High School What Skills Should I Work On To Move Up To Varsity Next Year?

[Jess_Pascale]

This year I was on JV and for 10th grade I want to move up to Varsity. What skills would you recommend I work on/practice? Stunting, motions, etc. Anything you can think and examples are appreciated. Thank you

 

[cheerheart4life]

Work on tumbling, stunting, jumps, and spiriting! Make sure you are super right in everything you do and stay peppy, keeping a smile on your face! All schools are different but our varsity requires a standing tuck and running layout!

 

[FierceIsTheName]

Work on tumbling, stunting, jumps, and spiriting! Make sure you are super right in everything you do and stay peppy, keeping a smile on your face! All schools are different but our varsity requires a standing tuck and running layout!

Oh my goodness! Our HS requires a roundoff....

 

[JoFTZEW21]

My school requires a standing tuck if you're an underclassman, if you are an upperclassman it's a backhandspring. Just smile a lot and be really loud and show them you're responsible enough to be on varsity even though youre younger. Work on flexibility and tumbling

 

[LeahofthePack]

My school requires a standing tuck if you're an underclassman, if you are an upperclassman it's a backhandspring. Just smile a lot and be really loud and show them you're responsible enough to be on varsity even though youre younger. Work on flexibility and tumbling

What would happen if a ton of underclassmen came in with standing tucks and canceled out the upperclassmen? Would that be allowed? I never heard of anything like that where it's different requirements based on grade.

 

[cheernerd5678]

Ours requires a BHS for competition, but not varsity. You can be on varsity but not competition. However, though a BHS is minimum, we are getting a LOT of talent next year (there's one grade that has like 15 All Star cheerleaders even though we only have one gym in town), so though a BHS is minimum, you'll probably actually need a standing tuck... there might be 1 or 2 with just a BHS but most people will probably have tucks next year.
So work on tumbling (whatever is required for your school) and stretch a lot. Work on jumps (not just stretching, but also leg and ab strength). And make sure your motions are good. I hate when I see someone really talented who has sloppy motions. PET PEEVE. And make sure you smile

What would happen if a ton of underclassmen came in with standing tucks and canceled out the upperclassmen? Would that be allowed? I never heard of anything like that where it's different requirements based on grade.

Am I the only one who feels like that's kind of unfair? I feel like everyone should have the same chance - if someone is good, put them on Varsity, it shouldn't matter how old they are.... IDK I just don't like when seniors and juniors get special priveleges, i mean they didn't do anything other than being born first. It bothers me when tryouts aren't based solely on skill. I think teams are better if it's based on skill anyways, not grade...

 

[SmileyRyleigh]

Smile. Look like you're having fun all the time the rest of this season even if you aren't! Show your coach you want to be on varsity and make sure you get along with the varsity girls. If you look like you're having fun and love what you're doing, it will make a huge difference.
My school requires at least a standing back handspring but almost all of us have standing tucks and at least running layouts. Most of us do all star/have done allstar at some point recently so were pretty good with stunting and tumbling. We don't compete and we don't have a JV team unless a lot of girls try out. The maximum amount of girls on Varsity is 22 I think, we have 22 of each uniform. The amount on jv is no more than 12 and no less than 8, and they only have one uniform. If we were to do JV/ Varsity it would be freshman and sophomores JV and Juniors and seniors on Varsity. The current freshman that will be sophomores next season would be on Varsity since they were on Varsity this year. I have this feeling we will have a JV next season. there are at least 20 good 8th graders coming in and we only have 3 seniors leaving.

 

[EWalsh1029]

As a JV coach who works closely with the Varsity coach, we always discuss that in order for our JV girls to move up to Varsity they need to improve on everything overall (which is what JV is for) ....To elaborate basically;

Motions - tighten up and learn proper technique
Jumps - Learn proper technique/increase height
Stunting - Become confident in whatever position you are & flyers gain flexibility
Tumbling -Roundoff Handspring Tuck or higher, Standing Tuck
Confidence, Confidence, Confidence!
So, I would basically say continue to stretch, condition, practice motions on your own (being sharp, snapping them down and proper technique), and maybe take some tumbling privates if that is possible! Conditioning and stretching will help A LOT with all of your skills overall.

Just remember there is no off season in cheering so keep conditioning and working hard! This past tryout was the first one where I had some of my JV girls move up to Varsity and I was so proud of them, but sad to see them go!

Best of luck to you, hopefully you make Varsity; work hard, smile and be confident !

 

[JoFTZEW21]

What would happen if a ton of underclassmen came in with standing tucks and canceled out the upperclassmen? Would that be allowed? I never heard of anything like that where it's different requirements based on grade.

Well, my school is pretty big. We have full teams of about 25 girls on freshman, 25 girls on jv, and about 30 on varsity. My school is not allowed to compete in competitions from an accident that happened like 20 years ago with a girl doing a basket toss, she landed on her head or something, so now the whole district is not allowed to compete or do basket tosses. Anyways, in my experience, very few underclassmen have standing tucks. There was one freshman who tried out with one and made jv, because as a freshman she can't make varsity. But, if she tries out next year she will make varsity. The only sophomores this year, who made varsity were 4 girls and they all had a layout and standing tuck. The rest were placed on jv and had backhandsprings/etc. My freshman team has only 5 girls with tumbling, and we all only have bhs series. The upperclassman on varsity really only have that advantage because they can't be placed on a lower team because of theyre age, and if we didnt keep them on the team just because they don't have a standing tuck we wouldn't have a team. It's mainly just so they can still participate and be involved but not be kicked off by girls younger than them. I'm not 100% sure why it is that way, but i would trace it back to the fact my school does not compete in competitions. We only cheer at games. **Sorry for the long post.

