Try Out to Be a Cheerleader

Being a cheerleader is hard work - getting a spot on the cheer team can often requires you to train and audition. With dedication, practice, and focus, you can give your audition your all and improve your chances of landing a spot on the squad!

Steps

Preparing

  1. Get the information of the place, time, and date of the tryouts.
  2. Go to the tryout practices so you can learn the moves they want you to do at tryouts. It is very important to attend the practices.
  3. If the tryouts are in the evenings, make sure you eat a light supper before you go.
  4. Listen to and read the instructions that your coach and squad leader gives you. Don't suppose you know better or are above following the rules. They are there for your safety and your success.
  5. Wear comfortable, movable clothing to tryouts. If you can, consider wearing your team colors. Wear something simple like a t-shirt and shorts or sweats. Also wear comfortable, sturdy athletic shoes.
  6. Bring a bottle of water or two.
  7. Warm up before practices and auditions. Before you go in to audition make sure you stretch really well and drink some water.
  8. Compose yourself before you begin the audition. Take some deep breaths and if you're nervous, tell yourself you can do it. Go into the room you're supposed to try out, and go for it!
  9. Practice outside of formal rehearsals, too. Practice is the key to success, so draw up a comprehensive practice schedule to ensure that you set aside time each day to work on various aspects of the routines in the time leading up to the tryouts.
  10. Ask current and former cheerleaders questions to find out exactly what takes place during the tryouts. The best way to calm your nerves is to gather a clear idea of exactly what is going to happen. Then you can relax and focus on getting better. Ask them to help you review your routine, too.
  11. Watch yourself in a mirror or reflective glass door. This will give you invaluable feedback on your appearance and positioning. And also make sure someone else is watching you, so you can ask their opinion on how you did.
  12. Focus on showing your confidence and enthusiasm. It will help to make you less nervous, hide your errors, and make you a better performer. Make big, intentional moves, smile, make sure your moves are sharp, and when saying a cheer, say it loudly and clearly.

At the Tryouts

  1. Warm up properly. You may be so nervous or excited that you don't take the time to stretch properly or to get your blood pumping, but be sure you do so.
  2. Dress correctly. One option is to come dressed in your team colors, which is always a nice touch. If not, then consider black shorts and a white top (it makes it easier for the selection committee to see your basic form during routines).
  3. Be enthusiastic. Often, people can focus so much on remembering steps that they will look lost or introverted -- not a good thing in cheerleading. Keeping your chin up and your posture tall will help a lot.
  4. Come with a few stock chants of your own. If you get nervous, you need something to fall back on, and yelling, "Go team!" can make you look spirited. and fill in for a moment while you come up with something else.
  5. Make eye contact with the judges. It's tempting to stare into the middle distance so that you are not distracted by external things, but again, cheerleading involves making a connection with the crowd. A great way to do that is to look people in the eye.
  6. Keep your hair out of your face. Tie it back in a ponytail or bun if this is a potential problem.
  7. Smile. This is key and we shouldn't have to explain. You're trying to be a cheerleader for goodness sake.
  8. Be loud. That doesn't mean shrieking or screaming, but project from your diaphragm. You'll have to cheer really loudly to be heard in competitions and games, so practice projecting your voice and not singing the cheer!
  9. Don't say any offensive, rude, or inappropriate cheers!
  10. Don't be afraid of looking dumb. A lot of people feel silly cheering away like a freak in front of a small tryout committee. Cheerleading involves a lot of acting (for instance, acting like you care who wins the football game, or still smiling when your team drops a stunt twice in a competition). The tryout committee will want to see that you can turn on the juice, no matter what the circumstances are. If you hold back because you're afraid of looking dumb, then you will look dumb. Just go for it.
  11. Don't project your mistakes. If you happen to misstep, recover as quickly as possible and proceed as though nothing happened. Don't stop, don't slap your forehead, don't pause and look confused or nervous. The only thing worse than making a mistake is drawing attention to it. For example, if you fall on your knees doing a back handspring, just hit a high V, look at the judges, and smile.
  12. Keep in mind that if you're trying out for your school team, you won't always make it. However, if you're trying out for an all-star team, they will place you in a level according to the things you can do (for example, if you have a round-off back tuck but not a standing tuck, you'll probably be placed in level three). Remember to be tight at all times.
  13. Don't be mean to other cheerleaders and don't laugh at someone just because they can't do a tumbling trick that you can do or they're not as flexible as everyone else.
  14. Have fun. It's contagious.
  15. Finished.

