A cheer coach is responsible for a long laundry list of things‚ including every cheerleader on the team, their belongings, and their safety! Being a cheer coach is far from a simple job, and it gets downright stressful most of the time. As a coach, you have to uphold the team’s motivation, positive attitude, and cooperation; you have to make sure you coordinate travel arrangements, practice schedules, and team events like photo day or fundraising efforts. And let’s not forget about all the planning and stress that goes into transporting your team to summer training camps! Since cheerleading is a yearlong activity, a cheer coach’s responsibilities never cease, so keeping a few things on-hand makes the juggling process a whole lot easier. Here’s a list of four things that all coaches must have: 1. A whistle. It seems like constantly blowing a whistle at your cheerleaders would render you like a drill sergeant, but it’s definitely the most effective way to get their attention! We’re talking cheerleaders here‚ little socialites who love to talk! Plus, if you’re coaching a travel team, a whistle can cut through any noisy bus ride and bustling competition parking lot. It’s all about team safety and a whistle will make sure your cheerleaders know exactly where you are at all times‚ whether they’re paying attention or not! 2. A clipboard and pencil. You’ve seen them practice the routine almost a thousand times, and have even busted out a video camera to make sure you correct the glaring mistakes. But you can’t film them every time! A clipboard makes it easy to take notes on any noticeable flaws during practice, so it doesn’t slip your mind when it’s time to give your team your end-of-the-day critiques. A clipboard also doesn’t involve battery power, making it the most dependable item in your arsenal. 3. A solar phone charger. Speaking of battery life, make sure you have an extra phone charger with you at all times‚ and a solar one at that! You’re not only the team coach, but also the team chaperone that must communicate any emergencies with all of the cheer parents if anything happens. You would be in pretty deep water if travel plans go awry and your team gets stuck en route to a competition without the parents knowing what is going on. Or perhaps an unfortunate injury happens during practice and a dead phone doesn’t allow you to call the hurt cheerleader’s parents to explain the situation; those parents would not be your biggest fans! A solar phone charger charges your phone off the sun, so you’ll have a full battery wherever you may be. 4. A dependable bag. With all of these necessary coaching items, you need a bag to hold them (along with all of your personal essentials, like your wallet and your car keys!) A small bag is great for practice and around town since it can compartmentalize your daily needs, such as the Chasse Micro Duffle Bag from Omni Cheer. You probably also need a bigger bag that can withstand all the cheerleading excursions you might embark on, so a travel bag like the Chasse Dream Duffle is perfect to sling over your shoulder on the road‚ especially with it’s comfortable padded shoulder-strap! Both of these bags can be bought with a cheer imprint or your team name embroidered on them, making it an easy and inexpensive way to proclaim to the world that you’re proud to be a cheer coach! Are you a coach and have other items that you cannot coach without? Tell us your must-have coaching items in the comments below!
In Dinwiddie, Virginia, Kayla Allen is
an inspiring cheerleader to her mother, team, school, and community. However, her journey wasn’t simple. Kayla has been a cheerleader her whole life but for the last few years, she’s had to overcome a major hurdle. In third grade, Kayla was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, which eventually took away her ability to walk, forcing her to put cheer on hold and to adjust to her new life on a scooter. Still determined to cheer, Kayla tried out for several squads but was left devastated when her number was missing from all team rosters.Yet even that couldn’t stop Kayla. In ninth grade,
she tried out for her high school squad, her confidence never wavering even as she watched other girls performing tumbles and tucks. During tryouts, Kayla and her mother Celestine Jackson informed the coaches Kae Partin and Brandi Atkins of her disability, but that wasn’t a problem and the coaches told Kayla that they don’t discriminate. In fact, Kayla’s confidence and determination struck such a chord in the coaches that Kayla made the varsity squad!Kayla rides on her scooter to
cheer practice and is treated like any other teammate. She works hard, performing cheers from her scooter. Coach Partin told the newspaper Progress-Index that at first, Kayla was hesitant about getting on the mat with her scooter. When everyone encouraged her to join the team on the mat, she did and is now truly one of the team.Kayla’s teammates all treat Kayla like one of their own and Partin says Kayla has had a positive influence on the team, telling the newspaper, “she brings a deeper purpose to the team. It forces the team and the coaches to always recognize the needs of others around you. Typically, this is an age group that is more focused on themselves. But it has opened up their eyes to focus on others as well.”
