Do you have what it takes to be a cheerleading flyer? A cheerleading flyer is the person at the top of the list for stunt performers. You have seen her in her cheerleading uniform. It is the girl who gets raised and thrown high into the air. It may be one of the most marvelous positions in cheerleading along with one of the more dangerous ones. It offers a sensational and electrifying feeling of flying through the air.

Cheerleading is a team sport. Each person on the squad is important. In order for a flyer to be successful, she must have great spotters. Weight and height do play a major role in whether you can be a flyer or not. However, if you have the awesome ability and the proper skills you could have what it takes to be a flyer.

An accomplished cheerleader should have what it takes to fill any job on her squad. Part of being a team player means doing the position your team needs you to do. Don’t set limitations by assuming you can only do one thing. You can do anything you set your mind to. However, there are skills and abilities that you will need to obtain to be a great flyer.

First of all, you need to be confident. Attitude can be everything in cheerleading. You must know in your heart that you can do it. If you think you can’t do something, you will sell yourself short in the long run. You must trust yourself and your teammates. You must know that if you fall, they will catch you. Knowing that your teammates won’t let you fall and that you won’t get hurt will help you to concentrate on getting the job done.
You must keep your hips and thighs stable. Don’t ever jolt your legs. You must be able to maintain your own weight. You have to be able to raise yourself with your arms. Maintaining your balance is very important. You must stay very stiff. Use your bases to keep yourself from wiggling. Timing is everything! You have to know what to do and when it needs to be done. Your job is to know when the correct level has been achieved to hit the stunt. You cannot have a fear of heights in order to be a flyer. It is important to keep eye contact with your audience. You will be the crowd motivator. Make sure to show the audience your beautiful smile!

As a flyer, remember to keep your legs tucked in so your feet are off the ground. When this drill is mastered, you will be able to move into stunting. During each stunt, it is important for the flyer to remember to stand up as fast as possible, stay tight, and keep those legs straight!

You need comfortable clothes in cheerleading. When practicing, you should wear cheer shorts, cheer t-shirts, cheer stretch pants, and cheer sneakers. During performances cheerleaders will wear their team’s cheerleading uniforms. It is a good idea to wear a sports bra. If you have long hair you should put it in ponytail. Headbands are good if you have short hair. It is a good idea to have a cheer bag with clothes to change into after a game or the competition. Pom-poms are a great accessory for cheerleaders and are pretty much mandatory.

If you want to be a flyer, you should know that it would take hard work and dedication. It takes a special individual to truly trust your teammates when they are throwing you up in the air. Being a cheerleader is no walk in the park. Cheerleading is not considered to be a sideline activity anymore. This sport involves intense competition, dedication, hard work and a true love for the sport.

Popularity: 97% [?]

“It’s all about the skirt” is what we often hear when people talk about cheerleading. We laugh, knowing there is so much more to cheerleading than just the cheerleading uniform, but there really is some truth to the matter. Fashion is an issue. The skirt, or more accurately, the total cheer uniform is an important part of what makes a cheerleader sparkle and light up a crowd. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the options when it comes to choosing that perfect “cheerleading skirt” to help your squad dazzle the crowds at your next event.

First, let’s start with the less exciting, practical part. How much is this cheerleading uniform going to cost? As with any product, you can pretty much spend as much as you want on a cheerleading uniform. The key is to know what you are paying for. Shop around to compare prices, products, lettering and shipping costs. Companies offer package deals that include the cheer shell and cheer skirt, but be sure you look to see how much the lettering will cost as this figure is often not included in the package price. Basic prices seem to range from $30 to $100 with lettering running around $10-20 per cheer uniform depending on whether you go with a one, two or three color design. Look for quantity discounts and consider these when you decide how many uniforms you will order. A late addition to the squad could cost you a bundle if you need to order a single uniform later. And don’t forget the accessories. If you make extras, such as briefs, socks, poms, nylon half or full tops, part of your uniform, be sure to add their cost to the bottom line when you consider your uniform budget.

