as explain above.
•
If she is falling backwards almost flat, then the bases should lower the top's feet slowly to about
their chest level, then quickly let go of the hand that is on the heel and reach under the top as
high up on the body as you can, trying to get under her body weight.
•
If the top's arms are in a T position (arms straight out at shoulder level), the back spot should
catch the top in the scoop cradle catch position. When catching like this, it is important for the
back spot to leave their elbows in but pull their fists out (thumb side of fist facing out) so they
do not punch the top in the face during the catch impact. It is also very important here for the
bases to move under the top and not pull the top (using the toes) over top of the bases. This
may cause the back spot to miss the scoop cradle catch.
•
If the top does not have a T position, the back spot should hold their arms up, and "walk" up the
top's back and then slowly let the top drop into their arms. At this point the back spot wraps
their arms around the chest/shoulder area.
•
When the top is just being lowered down but is leaning back, the bases should lower the legs to
the center of the stunt and slightly forward so that they don't knock the back spotter over. Do
not jerk this movement as this would cause the top to lay back more and you want her to be as
vertical as possible.
(4) When the top is falling forward:
•
If the top is falling forwards, follow her and try to get underneath her. Press up on the balls of her
foot.
•
The back spot should wrap their hands around the front of the legs (on shins) and be pulling back
to straighten her. If they are holding around ankles, they apply pressure at bottoms of hands,
and pull back with the tops of their hands, while pulling down on her heels.
•
Everyone should be lowering down together. After lowering her down to about rib level, the
bases should let go with the hand that is holding her toe and put it in front of the top high on
her legs. At this point the back spotter should also grip the top's legs and try to straighten her
out.
•
Depending on how far forward she is leaning, one or both of the bases, should slowly let go of the
foot/leg and bear hug around the top's upper torso, more towards the chest level. The back
spotter should slide in that base’s spot and catch the middle torso. For simplicity, your base
group should decide before stunting which base should do it so that there is no confusion. If
you are both right handed, then the base holding the tops right leg should do it since the arm
holding at the chest level of the top will be the strongest arm. If the base holding the tops left
foot is left handed, then they could catch. If the base holding the right foot is left handed, and
the base holding the left foot is right handed, the bases should switch sides. The strongest arm
should be across the chest, but it really doesn’t matter which base does it. Just make sure that
you have a plan for when this happens and that your back spotter knows whose spot they will
have to slide into. If your stunt group decides that you are not the base that will bear hug, be
prepared. If the stunt is falling fast and hard, you may still need to let go and bear hug as well
because one base catching this heavy area during a hard and fast fall may not be enough.
•
•
If there is a front spotter, they should do the bear hug and everyone else would lower slowly
trying to get the top to stay upright. The front spotter should not stand directly in front of and
facing the top (to avoid smashing faces). The front spotter should be standing in front of but
sideways for a bear hug catch. Again, this spotter should position themselves so that their
strongest arm will catch around the chest area.
No matter what, always think fast and stay calm!
STUNT PROGRESSION
(From Oak Harbor Cheerleading)
STUNTS
Complete7 out of 10 correctly to
progress to next level
Step-up Drill
Thigh Stand
Shoulder Sit
Walk-up Double Base
Shoulder Stand
Shoulder Stand
Hang Drill
Prep/Elevator/ Half
Shoulder Level Hitch
Hitch Step-up to Full
Extension
Half to Full Extension
Half Level Liberty
1/2 Twist-in
Prep/Half/Elevator
Ground-up Full
Extension
Braced Fully Extended
Liberty
Ground-up Fully
Extended Liberty
Arabesque
Heel Stretch
Scale
1/2 Twist–in Full
Extension
STUNT PROGRESSION
Coach’s
Initials
Cheerleader’s
Initials
(From Oak Harbor Cheerleading)
Dismount
Complete7 out of 10 correctly to
progress
Coach’s
Initials
Cheerleader’s
Initials
Coach’s
Initials
Cheerleader’s
Initials
Step-off Drill
Shove Wrap /
Bear Hug
Cradle
Floorwork
Full Down Drill
Front Spot Assisted
Full Down
Full Down
Toe Touch Cradle
Tumbling Progression
Tumbling Skill
Handstand
Cartwheel
Round-off
Back Handspring
Round-off Back
Handspring
Back Tuck
Round-off
Back Tuck
Round-off Back Hand
Back Tuck
Layout
Full Twist
Complete7 out of 10 correctly to
progress
--------------------------------------- Safety Guidelines for Tumbling
1. Make sure that the tumbling area is sufficient in size and free from obstacles and that the surface is
clean, dry, smooth and level. Appropriate matting should always be used whenever tumbling on any
hard surface. Avoid tumbling directly onto wood, concrete or artificial turf as well as on wet and/or
slick grassy areas.