In reference to Kayla’s cheerleading talents, Partin adds, “She has an incredible spirit. Being part of a public school, it is far more than just reading, writing and arithmetic. There is pride behind saying I am a Dinwiddie General. And she has it.”
Kayla is an inspiring cheerleader and proof that cheerleading isn’t just about tumbles and stunts. A true cheerleader embodies the
cheer spirit and is passionate and dedicated to her sport. We’re also inspired by the entire Dinwiddie High School squad and coaches that embrace Kayla as one of their own.News Source:
Progress-Index
Does Kayla’s story inspire you? How does your squad live the cheer spirit?CheerLiving has released the sixth episode
of its show!The newest episode, produced by Cheer Channel and sponsored by Chasse, is all about maintaining the right body temperature in various weather conditions. Your safety is at risk if you’re cheering in very cold or very hot temperatures. In this episode, host Jessica discusses how to cheer safely, including how to stay cool in the heat and how to stay warm in the cold. She also shares some of CheerLiving’s favorite
Chasse warm-up styles to wear this season.You can watch all episodes on
Cheer Channel’s YouTube page and on Cheerleading Blog’s
Facebook page.Remember, you can subscribe to receive the digital version of CheerLiving magazine for free by visiting the CheerLiving website. You’ll have access to both the first and second issue and you’ll be emailed when a new issue is released!
Watch episode 6 now and then comment below and tell us your favorite part:
What would a
cheer season be without its traditions? Ok, it would still be amazing, but having traditions helps bring a school, community and team together! However a tradition might get its start, one of the responsibilities of a cheerleading team is to carry those traditions on, and teach them to new members of the team. Some traditions are wild, like face and body painting, and some focus on a certain group of the community, like graduating seniors or retiring teachers; but the
hidden benefits of cheerleading traditions make the time and effort well worth while!Here are some real
cheerleading team‘s traditions, submitted by our readers. Check them out, get inspired and share them with your squad!Cipriana
North Pole Patriots HS and AYF teams
AlaskaAt
cheer camp one year my squad and I learned something called Little Sally Walker. Immediately we all loved it! so we took it to our cheerleading practices and did it everyday at the end of practice. I think we all really liked it because it was such a
great way for the team to bond with everyone. Its great; there’s laughing and singing and dancing! I’m not part of that squad anymore because I have moved but next year I hope to bring the same tradition to them because it just such a fun great thing to do! I hope to keep this tradition.Wondering what the Little Sally Walker is? Check out this video!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ktfm3WjpqhQ&feature=related[/youtube]Rebekah
Washington Academy Raiders
MaineFor Valentine’s Day my squad makes homemade Valentine’s & purchases carnations for the elderly at two local assisted living places in our community & for Christmas, the squad makes homemade Christmas tree ornaments & signs Christmas cards to deliver to the residents at the same two assisted living centers. After the cheerleaders pass out and visit with the residents they perform all their cheers in the community room. This brings our squad closer because of the joy & cheer we bring to the residents! We are the only squad in our county that does this for the elderly!
Amanda
BFA cheerleading
VermontSince we hail from the maple capital of the world, on
competition days the entire team gets together for breakfast. Everyone gets a small cup of locally produced Vermont maple syrup to put on his or her food. The maple syrup helps the team to “stick their stunts.”Jesse
Stamford Collegiate Secondary
Ontario CanadaI may not cheer for an all-star team, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else besides my high school team. My high school team is limited coed level 3 and we came in first both regional and provincials last year and we hope to take the title again this year and proceed to Nationals. Like most all-star teams, they practice till the end of their season and restart again in the next couple of weeks. After our season, we have one week off, then here we go,
cheerleading team tryouts again and we practice all through the summer season. Best of luck to my team and our showcase next month, provincial champs one more time!Loving these traditions? Let us know in the comments!
Does your cheerleading team have a great tradition, or have they found a unique way to updated an old tradition? Share your story in our comments!
CheerLiving has released the seventh episode
of its web show!The newest episode, produced by Cheer Channel and sponsored by Chasse, takes a look at this year in cheer, including trends, news, and poll results from the 2013 polls on Cheerleading Blog.
You can watch all episodes on
Cheer Channel’s YouTube page and on Cheerleading Blog’s
Facebook page.Remember, you can subscribe to receive the digital version of CheerLiving magazine for free by visiting the CheerLiving website. You’ll have access to both the first and second issue and you’ll be emailed when a new issue is released!
