Cheerleading is a highly athletic activity that involves a variety of elements such as cheering, dancing, jumping, tumbling and stunting. The types of cheerleading are a varied as the elements within it. Which type of cheerleading appeals most to you will depend upon where your cheerleading strengths lie. Keep in mind, as specified by the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, all types of cheerleading should only be executed under the supervision of a qualified cheerleading coach.
All-Girl
Squads comprised of only girls and those with only one or two boys are considered all-girl squads. All-girl squads can incorporate all cheerleading elements: cheer, dance, jumps, tumbling and stunting. Typically, these squads perform stunts in groups of three or four cheerleaders. But more advanced all-girl squads may execute two-person partner stunts with a spotter. All-girl squads are prevalent at the elementary, junior high and high school level, becoming less prevalent at the college level.
Coed
Coed squads consist of both male and female cheerleaders. On coed squads, there are slight differences in the elements performed. Female cheerleaders typically perform all elements: cheer, dance, jumps, tumbling and stunting, while male cheerleaders tend to focus on power elements such as jumps, tumbling and stunting. Male cheerleaders do modified motions in cheers and occasionally participate in dance portions. Coed stunts involve male bases and female tops. Sometimes females also will base on a coed squad. Some high schools have coed cheerleading squads, but coed squads more often are seen in college.
All-Star
All-star cheer squads are those that are not associated with a school, instead they are associated with a gym. All-star cheerleaders do not cheer on any teams at games; they are strictly competitive squads. This type of cheerleading incorporates dancing, jumping, tumbling and stunting. All-star squads can be all-girl or coed. They have an entirely different set of cheerleading safety regulations and are regulated by the U.S. All Star Federation. All-star cheerleading routines are set solely to music, and all-star cheerleading is typically more showy and performance oriented then school cheerleading, which focuses more on leading a crowd. All-star squads are available for cheerleaders from age 5 and older.
Non-Stunting
Non-stunting is typically a division of all-girl cheerleading. It simply means a squad that performs all elements of cheerleading, cheers, dances, jumps and tumbling, except for stunting. Some non-stunting squads are in this category because of school or community rules that prohibit stunting, while other squads are non-stunting because of low numbers or lower skill levels in the area of stunting. Most of the time, the non-stunting classification applies only to competition categories, and non-stunting competitive teams perform stunts at their games. Non-stunting squads exist from elementary through high school. Some squads move back and forth between being non-stunting or stunting based upon that year's talent level.
References
- American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators: 2011-12 School Cheerleading Rules
- American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators: College Cheerleading Safety Rules for 2011-2012
- Cheer Coach and Advisor Magazine; Coach's Corner: Going Co-Ed -- Recruiting Male Cheerleaders; Pam Headridge; January 2006
- Varsity: Skills and Drills -- Coed Stunts - Toss Drill
- Ms. Pineapple's Cheer Page: Glossary of Cheerleading Stunting Terms
- U.S. All Star Federation: Safety: Cheer Glossary
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