2. Develop a pre-established “traffic flow” plan that ensures safe participation. This includes constant
vigilance on the part of the supervisor to minimize the risk of cheerleaders colliding with one another
in the course of the tumbling activity.
3. Performers should warm up properly before engaging in the actual tumbling activity. Stop training
whenever a performer appears injured or shows any signs of undue fatigue.
4. Always follow a well-planned program of skills progressions. Safe programming required that
tumbling skills be learned in a progression from the simple to the more complex. Allow adequate
training time at each level of development.
5. Competent spotting should be provided according to the need and ability of each participant as well
as to the particular requirements of the maneuver being performed.
6. Be sure that participants have demonstrated proficiency in executing proper landing techniques,
including protective measures specific to uncontrolled landings and/or falls.
7. Proper attire is essential to safe tumbling practices. Avoid tumbling in clothing that is either
restrictive or too loose. The wearing of jewelry should be prohibited. Never chew gum.
8. Any tumbling skill involving inversion (somersaulting) of the body is considered to be high risk.
Therefore exercise extreme caution, use appropriate progressions and provide competent spotting
when teaching any somersaulting skill, particularly those in the forward direction.
9. The use of trampolines, mini-tramps and/or other projectile devices are not recommended for any
cheerleading activity, and their use is illegal.
Coaching Concerns:
•
If you need to learn how to teach gymnastics skills:
o Hire a trained professional
o Take some courses from your local gymnastics center
o Go to tumbling classes at your local gym
•
If you never get comfortable with teaching tumbling, get really good at teaching drills and then bring
in the pros!
•
Pay close attention when athletes are learning skills so you can break them down and see what
works and what doesn’t.
•
Pay attention to common mistakes made in skills and listen to hear the tips the instructor gives to fix
the problems. Educate yourself!!
•
If you have a local gym available, encourage your team mates to go there for classes. The best place
for anyone to learn gymnastics is in a gymnastics gym.
•
Ask instructors what drills you can be doing at practice to help your team improve.
•
Only teach skills that you are comfortable with and know how to teach.
•
Never teach anything that you are uncomfortable spotting. Never spot someone you are
uncomfortable spotting
•
If you are new to spotting, always spot someone who can already do the skill on their own first so
you can get a feel for it. Then double spot (two spotters) a person that is close to getting the skill
with a qualified instructor. Gradually work your way into new tumblers and/or bigger performers.
•
You should be able to support the entire body weight of the person you are spotting.
•
Learn not to over spot. This is common in new spotters. It is OK to over spot a little the first couple of
times you spot a new person but you should learn to correct yourself. This will actually hinder the
learning process of the performer.
•
Be ready for anything!
•
Always double spot until you feel the person could probably do the skill on their own.
•
Never take away one spotter (or both spotters) unless the performer is completely comfortable
•
NEVER EVER say you are going to spot someone and then not spot them to prove that they could do
it on their own.
•
Never force someone to tumble who is not comfortable or who is afraid.
Skills
• Motions
• Jumps
• Twist Cradles
Motions -------------------------------------------------------------------by Elena D'Aquila
Sharp, strong, clean motions are basic essentials required to being a great cheerleader. These motions come
into play in more than just the cheers and sidelines you perform. They are in the dances you execute and the
stunts you hit!
What does it take to have great motions? You must master these two elements:
1. PROPER MOTION PLACEMENT
2. SHARP MOTIONS
I. PROPER MOTION PLACEMENT
(This includes: Arm levels, arm/leg/body placement, angles, fist & wrist direction)
Stand in front of a mirror to check arm/body positioning. Then try motions as a group to make sure
everyone’s angles and form is correct and consistent. Remember to make sure everyone is doing things the
same way.
