Just wondering what everyone thinks about how successful cheer squads are built.
For instance: is it the coach, the ability level of the squad itself, the amount of money in their account, support from the school, parents, or community.... ya know... there's gonna be a million ideas... let's just have a healthy discussion!
I believe a good coach with a vast amount of knowledge of the sport, a sense of fair play, and integrity is VITAL to their squads success. Putting the good of the squad above any and all other things is also vital.
Teamwork,
Dedication,
Heart,
An awesome Coach,
Knowledge,
Support (parents included),
Goals,
Creativity
Willing to try new things
A dictionary without the word "CAN'T"
Loyalty
Trust
Have to be able to take constructive criticism
Know your weaknesses
Be able to be a good winner AND loser
... could go on ...
a good/strict/dedicated/knowledgable coach
dedicated squad members
enthusiasm
school spirit
teamwork
drive
trust
respect
parental support
I like this thread!!!!
I'll post mine when I write them all down first.... A LOT of things to consider when wanting the "best of the best" in a cheer squad!!
I agree! More threads should be like this- POSITIVE!!! :Cheerlead
Well... I enjoy positive attitudes! I enjoy cheer! Put it all to-gether annnd...LOL.... seriously, cheer teaches so many important lessons if coached well! Helping young people to do something they already find enjoyable and do it successfully is something that will stay with them all their lives.. they will find a positive way to approach every life encounter, if they've been taught by someone with integrity, drive, and a great "can-do" attitude!
I think a squad should be CHEERful to be CHEERific!!
OH! and have "Spirit Fingers"!!!!
mallchee
Sorry, Snake couldn't refuse.
teamwork
dedication
and the drive to be the best:blondeche
where does the "drive" come from on a squad or team?
well, as a cheerleader for the past 12 years, I think the drive comes from the other teams surrounding you. When you see another team doing well, it makes you want to be better.
I think it comes from within. You have to want to be better.
*Central_Cheer_Chick Wrote:I think it comes from within. You have to want to be better.
i agree:Thumbs:
WORK, work and more work... NOT just on your material either. You have to work to be a great team as a whole, work to keep the squad on the same page, work to keep alll hostilities away from the squad, work to keep the squad from having disagreements and jealousy, work on a great rapport amongst members, work on your fan support during games, work on perfecting "just the right" routine for competition, work on acquiring friendships with other squads, ...... I so could go on and on!!! Cheerleading is a TEAM effort just like basketball, football, baseball, etc. ALL members must work together to make it click. You can have the BEST gymnasts who can tumble and flip all over the floor BUT if that same team has attitudes from 1 or 2 girls, this can cause more turmoil and cause the squad to struggle and NOT be as good to a good "critic" (ie: KAPOS judge or other official) who is watching them. You can spot it a mile away when you know what your looking for. To any of you girls out there who are cheerleaders right now... Do not consider yourself part of a special "CLICK" or group. You are only as unique as the rest of your squad members are when you are on the floor/field. Work as one, compete as one, win and lose as one, and cheer your hearts out as one!!!!
leadership and dedication most definately.
Heart is the most important ingredient
you have to really love to cheer, and put a lot of work into it..and a great coach
Teamwork. if you dont work together, nothings gonna be accomplished. so i think thats most important
First of all I think it's important for everyone to be on the same page. Some girls cheer just to be seen in the uniform or for the status of being a cheerleader. When you add a couple of those girls to a squad of dedicated individuals that consider cheerleading a serious sport then it doesn't matter how good the coach is. If you have a group that are all dedicated and you mix in a knowledgable coach and some super supportive parents you have a great team.:notworthy
A Greenup County blood-line...
Kosar Wrote:A Greenup County blood-line...
okay... soooo how did Greenup get to be "greenup-esque"... Did their "coach" have anything to do with it? I mean she was a product of RHS and then ended up @ Greenup to build a dynasty. If anyone out there knows this story, please share... because it's a doozey! A pure chapter and verse on how to build a winning program from the ground up! I know most of it, but would appreciate someone else having the floor!
