High School Cheerocracy!

[FierceSnaps]

I need help with motivating team members to become better cheerleaders.
2nd week into basketball cheer season, and I got the job of teaching chants to the freshman team members who didn't know them at all. I went through all the motions probably a million times, made them repeat the words to the motions, and made them repeat the said chants over and over again. I kept giving the girls "gentle reminders" (as in not walking around and pushing arms while they held motions, but just telling them over and over) that they needed to be tighter, and the importance of hitting every motion sharp and not taking 20 years to get to the next motion.
I only had one girl trying her best, and the others girls just acted like they just didn't care, and I just wanted to pull my hair out! If you don't want to be here, leave. None of the other girls want a cheerleader who refuses to try. You don't deserve to be here if you don't put in 110% effort every practice.
How do I stress to these girls the importance of being tight and strong? How do I get them to try? Because honestly, I love the freshman girls, but I don't want every team to be punished because of their actions.

 

[MHSCheercoach]

This is something that many coaches struggle with as well. Here's my take:
1) They are freshman and although they are in high school and probably really do want to be a cheerleader, their maturity level is far below yours. Since they are more immature, they usually don't see the "need" to work hard.
2) You've tried the nice tactic, perhaps time for more pressure. The first thing I do, as a coach, when I see girls flopping around is I videotape them as a group. I then have them watch it back right then and there. Then we practice that cheer/sideline until I feel like they get it. If that doesn't work then pull them off one by one and make them do it by themselves. While 1 girl is performing, the others are handed a piece of paper and pencil and they have to write down 1 improvement and 1 compliment. No one likes to be singled out but sometimes that's the only way for them to understand. Sometimes they have to hear it from all their peers to understand that you were right all along.
3) Talk to your coach. Tell her how you are taking their lack of effort and see if she/he has suggestions.