Things to Avoid:
1. Over-extension of arms
2. Misplaced arm levels
3. Improper fist direction
4. Bent or cocked wrists
Things to do:
•
•
•
•
Keep motions in front of you: If you hit a motion properly, you should be able to see your arms/fists in
your peripheral while looking forward (with the exception of a touchdown motion).
Watch arm levels: Keep shoulders relaxed! A “T” should be absolutely level! Any high or low V’s should
look like a V
Use proper fist directions:
1. Buckets: As if you were holding two bucket pails; this is used the majority of the time. (The exception
to this is a touchdown motion in which your wrists should be facing inward)
2. Candlesticks: As if you were holding a candle in each hand. This forces you to turn your arms
outward. This is used less frequently.
3. Blades: Hands should be held straight out with fingers together. Watch out for thumbs sticking out.
Fingers should be as flat as possible and not curled.
4. Jazz Hands: Same as blades but fingers and thumb are separated
Keep wrists flat (not bent or cocked): Your wrists should be perfectly flat, as if they were extensions of
your arms.
•
•
Clap Cleanly: While clapping, keep your elbows in and your clasped hands right below your chin. Clap
should come apart just before the next clap (i.e. as if there is gum in your hands pulling them together).
Teams should all be doing claps the same (i.e. all hands should come apart the same distance, etc).
Fists: Know in what direction your fist should be facing (Examples: In a High V your thumbs should be
facing towards the crowd. In a Touchdown your thumbs should be facing away from the crowd). Always
keep your thumb outside your fist.
II. SHARPNESS
(This involves strength & precision of motion)
The key to sharp motions is to make the transition from one move to another as clean, simple, precise and
quick as possible.
Things to Avoid:
1. Avoid bouncing or swinging your motions
2. Avoid extra motion or movement
3. Avoid shrugged shoulder
Things to Do:
1. Incorporate push-ups or a good strength training for your arms. Strong arms produce strong motions.
2. Hold your motion until the last possible moment before proceeding on to the next motion or movement.
3. Coordinate your motions with the syllables of the word in your sidelines and cheers. Or a particular count
if you’re doing a dance.
4. Don’t forget: Each move that you do is considered a motion. This includes: claps/clasps, bringing your
arms to your sides, your hips, etc....keep these moves strong and tight.
5. Take the shortest distance from one motion to the next. Do not swing your arms or make a circular
motion when hitting a motion. Make a straight line when changing motions.
6. Always practice sharp, strong motions. When you’re in practice and you’re marking through a routine,
ALWAYS do your motions full out!
7. Keep your shoulders relaxed as you go through the motions
------------------------------------------------------------- Motion Magic
Exercises to Improve Your Motions:
•
•
•
•
•
Arm Strengthening - Do arm strengthening exercises like push ups and weight lifting. They offer some
great ways to improve the strength in your arms and shoulders. Good motions are made with strong
arms.
Hit your motions quickly - Then hold it for about 30 seconds as tight as you can. One tip in the forum
also mentions tightening your butt muscles when you do this. As that will tighten your other muscles.
Work in front of a mirror or video yourself - Stand in front of a mirror and watch as you hit your
motions. Look for arm position, fist position and any extra unnecessary movements. Then close your
eyes and hit the motion again. Open your eyes and look in the mirror to see how you did.
Even when practicing other things, be sure you're completing your motions. Don't get lazy and
halfway do them. Always complete each motion to the end.
Practice with your squad - Coordinate your motions and make sure you're doing them in unison.
•
•
•
•
•
Most motions have an opposite or reverse corresponding motion. Be sure to practice both.
Use your imagination, you can combine motions. Try different and unique sequences. Be creative.
Put motions to 8-counts
counts to practice.
Learn and practice motions from easy to more difficult. Start with symmetrical motions (T, High V,
Low V, etc) and then progress to more difficult motions.
Line team up so you can see everyone and call out motions. Make adjustments as required to from
and wrist positions.
Motions
Clean
Stand facing front with
feet together and arms
straight down by sides.
There should be no “air”
between arms and body.
Clean with legs apart
Same as above with feet
shoulder width apart or
just slightly wider.
