The Cheerleading Source

All About Cheerleading Camps

2008-04-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

If you ever wanted to perfect your cheerleading moves and get more
ideas for doing better cheers, writing your own cheers and learning how
winning techniques for competitions - cheerleading camp will hold a lot of
adventure for you!

First of all, make sure that your squad chooses a camp with your
special needs in mind. Don't choose a camp that is geared towards helping
squads improve their competition cheering if your squad is looking for
help to tighten up your game routines.

Then make sure every single member of your squad is dedicated to making
the most out of your time at cheerleading camp. The weeks before you
go to camp should be spent, eating right, exercising and practicing your
routines so every members of the squad will be in peak condition. This
not only enables you to get the most out of cheerleading camp, it also
lessens the chance of injury during training.

Packing is also something that you should cover with the squad. Bring
only the necessities as cheerleading camp will involve a lot of working
out and learning of different moves and routines. Bring clothing that
will work well and give you ease of movement without being too loose or
too tight. Your hair too should be in a comfortable and easy to manage
style. That old standard curly pony tail is a common sight in
cheerleading camp as it's easy for everyone to do and keeps the hair out of the
cheerleader's faces.

A fun way to remember your squad's time at cheerleading camp is to take
along a few disposable cameras and then have the pictures developed, a
set for each member of the squad. Other cheerleading squads sometimes
choose to make a scrapbook of their session at cheerleading camp using
the photos, writing memories and funny events that happened during the
stay at camp. You will also make a lot of new friends and contacts at
camp. Many squads make calling cards with their names, addresses, phone
numbers and email addresses so it's easy to keep in touch with all the
new friends. You can use plain cards from the office supply and print
them or have some elaborate cards printed for a small price - the choice
is entirely up to you.

You can get a lot out of a visit to a cheerleading camp. Put together a
get away for your cheerleading squad during the off-season and your
squad will come out of camp with a renewed sense of oneness as a team and
a renewed spirit for the sport of cheerleading.

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Cheeleading Cheers and Chants

2007-08-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

One of the things that will set your cheerleading squad apart from the rest are your cheers and chants. You're not only there to build spirit and excitement for the game, you're also a representative of your school and your cheers and chants should reflect originality and style.

There are a number of traditional cheers that all cheerleaders learn and then there are cheers that your own squad will develop along with routines to go with them. Whether for basketball, football or competition cheerleading, there are a number of good ways to come up with original cheers.

Use the Crowd
One way to really heighten the spirit in a game is to involve the crowd. These work best with traditional cheers that almost everyone knows. Using something as simple as having the crowd yell back to whatever you say. A good example would be, "Hey! You in the crowd - Let's hear you yell! Go Red! And have the crowd respond with, "Go Red!"; then name off another team color or team name. The idea is to get the crowd involved in the cheer and audience participation really makes everyone feel like they are part of the game.

Original Cheers
There will be a good number of traditional cheers used for your team and it's also good to come up with a few cheers that your squad can be known for. Make a twist on a traditional cheer or use current events to come up with a "cheer of the moment".

Chants
Chanting a short phrase while executing a squad movement is a great way to drive the energy in the crowd up. It's short and sweet and easy for everyone to remember. Just start with one section and spread your squad out wider and wide to involve more and more of the crowd - spirit is catching!

In Your Face Cheers
Most people are firmly on one side or the other with "mean" cheers. In your face, challenging cheers cross the boundaries of good taste on my occasions and most cheer squads won't use them. If a cheer you come up with seems on the "mean" side - have everyone put in their two cents and decide if that's really the way you want to present your cheerleading squad and represent your school.

It's fun to come up with cheers and put a twist on traditional game favorites. Whether for football, basketball or competition, make sure that the cheers your squad performs are done well rehearsed and in time and you'll put your best squad face forward every time.
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Tips on Mastering the Splits

2007-06-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, anyone can learn to do the splits, it's just a matter of being dedicated to training your body to be flexible so you avoid injury when you do the splits.

It might be that some people are just more naturally limber in the leg area than other people; but more likely it is probably the fact that some people are more dedicated to doing stretching exercises and practicing their splits moves than others. One move you'll see many cheerleaders make when they are learning the splits is to bounce into them when they are stretching, believe it causes the muscle to actually stretch a little more. What it can actually do is tear the muscle away and cause serious injury. Avoid bouncing when you're stretching.

