As a cheerleader, your job is to keep the fans excited and give your team the extra motivation it needs to claim victory on the field. A good cheerleader possesses more than just a winning smile and a perfect back handspring. Cheerleaders who demonstrate excellence in their sport put extra effort into conditioning their bodies, executing flawless stunts and proudly representing their schools. Whether you've been a cheerleader for years or have yet to try out for the squad, there's always room for improvement.
Step 1
Execute short, tight moves. Commonly known as "popping" by cheerleaders, it's important to maintain sharp and snappy movement throughout your routines. This helps you maintain uniformity with your squad mates and prevents your cheers and stunts from looking sloppy.
Step 2
Project your voice using your diaphragm rather than yelling. Yelling can hurt your vocal cords, leaving you hoarse after a game. Using your diaphragm to project your voice ensures that the fans can clearly hear your cheers without making you sound as if you were simply screaming into the stands.
Step 3
Eat a well-balanced diet with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates. It isn't enough to simply load up on carbohydrates right before a big game. Eating carbohydrates on a regular basis helps your body build up glycogen, which it can then break down for extra energy. A high-carbohydrate diet ensures that you'll have the stamina to cheer through an entire game.
Step 4
Ask your coach for a copy of the music your squad plans to play during your cheer routines. Practice your dance numbers and solo moves at home to the music. This helps ensure that you won't forget your routine while on the field. Taking home a copy of the music helps you properly time your moves.
Step 5
Get plenty of rest each night. Lack of sleep leaves you more likely to make mistakes and suffer an injury. Proper rest also helps your muscles recover after a game or practice session, improving your future performance.
Step 6
Maintain a clean, polished look when performing. By keeping your uniform clean and ironed, pulling your hair back from your face and taking care to match small details, such as the type of socks or hair ribbon you use, to those of your squad mates demonstrates to your coach and your team's fans that you take cheerleading seriously. In addition, polished cheerleaders reflect well on your school.
Tips and Warnings
- While a diet rich in carbohydrates gives you the extra energy you need when cheering, the majority of the carbohydrates in your diet should be complex carbohydrates, such as potatoes, whole wheat bread and brown rice. Complex carbohydrates take longer for your body to break down than simple carbohydrates, such as white bread and sugar, lengthening the energy boost you receive from the meal and preventing "carb crash."
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