What Is Competitive Cheerleading?
Competitive Cheerleading is a competition sport that involves boys and girls performing a 2 minute and 30 second routine composed of tumbling, stunting, pyramids, dance, and cheer segments. Dance is a portion of a routine that consists of choreographed high energy dance moves in the counts of 8.
Tumbling and Stunt Skills
Competitive cheerleaders should have a few basic tumbling skills in their toolbox. Your athlete will be expected to be capable of executing cheer stunts, either by lifting up another cheerleader as a "base" or being tossed into the air as a "flyer.
Dance Skills
Cheerleaders need good coordination and basic dance skills, especially kicks and jumps. They also have to show they can memorize choreography. At the very least, you must be able to keep tempo and hit moves sharply on the correct beat.
Energy and Expression
Even with amazing dance and tumbling skills, cheerleaders who lack energy and expression won't make the cut. Your athlete will need to be able to project your verbal cheers with enthusiasm and clarity, and do it with a smile.
School and Social Conduct
In order to be eligible, a cheerleader must keep academics a priority. A copy of your child’s report will need to be submitted every grading period. It can be emailed or brought to practice. Behavior on and off school campus is just as important as on the field or competition floor. As a cheerleader, your child represents her school and community. He/or she must set an example for others and will be required to abide by EEW rules at all times.
Discipline and Focus
Be prepared for hard work and many long hours of practice. Your athlete will need the discipline to attend regular practice and keep perfecting his/her routines. Your athlete will be expected to show up for any games or competition they are assigned to. Your athlete will be expected you to support the organization. They may have to make community appearances and show up for their fundraisers
What are the main parts of being a competitive routine?
▪ Jumps consist of a toe touch, pike, and a front hurdler. These jumps can go anyway your choreographer wants them to go, and you can rotate in them.
▪ Stunting is when you lift your flyer up, and they do some crazy things. Cheerleading is the only sport where you actually lift your teammates up, and they fly! There are many kinds of stunts, where they could actually stay in your hands, or they can be thrown into the air. Stunting is what makes cheerleading unique, compared to gymnastics and dance. Those sports don't involve stunting. In the routine stunting takes up about half of it.
▪ Tumbling is about a quarter of the routine. Tumbling is very tiring! It requires a lot of leg power and upper body strength.
▪ During the last minute of your routine, for the most part, is the dance! It is exactly what the name is, and lasts for about 30 seconds! The dance is fast and upbeat, and is always the icing on the cake!