Clap or Clip
Clap with hands in blades
with palm facing palm.
This can be done at chin
level or at face level.
Keep elbows in.
Clap or Clasp
Hands are clasped at chin
level with elbows in.
Fingers should NOT be
interlaced.
Daggers
Arms are bent and
parallel, with fists in
front of shoulders,
close to the body.
Elbows should face
floor and pinky
fingers are to the
front.
Table Top or Box Top
The arms are held
out and bent at 90
degree angles. (a.k.a.
Daggers) The bottom
of the arms should be
parallel to the
ground.
L
Raised arm is in a
Touch down and
other arm is in a T.
Number One or Right
Punch
Right arm is in a
touch down and left
arm is on hips. Left
Punch would be the
opposite of this.
Bring arm to ear, not
ear to arm.
High V
Arms are at a 45 degree
angle to the body forming
a “v” shape. Hands may
be in fists or blades with
pinky fingers to the back,
or jazz hands facing
forward.
Low V
Same as a High V, but
arms are down in a
upside down V shape.
Hands may be in fists or
blades with pinky fingers
to the back, or jazz hands
facing forward.
Touch Down
Straight arms are
extended straight above
the head and parallel to
each other. Pinky fingers
are to the front.
Low Touch Down
Arms are straight down,
parallel to each other and
slightly in front of the
thighs. Pinky fingers are
to the back and palms
face each other in fists or
blades.
Bow & Arrow
One of the arms is held
out in a “T” motion and
the other arm is bent at
the elbow out fist to the
chest. Keep arms in line.
Palms face the floor.
High Clap or Overhead
Clasp
Arms are straight above
the head in a clasp/clap
and slightly in front of
face. Elbows are locked.
Diagonal
One arm is in a High
V and lower arm is in
a Low V. May be
done as left or right
diagonals.
T
Arms are at a 90
degree angle to the
body. Pinky fingers
are to the back.
Broken T
Same as a T, but arms
are bent. Fists should
be in front of
shoulders. Do not
bring it forward.
Pinky fingers are to
the front.
Muscle Man
From a T motion,
bend elbows up to a
90 degree angle with
palms in fists facing
to the head (fist
position is wrong in
picture)
Front Lunge
The lead leg is bent
with the knee directly
over the ankle; back
leg is straight. Front
foot faces
f
front, back
foot faces side.
Hands on Hips
Fists should remain
strong and not bend.
Back of hand should
face front. Fists
should be on hips.
Lunge
Lead leg is bent at a 90
degree angle with knee
over ankle. Other leg is
straight. Body and right
knee are facing forward.
Straight leg foot faces
front, bent leg foot faces
side.
K
Raised arm is in a
High V and lower arm
is in a Low V across
the body. Body
should not twist (ie.
Picture is wrong)
*Pictures from Angelfire.com
Jumps ----------------------------------------------------------------------Jump training should be done at each practice to improve height and flexibility. To do a proper jump you
must break it down into 4 parts. Each is an important component:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Approach
Lift
Execution
Landing
Approach:
• Bent through legs
• Push off balls of feet – jump off ground
• Use arms for lift
Lift:
• Keep back straight
• Keep chest, head and shoulders up
• Bring arms to at least shoulder level and keep fully extended
• Make clean arm motions
• Lift from stomach
• Extend through whole leg
• Rotate hips under and knees back – “sit into jumps” rotating hips and knees under/back in the air
• Bring feet up to hands
• Point toes in ALL jumps
• Timing of arms and legs together will increase height
Execution
• Head up
• Fully extended arms and strong clean motions
• Perfect position of desired jump
• Consistent facial expressions – smile!
Landing
• Rebound
• Snap legs together with knees slightly bent to absorb the shock of landing
BEWARE OF
Tuck
Toe Touch
Spread Eagle
Pike
Side Hurdler
Herkie
Front Hurdler
Reaching for feet or leaning forward
Head down
Landing flat footed
Flexed feet
Jumping into the ground
d instead of off the ground
Gallop landing--one leg at a time
Things to look for:
Timing of both arms and legs together for increased height and flexibility
The height of the jump should be timed so the rhythm of the cheer or dance can be maintained
The jump should be made to look easy
Exercises for Improving Jumps
Always start with a warm up concentrating on the hamstrings, inner thighs, calves, stomach, ankles,
shoulders, and quadriceps.
