High School Seniors W/ College Cheer Goals

[AScheer]

One of my goals this season is to do more with the seniors in helping them prepare for college cheer. I always encourage it from freshman year up / put them into contact with colleges / help them figure out requirements etc. I would like to do more or at least do it better.

Does anyone have ideas or tips for what they do with seniors that are thinking about cheering in college?

 

[AndyT_T]

This might be frowned upon, but I worked double downs from arabesque with my senior flyers/bases this year before they went to their first college clinic.
I feel like its something small, and if they have a good technique full down doesn't take very long to learn, but it really sets them apart and makes them look more prepared at a recruitment clinic IMO.

I also make sure they show up with game day hair that reflects the style of the school (Half up half down with a low bow for UCA or a high pony with a big cheer bow for NCA) and simple natural makeup.
In my mind if they show up looking like they're already a part of the team it will be easier for the coaches to imagine them on the team you know?

 

[AndyT_T]

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[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

One of my goals this season is to do more with the seniors in helping them prepare for college cheer. I always encourage it from freshman year up / put them into contact with colleges / help them figure out requirements etc. I would like to do more or at least do it better.

Does anyone have ideas or tips for what they do with seniors that are thinking about cheering in college?

Interested in seeing some of the responses here as well.

I think one thing you can do is sit down with them and be honest. I've currently got two freshmen with UK potential. They don't have the skills yet, but are on the verge and interested. Keeping them focused from the beginning is a goal of mine. I've communicated with their parents the same thing: that they need to keep their eyes on the prize and not allow boys, work, etc to prevent them from continuing to be gym rats throughout their four years. On the other side, I've got a kid who wants to go to WKU and cheer. I've told her she's going to have to step up her game and make her work habits resemble her stated goals.

I also make it a point to tell kids that if they just want to cheer in college no matter what, they can find a program of some sort that will allow them to do so. At that point, they need to pick a school that offers their choice of major with a team that matches their goals. College cheer programs are a dime a dozen.

If they want to cheer for a specific college they need to know what skills they will need and begin working towards them with focused intensity.

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Interested in seeing some of the responses here as well.

I think one thing you can do is sit down with them and be honest. I've currently got two freshmen with UK potential. They don't have the skills yet, but are on the verge and interested. Keeping them focused from the beginning is a goal of mine. I've communicated with their parents the same thing: that they need to keep their eyes on the prize and not allow boys, work, etc to prevent them from continuing to be gym rats throughout their four years. On the other side, I've got a kid who wants to go to WKU and cheer. I've told her she's going to have to step up her game and make her work habits resemble her stated goals.

I also make it a point to tell kids that if they just want to cheer in college no matter what, they can find a program of some sort that will allow them to do so. At that point, they need to pick a school that offers their choice of major with a team that matches their goals. College cheer programs are a dime a dozen.

If they want to cheer for a specific college they need to know what skills they will need and begin working towards them with focused intensity.

I'll be interested to hear your opinion on this... How do you deal with athletes who have unrealistic expectations and goals? I.e. the 140 lb main base who wants to cheer at UK or the noodle flyer without a BHS who thinks she's going to make Louisville's team?

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

I'll be interested to hear your opinion on this... How do you deal with athletes who have unrealistic expectations and goals? I.e. the 140 lb main base who wants to cheer at UK or the noodle flyer without a BHS who thinks she's going to make Louisville's team?

"Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still."

We are close enough to those programs that I really haven't had that issue in a long time. I'd say it's probably been ten years or more since I had someone with those kind of irrational thoughts. One of our rival HS had a girl about five years ago who was dead set on one of those schools, but had the kind of build you are describing. She was a phenomenal athlete, but I knew it wasn't going to happen for her. Her coach knew. Her friends knew. We all tried to direct her to one of the all girl programs. Her and her mother were CONVINCED that her tumbling skills alone would be enough. She got disappointed. Sometimes you can't protect their hearts from being broken by their delusions.

I remember doing stunting lessons with one of delusional girl's friends. We were working on rewinds and delusional girl's mom was begging me to try one with delusional girl. (She could barely toss hands lib). She finally asked, "why are you ignoring me?" I said, "because I care more about your kid's well-being than your social status." I'm not sure where they went after that, but I never dealt with them again.

