Cheerleading Tryouts (school)

 I went on to Yahoo! Answers & noticed many of the cheer questions were about Cheerleading Tryouts!

• What is cheerleading tryouts like?
• What do you do at cheerleading tryouts?
• Tips for cheerleading tryouts?
• How do I prepare for cheerleading tryouts?

From my own experience of cheer tryouts, this is what it's like... (at my school)
There are 4 main categories that we are judged on:
Cheer, Jumps, Dance, & Stunting . *Tumbling is optional at my school.
The tryouts will involve learning a dance, cheer, and sometimes a jump sequence.

This is a rough idea of how it basically works:
day 1) Learn a cheer, dance & jump sequence. (sometimes you will be asked to do any  jumps.)
day 2) Work on stunting skills & tumbling skills. (tumbling is a plus to have!)
day 3) Tryout day!
- You are expected to act like.. a cheerleader!  (BE a cheerleader.)
- Show your spirit and fun personality! (SMILE!)
- Perform the tryout dance.
- Perform the cheer.
- Perform the jumps.
- *Tumbling & *Stunting

TIPS FOR TRYOUTS:
- Be confident!
- Don't "show-off"
- Have a good attitude. 
- Take criticism and learn from it. 
- Don't compare yourself to the other cheerleaders.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you forgot a count in the dance, ask to go over it again!
- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Practice makes perfect.. right?!
- Have someone to practice with!
- Make yourself standout.
** While trying out: **
- Have a good time!
- When you smile... the judges smile!
- If you mess up, don't make it obvious. Play it off & smile.
- BE CLEAN! (Staying clean is very important.)
- SHARP MOTIONS. (work on PUNCHING your motions.)
- Be LOUD! (do not sing the cheer. say it with a loud confident voice!)
- Pretend you were performing at a cheer competition! Entertain your audience.
- Don't let your nerves get to you!

How to prepare for cheer tryouts:
- Begin by stretching daily, this will help with flexibility. 
- Working out is optional but, I suggest starting a daily routine of running and working out.
- Practice basic cheer motions by punching them out and being sharp. (high V, low V, touch down, ect.)
- Work on your jumps. (toe touch, pike, front hurdler, ect.)
- If you are a flyer, work on your heel stretch, arabesque, scorpion, and scale. 
- Practice tumbling.. backbends, to back walkovers, handstands, front handsprings, all of the basics.

Good luck to everyone's tryouts this upcoming year.
Feel free to ask any more questions on here or Youtube!

xo,
Liz