Stunting or Gymnastics or Jumping or Good Motions?
I hope this one can open up a nice dialog on all three! Let's hear it and not just one word answers... I'd like to see everyone share opinions while backing them up with ideas or facts!:Cheerlead
I think as a whole motions are the most important, because someone has to still cheer atthe top od the stunts, jumping is a plus and gymnastics is an added bonus, But motions would come first, IMO.
I would have to agree with motions being most important. You're absolutely right about those motions at the top... there's nothing uglier than dog-earred high V's @ the top of any stunt.... I would have to put gymnastics as second, however, I have seen some squads do a cheer with (5) perfect sets of jumps and zero gymnastics look just as good, but the jumps were perfect... stunts would be next and then jumps.... most folks think that if a gal can tumble, she can jump.... not true. Jumping must be just as practiced as gymnastics. Gosh... there's just so many things to cover. I was speaking to a new coach this evening and she was discussing stunts. Without proper execution, stunts are gonna be weak. Stnting requires many hours in the gym doing it over and over again.... until the timing and execution is perfect. Making all these elements lookk easy, takes TIME & PRACTICE! In this day and age, it's hard to cover everything with out a good feeder system... this way a coach and their squad doesn't have to begin from scratch every year! Good Luck to all of our cheer leaders out there @ every school.... they work so hard to make it look easy!
Motions BY FAR! Jumps can make anything look good when done correctly and gymnastics adds difficulty to any cheer and is a plus on "spirit" and enthusiam!!! Everyone loves to watch a girl/boy flip their hearts out BUT when squad comes together as a WHOLE and does a floor cheer (even without gymnastics) and has sharp motions and look as if they are 1.... MAN OH MAN.... I love it!!!!!
phs1986 Wrote:Motions BY FAR! Jumps can make anything look good when done correctly and gymnastics adds difficulty to any cheer and is a plus on "spirit" and enthusiam!!! Everyone loves to watch a girl/boy flip their hearts out BUT when squad comes together as a WHOLE and does a floor cheer (even without gymnastics) and has sharp motions and look as if they are 1.... MAN OH MAN.... I love it!!!!!
Preach it!!!:Clap: :Cheerlead :Clap:
Ok, I do have a question, every squad my daughter has cheered on from per-k until now, (she is a sophmore), jumps have been taught different. Is there only just one way a jump should be executed? She has great jumps, she has even won a few jump off competitions(at camps, in the past) but every year they teach her different, is it just the different squads or what?
there are different techniques to different jumps... leg strength is a MUST to get a high jump. How they execute the jump depends on flexibility, strength, and HOW they have been taught!! LOL... I know I kinda repeated myself BUT... everyone does not do it the same way. I teach different than I do (or should I say did)... tell her to keep up the good work and ALWAYS stretch before she does her jumps, gymnastics, or anything to do with cheering!!!
In an honest answer...Gymnastics & Stunts are the 2 biggest factors in competitive cheerleading in this day and age. As much as motions, facial expressions, voices and jumps should be the leading qualities of cheerleading..they aren't. I have watched squads with terrible motions and jumps do amazing tumbling passes and awesome stunts/pyramids win competitions over squads with fantastic motions/jumps/facials and decent gymnastics/stunts.
Do I think it's fair..absolutely not..is it going to change anytime soon..sadly no.
Cheerleaders are so athletic and talented nowadays, that the sport of cheerleading has evolved into something so much more than cute girls in skirts with pom pons. They are continuously pushing the envelope and themselves to come up with the next amazing mount and/or tumbling pass, something that no one had performed or seen before. They are true athletes.
Pirate Pal Wrote:In an honest answer...Gymnastics & Stunts are the 2 biggest factors in competitive cheerleading in this day and age. As much as motions, facial expressions, voices and jumps should be the leading qualities of cheerleading..they aren't. I have watched squads with terrible motions and jumps do amazing tumbling passes and awesome stunts/pyramids win competitions over squads with fantastic motions/jumps/facials and decent gymnastics/stunts.
Do I think it's fair..absolutely not..is it going to change anytime soon..sadly no.
Cheerleaders are so athletic and talented nowadays, that the sport of cheerleading has evolved into something so much more than cute girls in skirts with pom pons. They are continuously pushing the envelope and themselves to come up with the next amazing mount and/or tumbling pass, something that no one had performed or seen before. They are true athletes.
Could not have said it better. I guess my first answer showed my age.... :Clap: I know what it takes to win and you're absolutely right. I can say this, overall, :Clap: the squads from the Eastern :Clap: part of this Commonwealth manage to do a very nice job of covering all of the aspects discussed above! And it's past time that Ms. DeVries and her "merry band" remove their heads from the sand to recognize Cheer as the sport it is.
I have to say that I LOVE watching great tumbling passes myself... gymnastics is a HUGE part of the
sport of cheerleading!!!
I know when I cheered we did a pyramid that "rocked"... of course I was in the middle because of my leg strength, I was able to shift the mount to make it rock... that was one of the hardest things I ever did!!! It was also unique because no one else had done it that I know of at the time! This was of course 20 or 21 years ago!! SHEW... I am gettin old!!!
IMO, being a cheerleader takes a combination of many things in a girl/boy. Motions, jumps, GYMNASTICS, and "learning ability", along with personality, mentality, and general want to in each and everyone on the squad makes a good squad. Does that sound like I'm mumbling?? LOLOL... I know what I want to say and hopefully I came across correctly with my statement...
.... !!!!
When you go to competitions... and a squad throws fulls.... that generally gets a reaction out of everyone! I love a well executed tumbling pass.... and I especially love it on the hardwood!
- I'm not trying to make anyone mad by saying this but as a cheerleader you notice some things. And I've noticed that most girls work super hard at their tumbling and try to come up with the hardest stunts, that they forget about SHARP motions and smiles.
- I've always been told that one motion can make you or break you (in competition). Yeah, it's good to have hard stunts and tumbling. But ONLY if it is clean, and you know you can do it for sure. Not just throw it and hope you don't fall.
- And IMO, smiles are the best facials. I hate seeing overdone pouts and fish faces and tongues sticking out. Just smile and have fun please!!
- Sorry, had to get that all out, LOL! Good luck and be safe!
And well said!!! I believe this question is one of those like "Which came first, the chicken or the egg? All the different responses are correct!!!! There is no wrong answer!
This goes to show you that a cheer leader, a good one... or a good cheer leading squad must have everything. They must be a total package when taking the floor or field! I guess this is just another reason to appreciate the hours of hard work, the hours of personal life sacrificed, the many $$ spent, and the miles and miles of heart it takes to be a top squad... so perhaps the next time your team is out there leading you or your crowd... the best thing you can or could do is to stand up and cheer with them! A cheer leader will work their tails off for an appreciative team and audience! Oh yeah... the next time a cheer leader is out selling something to help raise money for their squad.... BUY ONE, don't worry about if you need it or could you use it, just buy one of 'em!(LOL) This also helps a good cheer squad become a better cheer squad... being able to have the appropriate uniforms, accessories, funds to participate, and so forth... it all factors into how well a squad will do! And *CCC* I agree... nothing uglier in this world than those awful fish faces and tongue things... yuckity yuck! You know that "one motion " thing you're talking about... I can't tell you how many times that one motion comes at the very end of a stunning cheer and it's the little cuties stunting at the top, who won't smile, say the words, or who have dogged eared motions that kill the whole thing.