High School Cheerleader With No Experience?

[wannabecheerlebrity]

Hi, I'm 15 and I want to cheer for my high school but I have no cheerleading experience. I'm a dancer so I have that but no cheer. Is it too late to start cheer or can I do it?

 

[tojofasho]

Hi, I'm 15 and I want to cheer for my high school but I have no cheerleading experience. I'm a dancer so I have that but no cheer. Is it too late to start cheer or can I do it?

It's never too late! With that being said, you'll have to put some work in to get ready for tryouts, and depending on the caliber of your school's team you may not make it your first try around. Having a background in dance is helpful, though, so don't discount yourself! If you can afford it, I would highly encourage getting some tumbling privates at a local gymnastics gym before tryouts start, so you can show up with good technique and some sort of tumbling (even a perfect roundoff can make a great impression, don't discount yourself!). Also, if your school has any sort of Open Gym or Clinics leading up to tryouts, attend as many as possible. This is a great way to meet the coaches and get a feel for what they want.

It'll take work, but it's definitely possible. Get working on those skills ASAP and, depending on your particular school and situation, you have a good shot. If not, consider enrolling in a nearby allstar gym for a year (prep is always an option) to build the skills and then try out again the following year - or stick with allstar if you fall in love!

 

[ScottyB]

Nope! Welcome aboard. Get ready to learn and be challenged by the new stuff. Being a dancer formerly will go you a step up in terms of technique and spirit too.

 

[DonnaM]

Also, see if there are cheer skills classes or camps at a local gym this summer. Here you could easily do week long tumbling and skills camps at three different gyms on different weeks. Some gyms will also offer discounted classes for tumbling in the summer (that was what brought my CP into All Star).

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Know/learn the tryout requirements/scoresheet. Ex: Are you required to have tumbling? Is it optional? Will there be stunting? All of those things factor into your ability to make the team.

For example: If you school's team does not compete and is mostly sideline only, your chances of making it with no experience are greater than say, if you were trying out for a state championship level team on which everyone has specialty passes to layout and advanced stunting experience.

 

[wannabecheerlebrity]

Thank you, everyone! I found out that my school has a "game day" team and a competitive team and everyone makes the game day team from what I know.

 

[cheermomforever]

Maybe talk to some people now who cheer, watch videos of this years team, get to know cheer and motions. As others mentioned get some basic tumbling skills. Most of all be confident and outgoing during tryouts! As said above it also depends on how advanced the team is you are trying out for. My daughters team she coaches had boys just jump in and do great never having cheered.