Levels

These are the tumbling skills you'll be doing on all-star teams.

  • Level 1: Rolls, cartwheels, round-offs, front walkovers, back walkovers, backbend kickovers, bridge kickovers.
  • Level 2: Roundoff multiple back handspring, standing back handspring, front handspring, dive roll, toe-touch pause back handspring.
  • Level 3: Running back tucks, front tucks, multiple standing back handspring, toe-touch back handspring.
  • Level 4: Running layout, whip, standing tuck, standing back handspring back tuck, standing back handspring layout, toe-touch back handspring back tuck.
  • Level 5: Running full, standing full, running double, standing back handspring full/double, multiple whips, toe-touch back tuck.
  • Level 6: Same as level 5, except with more difficult stunts.

Tips

  • Focus on your goal. If you think "i can't to this", than you won't. Be positive, smile, believe in yourself, and try to forget about anything bad.
  • When trying out, go easy on the makeup. Mascara and lip gloss are great but hold off on the purple eyeshadow and hot pink blush. Judges get distracted and would rather cheerleaders look natural, not like a clown. You can get points taken off for bad appearance.
  • Believe in yourself! If you have no confidence it will be hard to make it!
  • There's no I in TEAM. Don't brag or make fun of other cheerleaders trying out.
  • Keep your moves sharp.
  • Don't forget - the main key is smiling!
  • Relax, and take it easy. If you practice a lot ahead of time and don't give up, you will succeed!
  • Be loud!
  • Be kind to other team mates even if you don't like them the coaches want to see that you care for your team.
  • Make sure your motions are very tight! (Be sure you don't have broken wrists) And be very energetic!
  • If you're going to try out for cheerleading only to become popular, don't bother. Cheerleaders are not all about popularity, they do a lot of hard work to cheer their team and they deserve credit for it.
  • Have school spirit! You have to start to love your team and understand the importance of your school team playing well. The cheerleaders are there to cheer for their school, which means, cheerleaders care about their school.
  • Learn a few basic tumbling moves like rolls, cartwheels, roundoffs, and back handsprings. You can even go further if you know how, but be careful.
  • Take a couple private lessons to learn the basics. Back handsprings and toe-touches are really important skills in cheerleading.
  • If you don't make your school's squad, don't give up! Try out for an all-star team. You'll always make the team in an all-star team, but you'll be placed in a certain level according to your skills.
  • If you're working on back handsprings, buy a barrel and mat and practice at home.
  • Have faith!
  • If you don't make it, don't make a big deal out of it, and don't take it personally. Work harder and try again next time, or join a different team or club.
  • Practice, practice, practice! If you want really to succeed, so practice well!

Warnings

  • Wear something comfortable like elastic shorts and a shirt. (You might want to tuck your shirt in so that it doesn't ride up!). Remember not to wear something that will fly around when you tumble.
  • Always stretch extra and warm your muscle up and drink plenty of water before tryouts.
  • No matter what, don't wear any necklaces or bracelets. Necklaces can choke you or go in your face while tumbling or doing any tumbling. Bracelets can fall to your hands and trip you during arm tumbles. (Handstands, Cartwheels, round-offs, etc.)
  • Don't attempt a skill you can't do and don't be scared to ask for a spot.
  • Don't make fun of anyone. It could get you kicked off the squad.
  • If your routines include stunts or tumbling, learn them properly and be careful.

Things You'll Need

  • Water
  • Appropriate shoes (like tennis shoes)
  • Appropriate clothes (like school colors)
  • Makeup (depending on your group's preferences, but not too much)
  • A hair band to tie your hair out of your eyes
  • a bow with your school color or colors (if you have one)

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Sources and Citations

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