How to Direct a Junior High Cheerleading Squad

Cheerleading is a sport that allows young women and men to develop athletic skills while also directly supporting other sports teams. At the junior high school level, a cheerleading squad is sponsored by the school and works as a team to perform cheers, dance routines and act as school spirit representatives. Youth squads benefit greatly from adult supervisors who act as coaches or directors and help the junior high cheerleading squad stay organized, focused and positive.

Instructions

  1. Direct a Junior High Cheerleading Squad

    • 1

      Choose members of the cheerleading squad via tryouts. Make sure to order uniforms before the new school term. Many schools hold tryouts in the spring or early summer for the following school year. The size of the squad depends upon the size of the school, interest level of the students and the administration’s established procedures.

    • 2

      Create a practice schedule and distribute it to all of the cheerleaders. Develop cheers and dance routines during practice. If the school has the budget, consider hiring a choreographer or ask for volunteers to help, such as parents or older siblings of the cheerleaders. Appoint one or more cheerleader to a leadership position, such as captain or co-captain, to help the group stay organized. Encourage the cheerleaders to spend time together as a team and find ways to spread school spirit to all students, not just the athletes.

    • 3

      Obtain the athletic schedule from the administration and assign cheerleaders to cheer at the games. Some schools send their entire squad to every game, while others split the squad among games--this depends upon the size of the squad and the number of athletic events. Have the cheerleaders work with student council members and other school leaders to plan pep rallies on game days.

    • 4

      Familiarize yourself with the rules American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) for school-sponsored cheerleading. These detailed rules are in place to prevent injuries and help directors make decisions about the legality of particularly intricate or dangerous cheerleading stunts.

    • 5

      Send the cheerleading squad to a cheer camp run by a reputable group, such as the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA). These groups have camps that are designed solely for junior high cheerleaders with curriculums that are specific to their age group. Ideally, cheerleaders will attend a cheer camp in the summer before the beginning of the school year.