13 Tips for a Great Cheer Season!

What’s the best way to have a great cheerleading season? Think positive and actively set out to have the best year! By keeping the negativity out and the spirit up, you can leave the drama at the door and only leave room for memories, friendship, and growth. Here are 13 tips to help you have a great cheer season. Don’t put up with bullies. You should never have to accept harassment from a bully. Talk with the bully or the coach and confront the issue head on. Accessorize! Never underestimate the power of bows. You may be surprised to realize just how much better they can make your uniform or practice wear. Stock up on multiple styles and switch them out based on your mood or style for the day. Push yourself at cheer camp. Camp is hard and requires a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Push yourself to go one step further, to jump one inch higher than before. We promise, the hard work will pay off and make the rest of the season (and year) so much better. Bond with your teammates. Starting right at the beginning of the new cheer year, get to know your teammates on a friends level. Cheer camp is a great place to start. Cheerleading is a million times more fun when you’re cheering with friends. Don’t stand for bossiness. Whether it’s on purpose or on accident, a bossy teammate can make practice drag on. Speak up (nicely) to the teammate or coach to clear the air. Oh, and make sure that you aren’t the bossy teammate! Say “no’ to gossip. Just don’t do it. It can ruin friendships and the squad’s foundation of trust. Treat your teammates like family. Like saying “no’ to gossip, don’t let non-cheerleaders gossip about or bully your teammates. Stand up for one another and show your teammates you’ve always got their backs. Bust the stereotypes. We all know the cheer stereotypes. Bust the myth by proving the world wrong. Train harder, study harder, win harder! Set out to be a role model. Whether it’s your little sister or a girl on the middle school squad, always act like a role model. You never know who may be looking up to you and aspiring to be just like you. Respect your captain. Maybe you tried out to be captain and weren’t chosen. Maybe you never wanted to be captain. Either way, respect your captain. It’s a tough job and it takes some time adapting. Be a friend and make her job a little easier by listening and responding kindly. Eat healthy. It’s never too late to change your diet and start eating more healthily. This doesn’t mean you can’t ever have a burger or piece of pizza again. Instead, add vegetables to your meals. Take fruit with you to practice as a snack. Whatever you do, make sure you’re eating enough and often. Cheerleading requires a lot of energy! Set goals. Are you hoping to improve your jumps? Learn a new stunt? Become a flyer? Setting feasible goals for yourself is a great way to motivate and inspire you. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t reach your goal. Keep at it and you’ll reach it! Thank your parents. Cheer parents are some of the best parents. They take a lot of time out of their own schedule to take their cheerleaders to practice; watch them at competitions and games; and pay for program fees. Take the time to thank them every once in a while and remind them how much you appreciate all that they do. It will help you maintain a great relationship with your parents, which can affect how you perform at practice and during performances. What are your tips for a great cheer season?