College Competing At Nationals!

[The Pom Prince]

So I am going into my second year cheering for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The last time the UNCG Cheerleading squad competed was in 2006, and I'm pretty sure that was the last year they were a coed team too, until I tried out my freshman year and made it. This year we are planning on competing at Nationals in Daytona. I'm super excited but also nervous. Anybody have any advice, tips. etc??

 

[All Pro All Stars]

So I am going into my second year cheering for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The last time the UNCG Cheerleading squad competed was in 2006, and I'm pretty sure that was the last year they were a coed team too, until I tried out my freshman year and made it. This year we are planning on competing at Nationals in Daytona. I'm super excited but also nervous. Anybody have any advice, tips. etc??

Daytona is so much fun!

 

[cheerforeverever]

Have some outside practices before Daytona. On the bandshell, (since its outside) the sun can get in your eyes when you're looking up at your stunt so if you're not used to that, it can throw you off guard.

Also, make sure after prelims that if your team is going to lay out on the beach or at the pool, everyone needs to put on lots of sunscreen. I always see stupid kids get burnt that day and then they're in so much pain for finals.

 

[The Pom Prince]

Have some outside practices before Daytona. On the bandshell, (since its outside) the sun can get in your eyes when you're looking up at your stunt so if you're not used to that, it can throw you off guard.

Also, make sure after prelims that if your team is going to lay out on the beach or at the pool, everyone needs to put on lots of sunscreen. I always see stupid kids get burnt that day and then they're in so much pain for finals.

That's great advice! Thanks! I didnt even think about the sun getting in your eyes..

 

[cheerforeverever]

That's great advice! Thanks! I didnt even think about the sun getting in your eyes..

Yeah it really freaked some of our backspots out the first year we were there. Makes it harder to see the flyers' ankles when catching at the top for full ups and such. The Bandshell just has so many different factors than a normal indoor competition floor, with the sun, the heat of the sun directly blazing down on you, and the stage being bouncier than mats on dead concrete. Also, the walk from warm-ups to the Bandshell is indoor and across the street, so its more of a hike than warm-ups to the indoor competition floor(which is in the same building as warm-ups).

Something else that we learned over the years was that a pump-up playlist to play with portable speakers (during stretching time or time waiting outside the warm-up room) helped keep everyone's energy up and other teams would come up and join us dancing for certain songs (one year was the wobble lol). Makes everything less nerve wracking and more fun (at least it did for our squad).

 

[The Pom Prince]

Yeah it really freaked some of our backspots out the first year we were there. Makes it harder to see the flyers' ankles when catching at the top for full ups and such. The Bandshell just has so many different factors than a normal indoor competition floor, with the sun, the heat of the sun directly blazing down on you, and the stage being bouncier than mats on dead concrete. Also, the walk from warm-ups to the Bandshell is indoor and across the street, so its more of a hike than warm-ups to the indoor competition floor(which is in the same building as warm-ups).

Something else that we learned over the years was that a pump-up playlist to play with portable speakers (during stretching time or time waiting outside the warm-up room) helped keep everyone's energy up and other teams would come up and join us dancing for certain songs (one year was the wobble lol). Makes everything less nerve wracking and more fun (at least it did for our squad).

This is all great advice, I'm going to have to pass this on to our coach. I know the feeling of mats on stage.. that happened to my high school squad the first time we competed at states.. it messed us up. And I love the pump-up music idea!