Some other practical concerns are uniform comfort and fit. You want to wear a uniform that feels good, is appropriate for the sport/season, and allows you the full range of movement you need to do those cheers, stunts and moves that set your squad apart from the competition. Most cheerleading uniforms are made of polyester and spandex that allows for some stretch in the fabric, but there are also 50/50 cotton/polyester blends available and more expensive moisture wicking fabrics that are lighter and cooler. Check whether the fabric is washable or not so you are aware of the additional work and cost if you choose a “dry clean only” fabric. As to the uniform fit, most companies do not want you to order stock sizes, but rather to give them measurements. With form fitting shells and various skirt lengths, honesty is more important than modesty, so make sure you get accurate measurements from your squad members so the uniforms fit right and your squad looks sharp.

Finally, we get to the good stuff. Choosing the right cheerleading uniform is about getting the right “look” and here you have a lot of choices. Cheerleading uniform companies offer a wide variety of styles and features from the traditional to the hip to the modern. With tops/shells you can choose from crops to jumpers with or without long-sleeve full-length or crop-length tops. And then you need to choose V-neck, sweetheart neck or round neck all with or without braid options. In regard to bottoms, you have the classic A-line, modified A-line, low rise and twister skirt styles in addition to a wide range of pleated options including box, eight, knife, three or twelve pleat style. You also have short, skort and pants options available to match your shell choice. Make a choice that suits the tastes of your squad members, is suitable for your cheer purpose, complies with your school/organization dress code and colors and brings your squad to life!

So, choosing a cheerleading uniform, like cheerleading itself, is about way more than “just the skirt.” Be sure to consider all your options as you search for that perfect uniform, the one that will make your squad feel good and look great!

Popularity: 41% [?]

So you’re hot, hip, and one of the trendiest performers out there, you’re a cheerleader! If you answered yes to this then the first step is already achieved, now let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the situation.

One thing to remember about that lean, mean, cheerleading machine of yours, is that you have to maintain your core strength in order to keep your performance as smooth and flawless as possible. What is core strength, you might ask? Core strength is the overall stamina of your inner torsos’ muscles, and helps to maintain good posture, a tight and toned abdomen and back, and also regulates the strength of your limbs. You can achieve this with core conditioning, or, a regular exercise routine geared toward your core muscles. Without a toned and maintained core, your overall performance will be lacking due to less control over your muscles and less stamina after a peak cheerleading performance.

Let’s go over the major areas a cheerleader is affected by core conditioning: 1st the Rectus Abdominis, these muscles are the front muscles of your abdomen, sometimes referred to as a “six pack”, that is, if you are one of those “ripped” hotties that has achieved that look in your cheerleading uniform. Next there is the Erector Spinae; these are three separate muscles that support from your neck down to your lower back. Underneath that lies the Multifidus, these muscles are along your spine and they rotate and extend your back. Ever hear of the term “flexible as a cat”? You do not want to let these dandies stiffen up! Along the sides and the front of your abdomen are the External Oblique’s, and beneath them, but running in the opposite direction, are the Internal Oblique’s. Deeper still is the Transverse Abdominis, these are beneath the other abdominals and are the muscles of your waist, they ensure protection and stability of your spine.

Moving on to the lower regions we find the Hip Flexors, these include several different muscles that are located in front of your pelvis and on the fronts of your thighs. They allow for that awesome cheerleading swing and sway you have that you know gets you noticed! Gluteus medius and minimus are the muscles on the sides of your hips and the Gluteus maximus, also referred to as the hamstring group, is located in the back of your hips and along your upper thighs and legs. Lastly we have the Hip adductors that are along your mid thigh.

Now that we know which muscles make up your core, and where they are found, let’s talk shop about how you can strengthen and maintain these core cheerleading muscles.

There are many exercises that can help you to reach that goal, here are a few to get you on your way to performing like a star and looking great in that cheerleading uniform:

1st: a tight and toned abdomen can be strengthened with the use of an exercise ball while doing crunches. Lean across the ball on your lower back with your feet planted squarely on the floor for support. Next cross your arms over your chest to help maintain balance. Slowly raise your head, neck, and shoulders upward using your abdomen muscles to pull yourself forward, then slowly lower yourself back. Repeat this movement for 5 reps of 10.