 

[BeckyySueWho]

I coach an all-girl team and bring in some guys that I cheered with in college to work with my seniors who are going on schools with co-ed teams. Sometimes the girls that are bases in high school are so worried about having to be twig-skinny to fly in college that they fail to remember that in almost every college pyramid there's a "mid" flyer who needs to be strong enough to hold up her own body weight as well as the body weight of the girl on the actual top of the pyramid. We work basics like chairs, shoulder stands and toss hands if they feel comfortable enough. If some girls don't feel comfortable flying whatsoever, I try to teach them to single base. One of my seniors this year is able to toss me up into a chair no problem,

unfortunately she's not going on to cheer in college as she's enlisted

I also remind them that weight has nothing to do with flying. It's about TECHNIQUE. I'm 4'10 and my weight fluctuates between 115-125, but most of my weight is muscle so I can feel significantly heavier. Last night I had my two smallest flyers who sometimes base (both under 5'1 and under 105 pounds) base me and they were blown away at how "light" I was. Then I went up with them again, not supporting any of my own weight and got real loosey goosey with it (the head coach whom I've trusted my life with for the last 10 years was directly spotting) and I fell through their hands like a ton of bricks. They were flabbergasted. I explained to them that it doesn't matter how much you weigh, it matters how well you hold yourself. You have to build strength, not decrease weight. I tell them about flyers I've met through college cheer who were 99 pounds soaking wet but just awful in the air because they had what I call "small girl syndrome". It's the mentality that "I'm so light that I don't even need to hold up my own body weight, my bases will do that for me". I have to train them to understand that this mentality will lead to crappy skills that will get them NOWHERE.

I also try to make all my girls do all 3 positions throughout the year. It makes them appreciate their "favored" position more but also makes them realize that they are capable of doing any position they are asked to. Versatility is such an important skill in college cheer.

 

[quitthedrama]

If you have bases/backs looking to cheer, have them practice with college sized flyers. I have seen great athletes get cut from college programs because they never based anyone over 90 pounds and struggled at tryouts. Have a dead mat panel for them to practice tumbling on (you may already have one - some all star gym do not).
Our all star gym has hosted a college clinic the last couple of years (TCLM I think?). I found it was a good way to network with some of the athletes at specific colleges and get some information on different programs. Obviously you are only going to get the positives about the programs represented, but it gave some different options my CP hadn't considered prior to attending.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

They. Need. To. Be. Consistently. Tumbling. On. Dead. Mat. And. Hard. Floor.

This should be a no brainer for high school but many kids cheer HS and AS and develop spring floor dependence.

I've seen a ton of kids who can full on springs but can barely tuck on the hardwood.

That isn't going to cut it.

They need to be confident enough not to bail or balk on the dead floor.

You never want to be the kid at the clinic who is also tumbling on hard court for the first time ever.

 

[CheerBank]

If you have bases/backs looking to cheer, have them practice with college sized flyers. I have seen great athletes get cut from college programs because they never based anyone over 90 pounds and struggled at tryouts. Have a dead mat panel for them to practice tumbling on (you may already have one - some all star gym do not).
Our all star gym has hosted a college clinic the last couple of years (TCLM I think?). I found it was a good way to network with some of the athletes at specific colleges and get some information on different programs. Obviously you are only going to get the positives about the programs represented, but it gave some different options my CP hadn't considered prior to attending.

There is one the weekend of June 3-4 at Hofstra University.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Get someone in to teach them HEALTHY EATING and TRAINING/FITNESS HABITS.

I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible without someone saying I'm "body shaming." Especially since the Fly Forever thread:

Kids get used to eating a certain way and being able to stay in shape to the point that they think it doesn't matter.

The thing is, you can't make a college team eating like that and working out when someone forces you to at cheer.

You're headed into a tryout with girls eating lean protein, veggies, drinking water, working out, etc.

You can't say (example) "I want to cheer at UK/Louisville/LSU" and also:

*Go to SBux after every practice.
*Skip breakfast everyday and go to Chipotle every lunch.
*Get Polar Pops before every comp.