Before you start your training to master the splits, you need to get your body as limber as possible. Some coaches advise taking a warm bath before you try moves that involve a lot of stretching of muscles and many cheerleaders claim this method works; however the most important thing is to actually warm up your muscles before you put them through the rigorous process of training to stretch. If you work your muscles "cold" you can cause yourself an injury such as a muscle tear; that will take a long time to heal and put you very behind on your training - additionally, you may not be able to move as flexibly as before an injury. It's worth it to err on the side of safety and spend ten to fifteen minutes just stretching your muscles.

One move that will help you master the splits quickly is the pike. You sit on the floor (preferably on a mat) and have your legs straight out in front of you, together and toes pointed forward. Then lean forward slowly and attempt to get your nose as closely as possible to your knees and hold the pose for 30 seconds. It's okay if you can't get your nose to your knees the first try - keep practicing.

Then, while still forward in the pike with your nose as close to the floor as possible; flex your feet in and out of the pointed position. Then spread your legs into a wide "V" stretch try to get your elbows as closely as possible to the floor. Hold this position for about 30 seconds. While in the same straddle position, reach your hands out as far as possible on each side of yourself and get your nose as close as possible to the floor; hold that position for 30 seconds.

Slowly bring yourself up - never jerk your body around when you're stretching; and place your left leg in front of your body and the other leg is tucked under your body. You will be in a lunge position and you need to try to get your nose as close as possible to your knee. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Then repeat this move on the other side.

Practice these positions every day and soon you will find you're actually doing the splits and doing them correctly!
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Winning Choreography for Cheer Routines

2007-06-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

One of the things a cheerleading squad must get right are their routines. How you look on the field is not only a reflection of the team but of your school as well. The tighter your routine is, the better you'll look. Good choreography is a must when you're putting together a routine and there are some easy tips to making the most out of your routines.
Take the talents of your members into consideration. If you have a cheerleader on your squad that is gifted at doing round offs, handsprings and can land in the splits then get to his or her feet with no effort - include a move like that in your routine. If you have a tiny member that can be vaulted high and used at the top of a stack - include it. The idea is to make the routines you do unique to your squad and highlight the abilities of every member making a team effort to put a good routine on the floor.
You can build a dance routine around some moves. Have a meeting and ask everyone what they feel their best move is - and start making routines around each of those. That way while your cheerleading squad continues working as a team - it also allows each member the chance to shine and showcase their skills.
Dance moves are a big part of cheerleading. Keep your squad's moves fresh by updating them periodically. Don't do the same routine over and over - change your choreography often and your routines will never become stale.
The music you choose will be a huge part of your cheerleading routine, make sure that your music is unique and original. It doesn't mean you have to have a score written for every move you make but rather use popular tunes that can easily be worked into a choreography routine. Many hip-hop songs are fantastic to create routines around and you can mix, edit and burn your own CD's to use during your routines using the software that comes resident on most newer computers.
Use tunes with a good beat - don't go for the soft or lulling - remember your cheerleading squad is there to inspire spirit! Use a portion of a song then let it lead into another song with a break in between and use those few seconds of break as one song leads into another to let a member showcase a back tuck or execute another move to wow the crowd. Make sure everyone is back in the line up when the music starts again.
Choreography is necessary to make each and every cheerleading routine your own. Make your routines anything but routine by including new music and new choreography often and you'll keep your cheerleading squad at the top!

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Cheerleading Shoes

2007-05-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

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!

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Proper Warm Up & Stretching Exercises for Cheerleaders

2007-05-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

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.
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Competitive Cheerleading

2007-05-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

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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Cheerleading Stunts

2007-04-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

There is a whole lot more to cheerleading than running around, shaking a couple of pom poms and shouting out a few chants. Over the years, the sport of cheerleading has grown tremendously. There are all sorts of incredible competitions all over the world where young girls show up to display their talents and routines. With this kind of dedication and spirit, it is quite easy to see why there are always plenty of new stunts, jumps and tricks coming out of the world of cheerleading.