The best way to improve jumps is to actually jump:
• Begin by doing some simple jumps (tucks, spread eagles, etc) to increase the blood flow to the legs.
• Practice both legs in jumps (i.e. right leg herkie and left leg he
herkie)
• Jumps in series (multiple jumps). This will help develop endurance. Can your team jump for 3 minutes
straight?
• If available, use mirrors so cheerleaders can see what they need to work on and how to improve timing
and rhythm
• Practice your jumps as they
ey are in your routine (i.e. with the same counts)
Set up a Jump Training Schedule
Individual: Give each cheerleader a jump workout that they are expected to do at home (for example: 5 of
each jump in the routine before bed). This should also include flexibility training. Keep your routines simple
so they will actually do the drills at home.
Team: Have a jump training session at each practice. Example: Do each jump 5 times from a tuck jump to
around the world and then from around the world to tuck jump.
Three Keys to Hyper-Extended Jumps: * by Pam Headridge
a) Stretching
b) Strengthening
c) Practice
Stretching:
•
•
•
•
•
Never do ballistic (bouncing type quick) stretches. These are dangerous!
Partner stretching: A person lies with their back on the floor with legs extended in the air in a
straddle position. Partner kneels on the floor facing that person and places her hands on that
person’s thighs and applies gentle pressure downward. Hold that position for a count of 30. Relax
and repeat the drill again. This stretch increases the flexibility in the adductors that will help obtain
that hyper-extended straddle toe touch position.
Splits: Hold the split position for 30 seconds. Perform this exercise in the right, left and center splits
position.
Wall splits or wall straddles
Runner’s Lunge: For a right leg lunge, while standing straight take a big step with the right leg. Bend
the right knee while keeping the left leg extended behind. The body weight is mainly on the bent leg,
while the left leg is straight with the toes holding the weight. Make sure the knee never extends
over the ankle. It should remain directly above the ankle. Both arms should be placed on the inside
of the bent leg so that the chest can be dropped below the line of the knee when flexibility is
increased. Hold for 30 seconds. To finish the right lunge, bring the left foot even with the right,
slowly raise the body up and begin the left lunge.
Strengthening:
•
•
Sitting Toe Touches: Start by sitting on the floor in a tuck position. Balance so that your feet are
slightly off the floor. Next, quickly lift your legs and arms to a straddle position and return rapidly to
the tuck position. Focus on good technique, keeping your toes pointed, your legs straight and your
back upright. It will take several of these to learn the proper balance required. In addition to building
strength, this exercise helps you to practice the proper technique of 'sitting back' in your jumps.
Again start with 3 sets of 5 and work up t 15 reps in a row.
Straddle Sits: This exercise, and its variations really isolate the hip flexors. Since this muscle is rarely
used in other exercises, take caution not to overdo it in the beginning. Start by sitting on the floor in
a straddle position. Place your hands on the floor on an imaginary line drawn on the floor between
your knees. This helps you to not sit back use your abs (remember, we’re working the hip flexors
here)! Lift one leg about two inches off of the floor for a count of two then set it back down. Keep
your leg straight and your toe pointed. Repeat with the other leg. Do this five times (approximately
10 seconds on each leg). Work slowly up to holding each leg twice for a count of five, and then once
for a count of ten. Once you have built up some strength, you can lift both legs at once. Remember
not to lean back! You can also perform “reps” with this exercise by lifting the leg(s) up in repetition
without letting them touch the floor.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
V Sits: These strengthen the lower and upper abdominals and relax the back. Begin lying flat on the
ground with legs and arms extended. Have toes pointed. With a quick motion, lift legs stomach
crunch position with arms in a T motion and legs in a straddle (like a toe touch). You will be
balancing on the small of the back. In this position keep toes pointed and back straight. With the
same quick motion, return back to the beginning position. The movements should be controlled but
snappy. Legs should not bend on the way up. For toning and strengthening always start with three
sets of 5 v-ups and add up to 15 reps as you are able, always stopping with muscle fatigue (burning).
