Be on an All Star Cheer Team

Nowadays, many people would rather be on an All Star cheerleading team and not on their school team. Other people want to be on their school's team and do All Star cheerleading at the same time. The reason is that you are in the public eye, you stay fit while having fun, and you meet a lot of people. You also build confidence and self-esteem!

Steps

Researching Teams and Options

  1. Get your parents permission and support. Most people don't know what cheerleading really is. If your parents think that cheerleaders are mean people that do nothing but wave pom-poms, explain to them what you really want to do, how much you love cheerleading, and that all-star cheerleading is not the same thing as cheering for your school or football. Make sure you aren't putting them on the spot. Make sure they agree with you and you aren't pressuring them. They will more likely help you if you stay calm and show them your mature.
  2. Start acting like a cheerleader, even before you make the team. Be happy, smile, make friends, don't be mean, laugh a lot, and be sporty! Remember that being mean and rude to other teammates could get you kicked off the cheerleading team, so remember to be nice to everyone in your team and outside our team. Also make sure that you pick a good team.
  3. Research good cheerleading. Before you become an all-star cheerleader, you need to know what all-star cheerleading is. Look up videos on Youtube or visit the USASF (US All-Star Federation) website to see how it's like being an all-star cheerleader. Know all the rules and levels so you'll have an idea what level you'll be on and what you'll be doing. And be sure to know the difference between all-star cheerleading and football/basketball cheerleading before you sign up!
  4. Decide what you're going to be. If you're tall and strong, you'll probably be a base or backspot. If you're short, flexible, and agile you'll probably be a flyer. If you're a combination of both, maybe you could be two things at a time!
  5. Research an all star team in your area so you have all the information. Look on the website for pictures, look on youtube for videos, and see if on the website they have requirements for the team you want to try out for. For previews on competitions go to websites like Jamfest or U.S. Nationals. Remember to find a good team. If the team only has seven girls or goes in only two competitions a year, you might not want to join if cheerleading is your passion. Make sure you join a good sized teams with plenty of levels and that goes on competitions! And if possible, try joining a team that goes to Worlds.

Preparing for Try-Outs

  1. Motivate yourself and stay focused on your goal. Don't be lazy! You should practice a little everyday. Stretch and exercise.
  2. Improve your strength and flexibility. Believe it or not, the more flexible you are, the less you'll get hurt, because your body will be so used to bending. Stretch every day and do a couple of strength exercises like crunches, lemon squeezes, and push-ups about three times a week.
  3. Get fit and exercise. Run at least once a week. Being strong can help you get better at a lot of cheerleading things, like jumping, tumbling, stunting, or maybe even dancing if your team's dance is fast and difficult.
  4. Take a preparation class before you join. Do tumbling, private lessons, or a be in a recreational team for about two months before you actually do the real thing, and remember that you must know the basics. Those classes will teach you all the basics. If you already took something like gymnastics or tumbling before, you don't really have to. The better you are at tumbling, the more likely you'll be able to make a higher level in your team.
  5. Learn the basic motions: High V, Low V, T, Broken T, etc. Practice in front of the mirror and remember to squeeze your body the whole time. While doing motions, keep your fists straight up and tight, not bent! The better your basics are, the better your tumbling will be.
  6. Learn cheerleading jumps. Practice every day and when you're sitting down, be in the position of the jump you want to learn/improve. When you jump, whip your legs and arms as hard as possible and keep your arms tight (that's why basic motions are important in cheerleading).
  7. Learn how to dance. It may sound silly, but dance is important in all-star cheer. If you don't know how to dance, you'll be all messed up while your teammates are doing great in a competition, and all all-star cheer routines have at least one dance part in them. Your dance moves should be clean and tight, and remember to do facials/smile while you dance.
  8. Learn roundoffs, back handsprings, and handstands. They are very important cheerleading skills. Remember that in most tumbling passes, a cheerleader will do a roundoff/roundoff back handspring before she does the final trick. Even thought a back handspring is essential, don't attempt one unless your coach already gave you permission to, because if you did one by yourself and fell, that could lead to serious injury.
  9. Learn how to fall properly! If you fall backwards, just do a candle rock with your arms straight above your head, and stand back up. If you fall forwards, tuck your chin in and roll.
  10. Face your fears. If you have a fear of going backwards, just practice jumping backwards on a mattress and doing bridges. Remember that tumbling can sometimes be scary/dangerous, so be prepared to fall, because it's impossible to never fall!
    • Don't be scared in any position you take. If you're a base, make sure you get under your flyer and don't be scared. If you're scared then the flyer will be scared as well. Be confident. If your a back-spot, don't be scared as well. Make sure you're catching your flyer if you do cradles or baskets. You need to grab the flyer's ankles or the base's wrists and pull up to relieve some of the weight. When doing cradles or baskets, help push then step aside to catch.
  11. Learn facials. Facials give you more points in competitions and just make your team look better while performing. You need to look like you're having fun in a competition, because if you look bored, you're probably gonna lose.

