High School Running

[Official OWECheer]

We have completely changed our mindset towards conditioning this year. I've learned from some coaching resources what a great team building tool conditioning can be.

We run individual timed miles. We run team timed miles. We do body weight strength exercises. We do limited weight training in a small fitness room just off our practice area. The thing that has quickly become my favorite, and I think my kids like it too, is sprinting. If you would like to know some of the drills we use to put a team building spin on it, PM me.

ETA: I forgot to mention, we do all of this as a reward when they do great things. "That stunt hit? Sweet! Down and back, GO!" You'd be very surprised to see how hard kids will work for any reward, even conditioning.

Also Sahil wrote an amazing article a while back about sprinting being better than running because it trains fast twitch muscles fibers (running trains slow twitch fibers), which are essential for the improvement of one's cheer abilities because strong fast twitch muscle fibers are heavily used in every skill set.

I have also seen it recommended on here that conditioning done at the beginning of practice should be low rep/high resistance (especially around competition time, when athletes need to conserve energy for full outs) and high rep/low resistance at the end in order to fully exhaust the muscles and allow for a good static stretch.

 

[EWalsh1029]

I give the girls an 'endurance test' handout at the end of tryouts(2nd week of June). They are expected to condition over the summer (our 'off' season) and be able to complete the following during our 'pre-season' at the end of August. Girls know that if they are unable to complete the following in the allotted time, or close to allotted time, their position on the team may be reconsidered.

Pre-Season:
Endurance Test for Cheer:
1. 800 meter run between 3-4 minutes. The closer you are to 3 minutes the better!
REST FOR 10 MINUTES
2. In under 2.5 minutes complete:
25 push-ups
30 squat jumps
35 sit-ups
3. REST 2.5 MINUTES
*** REPEAT CIRCUIT 2x (for a total of 3 reps)

The health teacher/gymnastics coach/cross-fit guru helped me make this plan for them. Our pre-season week consists of 4 days of conditioning (M-Th), 5 days of Game Day Material (M-F) & 2 days of stunting (Th-F). I hold the endurance test on the last day (F). It's a good way for me to see who has actually atleast been trying over the summer, and who has been sitting on their tush eating potato chips.

In Season:
1. Run 2 laps around the gym (less than half a mile)
2. Get on the line and do 3 sets back & forth of high knees, butt kicks & side shuffles before stretching.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I'm always into learning new ideas and approaches to things. Even if just to switch it up and keep it interesting!

Did you get the message I sent with the referenced info?

 

[AScheer]

Did you get the message I sent with the referenced info?

I didn't, but I will. I'm terrible at checking messages on here. I save old messages to reference so I always have a red alert, just never look to see the number grow!

 

[CheerMom333]

On my daughters team, the girls have to run 2 miles. Then they have to run extra laps when girls mess up. Keeping in jewelry, coming to practice late, wearing the wrong clothes, or wobbling in a stunt. It was like 2 extra laps per incident so the girls ended up running over 4-5 miles after practice. It was ridiculous. I am all for conditioning but not as punishment for other people messing up!

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

On my daughters team, the girls have to run 2 miles. Then they have to run extra laps when girls mess up. Keeping in jewelry, coming to practice late, wearing the wrong clothes, or wobbling in a stunt. It was like 2 extra laps per incident so the girls ended up running over 4-5 miles after practice. It was ridiculous. I am all for conditioning but not as punishment for other people messing up!

We no longer use conditioning as a punishment, but we do use team-wide punishments as a deterrent to not following rules. Win as a team, lose as a team. Jewelry as an example: five years ago (before I was coaching), the team was at a state competition, and a girl's necklace popped out of her shirt where it could be seen by the whole venue. The team lost by a little less than the number of points they had for the safety infraction. The whole team lost because one person messed up. Team-wide punishments can be a great deterrent.

 

[CheerMom333]

We no longer use conditioning as a punishment, but we do use team-wide punishments as a deterrent to not following rules. Win as a team, lose as a team. Jewelry as an example: five years ago (before I was coaching), the team was at a state competition, and a girl's necklace popped out of her shirt where it could be seen by the whole venue. The team lost by a little less than the number of points they had for the safety infraction. The whole team lost because one person messed up. Team-wide punishments can be a great deterrent.

What do you do when you have the same girls repeatedly do the wrong thing because they just don't care? Team wide punishments seem smart if it will deter the behavior again but some girls have the "I don't really care if you all lose out because of me" attitude. If it kept happening with one girl, would you change it up and try a different approach?

