Meg's Cheerleader Blog

Bring Your Cheerleading Skills to the Next Level

By: Marlon Gamble

If you are interested in cheerleading, you may wonder how to improve your skills on your own. If you’re not on a squad, drilling and practicing at home can help you prepare to wow your judges at cheerleading tryouts someday in the future. If you’re already a member of a cheerleading team, improving a few key aspects of your technique on your own can help you excel at meets and during routines. Gaining mastery of cheerleading techniques can help you build confidence and skills that will translate into success in other arenas of life as well, and if you have the time and inclination, practicing some cheerleading techniques solo can help you take your cheering to the next level. There are three things that you can improve on your own that will strengthen your cheerleading. These are your muscles, your voice, and your mind.

Practicing some gentle stretches or a regular course of yoga, pilates, or strength training can help you to gain flexibility and resilience that will allow you to tackle increasingly advanced athletic feats on the field. From effortless splits to attention getting aerial moves, the better shape you are in the more successful you will be in achieving your goals. You can increase your athletic prowess by spending just twenty or thirty minutes a day stretching in the privacy of your own home. Using the skills you’ve built later, during a game, can help your squad get the crowd excited and the sports teams you are supporting are certain to appreciate your extra effort.

Although cheerleading is highly visual and depends greatly on athletic feats, the heart of any cheerleading squad is the cheering. Upping your vocal power can help you to reach the sports fans way in the back of the stadium. Learning how to breathe deeply and how to improve your annunciation and vocal control can help you get your message out there without shouting yourself hoarse. For a comprehensive guide to vocal technique, check out any book by Cicely Berry, a theatrical vocal coach renowned for her ability to get the most power and resonance out of any actor’s throat.

Last but not least, you can train your mind to make you a better cheerleader. Many cheerleaders enjoy the excitement of cheering for huge crowds, but along with that excitement nerves and tension usually show up before a big game or a competitive cheerleading meet. Psychological tension often translates into physical tension, which can spell problems for a cheerleader who needs to stay relaxed and keep muscles loose in order to execute the sport’s demanding moves. The job that cheerleaders do is just as stressful as the job that any athlete does, so it is important to take care of your spirit the same way that an Olympian does. Practicing relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing can help you to make sure that when you step onto the field, you are at your peak no matter how many people are watching.

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