LCcheerchick Wrote:Heart is the most important ingredient
Miles & Miles of H-E-A-R-T... on the part of the Coach and every member of the team(and their parents
:p ). Everyone has to "buy into" doing everything they can to improve, beginning the first day of try-out practice and every day after that during the entire season!
The coach must know enough about the sport to either do everything they can or know enough to get the right people to cover gymnastics, stunt work, fund raising, choreography, uniforms, and basic organization... not to mention literally hours and hours in a gym or gym-type-esque location. It also helps to have the support of the school's administrators and BOE members. Face it folks, Cheer is a sport... a year round sport @ that... if a squad is to be successful. It is actually up to the girls and their parents as to how successful they will be.... if they have a dud for a coach, it's up to them to show up in numbers @ a board meeting and get it changed... otherwise they are throwing good money down a big ol black hole of wasted opportunities/time/money/high school dreams... if the coach is a good one, and everyone's on board~ the dividends will far outweigh the investment! I am just eager to see administrators actually step up and force the issues with their cheer coaches. Every squad in the Commonwealth should be taking part in KAPOS competitions. They all must adhere to KAPOS and National Fed guidelines, so they all need to compete. Sheesh... sry bout the sermonette:o
Don't apologize. Loved it! Very true, I wish everyone felt like that
A great coach dosesn't hurt!
A dedicated coach and cheerleaders with spirit, willingness to learn, and that are overall good role models.
it takes a group effort...the girl, parents and a good & positive coach!! No trouble makers ALLOWED!
But I have to disagree with Snake II on the going to the board idea...I think that its unprofessional, rude and just down right TWO-FACED to something like that without the coach being made aware of the problem!
Usually by the time anything gets to that point, the proper chain has been followed.. as I re-read that post I realized I had omitted that point and here's one other thought. Having a meeting with the coach by a parent is a nice place to begin, but not without a 3rd party present. Since the Principal is the high school cheer coaches immediate supervisor, any meeting llike this should include them. Then if satisfaction is not reached, the next step might have to be taken but for the most part, boe members will tell anyone they aren't allowed to get involved in personnel...(they will also tell you that parents showing up in numbers @ meeting is a surefire attention getter) the Superintendent can take care of many things, but to be perfectly blunt about things, kids just have a 4 year window of opportunity and sometimes coaches waste time, dreams, money, ability... and if parents are content to sit back and allow it to happen... then more power to them... it's just supposed to be about the kids and what's actually best for them. (and you are 100% correct about going to the Board being unprofessional and rude, but what school cares so little about their students that they allow issues to get to this point... I believe RY called it 2faced... by the time a situation gets to that point, all cards are usually on the table and faces are not what's being shown... LOL) I hope every cheer squad has the best coach their school system can hire. Cheer leading is a sport and just as we read about and understand the how folks feel about that... we see the importance of a school making the best hire for a football/basketball/baseball-softball coach for boys or girls... cheer has become just as important to its minions so why not invest in someone, who is good for the kids/school and avoid all this ugliness. 4 years isn't a lifetime, but it's a very important time of life.
:ilikeit: Two-Faced was the wrong word...but I agree with your last post on this
But where I am from you just have to be careful...because some take offense to that ....so basically it boils down to this if the administration chose a cheer coach..whether one likes it or not ...you just have to be supportive!
Unless someone creates an impeachment process for a cheer coach!
Ohhhh Baby I WISH.................
Teamwork, Dedication, Heart, An awesome Coach, Knowledge, Support(parents included), Goals, Creativity - Willing to try new things, A dictionary without the word "CAN'T", Loyalty, Trust, Have to be able to take constructive criticism, Know your weaknesses
Be able to be a good winner AND loser...
I agree with Central Cheer Chick, it also includes the willingness to compromise and understand that some of your fellow cheermates are better than you. If you have issues about your cheermates than take it away from the floor and discuss with coach and other leaders.
No, issues are to be brought into any game.
Trust. I cheered for Elite's coed team (which is an amazing squad), and our success was based on our trusting each other with everything. It's hard not to throw a double or a whip through to double when you know there are 25 other people trusting that you will. That amount of trust is hard to break.