Monday, June 23, 2008

Before Teaching The Basics - Youth Cheerleading

When You first start you don't want to jump right into jumps and stunts. What I do is get the girls to line up. Have each girl step forward and show me what they can do. While they do so I have my roster in hand and mark what they know, what they can do, and what each girl needs to work on. This is a great way to start out the season and avoids injuries. Once you evaluate your team you know what strengths and weaknesses you have and what you need to work on. some examples you should evaluate:

1. Basic understanding

2. Coordination

3. Flexibility

4. attitude

5. gymnastics

You can score them 1 through 10 or give them a check or minus. I usually score them and have a goal for each girl. I'll reevaluate every 2 weeks or so, to show improvement.

We Coach Youth Sports

15 comments:

  1. Attitude is the one aspect that is overlooked most often. Go with confidence and win the crowd.

    High school senior Jared O’Loughlin just won the Oregon State Cheerleading Cahmpionshiop for the second year in a row despite breaking his hand five days before.
    See his last year routine at: http://snipurl.com/6984u
    and pictures of his hand from yesterday at: http://snipurl.com/6jreu

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  2. Hi Maria,
    I am a pro cheerleader and professional cheerleading judges - I am always amazed at the vast need for youth cheerleading coaches' education when I work with Pop Warner and youth leagues.

    Thanks so much for publishing this blog to share your knowledge with other coaches & their young cheerleaders!

    I run a new website called sidelinestar.com - for cheerleaders and coaches to interact with nfl, nba, and afl cheerleaders at live events & online forums. Please let me know if I can ever be of service to you!
    Cheers,
    Neeley

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  3. I am coaching a squad that has 6 five year old girls. 5 of them have never cheered before and one has cheered for football. I started them with the basic motions and did the drills with them, they all caught on pretty quick. I am having issues getting them to use their voices. They are all very quite and a bit afraid to raise their voices. We have our first game on dec 20th so I don't have much time to get a set of cheers together for them. Any one have any tips for me. They are very very cute and I really live working with them, but this is by far the hardest squad I have had in the 10 years I have been doing rec league cheerleading.

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  4. Thank you for your knowledge I am a new cheer coach for my daughters elementary school and just got done with my first year. it was a blast and this year i want to come out better then last time. you gave me great ideas. Can't wait tell my cheer camp for the girls in july.I wil have 25 all together.
    Carie D ,from lake elsinore calif

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  5. Hello I just said yes to coach a little league squad. I have not met the girls as of yet but they range for age 5-15. There previous coach will no longer be with them. I hav no idea what to do to start. Don't get me wrong in my younger years i cheer and competed for 4 years. But that was over 10 years ago. Any advise, forms, paper work, spreadsheet you can share would be geat.

    Thanks

    AJoyce
    feel free to email me go_fight_win@ymail.com

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  6. Great tips! will share with our members on www.cheerfix.co.uk

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  7. I just love your blog splot. I just became the Rec. Cheer Coach. I haven't cheered for 10 years. Last time I cheered I was in college. I'm really nervous. I'm teaching 6, 7, 8 year olds who want to cheer so bad. I want to make this exciting and a rewarding experience for me, the girls and the parents. Any ideas from you will be so helpful. I have my first practice on August 26 at 6:00 p.m. I will get back to you and give you an update on how it went.

    Thank you, Maria

    Christina

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  8. If you ever run out of ideas on how to motivate any level of cheerleader, you can show them this video on youtube that I found today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipWu5xCbKAA&feature=player_embedded

    It is a great reflection of dedication to the sport and perfection of technique.

    I am currently looking for feedback on a product that I am creating and any feedback is appreciated. Here is a link to my website: http://www.cheerleadingstuntstand.com

    Thanks!

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  9. Being a coach is very hard

    http://www.cheer22.com

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  10. Nicely presented information in this post, I prefer to read this kind of stuff. The quality of content is fine and the conclusion is good. Thanks for the post. Shopping for cheer leading just visit Dancecheer.

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  11. It's great to see a youth coach that doesnt focus soley on performing stunts. As a high school coach 9 times out of 10 if I have a kid that comes to my program with a history of youth cheer I have a bunch of bad habits to break. Kudos to you for taking the time to build the fundementals!

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  12. Hi IM a cheerleader and IM wondering howI can become a flyer if IM a tall girl could you give me some advice IM tall and skinny and IM.really confused

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