YAYYY!

I finally found out the news about Big 33 and I am pleased to say that I made the 2012 squad! This means that I will be one out of 4 girls that represent Mifflin County High School at the 55th annual Big 33 football game. 

I am so incredibly happy that I get a once in a lifetime chance to have such an honor like this. I also am very excited to be cheering with my bestfriends at one, last football game together. The football game will be held at the Hershey Park Stadium on June 16, 2012. I will find out on January 28th at the press conference whether I am on the Pennsylvania or the Ohio squad. I CAN'T WAIT! (:  

Sparkle & Shine

These uniforms are a good example of the new trend that is quickly expanding.. and that is metallic material. In fact, these are the exact uniforms that we have for our school. The metallic part of the uniform adds alot of shimmer and sparkle and really gets the crowd's attention. The metallic material itself is very stretchy which makes a very form fitting uniform. I absolutely love the feel of this material when I am performing or cheering at a football game.

Boys Gettin' Down

Since when do you see boys dancing in a cheerleading routine? Usually in a cheerleading routine, all you see boys do is stunt, tumble, and simple motions. More and more I am seeing the guys on the squad actually doing the dance with the girls. Usually they stand in the back and let the girls work it up front. It is getting increasingly more popular to have the dance routine actually revolve around the guys. Pretty soon the girls are going to get pushed to the side and the boys will take over the dance floor!



Let it All Hang Down

One feature that I have noticed alot this year, is cheerleaders wearing their hair half-up. This is personally my favorite way to wear my hair not only at competitions but also at football and basketball games. I think it adds such a classy touch to the overall look of a cheerleader. Whether it is curly or straight, I love the feeling of my hair whipping around when I'm out on the floor. I know that sounds kind of weird, but I really think it makes me perform better. Many colleges also have their cheerleaders wear their hair half-up. It is a very collegiate and clean look.

Today's the Dayyyy!!

Ahhh! Today is finally here! Starting today, I should be looking on the Big 33 website to see if I made the squad. I'm so nervous but excited at the same time! I will be posting as soon as I find out if I made it or not. Wish me luck (:

Happy Holidays!

I just love the holiday season. Every year we have a Christmas party for Wildcats and it is this Sunday. I can't wait to see everyone and share gifts with everyone. I think it is so important that you have a cheerleading squad that you can really consider a second family. It is so nice to feel like you cared for by everyone and knowing that any one of those coaches or teammates would do anything for you. 

Hopefully after Christmas is over it isn't too hard to get back into the weekly routine of practice and competitions. Happy Holidays!

Staying Fit

As a cheerleader, I know it is important to stay in shape for not only the skills you need to perform but also the uniform you put on your body. If you feel like you need to lose some weight, don't think "diet" automatically because there is no need for it. With some simple changes in your lifestyle, you can keep the body image you want all year round.

- Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, try eating 5 meals of 250-500 calories a day. 

- Don't be obsessed with checking the scale everyday and going by the numbers. Let your clothes speak for themselves in the way they fit your body to determine if you are losing weight.

- Stay hydrated and drink lots and lots of water. This will keep your overall health in check.

- Pills and medicated shakes are just a waste of money. Those weight loss items do nothing but ruin your body and do everything but make you healthy and make you lose weight.

PSU

Yes, this is your very own, Penn State University cheerleading squad. Penn State has a coed squad that uses every member in some way. The stunt that they are performing starts off with two males on the end holding girls in half hitches. In the middle, a shoulder stand braces the whole pyramid as the top girl holds the legs of the two girls on top of the hitches. You see the cheerleaders perform this stunt many times during football games. It is a way for the girls on top to get involved with their crowd by leading a cheer or chant to their student section. The most difficult part of this pyramid would be the halves on the end keeping them strong and solid.



Bring it On Winter!

Winter sports are here! And that means cheering at basketball games wrestling matches, and of course competitions. This means putting away the warm-ups and suiting up for the rowdiness that tends to happen within the gym. I love cheering for basketball only because of the student section. The student section is so involved and it makes the game alot more fun even when you are losing. I think it's important for cheerleaders to be involved with their fellow students at games because this pumps up the players and also gives an overall involvement with the cheerleaders and fans. I also love cheering for wrestling though. Wrestling is personally my favorite sport to watch besides cheerleading. Cheering for wrestling just makes it even better. While I'm cheering, I get a front row seat up against the mat so I get to see everything that happens close up. After cheering for football for so many months, I'm ready for some winter action.

DJ, Turn that Music Up!

Okay so, I have only gone to about 5 competitions so far this season but I feel like I have heard the same music track played over and over again. Lately, most of the teams that have attended these competitions have used the newest music they could find to make their 2 minute 30 second music mix for their routine. These mixes include..

We Found Love- Rihanna

Cat Daddy- Rej3ctz

Superbass- Nicki Minaj

Something for the Dj's- Pitbull

However, these are just a few of the many songs that have been played over and over. I don't know what these coaches are thinking but I think its time for alittle bit of originality. The good thing about my squad is that our music that our coach picks out has numerous different song choices from many different time periods. We currently have music in our routine that has N*Sync in it. The last time I listened to them I was about 6 years old. I love it though. I think it adds a special touch to the routine that makes our squad unique compared to everyone else.