Anyone who is lucky enough to see some of the incredible talent that most cheerleading squads are filled with today will definitely gain a whole new perspective and appreciation of the work that is put into the sport. After all, there are hundreds upon hundreds of hours of training that gets thrown into all of the great stunts and steps that the girls put together in their routines. In order to get the best out of the sport of cheerleading, coaches everywhere are always looking to come up with routines that are filled with new and exciting stunts to please the judges at competitions as well as the crowds at games and other events.

There are several main components that will make up the majority of stunts and tricks that are featured in cheerleading routines. One will include having a terrific base for all of the cheerleaders to work with. Basing is used when there is a portion of a routine where there is a flyer thrown or lifted into the air by the base of the group. In order for basing to be a success in a cheerleading routine, you have to have great timing, trust, confidence, focus and agility. After all, without a good base, a flyer could have a serious accident, possibly becoming injured.

When it comes to putting stunts together, it is very important to remind all participating cheerleaders to stay quiet and remain focused on the task at hand. In addition to that, any coach should make sure that the entire stunt is counted out in order to give all of the participants a way to time the moves and execute them flawlessly. Whether the group is working on a heelstretch, scale, arabesque or classic pyramid, it is always wise to be sure that everyone is focused and knows their particular role in the stunt. Keep things fun, however remember that the sport of cheerleading is only as good as the amount of effort that the cheerleaders put into each and every stunt.

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Cheerleading Jumps

2007-04-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

It is no secret at all that in order to be an amazing cheerleader, you really need to know a wide array of stunts, jumps and moves. Whether you are trying out for a cheerleading squad for the very first time or you are already on a team and looking for the best routine to put together, you might want to try and master a couple of incredible jumps that are sure to get you the attention that you desire.

When it comes to many of the teams that are out there today, there will be a minimum requirement that they expect from all of the cheerleaders who are on the squad. If you do not know any jumps or stunts, then you might just find that you will have to wait until you learn in order to become a part of the team. Basically, the minimum requirements that are found with the majority of cheerleading squads will include proficiency in tumbling, a good grasp on round-offs and cartwheels, and much more. For the schools who are really into competitive cheerleading, it is not unusual for them to require that everyone trying out for the squad knows how to do more involved jumps and tricks including back tucks, back hand springs and more.

The nice thing about cheerleading today is that it really does provide a nice way for girls and guys to compete in a healthy environment. In addition to the aspects of the competition, cheerleading is a wonderful way for young cheerleaders to learn to follow a routine, enjoy a feeling of comradery and also get an amazing amount of exercise, which can be beneficial to their health in later years. In addition to that, many parents will become very involved, helping their children by being supporting and even helping them to master their jumps and other tricks.

In terms of various jumps that mostly all cheerleading squads will like to use for their routines at games and even competitions, there are several important ones that should be learned. Most coaches will make sure that their group will be able to master certain jumps including the toe-touch, spread eagle, right or left herkie and front hurdler. Most coaches and squad helpers will generally have experience with these kinds of jumps and will be very helpful when it comes to teach the squad how to hone their skills in the various jumps that need to be mastered as a group.

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Cheer Routines

2007-04-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

One of the wonderful things about cheerleading is that you can actually come up with all sorts of amazing routines that are sure to wow the crowd or judges every single time you perform. If you are a coach, then you are already well aware of how important it can be to have a magnificent set of routines up your sleeve so you can have a leg up on the competition. There are lots of wonderful places that you can look if you are hoping to find some new ideas for routines, including the internet, various cheerleading groups and even from dance groups, which are amazing when it comes to finding unique moves.

If you have a group of cheerleaders who are looking to come up with a new routine, the best thing you can do is support them and give them plenty of time and space to practice. When you find that they are stuck in a bit of a rut and having a difficult time coming up with a set of moves that feel right, you can think about taking them out for a little bit of a field trip as well. Some coaches will look into taking their cheerleading squad out for a field trip to observe some of the local professional cheerleaders in their state for a particular team. This way, they can see what some of the hottest moves are and even take a couple of them and work them into the routines that they have been working on. Sometimes, cheerleading squads may even have the chance to meet the professional cheerleaders and possibly be able to ask some questions.

