Bonding Activities for Cheerleaders

When you watch a cheerleading routine, the members of the squad always seem to be in perfect synchronization with each other. However, chances are that at the beginning of the season, the group was not so well put together. Especially when teenage girls are involved, issues can arise with team work and getting along. Putting your cheerleading squad through team building activities can help them to work together throughout the season.

  1. Beyond Practice

    • Get your group of cheerleaders together outside of practices to help build a bond between the squad members. If the whole squad is girls, organize a sleepover at your home, the home of one of the girls or in the school gym. Throw a party for those who make the squad, such as a pizza party or pool party. The more the squad hangs out together, the easier it will become for the members to work together and bond.

    Friendly Competition

    • While you don't want to create a split squad, a little friendly competition can help strengthen the bonds between the cheerleaders. Instead of creating two permanent teams among your squad, change up the teams each time you hold one of these mini competitions. For a competition, split the squad into two teams and time how long it takes for each team to build a pyramid. You can also ask each team to come up with a short routine and critique each one. These activities encourage the squad members to work together toward one purpose. Mix up the teams to avoid a permanent split among your squad.

    Team-Building Activities

    • Team-building activities work to form a tighter bond between a group of people that need to work together. This makes them the ideal for groups such as cheerleaders who must rely on each other, sometimes for safety. The web of string is one team-building activity that works well. Sit in a circle with a ball of string or yarn. Say something nice about another member of the group and then roll the ball of string to that person. That person must say something nice about someone else in the circle and pass the ball to that person. Once each person has had the ball of string, stand up and there will be a web of string in the middle. Explain how that web was created through team work.

    Positive Reinforcement

    • With activities such as cheerleading, negativity can become a big part of practice, especially when working on a difficult routine or skill. Emphasize the importance of keeping things positive among the group. Encourage this positivity by creating a complement box for the cheerleaders to use. Each time a member of the squad has something positive to say about the performance of another member or something another member said or did, she should write it down and put it in the box. When the team is down, draw entries from the box and read them to the group to bring positivity back to the group.

    Community Service

    • A community service project can serve two purposes at once. Your cheerleading squad is giving back to the community and helping others who need it. They are also bonding with each other and creating a stronger sense of team. Take your group to a soup kitchen to help serve dinner to the homeless. If your school is in a city or suburban area, rake leaves in the neighborhood near your school.

    Keep It Entertaining

    • Organize practices so your squad enjoys themselves and doesn't think that cheerleading is all work and no play. Play games together that help the members bond together as a squad and also enhance their skills. Throw a talent show for your group where each member showcases what she thinks she does best in cheerleading. Create a list of unusual facts about the cheerleaders in your group. The cheerleaders must talk amongst themselves to find out which cheerleader matches which fact.