Ouchhhh

In the cheerleading world, the phrase, "I have a concussion" is often used. Concussions aren't uncommon in the world of cheerleading. No wonder, I mean, look what we do! We throw girls up atleast 15 feet in the air on average. Of course something is going to go wrong once in awhile! I have atleast 1 girl sitting out each week that is on my team due to having a concussion. This also doesn't include injurys such as sprained ankles, hurt backs, and broken bones. Yes, cheerleading is indeed a dangerous sport. Although, even though you might be injured, doesn't mean you have to leave your team completely. If you are injuured, still go to practices even though you might not HAVE to. Motivate your team to do their best even when you can't join them. Also, keep positive and be a team leader from the sideline. Be spirited for your teammates and keep their spirits up.

Bonding as a Team

From personal experience, I know that competitions can be very stressful. Nothing is worse than having teammates not coroporating and not being able to get along in situtions like that. Here are a few tips to make sure your squad is always on the same page and always getting along..

Team Dinners.
Eating dinner as a team will bring you alot closer than what you think. You actually will get to have conversations other than cheerleading and actually get to know other members of your squad.

Movie Nights.
Nothing is more relaxing than sitting down with your girls and watching movies all night especially after a long day of competing. This also gives you a chance to talk among each other and gossip like girls tend to do.

Spirit Games.
Playing games such as Rock the Boat and Little Sally Walker at cheerleading competitions really shows that your squad has a tight bond. It's a chance to shake the nerves before performing and just to have fun.

The Name Says So Much

Wildcat Allstars, the name says so much..

A team, A dream, that you..

Can't Touch!

So far this competition season, the allstar team that I cheer on, the Wildcat Allstars, have placing very good at the couple competitions we have attended. We have only been to 5 competitions so far this season but so far my Senior level 2 team has gone undefeated. Nothing but first place trophies have been handed to us. For my level 4 team, we have recieved first and second places which is still very impressive. We work so hard every week at practice and want nothing more than to just do our best. Hopefully by the time Nationals comes around my level 2 team will still be undefeated and we will be coming home from Nationals being crowned National Champions.



Wish Me Luck!

Ever hear of Big 33? Alot of people haven't, but I'm one of the people who have only been dreaming about it since I was 6 years old. It's a huge football game located in Hershey, Pa where the best football players from different highschools in Pennsylvania and Ohio play each other in one game. Hmmm.. why would I be interested in this? Maybe because not only do they pick football players, they also pick the best cheerleaders too. It may not sound like a big deal but in reality, its a HUGE honor. And why am i writing about this you ask? Oh that's right, because I was lucky enough to get nominated for this! Now, this doesn't mean that I'm on the squad, it only means that I tryout to see if I do make the squad. I already tried out at Lower Dauphin High School and I will soon know if I made the squad or not. It isn't only me on this journey however, there is also 3 other girls that are along for the ride with me from Mifflin County High School. We are all bestfriends and I hope to see that we all make the squad. I would feel so proud and honored to be one of the first Mifflin County Huskies to make it to the Big 33.

Shoe Review

 For the 2011-2012 cheerleading season, new shoes have been released and they are now better than ever. Cheerleaders and coaches have managed to narrow down the wide selection to the top 3 best competition sneakers for cheerleaders.

The top pick for cheerleading sneakers is the Nfinity Evolution. I personally wear this sneaker myself for cheerleading. Out of all the cheerleading sneakers I have ever worn, this shoe is definitely the most comfortable. It weighs approximately 6.5 ounces and supports your foot no matter what you're doing. This shoe definitely has my vote!

The first runner-up sneaker is the Kaepa Stellarlyte. This shoe weighs about 6 ounces and has a form fitting bottem so that bases can grip the shoe extra firm. The shoe is very flexible and it feels like you're not evening wearing shoes when you are tumbling. Girls that I cheer with wear these sneakers and they love them. I also base girls that wear these sneakers and the form fitting technology really does help the bases.

The shoe that came in last was the Asics Ultralyte. This shoe is definitely the cheapest compared to all of the other shoes mentioned. It weighs about 5.9 ounces and it features a mesh material which allows breathing for your feet. The grips on the bottom of the shoe also helps the bases grip the foot.

Powerhouse!

Wow.. this squad clearly shows their strength in this picture! This is an all girl squad from Fairmont State University. This squad truly is impressive with the skill that is shown here. This all girl squad is made up of 5 stunt groups without front spots; that alone is impressive considering there is no guys on the team. Usually, when no guys are on the team a front spot is given to each stunt group to help make the stunt more solid by bracing the base's wrists. That shows that these bases are very strong as well as the flyers. The flyers are in a full and it seems that they are doing a heel stretch but surprisingly they aren't holding their foot. This requires strong leg muscles as they hold their leg in the heel stretch position. Flyers must be very tight in the air and the bases on the ground must be very solid. With these combinations, this stunt is successful and is very crowd appealing.