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

What do you do when you have the same girls repeatedly do the wrong thing because they just don't care? Team wide punishments seem smart if it will deter the behavior again but some girls have the "I don't really care if you all lose out because of me" attitude. If it kept happening with one girl, would you change it up and try a different approach?

Rarely comes to that. The kids will police themselves in most cases. I can only think of once in all my time.

 

[tojofasho]

On my daughters team, the girls have to run 2 miles. Then they have to run extra laps when girls mess up. Keeping in jewelry, coming to practice late, wearing the wrong clothes, or wobbling in a stunt. It was like 2 extra laps per incident so the girls ended up running over 4-5 miles after practice. It was ridiculous. I am all for conditioning but not as punishment for other people messing up!

I have a "if the flyer hits the ground, the entire team (flyer included) stops whatever they are doing and goes to run the mile" philosophy, and it works brilliantly. Obviously if anyone is injured, they are exempt and can make up the mile at a different time, but are still held to do it. Generally within the first week someone will drop a flyer in what easily could've been prevented if a base had sacrificed a little/the flyer had fallen in a tighter position, so everyone runs. After that we very rarely have girls hit the ground. I agree that team conditioning may not always be the best, but in this instance I've found it incredibly useful for both safety and motivation.

 

[Hmack]

I am an allstar cheerleader but since this is conditioning, maybe I can help. I am on a coed worlds team, so our endurance and strength are very very important. Just for further info, my team has four practices a week, 3 practices are for 2 hours, 1 practice is for 3 hours. Before every 2 hour practice, we run .8 miles and have a 7 minute timer but normally we all finish by 6ish. During practice, if we do poorly or do something dumb, we will run that .8 miles either right then or after practice. Sometimes this second (or third or fourth) run is ran as an individual, sometimes as a stunt group, mostly as a team. Also, for the last half hour (or 15 minutes, depending on how distracted my coaches get) we do team conditioning to do with abs, or tuck/standing full circles, or leg work that is all done on the floor. Then during the 3 hour practice, we tumble for an hour and then the older athletes drive the rest of the team to a local park, where we do hill running and field conditioning for 2 hours. I dread it all week but I know that it makes my team soooooo much stronger every year. Also, my gym has strength and conditioning privates that we are encouraged to take advantage of. The boys on my team mostly utilize these privates and work with weights. I have never done high school cheer, so I don't know how this compares. I know my team is very intense with conditioning but by the time that routines come along, we can focus on what we are doing and technique rather than trying to catch our breath and not dying. As an athlete, it sucks and we complain about it ALL the time. But I don't think any of us would say that we don't need it to be successful.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I have a "if the flyer hits the ground, the entire team (flyer included) stops whatever they are doing and goes to run the mile" philosophy, and it works brilliantly. Obviously if anyone is injured, they are exempt and can make up the mile at a different time, but are still held to do it. Generally within the first week someone will drop a flyer in what easily could've been prevented if a base had sacrificed a little/the flyer had fallen in a tighter position, so everyone runs. After that we very rarely have girls hit the ground. I agree that team conditioning may not always be the best, but in this instance I've found it incredibly useful for both safety and motivation.

Mine was "25 and 25!! GO!!" (Push-ups and crunches). I've abandoned the rule. I did not abandon it because I felt it was unnecessary or inappropriate to have team punishment. After doing some reading and such, I decided I wanted my kids to take pride in their conditioning level. No one takes pride in being punished (except maybe the rare sociopath). So we are trying something new this year.

 

[hschoolfearleader]

just to add to the thread, as a hs cheerleader we run (i hate running but i have to) once a month we do a mile, its not timed but each time we try to aim to be improved, and normally we run every practice. we have a giant campus so we run basically through half of the school to the amphitheater stairs and then proceed to run up and down the stais. When were in the staidum we run 1-3 laps. 1 if im coach is feeling happy. I truly hate running but i do think it is necessary for practice

 

[AScheer]

just to add to the thread, as a hs cheerleader we run (i hate running but i have to) once a month we do a mile, its not timed but each time we try to aim to be improved, and normally we run every practice. we have a giant campus so we run basically through half of the school to the amphitheater stairs and then proceed to run up and down the stais. When were in the staidum we run 1-3 laps. 1 if im coach is feeling happy. I truly hate running but i do think it is necessary for practice

I start every practice with the phrase "stretch to run." I had a girl last season that told me she had nightmares of me saying it, so I started letting her announce it to everyone. At least it made her laugh when she had to say it instead of the torture of me saying it! Most cheerleaders don't cheer so they can run, but it's part of it.