Maryland Twisters!

Is cheerleading a sport????

This is just my opinion, but I do think that COMPETITION cheerleading is a sport. My friend's shirt says it all, "Some athletes throw balls....cheerleaders throw athletes." To all of those people who think that cheerleading isn't a sport, let's see you throw a round-off back-handspring full. Ya, then come talk to me. Also, it is very rare to see a competition cheerleader that is overweight or even average. Most competition cheerleaders are very buff (i.e. six pack, etc.). They have to be because the fly couldn't hold her weight if she didn't have mussels, the bases and backs couldn't throw the fly into the air without mussels. I do not think that cheerleading is a sport, I think that COMPETITION cheerleading is a sport.

Stunting

When people think of cheerleading, they usually think of outragous stunts, like the ones shown. These stunts show the originality of your cheer squad. When the judges see your routine, they should go, "wow, they truely are something special!" This will only happen if you have over the top stunts. Some cheer stunts are illegal, so make sure that you research! You need to also have proper training. Never attempt a new stunt without having your stunt coach help you, or going to training classes. Stunting is difficult, but is very fun to watch, so make sure that it is good. It would be very bad if your stunt crashed. Be aware of the dangers, but also enjoy stunting. Stunting is my personal favorite part of Cheerleading.

~Lucy

Sharp Motions

One of the key parts of a cheer routine is the sharp motions. If you have loose or slopy motions, judges will deduct points and not think of your squad for placing. To practics sharp motions, you can look infront of a mirror and just practice. You should feel a little pain when you hit your motions--that is how hard you should be hitting your motions. When you are practicing in front of a mirror, first hit a high V, then hit a touchdown, then hit a low V, ending in a clasp. If you do not understand these terms, you should start with a more basic type of cheerleaidng. A link for more basic cheerleading is as followed:
http://cheerleadering.blogspot.com/
My friend made this blog. It has some great information. If you understand the techniques above, then you should take them into consideration.

~Lucy

The Perfect Cheer Mix

The Music that surrounds your routine is critical! Even if you have the best cheer routine ever, your music can make or break you. For your music, you need to have several clips mixed together. Your clips need to be from new music.

i.e. the music should be pop music or rap. The music needs to be in at least the top 100 on Billboard charts when you preform the routine.

If the song that you want to use is too slow for a cheer mix, you can always mix the music to be faster. Also, you will want there to be random mixes from a DJ in the background. You also need to have your squad name in the mix. For example, on top of all the music clips and DJ mixes, a voice would say, "Stingray Allstars. Coed Cheerleading. Worlds 2008!"

If you would like an example of good music, please watch the video on this blog of Stingray Allstars. The music in the background is a cheer mix. A cheer mix is all of these qualities combined together to make one track or song.

~Lucy