Trying Out and Joining a Team

  1. Sign up. Once you feel prepared, sign up for try-outs. Don't worry, you always make the team when you're an all-star!
  2. Try out with confidence. Smile all the time and don't attempt anything you can't do or anything too dangerous. Be confident and always stretch first. Wear comfortable clothes. Look at the judges/coaches in the eye and pretend you're just at home and no one is watching!
  3. Once you've made the team, try talking to your teammates and making friends with them. Don't make cliques in your team and don't try to mess anyone up! Also, don't laugh at someone if they fell or they can't do a tumbling trick everyone else in the team can do.
    • Don't cry, be upset, or be too hard on yourself. Always be positive, because all cheerleaders are supposed to have a positive attitude.
  4. Have a light snack before each practice. Granola bars or energy drinks can be good, but don't drink too much caffeine or you'll get too hyper and will not be able to tumble!
  5. Keep practicing at home and working out every day, even if you're already really good and have hard tumbling skills down. Even if you already have a back handspring, using a barrel/roller will make your back handsprings even better than they already are.
  6. Keep in mind that it takes years to be a really good tumbler.
  7. Be confident, smile, believe in yourself, and be happy!
    • Don't be afraid. The more you're afraid, the worse it may be. Stay clam throughout your routine, keep your composure, and work on facials. Facials is what wins the judges over.

Tips

  • Cheerleading is not just any other sport. It takes a lot of focus, flexibility, strength, teamwork, coordination, and being fearless.
  • Improve your handstands! Handstands help you with basically all your tumbling skills. If you have nice and tight handstands, it will be easier to learn tumbling tricks and they will look way better!
  • If there is a team in your area that will let you be on the team no matter what your skill level is, start with that gym so that you can expand your skills.
  • Strength is the key for good tumbling!
  • Teach your friends your routine. It may sound silly, but teaching helps you learn.
  • Try asking cheerleaders what it's like.
  • Take your time and be patient.
  • Remember to smile! Even if you mess up at tryouts or your skills aren't as high as the other athletes', judges will remember your charisma and may pick you over highly skilled athletes with no showmanship.
  • If your coach asks you to do something that you don't normally do, say yes unless it's something dangerous or illegal or immoral. Most of the time, they just want to see if you're versatile or if you can take suggestions.
  • Most teams don't allow you to go to practice with loose hair. Loose hair can be distracting and can cause accidents. Hairstyles that allow you to move freely and still look good are ideal. Styles including a braid bun, rope braid, bun, pigtails, or low or high ponytail.
  • Everyone is important in the team. Don't be bummed you aren't flyer, as bases are super important.
  • They also consider highly, your age and maturity. Because they don't want someone that acts like they are 6, but they are really 15, on a level 5 team.
  • Try working on tumbling skills the year before new season tryouts.
  • Don't feel jealous of other athletes because it is tempting to try the hard moves. So if younger athletes are on a higher level than you are, than do not try the hard moves, because it could lead to injuries.
  • Do not underestimate this sport. It takes serious endurance and most people that want to do competitive cheer for fun, do not have the strength to support their team. Also, remember that just because you are tall does not mean you can't be a flyer. This is a common misconception. I'm 5'9 and fly on senior elite 5.
  • At most All Star Cheerleading gyms everyone makes the team.
  • If you don't make the All Star Cheerleading team you can always try out again next year if you want to.

Warnings

  • Always stretch before practice. If you don't stretch, your muscles will feel hard and you have higher risks of breaking bones and pulling muscles.
  • When working on tumbling skills, make sure you are on a soft area with an instructor. absolutely NEVER tumble on concrete, wood, or any hard surface unless you're doing something like a cartwheel or you've already mastered it.
  • If you're injured, wait until you're completely healed before going back into complete practice- if you get injured again, you'll be out even longer the second time.
  • Be prepared to spend time and money on competitions, uniforms, and more.
  • Always ask for a spot if you are not comfortable doing something, especially tumbling. If you don't, you could be putting yourself and other people in danger.
  • Remember that you won't get what you want so fast. It takes months to learn a back handspring and probably even more. Just take your time and be patient and you'll get there.
  • Be prepared to lose some competitions. If you lose, remember that what really matters is that you worked hard and you're doing all-star cheerleading because you love the sport, not because you want to win every single competition you go to. Be nice to the people who won, even if you're mad.
  • Some girls can be really competitive and mean, so be prepared. If anyone bullies you or makes fun of your team, tell your coach or an adult immediately.
  • There's no I in TEAM. Work hard with your teammates, trust them, and be friends with everyone. Never make cliques (!!!!!)
  • Although you may be short, don't expect to become the flyer. This is what many people think, and then it ends up turning out that they become a back spot or base. Be flexible, have good tumbling skills, and you may be a flyer. A flyer usually goes to the person smallest, youngest and with more tumbling skills as you need to do walkovers or skills into a stunt, etc. Don't be sad!
  • At cheerleading competitions you must stay for the whole competition until it's over after your team goes on to not only get your awards, but to support other teams that are there.
  • If you plan to go out of town the weekend of a competition make sure that you let your cheerleading coach, the team mom, and the cheerleading staff know in advance. If you tell them that you're going out of town at the last minute you'll get in trouble.
  • All Star Cheerleaders are required to attend competitions. All Star Cheerleading Competitions require that five members from each team compete. If you refuse to go to competitions you'll be kicked off the team. They'll make an acceptation if you can't compete for medical reasons or if you're going out of town the weekend of a competition.
  • Cheerleading is dangerous. Most people think that it's not and other sports are more dangerous, but in 2002, there were about 280,000 cheerleaders with broken limbs and worse.
  • Cheerleading is time consuming. Be prepared to not have time for other things.
  • If you get hurt and will be out for a lengthy amount of time bring your coach a doctor's note. You can still go to practice and watch to support your team.

Things You'll Need

  • Stamina, flexibility, strength, conditioning, family support, charisma, showmanship, perseverance, endurance, and a good attitude.

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