 

[LeahofthePack]

Well, my school is pretty big. We have full teams of about 25 girls on freshman, 25 girls on jv, and about 30 on varsity. My school is not allowed to compete in competitions from an accident that happened like 20 years ago with a girl doing a basket toss, she landed on her head or something, so now the whole district is not allowed to compete or do basket tosses. Anyways, in my experience, very few underclassmen have standing tucks. There was one freshman who tried out with one and made jv, because as a freshman she can't make varsity. But, if she tries out next year she will make varsity. The only sophomores this year, who made varsity were 4 girls and they all had a layout and standing tuck. The rest were placed on jv and had backhandsprings/etc. My freshman team has only 5 girls with tumbling, and we all only have bhs series. The upperclassman on varsity really only have that advantage because they can't be placed on a lower team because of theyre age, and if we didnt keep them on the team just because they don't have a standing tuck we wouldn't have a team. It's mainly just so they can still participate and be involved but not be kicked off by girls younger than them. I'm not 100% sure why it is that way, but i would trace it back to the fact my school does not compete in competitions. We only cheer at games. **Sorry for the long post.

oh got it thanks for explaining, I was confused! We used to have a seniority rules kind of thing, where varsity was only juniors/seniors, but now anyone can make it but the underclassmen have to be pretty good. We do have a only freshman/sopmhores on JV rule though.. well I think we do.. I graduated last year so im not sure

 

[Jess_Pascale]

For my school, anyone can make varsity. Even if you're a freshman. The one thing that bothers me though is that ANY SENIORS MAKE THE TEAM. Regardless if they even try or not. There is this one girl who quit in 11th grade because she didn't make varsity, and then tried out again in 12th and made varsity. I swear girls who quit are using this! If you don't have the skills for varsity, you shouldn't be on varsity.

Anyways, keep the advice coming guys. Love you. xo

 

[gymcatmomx2]

At my CP's high school, only Freshman can make the Freshman squad, Sophomores can only make JV, Juniors can make JV or Varsity depending on tryout scores, and Seniors can only make Varsity. If you are a Junior and you don't have a high enough score to make Varsity but your score is high enough to make JV, you have to cheer on the JV squad. If you decline the offer then you can't tryout your Senior year. Also, even though you are a Senior and have made the cheer squad the previous 3 years including Varsity, if your score isn't high enough you don't make the team. That's happened to at least one Senior every year... my heart hurts for them.

 

[JoFTZEW21]

oh got it thanks for explaining, I was confused! We used to have a seniority rules kind of thing, where varsity was only juniors/seniors, but now anyone can make it but the underclassmen have to be pretty good. We do have a only freshman/sopmhores on JV rule though.. well I think we do.. I graduated last year so im not sure

yeah, at my school we have a lot of competitive cheerleaders, like girls on level 4 anf five teams and most of them are sophomores so we have like 7 sophomores on the varsity team. But for winter a lot of girls quit or just didn't sign up for winter too because we have to cheer for wrestling, so right now theres any seniors that tried out or any juniors. regardless of what skills they have, because all the girls with skills quit for the winter season. (the quitters were seniors otherwise our school would not let them try out for cheer next year.)

 

[Carly H.]

For my school, anyone can make varsity. Even if you're a freshman. The one thing that bothers me though is that ANY SENIORS MAKE THE TEAM. Regardless if they even try or not. There is this one girl who quit in 11th grade because she didn't make varsity, and then tried out again in 12th and made varsity. I swear girls who quit are using this! If you don't have the skills for varsity, you shouldn't be on varsity.

Anyways, keep the advice coming guys. Love you. xo

HI Jess Actually the girl you are talking about has some other going issues going on in her 11th grade cheerleading year that caused her to quit the team, i had the pleasure of being captain with her while she was still on the team. Just so you know that is a NJ state law that seniors may not be on a jv team, and she does have the skill level to be on varsity she just couldn't tumble. i would be happy to discuss with you some tips on what our coaches are looking for, feel free to private message me or ask me ! btw its CH

 

[Jess_Pascale]

HI Jess Actually the girl you are talking about has some other going issues going on in her 11th grade cheerleading year that caused her to quit the team, i had the pleasure of being captain with her while she was still on the team. Just so you know that is a NJ state law that seniors may not be on a jv team, and she does have the skill level to be on varsity she just couldn't tumble. i would be happy to discuss with you some tips on what our coaches are looking for, feel free to private message me or ask me ! btw its CH

Hey! I didn't know that it was a law for seniors to automatically make varsity. I also didn't know that she had issues going on outside of cheer, I assumed that on what I heard.
Anyways, I know I need to really work on my stunting and jumps. My toe touch and side are pretty good because I've been stretching everyday, but my front and pike are funky. How can I get my legs to go higher in a pike? Also for the front is it leg strength & your right split stretching?