How to Improve Cheer Motions

Team cheerleading can include anything from tumbling to pyramids and flying --- where a girl is thrown into the air and performs a trick before she is caught again. However, at its most basic level, cheerleading is a team sport that is used to excite the crowd and support the home team. It has even become a sport in its own right and can be impressive when each member is precise in his movements, making crisp, clean motions in sync with the rest of the team.

Things You'll Need

  • Video camera
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Instructions

    • 1

      Practice your arm placement in front of a mirror. The arms can be use to form different shapes such as a "V," a "T" or a "touchdown" pose. Execute a proper "V" motion by positioning the arms in a perfect "V." They should be equal in height with each other and slightly in front of you. For a proper "T" motion, arms should be level with the shoulders. In both instances, the wrists should not be bent, but should be in a straight line with your arms.

      Once you've mastered the correct placement, try moving quickly to that position with your eyes closed. Once your feel your arms are in the correct location, open your eyes to see if the placement is correct; this is called "muscle memory."

    • 2

      Videotape yourself completing the movements. Videotaping will give you visual feedback on how you're doing so you can adjust accordingly. It will also allow you to see if your arms are reaching the position at the same time and how quickly you're getting into position.

    • 3

      Practice with your team to get the timing down right. One of the factors judges look for is team choreography and cohesion. Varsity Brands Inc., which specializes in cheerleading technique and products, suggests organizing your team in a bowling pin formation and practicing the motions slowly, ensuring that teammates can all complete the same motion at the same time.

      In addition to precision and positioning, speed of hitting the motions is also important. Once everyone has hit the position at the same time at a slow pace, start to speed up the movement. It's important that motions be crisp, clean and sharp instead of slow or sloppy.