Tuck jumps: Start with feet together and arms overhead in a “touchdown” position. Jump off the
floor pulling the knees up to the chest level as the arms slap down to the side. Land on the floor to
the beginning position absorbing the landing in the balls of your feet. Immediately jump again into
the tuck position. Be sure to keep the chest up while jumping.
Perform 30 tuck jumps in row. This helps develops the calf muscles.
Squats
Lunges
Tippy Toe Walks
Slow Leg Lifts to Front and Sides
Leg tosses: Two people are needed for this drill. One lies on her back on the floor and the other one
stands by her head. The cheerleader on the floor grabs the ankles of the standing person for
stability. The cheerleader on the floor lifts her legs, keeping them straight and together directly
above hips. The other person “tosses” the legs toward the floor as the other person resists the move
trying to not let their feet touch the floor. The key is to bring the legs back to the starting position as
quickly as possible. Control both the movement up and down. The legs may be tossed to the sides as
well. This is a great exercise for the abdominals and quadriceps.
Endurance training: 3 minutes fast jog, jump workout to music, multiple jumps
Leg Explosions: Start with your feet together, Take a slow dip so that your knees are no further than
a 90 degree angle. Explode into the air without using your arms. As you land, absorb the landing and
return to the ninety degree angle and explode again. Start with 3 sets of 5 and work up to doing 15
in a row.
Hang from a bar and lift legs in v-up movements.
T-Kicks: Hold arms in a T motion and kick one leg up past the arm. Keep chest up.
Assisted jumps: 2 cheerleaders face each other. One cheerleader supports under other cheerleader's
forearms. Base cheerleader pushes up on arms as jumping cheerleader jumps. This is a good
exercise to help cheerleaders get the feel of a toe touch plus perfecting pointing their toes. It also
helps them keep their chest and shoulders up.
Practice:
Finally and always the best way to develop awesome jumps is through repetition. A fun way to practice
jumps is with music. Put your cheerleaders in 3 or 4 lines. Start some music and every time a cheerleader
gets to the front of the line, she must execute a jump in time with the music. It helps to have counts such as
"clasp on count 1, 2; high-V on count 3, 4; bend on count 5; execute jump on count 6; land on count 7, 8.
Circle Jumps: Coach stands in middle of circle and gets each cheerleader to do a specified jump. They each
do the jump in turn around the circle. Coach or other cheerleaders critique. This gives each member
individual feedback and also allows them to recognize problem areas by watching other perform the jumps
as well.
Use these techniques in your practices and you will see a vast improvement of your cheerleaders’ jumps in 4
weeks.
Trouble Shooting for Coaches (from NCSSE Handbook 2005)
Problem
Cause
Solution
Low Jumps
Leaving out lift phase
Extend through whole leg
Flexed Feet, dropped chest
Reaching for toes
Hold objects in hands during
jumps, do not drop them
Bent knees on landing (extreme)
Jump lacks height
Jumps builder exercises, pull down
from ankles
Feet land apart
Jumps lacks height
Extend through toes, exercises,
perfect before progress
No hyper-extension
Low flexibility, chest forward
Not enough height
Rotate hips under, chest up,
stretch to increase flexibility
Twists and Double Twists ----------------------------------------------Just because you can single twist, doesn't mean that you are doing it correctly. You may have to go back to
the basics and relearn a single twist before trying the double.
Floor Drill:
First, stand in the floor in sock feet. I want you to just spin around like you would in a twist without leaning
back. Put your arms in a high V and then pull them down at your sides. Use this arm motion to pull your
body around during the twist. Things to watch for:
1) Only your right heel should touch the ground during the entire twist (even though you are twisting to the
left and your left leg is straight). You may have to lift your left hip slightly so that your foot does not touch
the ground (on the floor drill only). The key is to keep your weight (center of gravity) over the right foot and
not throw it over the left. If you are twisting only on the right heel (correctly) you will stay straight when you
are in the air. It sounds weird but it is true. It is the difference between pulling a twist (correct-pulling the
twisting motion to your body) and throwing a twist (wrong, throwing your body into a twist - rolling). If you
are touching your left foot to the ground when you twist, that means that you are throwing your body to the
left to get around. You shouldn't be. This may not be as noticable in a single, but when you try a double, you
will take out the left base. Basically you are rolling when you should be spinning.
