Question by Wannabe Cheerleader: How to be a better cheerleader?
I want to be a better cheerleader and tryouts are at the end of the school year in May of 2011 and i need a everyday guide and diet with stretches that i can do to be on the team. Just in case here is the things i need to be better at : toe touches, herkie, hand eye coordination, and splits and also i need higher jumps. If you can help me with this problem please answer back! Also remember, I am a beginner!
Best answer:
Answer by Brianna
Practice exercises. Focus on what you need to improve. Do you need to jump better? Do jump squats as many times as you can.
work on your arm motions. When cheering, your form should be graceful, and not wild and uncoordinated. Smooth out your arm motions, and make sure your arms aren’t all over.
Take Gymnastics. Gymnastics is extremely beneficial to an aspiring cheerleader. A couple benefits of gymnastics are learning how to tumble, help with jumps, and you can always get the exercise you need.
Pay attention to your appearance. If you don’t take yourself seriously by coming in looking like a mess, why should other people take you seriously? Wear clothes that fit you, not ones that are too tight or too baggy.
Be loud! Don’t be afraid to yell! However, don’t start screaming.
Have confidence. If you don’t make it the first time, keep practicing and trying. If you do make it, then don’t think, “Gee, I’m still not good enough.” Obviously you are if you’ve made the team.
Be Positive! Always have a positive attitude! Always believe in yourself. If you believe in yourself, you will succeed!
Don’t let your personal life interfere, it’s not good!
Always try your best and have a smile on your face
STRETCH! Whatever stretches your coach has you do at the beginning of practice, do at home 1-2 times per day (splits, etc.) If you are a flyer, stretch your scorpion and heel stretch/bow and arrow too. Over time, you will see a huge improvement
If your jumps need improvement, buy a pair of ankle weights(about 1 to 2 pound each is good). While wearing them, do “leg lifts” – sit in a straddle, put your hands in front of you, and lift your right leg 10 times without letting it touch the ground in between each lift. Do the same with your left leg, and then with both legs at the same time. It’s important that you keep your hands IN FRONT of you and DON’T LET YOUR LEGS TOUCH THE GROUND IN BETWEEN EACH LIFT. Do this everyday and your jumps will be much much better!
When you are doing a stunt and a flyer is in the air ALWAYS look up at them because in competitions judges will take points off for that.
* Jump squats can be done by standing straight with your feet together. Jump with your toes pointed, feet still together, and hands straight above your head. Land in a squatting position with your hands touching the floor.
* When you do jumps make sure your arms are straight, not all over the place. In addition to that, don’t lean when you do jumps.
* Never wear jewelry! It can get caught, snagged or ripped and that hurts.
* When it comes to getting the crowd riled up, don’t just scream “WOOOO!” at the crowd; it can get old and annoying very fast. A jump works great, as well as yelling, “Go (your team)!”
* *SMILE! You should feel like Barbie when you leave practice or tryouts. Smile all the time. It’s pretty and it makes you look more confident. If you look more confident then you should start to feel more confident. If you mess up smile bigger and less people will notice. It’s ok to mess up sometimes.
* It’s okay to mess up. Everybody does it. If you do, just smile and act like it never happened. Coaches and judges like it when you can be honest and make mistakes. You can fix them later.
What do you think? Answer below!