2nd: How about some fun? A great way to help strengthen your core is with balance exercising. With balancing you can use such devices as a wobble board, a BOSU Balance Trainer, or even foam rollers. Trying to keep balanced for as long as you can helps to tone and strengthen your deeper core muscles (Transverse Abdominis), try at least 5 reps of balancing for at least 30 seconds each time. You should increase the difficulty after each rep with the addition of a medicine ball (switching from hand to hand), or closing your eyes. This exercise can be a lot of fun with a partner.

3rd: Who says that it has to be difficult or extravagant to be effective? Come on Cheerleaders, try these little numbers on for size, abdominal braces are not only easy, but they create results! This is actually one of the main techniques to use during core training. All you have to do is contract your abdominal muscles. Imagine you are pulling your belly button in toward your spine, not by sucking in air of course, don’t hold your breath, but by tightening your muscles to achieve this bracing effect. Hold your muscles tight for as long as you can, trying to increase your times with each rep. Remember you should be able to breathe easily during this routine for the best effects.

4th: Another tried and true method for an overall core strengthening workout is the basic push up. That’s right squads, these dandy’s aren’t just for soldiers, doing pushups properly can effectively help to create and maintain a fit and healthy core. Pushups 101: lie down on your belly, with your hands on the floor a little wider apart than your shoulders, raise up onto your toes, keeping your body straight (no butts in the air). Push yourself upward with your arms and tighten your core muscles as you do this, raise yourself upward until your arms are straight but do not lock your elbows. Now lower yourself until your elbows are in a 90 degree angle, repeating this process for as many reps as you are able to. Exhale as you rise up, and inhale while you lower yourself. Remember to keep your core muscles tight throughout this routine.

Keeping your body fit is an important task that you should take seriously if you want to be a successful Cheerleader, of course too much work and not enough play can really bum you out, so be sure to make your work out as fun as possible! Group cheerleading routines have lots of potential to get downright silly, dancing is great for those core muscles and can also keep your cheer routines new and exciting, so liven it up and have a blast!

Popularity: 34% [?]

What’s a cheerleader without pom pons? Those eye-catching extras have added a little sparkle and flair, and let’s face it, a whole lot of fun to those cheer moves and stunts for as long as there have been cheerleaders. And, as you may know, that’s been a long time!

Coming to the US from Great Britain in the 1920’s, the original pom poms were made of crepe paper—which presented a few difficulties if you know anything about crepe paper. Crinkly, not too sturdy, with color sure to run if wet, those old-fashioned poms presented some real problems when it came to the work cheerleaders wanted them to do—shake violently, sparkle brightly and hold together come rain or shine. Thankfully, in the 1960s the vinyl and metallic “revolution” occurred and produced pom pons that could do it all. Generations of cheerleaders have since been able to cheer under those rainy Friday night lights, knowing their poms will be ready to go for their Saturday competition.

Of course, just because the materials have improved, doesn’t mean you can just disregard pom care. You want to keep those poms bright, fluffy and show-stoppingly shiny for the big event! Today’s poms can and do get wet, but it’s best to try to keep them away from moisture if possible, or at least make sure you dry them out fully before storing them. Heat is another concern as it can make your vinyl variety stick or your metallic variety melt, depending on the temperature. Finally, proper storage is important too. Don’t just throw those poms in a pile when you’re done with them. Store them carefully, preferably in a pom bag (away from moisture and heat) and when you get them out, be sure to “fluff” them by grasping a few strands at a time and scrunching them up to put that extra “body” in your pom. Paying a little “pom care” attention, will help extend their sparkle, fluff and fun!

In addition to the improved durability of poms, their material composition has also generated a multitude of choices when it comes to picking out the perfect pom for your performance. You have choices between small or large size, short or long strand, vinyl, wet look vinyl or metallic composition, mixed or single color, and flair cap, loop, baton or drill/dowel style handles for your poms. Long strand poms tend to add a more “old-school” effect, while the metallic and shorter strand poms tend to be more modern. Mixed or single color may depend on your theme or the uniform your squad is wearing and, as to the handle, again, it depends on what you will be doing with the pom. The baton or dowel style offers greater control, suitable for show and dance purposes, while the loop or flair cap will give you a more traditional pom effect and movement.

Make a good choice and take good care of your pom pons and you will keep the sparkle in cheerleading for years to come!

Popularity: 30% [?]