New Cheerleading Coach help?

Question

I live at a remote military base in Germany and have volunteered to be the cheerleading coach for 2 teams;ages 8-9 and ages 12-15 (this is not competitive cheerleading, by the way) They will be cheering for the basketball teams for their age group.I have never done this before;the only experience that I have is that I used to be a cheerleader in jr. high and high school.I could really use some tips on what to do....or a site that I could go to for coaches? When I was a cheerleader,we went to camp during the summer to learn new cheers/chants/stunts for the year,to add to some old favorites,but these girls will not have that.Any help?And does anyone know how I should begin the first practice?And how often do you think I should have them practice?I don't want to go overboard and piss off the parents;but I want to practice as much as possible so that they don't make themselves look bad out there;any tips would be great...even if you are a young cheerleader yourself....thanks!

Answer 1

I coach a midget league cheer squad and applaud you for taking on this task.

First of all, you must get these little girls respect. I do this by calling 3 to 4 practices per week with a 2-1/2 hour practice time frame. With drink and restroom breaks, and the occassional talking etc, 2 -1/2 hours is not a very long time. Since we were cheering for the football team, our practices began August 1 and continued throughout the football season. We practiced from 6:00pm-8:30pm until it began to get dark (then we moved it up one hour). Another coach in our area does 5 days a week with 2 hours per practice. Either way, the girls get about 10 hours of practice.

Remember that respect is earned. Don't expect these youngsters to do something that you aren't willing to do. My girls and I begin our practice by running a complete lap of the football field and stopping to stretch. Be sure to stretch the major muscle groups (like you did as a cheerleader). After the stretch is complete, another lap....and that means everyone including the coach.

After a quick drink, it will be time to learn and perfect the cheers and chants. You didn't say whether these little ones had had any prior experience, and some may not have....so everyone should be patient while all of the girls catch on.

Be sure that all of the girls know the basic cheer motions: Hi-v, lo-v, T, half T, hi-touchdown, lo-touchdown, diagnals, candlesticks, buckets, etc. I usually do these to Simon Says. The girls love the game and it makes them learn to shap the movements sharply.

there are several sites that give cheers/chants etc. But, we find it best to make them up on our own....or at least tailor the canned cheers to fit our team.

As for stunts, be sure that you are qualified to teach these little ones the proper methods for bases, flyers and spotters. There are videos that you can buy that will teach you how to teach them how to do stunts correctly.

Jumps....this is an intrigal part of the cheer squad. Work on Starting position and lift....we use a trampolline once a week to give the girls a little extra confidence. Don't forget that most jumps rely on dexterity and muscle tone.

You are the coach....you are not there to be miss goody two shoes. If you see something that is not right, stop everyone and call attention to it. Demand perfection....demand the best! Let them know that you are being hard on them for their sake, and remember to praise them when they do well! You will not only get their best effort but their respect.

We end every practice with gymnastics. We focus on cartwheels, roundoffs, back handsprings, and back- walkovers. Again, be sure that you have the support you need to track these girls...and don't let them attempt something that they have not done.

Most of all, have a good time....and good luck!

Answer 2

Haha I have a similar experience. My friends and I suspected that my 27 year old teacher was a whore so we added her on FB (on a fake account) and we found TONS of bad stuff. So yeah it's awkward, but just pretend it never happened and eventually things will go back to normal.