High School Cheer Practice

[Official OWECheer]

Back to the DVD, it was done on the stage with poor/strange lighting. None of the girls wore shoes and didn't wear matching outfits. Only one of the girls had on school colors. One of the girls had on khaki shorts. They laughed and talked between cheers. They were loose.

It was really unprofessional and not well-thought out. It didn't have all the cheers on it and they still haven't taught some that weren't. Doesn't mean that they don't call them at games.

They had dances on there also. They hummed and sang. They all have phones. One of the dances is to a well-known song used by the largest school in the state. They could have googled and found it in seconds.

Hate to sound judgmental, but that makes me wonder how seriously they take the program. If my coaches had asked me to make an instructional video, I wouldn't be goofing off.

 

[Twinklestars]

Hate to sound judgmental, but that makes me wonder how seriously they take the program. If my coaches had asked me to make an instructional video, I wouldn't be goofing off.

The coach has not ever seen it. They did it and gave the DVDs out without telling her. Then, the coach asked to see a copy of it and we brought it,but she decided she didn't want it.

The girls still hear, "But, you have the DVD" as a reason why they should know cheers.

There are 17 girls: 5 seniors (one didn't cheer last) year, 4 junior (two are new to the program), 4 sophomores (one is new), and 4 freshmen. The captain is a senior and the co-captains are a junior and a sophomore. It is assumed that those are the sponsors picks for captain the next two years. The sophomore is probably the best all-around.

 

[Official OWECheer]

The coach has not ever seen it. They did it and gave the DVDs out without telling her. Then, the coach asked to see a copy of it and we brought it,but she decided she didn't want it.

The girls still hear, "But, you have the DVD" as a reason why they should know cheers.

There are 17 girls: 5 seniors (one didn't cheer last) year, 4 junior (two are new to the program), 4 sophomores (one is new), and 4 freshmen. The captain is a senior and the co-captains are a junior and a sophomore. It is assumed that those are the sponsors picks for captain the next two years. The sophomore is probably the best all-around.

Is the coach actually telling them that they should know the material, and yet she hasn't seen the video? If I were lucky enough to coach HS cheer I would not be this hands off.

 

[Twinklestars]

Is the coach actually telling them that they should know the material, and yet she hasn't seen the video? If I were lucly enough to coach HS cheer I would not be this hands off.

Yeah, and they had a practice to go over cheers. It consisted of if you mess up, you do 25 push-ups. Then, they didn't show how to do it. Moved on to the next one, if you mess up, 25 push-ups...

 

[Official OWECheer]

Yeah, and they had a practice to go over cheers. It consisted of if you mess up, you do 25 push-ups. Then, they didn't show how to do it. Moved on to the next one, if you mess up, 25 push-ups...

Reminds me of when cheer coaches yell, "STAY TIGHT!" without ever explaining what it means to stay tight. I feel like coaches do that to look as if they know what they are doing, or as if they are a tough coach.

 

[cheernerd5678]

Back to the DVD, it was done on the stage with poor/strange lighting. None of the girls wore shoes and didn't wear matching outfits. Only one of the girls had on school colors. One of the girls had on khaki shorts. They laughed and talked between cheers. They were loose.

It was really unprofessional and not well-thought out. It didn't have all the cheers on it and they still haven't taught some that weren't. Doesn't mean that they don't call them at games.

They had dances on there also. They hummed and sang. They all have phones. One of the dances is to a well-known song used by the largest school in the state. They could have googled and found it in seconds.

To be fair, we hum the music to our dances when we teach them too. We never knew the names of the songs until this year when we got a new coach and she was like "oh that's _____". It was how we were taught so it was the only way we knew it, we couldn't just google and find the music b/c we didn't know what it was called.

 

[Twinklestars]

Reminds me of when cheer coaches yell, "STAY TIGHT!" without ever explaining what it means to stay tight. I feel like coaches do that to look as if they know what they are doing, or as if they are a tough coach.

Yeah, she picked two of the moms to be her "assistants". They both work full time. One has other smaller children, the other had a new grand baby and a family business in town. I have an older child (14) at home who can be left and am safety certified. I told the coach how to get safety certified and have been certified for a year longer than she has. She knows this.

 

[Twinklestars]

To be fair, we hum the music to our dances when we teach them too. We never knew the names of the songs until this year when we got a new coach and she was like "oh that's _____". It was how we were taught so it was the only way we knew it, we couldn't just google and find the music b/c we didn't know what it was called.

Our song is "Rocky Top". They know what it is called! Everyone knows what it is called.

But, I get what you are saying!

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Yeah, and they had a practice to go over cheers. It consisted of if you mess up, you do 25 push-ups. Then, they didn't show how to do it. Moved on to the next one, if you mess up, 25 push-ups...

Here's the thing.

If you're constantly assigning consequences for say, not knowing cheers, one of two things is going on:

1. You never taught cheers well from jump street.
2. You are not correcting them when they make mistakes, so they keep making the same ones.

 

[Twinklestars]

Here's the thing.

If you're constantly assigning consequences for say, not knowing cheers, one of two things is going on:

1. You never taught cheers well from jump street.
2. You are not correcting them when they make mistakes, so they keep making the same ones.

We have both of those going on! No win situation for the new girls.

 

[Official OWECheer]

Here's the thing.

If you're constantly assigning consequences for say, not knowing cheers, one of two things is going on:

1. You never taught cheers well from jump street.
2. You are not correcting them when they make mistakes, so they keep making the same ones.

HALLELUYUR! Too many coaches forget that they can't put all of the blame on the kids.

@Twinklestars I feel awful, I wish I could teleport to TN and be your coach's assistant. You guys would love me!

 

[Twinklestars]

HALLELUYUR! Too many coaches forget that they can't put all of the blame on the kids.

@Twinklestars I feel awful, I wish I could teleport to TN and be your coach's assistant. You guys would love me!

I wish that also!

 

[Official OWECheer]

I wish that also!

Maybe I could make some videos to help you guys? (I could make them unlisted and give you guys the links so only you will have access.)

 

[Twinklestars]

Maybe I could make some videos to help you guys? (I could make them unlisted and give you guys the links so only you will have access.)

We have about 75 cheers. It is insane. And, they are weird and complicated and several of them start the same way.

 

[cheerforeverever]

Another key to making practices effective, is keeping the time down but using that time efficiently. Once practices go past the 2-3 hour mark, their brains just stop thinking & its ten times more difficult to get things done seems like! Having a 5 hour practice with 2 hours of standing around is just a time waist for everyone imo. Start making conditioning a daily expectation. It doesn't have to be death conditioning, but if it is already ingrained in them to be mentally ready to condition each practice, it can go a long way! You will start seeing improvement over time with a consistent addition of the conditioning.

Another idea: Maybe get into a system of a practice checklist of what needs to get done that day......Go over it during stretching and tell them"do it right & we'll move onto the next thing" (with water breaks scattered in between of course). If the checklist gets done, then they get to do team builders at the end of practice. People like structure in their lives generally, including at cheer practice. This works well for jumps & cleaning particularly + repping skills.

An example of a usual practice typically was:
-run 2 laps around track to warm muscles
-stretch & go over day's expectations
-do our every practice jump circuit (5 R & L side hurdles, R & L front hurdlers, pikes, toes, double toes + two reps of a half circle of connected jumps (face 90 degrees to right for first pike, right front hurdler, right side hurdles, toe, left side hurdler, left front hurdler, pike))
-water break
-stunting or tumbling (start with repping out existing skills to be strong and clean and sharp, then move on to learning new)
-water break
-learning or reviewing motions, routine, cleaning, etc.
-conditioning
-team building if time