Question by Smiley: What do you need to become a cheerleader?
Would it be helpful to have gymnastic classes before you apply to become a cheerleader or what should I know before i try out? By the way do you think I can make it if I’m really shy?
Best answer:
Answer by Alex Pak
It would help a lot if you take gymnastics because of the flexability and it i dont think you would make it if your shy because you would have to cheer to a lot of people
Give your answer to this question below!
take gymnasticus and practice being more social!! work with other cheerleaders( if u know any) practice ur jumps!! it depends on what level of cheerleading hs jv or varsity or middle school
You will definitely need tumbling classes! Personality has nothing to do with cheer. As long as you dont show it while cheering. Do tumbling and work on jumps and motions for a year, Then tryout.
Good Luck!
ehh gymnastic will help but you should take tumbling
you be able to know how to tumble faster gymnastic will
help you more on grace anf flexibility.
Yes, shy people can definitely be cheerleaders! I used to be really shy, but cheerleading really helped me to become more confident and outgoing! True, it’s a little scary getting out there in front of all those people… but even outgoing people get nervous about tryouts and performing. You eventually get used to it, and it becomes easier and easier.
Anyway…
There are lots of things you can start working on to prepare yourself for tryouts. But don’t wait! Cheerleading skills take time and practice to master – so the sooner you begin, and the harder you work at it, the better off you’ll be! Here are some things to work on:
Jumps: There are four main jumps in cheerleading – the toe touch, pike jump, herkie and front hurdler. You can search the web to see what they look like, but it’s important to learn them correctly. The judges will be looking at your form, not just how high you can jump. Sign up for a cheer class or clinic, or take a couple private lessons, so you can learn the proper technique from an expert. Then go home and practice, practice, practice!
Tumbling: Most schools don’t require tumbling skills, but the girls who can tumble will score higher. So start RIGHT NOW with some tumbling classes (not gymnastics), and keep them up until tryouts. A back handspring – and better yet, a back tuck – will help your score a lot; but even a roundoff will get you some points for tumbling. The more often you go, the faster you’ll progress… so go more than once a week if you can! You can also get some extra practice by attending open gyms, and taking private lessons.
Motions: You’ll probably be taught a cheer to perform at tryouts, and you’ll be judged on how sharp and tight your motions are. See if you can learn a cheer ahead of time – any cheer, it doesn’t matter – and practice at home in front of a mirror. Watch to make sure you’re hitting each position precisely, with straight arms and quick, sharp motions. Taking a dance class can also help a lot!
Voice Projection: Cheerleaders need to be loud – but not screechy. When you shout your cheer, yell from your diaphram and make your voice deep, sharp and clear. This sounds easy, but it takes some practice to get it right. And when you’re jumping around in a cheer and yelling at the same time, it’s easy to become breathless and lose your voice! So start “training” your voice by yelling a chant or cheer while you’re doing something active – jumping jacks, jogging in place, etc.
Spiriting: You’ll probably be expected to do some spiriting when you try out. That’s when you jump around and yell things like “Alright! Let’s go Eagles! Fire it up!” while doing some simple arm motions. If you’re not used to doing that, it can feel pretty weird… and you might not know exactly what to do or say. So go to a game, watch the cheerleaders, and see what they do. Make a note of some of the things they say, and what they do with their arms. Then go home and practice in front of your mirror. Make up a little “spiriting routine” that you can practice, so it will become more natural for you.
Smile: The number one tip people give for cheer tryouts is to SMILE! Sounds simple enough, but it’s easy to forget when you’re out there concentrating on your jumps or cheer. So start working on it now. Whenever you practice anything – jumps, cheers, etc – do it with a smile. That way it will become a habit, and you won’t have to concentrate on smiling when you’re out there in front of the judges.
To get an idea of what the judges are looking for, here’s a typical score sheet that many schools use:
Entrance/Smile – 5 pts
Crowd appeal (neat, pleasant appearance) – 5 pts
Spirit (being peppy) – 5 pts
Voice Projection (being loud but not screechy) – 5 pts
Motions (being sharp) – 10 pts
Memory/Recall (ability to learn the cheer) – 10 pts
Jumps (height and technique) – 15 pts
Tumbling (difficulty and form) – 10-15 pts
Dance ability – 5-10 pts
Grades – 10 pts
Citizenship – 20 pts
Total Possible points – 100 pts
I hope this helps some! Good luck!
gymnastic classes woould be a good idea if you team does alot of stunts……as long as you are loud and proud and full of spirit you have a good chance… google these things toe touch, double herky, herky, pike , double nine, side hurdler ,and front hurdler … thoes are the basics make sure to stretch
best of luck