You get the idea.

Even if you make a team, you are not going to stay on it eating curly fries and pop tarts from the dining hall every day and drinking every weekend.

(Yeah yeah yeah I know that your best friend's sisters cousin cheered at UK while existing solely on Whoppers and milkshakes. That is rare.)

Jesus be a green vegetable.

 

[cheerisloving]

Get someone in to teach them HEALTHY EATING and TRAINING/FITNESS HABITS.

I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible without someone saying I'm "body shaming." Especially since the Fly Forever thread:

Kids get used to eating a certain way and being able to stay in shape to the point that they think it doesn't matter.

The thing is, you can't make a college team eating like that and working out when someone forces you to at cheer.

You're headed into a tryout with girls eating lean protein, veggies, drinking water, working out, etc.

You can't say (example) "I want to cheer at UK/Louisville/LSU" and also:

*Go to SBux after every practice.
*Skip breakfast everyday and go to Chipotle every lunch.
*Get Polar Pops before every comp.

You get the idea.

Even if you make a team, you are not going to stay on it eating curly fries and pop tarts from the dining hall every day and drinking every weekend.

(Yeah yeah yeah I know that your best friend's sisters cousin cheered at UK while existing solely on Whoppers and milkshakes. That is rare.)

Jesus be a green vegetable.

This is so me. I don't usually do breakfast, normally I go to get my Starbs.. I normally eat lunch on practice days, either chickfila or a salad. I do cook my own meals and I think that helps out a lot. If I make chicken tacos, the veggies and protein are all fresh. Same with my pasta.

You're not wrong about this at all. I'm literally in school now and everytime we come home for the summer we see that Sally Sue went to school drank like a fish and ate her weight in take out. And it shows. As an athlete it's difficult because yes, your body changes as you age but with tumbling and dramatic difference in physical ability can be detrimental.

Working out is the hard part. I was doing really good last year with a teammate. Then I really got into the habit. But as the semesters change and school schedules change it's REALLY difficult to find time/energy for the gym. My school has quick fitness classes that are like 45 minutes so that's a good option.

 

[dhubbz]

My old coach always throws a fit about a certain skill at tryouts, a standing back. There are so many kids that will come in with a full, but will struggle to get a standing back or a toe back over. A lot of times those kids will make the team, but not make mat, because 99% of the time, we jump to back in our routine for Daytona.

Also letting your athletes know that you don't have to fly to be in college and opening their eyes to other school options. There are so many All Girl teams that could kick a coed teams butt.

 

[dat.jpp]

They. Need. To. Be. Consistently. Tumbling. On. Dead. Mat. And. Hard. Floor.

This should be a no brainer for high school but many kids cheer HS and AS and develop spring floor dependence.

I've seen a ton of kids who can full on springs but can barely tuck on the hardwood.

That isn't going to cut it.

They need to be confident enough not to bail or balk on the dead floor.

You never want to be the kid at the clinic who is also tumbling on hard court for the first time ever.

I remember last year, my senior 3 team would practice double back hand springs on hard mat. Hated it. Also, this season I cheered for my HS team and at a football game, all the tumblers (including me), were supposed to do a BHS on the track, I landed it... kinda... I prefer standing tucks/jump(s) to tuck/round off tucks over a simple BHS or round off back hand spring.(never done a round off back hand spring on the track). Is this normal or is it just me?

 

[OnceUponACheerleader]

They. Need. To. Be. Consistently. Tumbling. On. Dead. Mat. And. Hard. Floor.

This should be a no brainer for high school but many kids cheer HS and AS and develop spring floor dependence.

I've seen a ton of kids who can full on springs but can barely tuck on the hardwood.

That isn't going to cut it.

They need to be confident enough not to bail or balk on the dead floor.

You never want to be the kid at the clinic who is also tumbling on hard court for the first time ever.

THIS & It's easier to learn to tumble/ get customized to tumbling on dead floor when your body is younger (ie. 9th grade) then it is as you get older (ie. first year university)....
I learned to tumble on dead floor in Grade 12 for ICU Team Canada .... 1 word = OUCH!