The Cheerleading Source Archive Page
Saturday, May 26, 2007

There are many things that you need to take into account when you or your child begins cheerleading, from the proper nutrition right down to the type of shoes that they are wearing to games and competitions.

For obvious reasons, comfort is definitely one of the most important things that you need in terms of a uniform and footwear for any cheerleader, whether involved in recreational or competitive cheerleading. Along with that, you are also going to want to make sure that you have shoes that are very durable, flexible and not too heavy so that there is any chance of weighing down the feet.
When you are looking for a couple of different brands to choose from to outfit your cheerleader in a great pair of shoes for cheering, there are a good amount of styles and designs that you can choose from on the market today. If you cannot seem to find a good selection in some of your local footwear stores, you can also look to the internet for one of the popular cheerleading supply stores. Another nice place to look for additional help would be from one of the cheerleading coaches or trainers for the squad that your child will be working with. The chances are very good that they have been working in the field long enough where they will have a couple of good suggestions and recommendations, which will help to point you in the right direction.

You might even find that they have a particular brand and design that they would like all of the cheerleaders to wear, in which case they might just have you supply the money and they will order the cheerleading shoes for you.
As far as the type of shoes that are needed for cheerleaders today, you will want some that are able to give wonderful support to the arches of the feet. This will help so that the stunts and tumbling involved in the routine can go smoothly, without any trauma to the feet.

Most of the time, you will be looking for a shoe that is crafted from soft leather, along with a good amount of mesh so that the feet are still able to breathe while in use.

Certainly, most cheerleaders are quite perky and bubbly in nature, however the wrong shoe can definitely deflate even the most enthusiastic squad member. Great shoe choices can lead to a flawless cheerleading routine that everyone can be proud of!








Friday, May 11, 2007

Did you know you're in just as much danger of an injury when your'e simply beginning a workout as you are during a rigorous game?
The reason is found in your muscles.

If you don't warm them up properly, you can cause yourself serious injury when you practice moves and routines.
Warming up before practice should be something that every cheerleader does with no exceptions. A number of cheerleaders simply take a warm bath or a long hot shower before working on routines and moves - this may or may not work. However, what does work is a traditional warm up from ten to fifteen minutes, that will ensure your muscles are warmed up and ready to work with you. Every cheerleaders eventually forms her own routine for warming up and that's fine.

You know best which muscles you're using and which ones need to be warmed up the most. Develop your own warm up regimen around the following tips:
Your legs will be doing most of the work in your cheering and it's important that they be completely warmed up, stretched and ready to go.
Simple lunge stretches where you have one leg in front of yourself and then one leg behind and lean forward as smoothly as possible and get your nose close to your knee, hold this stretch for a few seconds. Repeat with the other side and do about five reps on each side.
Then assume the "V" position with your legs and move forward and put your elbows on the floor or as closely as you can get - hold this position for around 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat five reps of this move.
Point and un-point your toes as you stretch to get a little added stretching to these exercises.
Cat stretches are good for the back. Simply roll up to all fours and then arch your back like an angry cat. Slowly lower it and then arch again. Keep your movements as smooth as possible. The idea is to get your back supple.
Arms will take a lot of abuse too. Stretch yours by doing several repetitions of arm stretchers such as taking your right arm and laying it across your chest with your hand on your left shoulder. Slowly pull your right shoulder forward and feel a slight stretching. Hold this move for a few seconds then repeat on the other side.

Always stop stretching immediately if you feel pain and tell your coach immediately.
Pain is a signal something is wrong and if you keep working through it with the old adage "No pain, no gain"; you may do irreversible damage to yourself.
Stretch smart and always stretch before practice and you'll find your routines and workouts go a lot more smoothly.
www.thecheerleadingsource.com







Thursday, May 3, 2007

The sport of cheerleading has been around for so long that it is only natural that there would become all sorts of competitive outlets for squads to perform in. It is known that cheerleading actually got started way back in the 1880s at prominent Princeton University. At this time, the idea of cheerleading basically began as a series of crowd chants that were used to motivate crowds to cheer and get the teams going at various sporting events. Since that time, cheerleading has developed into quite a fabulous sport, taking place at all sorts of schools and universities all over the world.

When it comes to the world of competitive cheerleading, you are bound to find all sorts of peppy and energetic young men and women all vying for the prestige of being known as number one. All along the competitive circuit, you will also have a great amount of parents and coaches who are very dedicated to the kids and ensuring that they have a wonderful time while competing. As a matter of fact, cheerleading competitions have become so popular over the past several decades that it is very normal to see all sorts of these events on your cable sports channel.

If you happen to have a child that is interested in competitive cheerleading, you can begin by seeing if the school that they will be attending has a competitive team. These teams are the ones who head off to various competitions all over the country in order to strut their stuff and show off their routines in comparison to other schools who have made it through the beginning stages of the process. Many of these competitions have been put on by the Collegiate Cheerleading Championships and broadcast on television through CBS.

Today, one of the hottest competitions that a group of cheerleaders can get into today is called the USASF World Cheerleading Championships. These are a series of events that are held annually in Orlando, Florida at the famous Walt Disney World Resort. For the last couple of years, this is known to be one of the highest honors that any cheerleading squad can obtain by simply finishing at the top or even near the top of the list during one of the qualifying rounds.

Competitive cheerleading can be a nice way for enthusiastic young people to get involved in a group setting that promotes a friendly bond and exercise. As long as you keep in mind that everyone is a winner for even getting to the competition itself, competitive cheerleading can be a wonderful experience for every guy or girl who is involved.

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