www.soulandspirit.org http://www.soulandspirit.org Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 Resources that are on the Subject of Chearleading http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/16/resources-that-are-on-the-subject-of-chearleading/ http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/16/resources-that-are-on-the-subject-of-chearleading/#comments Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.soulandspirit.org/&p=10 Cheerleaders have several reputations. Some of these reputations are deserved. Other parts of the reputation are not. A coach who leads a team of cheerleaders does not need to worry about the reputation. What she wants are resources that can help her lead the team get ahead. There are a number of different resources. Because cheerleading is an athletic act, some of the resources that a coach must choose are exercises that will keep the cheerleaders in shape and help the flexibility of the athletes. Like the football and basketball players they cheer on, the cheerleaders must practice and drill.Didn’t catch that? This explains it.

A coach may choose the cheerleader based on attractiveness, but tryouts are needed as well. A few books borrowed from a local library may have started the training process, but the Information super highway has put many more things at the finger tips of a perspective searcher. Forums, groups and even websites can help a cheerleading coach prepare her ladies for game nights. The well-coordinated cheers that players may see on the field are not the result of an impromptu decision. The squads have to practice to become capable of working together smoothly. The moves only look easy because the squad has been drilled in a given move for weeks.

]]> http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/16/resources-that-are-on-the-subject-of-chearleading/feed/ 0 Competitive Cheerleading in High School for Football and Basketball http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/14/competitive-cheerleading-in-high-school-for-football-and-basketball/ http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/14/competitive-cheerleading-in-high-school-for-football-and-basketball/#comments Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.soulandspirit.org/&p=9 Competitive Cheerleading is becoming a top sport for young women in high school. Cheerleading is comprised of dance, stunts, gymnastics, and cheering for fans and players. High school cheerleading squads help motivate players while encouraging fan participation. You can usually find cheerleaders on the sidelines during football and basketball games, inviting you to chant along and fire up the team, evoking school spirit. Cheerleading squads also participate in competitions, which is considered the epitome of cheering in some localities.

The cheerleading season starts in the spring prior to the following school year. Anyone wishing to partake attends tryouts where they attempt basic cheerleading skills along with a pre-choreographed routine. There are usually two or three levels of cheerleading teams, usually being junior varsity and varsity, and sometimes a freshmen team as well. Once chosen, cheerleaders attend summer camps and practices in preparation for the fall football season. After football season is over, preparing for the winter/spring basketball and competitive cheer season is number one priority.

Becoming a successful cheerleader takes a large amount of hard work, practice and dedication. Starting early is ideal and becoming easier as more communities are adding middle school cheerleading teams or local all star squads, as well as camps and gymnastic or dance classes.

]]> http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/14/competitive-cheerleading-in-high-school-for-football-and-basketball/feed/ 0 A Look at Young Girls Cheerleading in Upper Elementary School http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/10/a-look-at-young-girls-cheerleading-in-upper-elementary-school/ http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/10/a-look-at-young-girls-cheerleading-in-upper-elementary-school/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.soulandspirit.org/&p=8 Upper Elementary School cheerleading programs are beginning to increase in numbers around the country. The drive for competitive cheerleading is driving this change, but everyone wants to give student athletes something that they can do besides just attending schools. It is important to note though that competitive cheerleading stunts and dangerous activities do take a long time to master so that they can be done safely. During the upper elementary school years, cheerleaders and cheer coaches must be adamant about safety first. Cheerleading injuries are very common and it is actually considered by many to be the most dangerous sport to play. It is important for coaches to teach the younger cheerleaders how to properly lift, mount, and dismount without hurting anyone. These are the years when the fundamentals of cheerleading must be mastered. The framework of the more difficult moves must be established to insure safety and greatness in the future. Without the fundamental understanding of the movements, cheerleading will not continue to grow as much as it has recently. The uniforms for these young cheerleaders should also be dignified and respectable. Many older cheerleading programs have some scandalous looking uniforms, so always make your cheerleaders are appropriately dressed.

]]> http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/10/a-look-at-young-girls-cheerleading-in-upper-elementary-school/feed/ 0 Appropriate Uniforms for Cheerleaders in High School http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/07/appropriate-uniforms-for-cheerleaders-in-high-school/ http://www.soulandspirit.org/2011/10/07/appropriate-uniforms-for-cheerleaders-in-high-school/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.soulandspirit.org/&p=7 There have been several news stories in the past month that have brought up the debate concerning appropriate cheerleading attire. These stories stem from a team of high school cheerleaders who were forced to disband because it was deemed by school administrators that their skirts were too short. Haven’t cheerleading uniforms always been short? Why is this a headline now? Oh, that’s right. It’s the start of a new school year.

Clothing, dress codes, and appropriate teen attire is a difficult topic to discuss. School administrators want to protect the integrity of the girls involved. School dress codes have gotten stricter over the years because teens have continued to come to school in skimpy and inappropriate attire. The classroom is a place of learning and too much bared flesh is not only distracting, but also degrading. Schools should have the right to set guidelines on how short cheerleading skirts should be. But to completely disband the team is wrong. Cheerleading uniforms have always been short and provocative. There is no denying that there is a sexual component to cheerleading. If schools want to improve female stereotypes, that is fine. Just alter the uniforms before the start of the school year.

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