High School Competition Routine Order

[Kolleen]

Do you all have a preference for your "order" within your routine?

For example, we are used to doing:

• Opening
• Jumps
• Partner Stunts (Sequence)
• Cheer
• Transition Element (baskets, etc.)
• Pyramid
• Dance

I do not want to end with a dance, but I am unsure if we should switch up the rest of the format. Part of me is considering opening with a cheer so we aren't winded but then that is one loooong music section and starting with a cheer has always seemed awkward to me.

What do you normally do?

 

[tjbettin]

I've been wondering the same thing. I prefer to open with a cheer to get it out of the way. It seems that most teams have the cheer in the middle and I've been wondering if the placement affects your score at all.

 

[tojofasho]

Our team always starts with the cheer and we consistently score the highest in the cheer category (full points at one competition). I don't know if it negatively impacts our other score areas, but it certainly has helped boost our cheer section. I highly encourage it - their voices are loud and their motions are sharp; plus the stunts are generally 'easier' so it's great to start out with something you know will hit. 10/10 would recommend.

 

[SparkleSpankies]

I have done all formats, opening with the cheer was fun and if the team is powerful helps build confidence, but something to think of is build on strengths. Here is an example

If you have weaker tumblers, and you start with a cheer (1 minute) then you transition and go into partner stunt and then you do tumbling and you have standing tucks but a minute and 15 seconds in, those tucks are weak, reconsider order, b/c even though the kids should be conditioned, some will think about a skill the entire routine...

Play to your teams strengths, they will succeed. Also, maybe Im old school, but I still love ending with a pyramid!

 

[OnceUponACheerleader]

I have done all formats, opening with the cheer was fun and if the team is powerful helps build confidence, but something to think of is build on strengths. Here is an example

If you have weaker tumblers, and you start with a cheer (1 minute) then you transition and go into partner stunt and then you do tumbling and you have standing tucks but a minute and 15 seconds in, those tucks are weak, reconsider order, b/c even though the kids should be conditioned, some will think about a skill the entire routine...

Play to your teams strengths, they will succeed. Also, maybe Im old school, but I still love ending with a pyramid!

If you're ending with a pyramid it better hit!!.. Nothing worse then a routine ending with a fall....

 

[OnceUponACheerleader]

Personally I like to start with the dance.... ending with elite stunts... :splat:

 

[SparkleSpankies]

If you're ending with a pyramid it better hit!!.. Nothing worse then a routine ending with a fall....

It is very common for a UCA structured High School routine to end in a pyramid. It's tradition!! With the dance only being worth 2 points now on the UCA scorsheet, you are only dancing for a short time and it isn't the focus. With that being said, the OP didn't specify what scoresheets needed to be taken into account with structure.

 

[mncheerqueen]

We usually do

Opening (Jumps/standing tumbling)
Running tumbling
Single base stunts
Elite stunts
Cheer
Dance
Then pyramid.

We compete UCA so this order is the most common at our competitions (with few variances in the beginning the but almost always cheer dance pyramid at the end). I personally prefer cheer in the center because often times it is awkward to start out without a transition (i.e music) and for our team Cheer is where the girls get most tired due to having to yell and stunt so we get most of the harder skills out of the way first. I also recommend doing dance before pyramid! It gives the girls kind of a chance to catch their breath after the cheer (if you decide to do cheer in the middle).

 

[luv2cheer92]

Personally I like to start with the dance.... ending with elite stunts... :splat:

I've seen teams do this or something similar. I love watching the routines, but I can't imagine doing it!

 

[FamousxMindset]

I wouldn't suggest ending in a pyramid unless your team is super strong stunters, ending pyramids are great in theory but are extremely hard to pull off. If you choose to move your dance around I'd keep it in the last two sections, I have seen some teams who dance in the beginning but get scored low because the judges couldn't tell that it was a dance.

 

[ScottyB]

I've been wondering the same thing. I prefer to open with a cheer to get it out of the way. It seems that most teams have the cheer in the middle and I've been wondering if the placement affects your score at all.

Be aware of the rules of your competition with regards to your cheer's placement. There is a reason why all UCA teams put it in the middle (it's required to be there [edit: apparently I am mistaken on this])

 

[ScottyB]

It is very common for a UCA structured High School routine to end in a pyramid. It's tradition!! With the dance only being worth 2 points now on the UCA scorsheet, you are only dancing for a short time and it isn't the focus. With that being said, the OP didn't specify what scoresheets needed to be taken into account with structure.

Cheer routines should always end with some skills in the air. It's your last moment in front of the judges, why would you not aim to have a picturesque ending for them to remember as they fill out their judging sheet?

You want about 4-6 of those picturesque moments throughout your routine (stunts, pyramids, baskets, cheer) to keep a visually strong routine in front of the judges.

 

[OldskoolKYcheercoach]

If you're ending with a pyramid it better hit!!.. Nothing worse then a routine ending with a fall....

If you're doing a pyramid ending or not, it better hit. Nothing worse than a drop in a routine. Falls in a routine are the fault of the coach. Athletes not prepared

 

[dat.jpp]

Has a team ever done a pyramid at the very beginning?

 

[Kolleen]

Be aware of the rules of your competition with regards to your cheer's placement. There is a reason why all UCA teams put it in the middle (it's required to be there)

Oh really? For some reason (I did UCA Staff too) but I never realized this HAHAHAH. Wow. Good to know!