2) You should not rock from heel to toe in the twist. This indicates that you may be leaning too far forward
or too far back in your twist. It also may indicate that you are arching your back in the twist. Your back
should not be arched. In the twist, your arms should be straight down at your sides, with your shoulders
rolled forward SLIGHTLY. They should be sucked into your body. Your bum should be sucked in as well (don't
arch your back). Stand up and try this to make sure that you understand the position that I mean. Stand in
this position very tight. Get someone to hold your arms between elbow and shoulder level and twist your
body back and forth. You should be tight enough so that everything moves all at once (head, mid section,
legs, feet, everything), like a stick. Contrary to what most people think, your head should remain in line with
the rest of your body. Don't throw it back or to either side. Once you understand this position, try the
twisting floor drill by yourself again. Pay attention to your "wind up"...the moment just before you pull your
arms down to twist yourself. Are you arching your back then? If you are, stop it. This will cause you to lose
some of your twisting power in the air. It can also cause "crazy legs"...you know the one where you end up
landing sideways, the right base ends up being your back spotter (third) and the left base gets a face full of
feet? Yeah, that. Rocking from heel to toe on the floor drill may also be an indication that crazy legs may
happen in the air. You should spin smoothly, without any rocking or quick stops.
3) If you are not spinning very much, you may be holding your body too tight. Remember the position you
were in when you got someone to spin you around and you were really tight? Well, sometimes too tight is
not good. You want to be tight enough that your body will all turn at once and hold the position, but not too
stiff. Say there were 20 degrees of body tightness, 1 being floppy, and 20 being so tight that your muscles
hurt. Take it to level 15. When you are in the air, you will not have the friction on your feet that you do when
you are on the floor. Also, when you are spinning by yourself, you are spinning on one heel, whereas when
your friend was spinning you, you had the friction of both feet on the ground. So take the stiffness down a
couple notches and your spin should flow better. Make sure that you still keep the proper body positioning
though.
4) Make sure that your upper and lower body are moving as one piece. Many people who only single twist,
twist the upper body first and then the lower follows. You may want to get someone to watch this for you. It
may be very slight and hard to catch. Your tummy and hip areas should be tight enough that everything
twists at once. If you twist upper and then lower, you will never get a double until you fix this problem. In
the double, the lower part of the body will lag behind too much and cause the infamous "crazy legs", or you
will stop short in the twist and end up landing face first (1 and ½ rotations instead of two). Your hips and
shoulders should be square the entire time.
5) When you pull your arms from a high V down to spin yourself around, they should angle across your body.
Pay attention, this is tricky. If you were to stand straight and NOT twist when pulling your hands down, your
right hand should land on the inner part of your right leg and your left hand should land on your left butt
cheek. Put your hands in these spots. Now, when you twist, your hands, even though they are moving in
those directions, should never actually end up there. They should end up square on your hips (ie. right by
your sides). What this means is that by the time your hands get down, your hips should have already been
twisted to the same degree to match up with them. This keeps with the whole idea of everything twisting as
one piece. If your hands are landing in those positions (not square), this is an indication that you are twisting
the top part of your body before the bottom.