Watch episode 7 now and then comment below and tell us your favorite part:
Cheerleaders are perhaps the only athletes who have to fight negative stereotypes while fighting to be the best they can be. Things seem to be getting better for some cheerleaders at least. Forty one percent of cheerleaders say their family and friends are very supportive of their sport, and cheerleading has been declared an official sport in some states, with more likely to follow.
Still, there’s a ways to go before cheerleaders can participate in their sport and follow their passion without these nagging misconceptions. Some people make the false assumptions that cheerleading is easy, cheerleaders aren’t athletes, cheerleaders are popular “mean girls, ” or that cheerleaders are ditzy as the movies often portray them. We’ve explained why these myths aren’t true and suggested some ways to respond to these common cheer insults. But, while knowing the facts and being able to talk about them with people who don’t understand our sport may help the issue, it won’t change negative perceptions altogether.
So how do you change these negative perceptions?
Just be you!
Really. Every negative misconception about cheerleading we’ve ever encountered is completely untrue. Cheerleaders are athletic, kind, intelligent, competitive, and supportive. They are leaders in their schools and communities. They do a lot to raise support for their school and its sports teams. They make a difference in their schools and communities by reaching out, supporting important causes, and volunteering.
If cheerleaders just keep on doing what they’re doing, more and more people will catch on to the fact that cheerleaders are skilled and well-rounded athletes, students, and people. Maybe Hollywood will even figure it out and start making more realistic cheerleading movies!
In the meantime, the best thing to do is spend your time with people who support and encourage you. There’s no need to go out and shout the truth at people who look down on cheerleading. You’re too busy doing what you love and enjoying your time with the people who love you for it!
In other words, haters gonna hate, so just shake it off!
Do you still encounter negative perceptions about cheerleaders? What do you think is the best way to react?
The next time you hear people say cheerleading is easy or shouldn’t be a sport, instead of showing them a bruise or telling them one of your war stories, just tell them some MMA fighters think cheerleading is more difficult than professional fighting.
Brothers Don and Ed Moroney cheer on the Weber State Spirit Squad and are also MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters. We know a lot of multi-sport athletes, but the college cheer-pro fighting combination is a first for us.
MMA fighting basically lets opponents use tactics from different styles of fighting
‚ like karate, boxing, kickboxing, and wrestling, to name a few‚ to try to either knock out their opponents or hurt them bad enough that the referee determines they can’t defend themselves. So having done both cheerleading and MMA for years now, guess which one the Moroney brothers say is more difficult?Cheerleading.
“Between football, wrestling, cage fighting, and anything like that, cheerleading is by far the hardest sport I’ve ever done, and the most painful,” Don
told the Standard Examiner. “I’ve been a professional cage fighter for five years now, and I have never been
so hurt more consistently (than I have) with cheerleading.”The brothers explained that part of what makes cheer
so hard on your body is the impact on your joints and the elbows of teammates.But, as any cheerleader knows, it’s also hard to do.
Don started cheerleading a few years after his brother and was surprised by how much he had to learn.
“I had no idea of the kind of athleticism it takes,” he said. “I saw them in high school, but I didn’t know the potential, how hard it was, and how much of an athlete you have to be. Learning all of that in one year of cheer was intense.”
More people are starting to catch on to the intensity of cheerleading like the Moroneys did. In fact, there’s a new cheer-based workout trend that even non-cheerleaders are using to
get in shape. A program called Lithe Plan is already offering popular classes in major U.S. cities.“You utilize every ounce of yourself‚ it’s total-body and very core-focused,” the program’s founder, Lauren Boggi, told
Bustle. “People definitely do brush off cheerleading as a workout. They think of people sitting on the sidelines and waving pom-poms around.”Lauren was a cheerleader all her life and said she couldn’t find a workout routine as intense as cheer after graduation. “I recently ran into another ex-cheerleader who said, “‘Do you find you just can’t get the same workout doing anything else?’ and I was like, “‘Yes!’ and that’s exactly why I started Lithe.”
Is cheerleading the most difficult sport you’ve done?
Your favorite marshmallow treats are back for Spring, and this year they aren’t just bringing you happiness, they are bringing you CHEER!
From stunting to tumbling, the 2012 Chasse “Peep’ Squad is ready to impress this season, with new uniforms and a whole lot of spirit!
Check out the fun peep dioramas created by the team at Chasse, then share with your friends to get everyone in the Spring spirit!
