Tips for Tryouts

Tryouts can stressful, but here are a couple tips to make sure you knock out the competition at tryouts..

- The judges and coaches are looking for potential at tryouts. They are not only looking at how well your skills are but also how well you are able to learn new skills.

- Attitude is everything! Coaches want cheerleaders that have a happy, determined, and energetic personality that isn't afraid to show their smile.

- Dedication and commitment are also key elements. By showing up early to practices and clinics will show that you truly want to be there.

- Coaches want cheerleaders that also work well with their teammates. Teamwork is very important in cheerleading and you have to get along with all of your teammates.

- Technique! You know when you see a good cheerleader just by their technique. At tryouts, don't be lazy and not use the proper technique you know you should, that is the time when it matters most.

- Versatility impresses judges and coaches by a long shot. If you can do it all, coaches admire that. You will be looked at as a big asset to the team.

- CONFIDENCE! I believe that confidence is the most important key of them all. If you walk into tryouts knowing what your doing and show you can handle any situation, you will be sure to stand out. The most important part of being a cheerleader is confidence. The more you have, the more you will stand out and the better you will perform.  

- Keep that energy up! No matter what you're doing at tryouts, always put 100% into everything. Always keep your energy and spirit up to show that you're the cheerleader they want.

- Coachability and leadership qualities are also important. You want to respect your coach and also be seen as a true leader. Try helping out other girls with skills if they don't quite have it and it will help get you noticed by the coach.

- DON'T HOLD BACK. If you truly want to be a cheerleader, let it all out. Let your passion for the sport shine through when performing. If it's in your heart, it shows your spirit<3

Happy Halloween!

It's getting close to Halloween! One of my favorite characters to go as is obviously a cheerleader. There are such a big variety of cheerleader costumes out there ranging from couples, to Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, to old school cheerleaders. The costumes are so much fun and they just make you feel so energetic even if you aren't really a cheerleader. My personal favorite costume is the old school cheerleader. I never got to cheer in the days of long skirts and sweaters but this costume gives me an idea of what it was like back then.

Better Watch Your Back..

Open back cheerleading uniforms? Love it! I absolutely love this trend. Open backs were very popular around 2006 and slowly started to drift away but they came back! Earlier in 2006 the uniforms were simpler and didn't have quite the detail that today's uniforms have. I think the open backs benefit the cheerleaders so much. For one, it gets very hot and sweaty when on the floor and the open backs give you a chance to cool off and give you some air. They also show off muscle definition in the cheerleaders back and you get to see it when they are performing. This trend is increasingly becoming more popular and will hopefully become more and more detailed. One of the main components of cheerleading is looking good on the floor and these uniforms definitely do the trick.

Cal State Long Beach Builds Up

This week's pyramid of the week is performed by the Cal State Long Beach coed cheerleading squad. The bottom of the pyramid is two halves based, surprisingly, by girls followed by the two guys in the front spotting them from the front. The girls  in the halves are hitching towards the middle while the two girls on the very top are on top of the half girls. The half in the middle of the pyramid has one of the most important jobs throughout the whole formation. The flyer has to hold the legs of the girls on the very top and manage to keep everyone stable. Compared to other college stunts, this one is one of the simpler ones. However, it still is eye catching and is very impressive considering there are only to guys on the whole team.

Zebra Everywhereeee

Something that is becoming more and more popular in the cheerleading world is zebra print. In the past year or so, you practically see it in some form or another on every team. Whether it be from uniforms to hair bows or make-up bags to bloomers, zebra is everywhere now. Other animal prints that are also popular are leopard and tiger, but zebra definitely takes the highest rank.

I personally love the zebra print. I actually wear the zebra print myself at competitions because it is on my Wildcat uniform. Up until now, I haven't had a lot of zebra items, but now it's become almost an obsession. My prom dress last year was even zebra print! But in cheerleading, I think it adds a fun touch to the uniform and the personality of the team.

University of Kansas tops this week

The University of Kansas has the spotlight this week as they perform their coed pyramid. This pyramid begins with the guys on the bottom basing a half-hitch with two other guys behind and in front of them spotting the half and helping to hold the flyer's foot in the hitch. The flyers on top of them are holding yet another flyer on their hitched leg while they are hitching into the middle, which is a shoulder stand. To bring the whole pyramid together, it is followed by two shoulder sits on both sides of the pyramid. This pyramid would be good to do with a cheer because while the center of the pyramid is being built up, the shoulder sits on the side could lead the crowd in a cheer. The difficult part of this pyramid would be for the flyers to stay tight, especially the girls in the halves. The girls on the top would have to be extemely confident and squeeze every muscle in their body.

Cheers to Cheer Curls

If you ever attend a cheerleading competition, you are guaranteed to see at least 100 of these curl-filled heads. They may look like they sat with curlers in their hair for about three, days but its actually just fake. These fake hair pieces are called cheer curls. Cheer curls are very popular in the world of competition cheerleading. It is a simple way to have big, perfect curls without all the hassle of sitting with curlers in your hair or having to use the curling iron. All you do is pull your real hair up into a bun or ponytail then place the hair piece over top of it. The hair piece will have a drawstring that you must pull and tighten to keep it from falling out. The cheer curls come in many different colors so you can match it to your real hair color. They also come in different styles and sizes depending on what you like. They cost anywhere from $20-$35.

I personally have never purchased cheer curls. I have always done my own hair for competitions, and I love it. One thing I hate to see when I'm at a competiton is hair pieces falling out of girls' heads and onto the mat. Throughout the routine, the hair pieces loosen. and they sometimes fall out. Depending on the judges, they may deduct points for this hair loss.