High School Tryouts

[AlexKimchi]

So this September I am starting Freshman year of high school. YAY! But the first full week of school which starts the 8th is the first day of cheer tryouts. The tryouts are two day. That monday and tuesday. So on the high school's website it says cheer experience is encouraged but tumbling is preferred but not mandatory. I have cheered for 2-3 years but have done a bit of tumbling. All the freshman trying out don't know what is required to get on the team either. What can i do to get better in tumbling and prepared for the tryouts?

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

1. Find out what tumbling other girls on the team generally have. Go to clinics, search Youtube vids, etc. There are schools at which tumbling is just "preferred" but every girl on the team has running and standing tucks, which is going to impact someone's likelihood of making the team if they have (example) just a cartwheel or a janky BHS.

2. Get some clarity on what the ACTUAL tryout requirements are. The coaches should have shared this with you at pre-tryout meetings. That's important because it lets you know what each element of the tryout is worth. Ex: Dance is 10 points. Stunting is 20. etc. This way you know what you need to work on. (Ex: If jumps are 20 points, they're important.)

3. Look into classes or privates at a local gym. Some gyms will offer a school cheer prep class that focuses common tumbling needed for school teams. Others have classes focused on certain skills (i.e. backhandsprings.) Or look into taking some privates to clean up your skills.

4. Don't forget other skills! I coach school cheer and every year, girls get SO hung up on tumbling, that they forget that we're looking for girls who can really LEAD the crowd. They get tunnel vision on tumbling, and their performance in the cheer/crowd leading portion suffers. Or they think their tumbling will compensate for poor jumps or technique in stunting.

5. Don't rush to get/throw skills just because everyone else has them. Let's say everyone else has a standing 3 BHS to a tuck and your best standing tumbling is a single BHS. You may not get to 3 to a tuck in that amount of time. That's okay. Focus on maybe a BHS series and make it the cleanest BHS series out there. Don't break your neck trying to get the tumbling that everyone else has. That's how kids get injured!

Best of luck to you!

 

[vannahlexis]

If I were you I would email the coach and ask specifics :) maybe send her some videos of your skills so she can tell you what to fix!

 

[cheerforeverever]

1. Know the scoresheet.
This is usually talked about at a tryout meeting or posted online. You can also always email the coach to inquire how tryouts are scored specifically. For example: If a school uses a scoresheet from NCA (like the image below), tumbling is only worth 5 points out of 35 total. That is 1/7 only! Therefore, tumbling points can be easily made up through the cheer, dance & jumps compared to a girl that has a full but cannot complete the cheer or dance successfully. I've given you an example of how 4 different tryout contestants scored in each category, and how it effects their overall result. #1,2 & 3 would probably make the team, where as #4 would not (as the natural break between scores is before #4).
#1 is a pretty average tryout. They were good but nothing stood out as exceptional.
#2 is the strongest tumbler. She is talented skill wise, but could not remember the words or motions & had to stop and start her cheer several times. Her crowdleading skills need work.
#3 only has a cartwheel, but is a great crowdleader. She is extremely loud, spirited & sharp in her motions.
#4 just does not have the technique yet in her skills. She was very quiet and unsure of herself.

2. No matter what scoresheet you have, Execute skills cleanly with correct technique.
A lower jump with clean technique will score better than a high jump with incorrect technique.
A scary looking backtuck will give a worse impression than just doing a clean, nicely executed backhandspring.
etc. etc.

3. Be confident, smile & practice practice practice!
Know the tryout materials by heart. Be able to perform them in front of others (your family, friends, anyone that will watch you) without having to stop and think of what comes next. Then once you are confident with the materials, smile and have fun out there! We want to see that you are enjoying yourself, not running off to cry in the corner because you are in front of the crowd or you made a mistake & can't recover.