College Tips For A New Male Cheerleader

[jared]

I recently joined my high school cheerleading team for something to do during my senior year. I'm a total newbie to cheer but my coach has high hopes for me she says. I guess my jumps were pretty good for my first week of practice and this week I learned my cartwheel, round off and both front and back walk overs with basic stunting. I told her I plan to cheer in college and she started telling me about her plans to train me to get on the university of kentucky or Louisville cheer teams. I'd never heard of them but I looked them up and they were amazing. I doubt I even have a shot at making it past the first round of tryouts but coach thinks I have the potential to build the skills. I don't want to let her down but does that sound reasonable? I don't know how long it takes to master some cheer skills but I wouldn't mind trying. Still, just from what I saw, it seems impossible

 

[caitlyn_the_camille]

Tip: don't plan where you're going to college based on cheer. Look at academic programs that go with what you might want to do in life, and look at every other factor such as residential life, cost of tuition, etc. If you find a college you like based on all that, then check out their cheer program and see if it fits what you're interested in.
I don't know where you stand academically, so don't think I'm putting you down, but here's an example of where I'm coming from: I had a friend that was planning on going to a local community college to get an associates degree and become a medical technician or something. She had a reasonable, achievable plan for her life. Then she realized she had the chance to make a team at a bigger, tier one university, so she changed around her entire life plan to cheer there. She made the team, had one fun year majoring in something she didn't care about just so she could cheer, and after her second semester her grades were so bad (bc she hated what she was doing) she had to quit cheer and eventually drop out of college. She now works full time at Forever 21 (which is respectable, until she can figure out her next move). I say all that to say, just don't go to a college just to cheer there. What if you end up hating it or it isn't the right fit for you? You can't major in cheer, and chances are your future employer isn't going to care where you cheered.
As for UK and Louisville specifically, don't think I'm being discouraging when I say they have the best cheerleaders in the country, possibly the world. Most of them have been cheering their entire lives and have had elite level 5/6 skills for years. If I were in your position, I'd work as hard as I could to become the best I could be, and then see what my options were when the time came. To be honest, any college team is going to work insanely hard and challenge you as an athlete. Don't set your standards too high and miss out on something awesome just because it's not "number 1"!

 

[Cheer Dad]

Has your coach seen Louisville or Kentucky Cheer before?

Unless you are currently built like a college football running back or tumble like Angel Rice I will be blunt and say both of those program are unlikely for you as a freshmen in college.

Take Caitlyn's advice and look for a school that fits you and if they have a cheer program you can try out for then go for it.


**I see what you did there**

 

[jared]

Lol, I actually was the running back on my football team before I switched to cheer. As for tumbling like Angel Rice, I had to Google her and, wow. How does she do that stuff. She doubles higher than some basket tosses I've seen. Lol, I spoke to my coach and told her I has my doubts and she seemed understanding but I also found out from another cheerleader that she has always dreamed of training someone to be on an elite college team, I guess it would make her feel valid as a coach or something. But I'm looking at the university of North Carolina at charlotte, NC state, or maybe maryland or tennessee. I told my coach about these as they all had my strong prograns in my major and cheer programs and she told me should research whether I want to do an nca or uca team. This may sound dumb but what is nca and uca. Is it like the style or how hard the cheer is? All I know is that the uca teams go to disney world and I think nca teams go to the beach for nationals. I think it's Miami or something

 

[jared]

Has your coach seen Louisville or Kentucky Cheer before?

Unless you are currently built like a college football running back or tumble like Angel Rice I will be blunt and say both of those program are unlikely for you as a freshmen in college.

Take Caitlyn's advice and look for a school that fits you and if they have a cheer program you can try out for then go for it.


**I see what you did there**

 

[jared]

Tip: don't plan where you're going to college based on cheer. Look at academic programs that go with what you might want to do in life, and look at every other factor such as residential life, cost of tuition, etc. If you find a college you like based on all that, then check out their cheer program and see if it fits what you're interested in.
I don't know where you stand academically, so don't think I'm putting you down, but here's an example of where I'm coming from: I had a friend that was planning on going to a local community college to get an associates degree and become a medical technician or something. She had a reasonable, achievable plan for her life. Then she realized she had the chance to make a team at a bigger, tier one university, so she changed around her entire life plan to cheer there. She made the team, had one fun year majoring in something she didn't care about just so she could cheer, and after her second semester her grades were so bad (bc she hated what she was doing) she had to quit cheer and eventually drop out of college. She now works full time at Forever 21 (which is respectable, until she can figure out her next move). I say all that to say, just don't go to a college just to cheer there. What if you end up hating it or it isn't the right fit for you? You can't major in cheer, and chances are your future employer isn't going to care where you cheered.
As for UK and Louisville specifically, don't think I'm being discouraging when I say they have the best cheerleaders in the country, possibly the world. Most of them have been cheering their entire lives and have had elite level 5/6 skills for years. If I were in your position, I'd work as hard as I could to become the best I could be, and then see what my options were when the time came. To be honest, any college team is going to work insanely hard and challenge you as an athlete. Don't set your standards too high and miss out on something awesome just because it's not "number 1"!

I agree, and I definitely don't think I'd make it, but I might try out, I know it'll make my coach happy to have at least sent someone to tryouts.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

Lol, I actually was the running back on my football team before I switched to cheer. As for tumbling like Angel Rice, I had to Google her and, wow. How does she do that stuff. She doubles higher than some basket tosses I've seen. Lol, I spoke to my coach and told her I has my doubts and she seemed understanding but I also found out from another cheerleader that she has always dreamed of training someone to be on an elite college team, I guess it would make her feel valid as a coach or something. But I'm looking at the university of North Carolina at charlotte, NC state, or maybe maryland or tennessee. I told my coach about these as they all had my strong prograns in my major and cheer programs and she told me should research whether I want to do an nca or uca team. This may sound dumb but what is nca and uca. Is it like the style or how hard the cheer is? All I know is that the uca teams go to disney world and I think nca teams go to the beach for nationals. I think it's Miami or something

Lol yes it's like the style.
UCA: is more of a clean collegiate style. A big emphasis is placed on strong game day skills. Some good coed teams to look at to see the UCA style are Kentucky, Alabama or Kansas University.

NCA: is more of a flashy all-star style. Some good coed teams to look at to get the NCA style are Louisville and Oklahoma State University.

I feel like coed high school boys typically prefer UCA style why coed allstar boys prefer NCA, but that's just my view of it!


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