High School New Team -- Help!!!

[obsession24]

I recently started coaching my old highschool team. We were IT 3 or 4 years ago...winning every competition, but since then the team has taken a dip. We don't compete anymore and anybody can join, no tryouts. I'm working very hard with the girls the best I can, and while I realize some of them have never cheered before, they just never seem to be putting forth an effort. They continue to have noodle arms and flail limbs wherever they want. It's getting to the point now where I'm sick of having to show them how to do a high-V every practice. Any tips or pointers on how to get them out of this rut??

 

[marissa.d]

i have a feeling when the team was IT, practices where not spent just going over motions, but likely a lot of hard conditioning and punishments for not doing as told!
maybe if you hold some tough (conditioning-wise) practices, you can weed out the girls who aren't very serious about it leaving you with people who will at least give effort.
You should also try using "punishments" (such as extra conditioning, a lap, 20 push ups) when someone doesn't fix something you already told them to fix.
Or even rewards for when someone DOES fix what you asked them to, for my team our coach had to consistently remind us that she expected nothing less than perfect and everytime we would improve as a team it was never acceptable to do anything less!
hopefully some of this can help you!

 

[cheerforeverever]

Since it is just "sign ups" rather than tryouts, you will always get a lot of girls that want the title and the uniform without putting forth the work. You need to make it clear at practice that while learning new things is welcome and perfectly fine, having to relearn them every practice is not. If they have a question on how to do something, they need to ask you. Otherwise they are expected to know how to do what you've already taught/said. From here on out practices will be harder, and if they work hard they will feel great and be rewarded. If they don't work hard or listen, then they will all condition until everyone gets it right (indian mile,v ups where they count together as a team out loud, etc.). If its done as a team, then the ones that do it right will get frustrated with those that dont try and also tell them to just do it right, therefore reinforcing everyone to try (which is being told by you and now by their teammates as well). Also, the ones that aren't really serious about working for the title will probably quit because they dont want to sweat. Try to teach them at practices that if they do things right the 1st/2nd/3rd times, its much easier and efficient a practice than having to repeat things over and over every practice.

As far as motions being noodly, you can also do drills such as counting 5,6,7,8 HIT for a certain motion and if its not sharp enough they do it again. Another thing would be to video them doing a chant/cheer and then comparing it to a really sharp squad doing a chant/cheer. Sometimes when girls are new to cheer they feel that they're doing something right, but then when they see themselves on video they realize that what they think they look like and what they actually look like is very different.

 

[obsession24]

thanks for the input...i explain every practice how important it is to continue practicing at home, checking their motions in a mirror, how we should not have to keep going over the same old things, etc. we have done a ton of 5-6-7-8 drills, they'll do it fine a couple of times and then when they put the motions to cheers it's completely lost. i am definitely going to start doing more conditioning and being a lot harder on them. thanks!!!!!

 

[CoachJessNHS]

I coach my old high school team as well! (So sad because I am still in loooove with cheer!)

Does your team attend a cheer camp or any kind of camp? I think that might be the best way for the newbies to gain some sort of knowledge about cheerleading. They can see how the really good teams are, like their motions and how well they work together and that might make them want to be as good as the others. And it gives them a chance to actually be better at cheerleading. Also, after camp each girl will know whether or not they want to stick with cheerleading and realize that it's not about just cheering at games and lookin purdy!

But I know how frustrating it is when you feel like a broken record teaching the girls motions for something and they still don't get it. What we do sometimes is take about 20-30 mins during practice, break the girls into groups, and have them work the motions of the dance/cheer over and over. Then have them do it all together and it will look better. Another thing we do is see if any of the captains (if no captains, then seniors) are willing to stay late after practice and work with whoever needs help. That will show dedication on the captains side and on the newbie's side.

It definitely gets frustrating realizing you were one of the best a few years ago. But you can't be the best every year. (Unless you're Dunbar.. lol) So the only thing you can do is make the best of what you've got. And make sure the girls understand that cheerleading takes a lot of time and work. And if they aren't serious about it then there's the door!

 

[Katybugmom]

Just because everyone is on the team does that mean everyone has to have the privilege of performing? When I was on high school dance (a loooong time ago) We learned a routine on Monday and tried out each week. If you were cut you still had to dress out and go to practice and games but you stayed in the stand while your team mates got to go perform. You did not want to be the one left in the stand.
I also agree with the video taping. Some people really think they look good until they see the proof.
Break them up into groups and have some friendly competition. The group that did the best always got to go in first- which was a big deal because we had dance before school so we needed longer to get ready. Maybe the best group could be recognized at the game.

 

[omgitsalexlc7777]

My team had a problem with facials last year, and to fix it our coaches would do a top 8 thing. How it worked was the coaches would have us do our routine, then at the end the 8 people with the best facials would get to sit in the front and watch the rest of the team do the routine until they all had good facials. They only told us they were doing it the first time, then they did it randomly, so we would do it right every time just in case they were doing top 8. You could do that, but swap facials with motions. Or you could have them in groups, and they group with the best motions gets to watch the rest do the routine until their motions are perfect.
Another idea is to give the girls rewards if you notice they've practiced at home. Have a bag of prizes like homemade bows, lipgloss, and other little things.

 

[kisscheer18]

i know exactly what youre going through. my freshmen year, all our previous girls quit and left the squad with 2 returning cheerleaders.. starting over is one of the hardest things!!!
#1 MUST: be strict, firm, and show them that the commitment they signed up for is HARD WORK
also- school spirit.. sounds superrrrr cheesey but when our squad makes theme nights for games and for the student body it shows the squad that they DO have a leadership role in the school.
FINALLY.. work them out on practice. limit the breaks, and punish the unnecessary talking. our coach did that with us and we left worn out but it was so so so worth it!!

 

[xxcheer77xx]

i know exactly what youre going through. my freshmen year, all our previous girls quit and left the squad with 2 returning cheerleaders.. starting over is one of the hardest things!!!
#1 MUST: be strict, firm, and show them that the commitment they signed up for is HARD WORK
also- school spirit.. sounds superrrrr cheesey but when our squad makes theme nights for games and for the student body it shows the squad that they DO have a leadership role in the school.
FINALLY.. work them out on practice. limit the breaks, and punish the unnecessary talking. our coach did that with us and we left worn out but it was so so so worth it!!

This is all good, but don't go too crazy with power. I know a program that I'm very familiar with , where the coaches went over board on the rules and yelling. And to be honest, its very stressful as a cheerleader to have so many sanctions, it just makes cheerleading.. not fun. To be honest it made us not want to go to practice/continue, from my team sophomore year, there are three other girls still remaining, including me. The 50% of the program is freshman, 30% is Sophomores, and the remaining 20% is seniors and juniors.

 

[kisscheer18]

This is all good, but don't go too crazy with power. I know a program that I'm very familiar with , where the coaches went over board on the rules and yelling. And to be honest, its very stressful as a cheerleader to have so many sanctions, it just makes cheerleading.. not fun. To be honest it made us not want to go to practice/continue, from my team sophomore year, there are three other girls still remaining, including me. The 50% of the program is freshman, 30% is Sophomores, and the remaining 20% is seniors and juniors.

true, that was also the reason my hs team had to start all over the coach was ridiculous. and i guess i should have mentioned that there is an important balance between being a coach and being strict, but also being friendly and someone the girls can come to and talk to. for me being an assistant coach, all i require is for the girls to show respect me and respect each other- and we wont have problems