Meet the 2012 Chasse Peep Squad!
The Peep squad hits the field in style with their cheer accessories!
The Peep Squad brings the community together for an Easter Egg Hunt!
The Peep squad is shopping for new uniforms! Shop the
Omni Cheer catalog or the
Campus Teamwear catalog…but don’t look for the Peeps’ uniforms – those are one-of-kind and not available to purchase.
Yes, the Peep Squad knows how to
stunt and tumble! Shop for
zebra print cheer styles and
jumbo cheerleading bows to get the Peep Squad look!
Maybe we should get some
cheerleading warm-ups?
Team photo! Loving their shiny style? Pick up some
adhesive rhinestones from Glitterbug Cosmetics to get the look!
The entire Peep Squad hits the field for the big finale and demands the crowd’s attention with
metallic poms, then brings everyone to their feet with amazing acrobatics and
cheer jumps!There are two
kinds of bows that should be in every cheerleader’s lineup: Classy and Sassy.We all have our big Minnie Mouse bows that we wear to competitions — the kinds that stand out no matter how big our cheer curls are” “and the simple-but-clean ribbons we use to tie our hair back for games on the sidelines. These are our Classy bows: the tried-and-true accessories that match our
cheer uniforms and add a little pop to our ponytails.Every once in a while, though, it’s fun to mix it up. Enter the Sassy bows, worn at pep rallies, homecoming, special events, and girls’ nights with the squad. Maybe they’re not exactly the school colors, or they’re too funky for competition. That doesn’t mean they’re not fun to wear!
Try combining a ribbon of your squad’s color with an animal-print ribbon for a wild accent. If your squad’s colors are dark, like navy blue or forest green, swap them out for brighter hues, electric blue and lime green. Some ribbons even come in neon or glow-in-the-dark colors. If one of your squad’s colors is silver or gold, there are sparkle and metallic ribbon options.
You can’t go wrong with a big, cute bow! As a team, go ribbon shopping or even make your own bows for an impromptu bonding event. Your squad is sure to create bow-utiful accessories together!
Have you ever made your own cheer bow? What’s your favorite bow style?It might only be June, but everyone’s got their favorite day of summer on the brain‚
The Fourth of July!
Independence day, the day the United States gained their independence from Britain, (In case you didn’t know) is one of the most, if not the most important day in American history. While we remember all that was done for our freedom, it’s also the day that seems to officially kick off summer. Sure, you’ve been out of school for a month give or take, but the heat and the long nights are still on their way. What better way to kick it off than fireworks?!
To spice it up this Fourth of July, we’ve got some hacks just for our cheerleaders. Keep reading‚ the last tidbit will have your squad pumped.
1.
The Bow
As a cheerleader, the perfect bow for an occasion is always necessary. This holiday especially, since you want to sparkle with the fireworks! The Fourth of July is the perfect opportunity to get the perfect picture with the back of your bow with a firework in the background. Here are a few perfect Independence Day bows:
All-American Performance Hair Bow
Not feeling these bows? A great summer get-together for your team might be a bow making party. There are tons of bow tutorials on Youtube and all around the internet. You can get super crafty and start from scratch with your own ribbon, or you can buy a pre-made ribbon and find adorable glue on additions from your local craft store.
2.
Makeup That Pops
Now that you’re all set with your hair accessories, it’s time to move on to makeup. You know all that crazy colored cheer makeup that matches your team colors? You’re probably never going to use it all. If your team colors include red, white, or blue, you’re in luck! There are so many different things you can do with your eye makeup. Blue liner, glitter shadow, a combination of colors‚ makeup is amazing. You can go crazy with every flag color, or keep it super subtle with blending.
Here’s some awesome Fourth of July makeup inspiration:
Angela Bright
Pink Perception
3.
Turn Your Stunt into a Firework
This idea’s an original, just for you. Many cheer teams have a summer performance of some sort‚ whether it’s at a local rec center, or even just your performance at cheer camp. Why not go festive with your stunting while everyone is watching?
Try a basket toss with a handful of confetti, or even a confetti blaster. Make sure this is something safe, and something you can do without putting your stunt group’s safety at risk. It can be as simple as loading your flyer with one handful of confetti to throw at the top of her stunt. There’s so many options‚ did you know there’s something called a confetti high five? You’d just have to clap your hands at the top of your basket toss and boom‚ you’re the talk of camp for the rest of the week. How awesome would a kick-fold look with a blast of confetti?!