If the situation comes about that you do not have the chance to visit with or observe a professional or even semi-professional cheerleading team, then you may want to look for more conventional ways to learn new routines. Luckily for all sorts of coaches and cheerleaders today, there are a large amount of instructional books and DVDs that you can look to in order to help you out when you want to enjoy a wonderful way to learn new routines. Basically, you are looking for special stunts or even a combination of moves that are sure to help you stand out amongst any other squads that you may face at away games or even competitions.
Once you have the various materials necessary to create a new routine, simply keep in mind that you will want just enough in terms of unique moves in order to shine. Cheerleading routines should be fun and interesting for both the cheerleaders who are performing and those folks who are lucky enough to watch.

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Cheerleading & Tumbling

2007-04-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

It is only natural that a wonderful cheerleading routine will have an ample amount of stunts, tricks and tumbling. After all, these can be some of the moves that will actually give one squad a leg up over another when it comes to various competitions. In addition to that, tumbling can be an incredible way to captivate a crowd and really get them into the routine that you are putting on.

With a little bit of effort, any team can have a beautiful medley of tumbling along with other stunts to set their event on fire! When it comes to the marvelous world of cheerleading tumbling, there are several basics that any participant will have to nail down. These moves will include everything from cartwheels to back hand springs and more. As long as you have a group of participants who are willing to learn and practice along with a coach who is driven to make the squad the best that they can be, tumbling should be the least of your worries when hitting the sporting events and competitions.

One very important move that any coach will try to nail down first with a group of cheerleaders is the handstand. If you cannot execute a flawless handstand, then you are going to have more than a couple of problems with some of the other necessary tumbling moves in any cheerleading routine. After all, a short list of some of the tumbling moves that can be ruined by a poor handstand include front and back hand springs, round-offs, cartwheels and ariel cartwheels, and all types of walk-overs. So, to say the least, if you want a great routine that is filled with wonderful tumbling techniques, it is imperative that you have the squad master their handstands first.

In order to get the most out of your squad and their attempts at tumbling, any good cheerleading coach will be sure to always have them warm up with a good amount of warm up time including stretching and even a little bit of cardio to get their blood flowing. Then, you can go through the motions to try the tumbling as a team and working with each girl or guy on an individual basis if the need should arise. You might even find that the group will band together as a whole in order to help out some of the members who need a little bit of work on their moves. All in all, great cheerleading starts with a grasp of great tumbling techniques.

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The History And Popularity of Cheerleading

2007-04-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

When it comes to researching the various aspects of the sporting world, it would be only natural that you would hear a little bit about cheerleading and the history behind it. There is actually quite a rich history to the sport of cheerleading itself, which is easy to understand once you know that it actually dates back to the middle of the 1800s. Because of the many years that this sport full of spirit has been taking place, there are plenty of different variations that you can learn about.

Taking things back to the 1800s, it has been said that cheerleading had gotten its start from a group of students who were cheering at some of the local sporting events in the Great Britain area. It did not take long before this joyous cheering spread throughout several other countries, including the United States around 1865. Then later on, around 1898, it is known that the very first organized cheerleading group was started up.

Did you happen to know that the sport of cheerleading was pretty much developed and taken on by men only in the very early phases of its inception? Well, it is true and they did quite an incredible job of bringing cheerleading to life at that! However, after the majority of young men involved in cheerleading had to go off and fight in some of the wars back in the day, young women began to take on the role of pepping up the crowds. As you may already know, this number has grown greatly over many years and now cheerleading happens to be a sport that is made up of nearly ninety-five percent or more females.
Have you ever had the chance to check out one of the exciting and incredible cheerleading events that are televised on your cable sports channel? If so, then you probably got quite an eyeful of all sorts of jumps, twirls, gymnastics and even a good bit of a dance routine. Today, cheerleading is a whole lot more than simply getting the crowd going in order to cheer on the local sports team. This sport has really taken on a whole new life form of its own, giving many girls a comfortable and healthy outlet for good, old fashioned competition. It is easy to see just why it has become so popular over the years. Cheerleading is definitely here to stay, for millions of people to enjoy for years and years to come.
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