Try the floor spin drill again. When you start spinning correctly on the floor you will know. It will be much
easier to spin and it will feel smooth. You may stumble or rock right at the very end of the spin, that is
normal, just make sure that the spin feels smooth and that is doesn't rock. Also, you should be able to make
it at least 1 full turn easily. 1 and 1/2 is better. If you can make a 1 and 1/2 turn with the friction on the
ground against your foot, you should have no problem with two in the air, as long as you bring the same
principles to the air. The one difference is that you have to lean back a little to land in cradle catch. You can
do a floor drill to get ready for this beforehand if you like. Stand on a mat and get your backspotter (third) to
stand behind you, about 1 foot, with arms ready for a cradle catch. Lean back a little and spin using the same
principles I just explained. It will feel really different since the floor will tangle up your feet a little, but that
doesn't matter, you just want to get the feel of leaning back while you are twisting. Many people twist and
then lean when they first start. This will cause you to land more feet first than prone. Make sure that you are
twisting everything at once, leaning back while you twist, and not arching. Keep your head square (don't
throw it back or to the side). When you get about 3/4 around, open your arms for your backspotter to catch
you. If you are not landing straight back (the backspotter has to move to the side to catch you) you are
throwing the twist again instead of pulling it. Pull everything in towards you to twist instead of throwing
your body. Your twist will be much more powerful and easy this way. When everything is straight, try a few
singles with your new found knowledge with your group. Make them aware that you are trying a few things
a little differently and to be ready. Your first twist will probably be more powerful than you expect. You may
pull a 1 and 1/2 when only trying a single. Once you get comfortable with the single, go for the double. VERY
IMPORTANT – the thing that throws many people off when trying a double is when to open your arms up for
the catch. You are not comfortable with the timing of it and you get lost in the air. If you open your arms too
soon, you will stop yourself short (and you may slap a few people along the way). Tell your group that for
the first few times, you will NOT open up your arms for the catch and that they will have to move in tight for
the catch. Then they are expecting it. Once you get around twice a few times, you'll start to understand and
get a feel for when to open your arms. It will feel a little weird to not open your arms the first few times but
it will help you get the timing of it better. The first few times, anything could happen. Once you try it, if it
doesn't go as planned, think about what you did wrong, and then concentrate on fixing those things the next
time. It is a lot to remember all at once. Don't give up. Once you do it a few times, you'll know how to do it
forever.
BIG HINT!!!! One of the worse things that you can do is freak out and go back to old habits when you try the
double. Pull the twist into you; don't throw your body into the twist. Keep your body as one piece (twist
everything together). And don't throw your head in any direction, keep it square and slightly down, but don't
let it get closer to the left shoulder than the right...keep it centered but not stiff. Try visualizing this many
times before you try this in the gym. One other thing to remember is to pull your feet together and point
your toes as soon as possible in the twist. If you don’t get them together at the beginning of the twist, you
will never get them together because the centrifugal force will prevent it.
Trouble Shooting Stunts; The GADA FACTS ----------------------•
Learning how to trouble shoot stunts will help your team progress quickly and correctly through
stunt progressions. This will also help to prevent bad habits in stunts.
•
Know what could possibly go wrong and warn the group and spotters of it. Suggest possible ways to
correct or to catch the stunt if it goes wrong.
•
You need to be able to look at a stunt and see its’ technical components and requirements. Don’t just
judge a stunt by what it should look like. Study it.
•
Every time the skill is done, assess its’ components and make sure they are being done correctly.
Sometimes when stunts aren’t working you have trouble figuring out why. There is a whole lot of physics
going on in stunts with vectors, forces, angles, etc. When your stunts aren’t working, you need to look at the
GADA FACTS:
G – Grips. Are the bases’ (or tops’ if applicable) grips correct? Are their hands in the right spot? Are they
griping tightly enough or too tight? Etc.
A – Amount of Force. Are the bases applying to much force? Is there not enough force? Is the top pushing
off shoulders enough? Are both bases giving equal amount of force? Etc.
D – Direction of Force. Is the base pushing to far forward? Are they throwing to the side? Etc.
A – Angles. Watch angles of the wrist, ankles, core (hips), knees, and elbows. Is the top bending at the knee
too much in the basket toss? Are their wrists angles causing them to fly backwards? Is the top bent at the
waist when stunting? Is the base leaning back? Is the base holding the tops foot on an angle (toe pointed,
inversion, over- flexed, or tilted out)? Etc.
F – Flow/Coordination. Is everyone working together or against each other? Is the top trying to double take
before the group bounces? Is the back spotter too slow with the push? Etc.
A – Alignment of the Body. Is the top leaning forward or looking down? Is the back arched? Are the feet
together/too far apart/too close? Are the tops hips too far under/rolled forward? Etc.
C – Center of Gravity. Are the bases under the center of gravity? Does the top have their center of gravity
outside of their body? Is it over their base of support (feet/foot)? Has the center of gravity shifted because
of leg/arm placement? Etc.
T – Timing. Is the stunt to rushed/slow? Are the bases working together? Is one person going faster/slower
than the rest? Is there enough time to actually accomplish the skill? Etc.
S – Solid. Are the bases shaky or vibrating? Are they stable or stumbling? Is the top tight or bending joints?
Etc.