How to Learn Cheerleading Chants & Cheers

The United State is home to approximately 3.3 million cheerleaders, from junior level kids squads to professionals accompanying major league sports teams. While cheerleaders are often associated with frilly skirts, pom poms and athletic prowess leading to elaborate moves and pyramids, the entire sport of cheering has evolved over time. There are a variety of ways to learn the cheers and chants cheerleaders master, both through self-paced study and practice and through instruction from cheer professionals. Whether you intend to take your cheering to the competitive level or just would like to pick up a few new skills, you'll find cheer training something to cheer about.

Instructions

    • 1

      Select a cheerleading cheer book, such as "101 Best Cheers" by Suzi J. Golden, "Cheers, Chants, and Signs: Getting the Crowd Going" by Jones and Jen, "Cheerleading Basics" by Lisa Mullarkey or "Cheerleading Stars" by Craig Peters. Be sure to choose a book with many cheers explained. Keep the book with you during long car or train rides and go over the lyrics and chants in your head, at your own pace.

    • 2

      Watch a cheerleading DVD or VHS. You can learn to cheer along with the video and pause or rewind it when necessary. Be sure to choose a video for beginners; options such as "Cheerleading Chants," "How to Be a Cheerleader," "Cheerleading Cheers and Chants" or "Cheer!" are available at video rental stores or for purchase.

    • 3

      Enroll in private lessons at a local cheerleading club. Lessons are usually determined by age and offered by seasoned cheerleaders or instructors. Interested cheerleaders in the Maryland area, for example, will find private lessons from Cheer Thunder, giving one-on-one instruction on cheers and tumbling on a half-hour basis. In Indiana, the Lawrence County Extreme group offers a free trial cheerleading class to anyone interested. If your local area doesn't offer lessons, you'll find online lessons from companies such as Dance Jam, showcasing vocal cheers and choreographed dances.

    • 4

      Review cheer websites, which list the words and titles of the most popular cheers. Some sites, such as "Top Cheers," "Cheerleading Coaches Corner" and "Cheerleading Company" even include an audio component where you can turn on your computer's speakers and hear actual cheerleaders performing the cadence of the cheers and practice right along with them.