No Pain, No Gain

All athletic teams train and condition for their sport, well so does cheer. Cheerleader’s condition and train year around in order to perform at their best. If a cheerleader slacks off during a holiday or weekend, she can lose muscle mass and will fall a step behind in her skills. Cheerleaders, unlike many other athletes, will lose most of their performance ability, as in jump height, if they stop training and conditioning for only a week’s time and will lose the majority of their tumbling ability if they stop training and conditioning for a year or more. What it takes cheerleaders to learn and master in years can be lost or degraded in a short time span if they stop conditioning. Cheerleader’s condition as much as any other athlete, if not more, because their whole sport revolves around muscle mass.

Cheerleaders work tremendously on their leg muscles. The stronger your legs the better all around cheerleader you can be. The legs help you get into the air when jumping, or get enough height to complete a tumbling pass, and enough power to shoot a stunt up. There are many different leg workouts cheerleaders do, here are few:

Lunges



Demonstration of a Lunge



Squats

Demonstration of a Squat

Frog Jumps/Mary Poppins

Leg Kicks

Running- helps build all muscles in your legs

Calve raises

Jumps- jumping repetitively is one of the best conditioning tactics coaches use to build their cheerleader’s muscles



We do about 7 toe touches (pictured), right hurkies, left hurkies, right/left hurdlers, and pikes each practice



Arms are another important body part that cheerleaders workout constantly. In order to be able to support yourself when tumbling, your arms need to be strong enough to hold your weight while your legs whip around. You also need to have arm strength to hold up a flier, or else a stunt can fall or be unsteady. Cheerleaders condition their arms through many different ways, here are a few:

Push-ups- believe it or not cheerleaders can actually do quite a few



Demonstration of a Push-Up

 Arm Dips

Weight lifting- yes, cheerleaders actually lift weights

Stunts- Coaches make their stunt groups hold the fliers in the air and alternate from a bench to an extention to build arm strength

Handstand push-ups- way more difficult than your average push-up

But most importantly, cheerleaders work on building up their abs. Abs are the dominant muscle in cheerleading that can make almost any aspect of cheerleading effortless if a cheerleader can master the use of their hard-rock abs. Abs can help a cheerleader whip her body over faster when tumbling, whip her legs up faster when jumping, or make a stunt go up easier (mostly applies to fliers) if they can hold their weight through their abs. Even though the use of abs is not as apparent as the other muscles listed, the abs are the foundation muscles that every cheerleader must have to master the sport and their abilities. Here are a few different conditioning tactics cheerleaders use to build their rock-hard abs:

Regular Crunches/Sit-ups

Demonstration of a Crunch

Side Crunches

Butterfly Crunches

Demonstration of a Butterfly Crunch

 Bicycle

Demonstration of Bicycle Crunch

6-90%

Scissor Kicks

Demonstration of Scissor Kicks

Butterfly Kicks

V-ups



There are two different versions of the V-up, this is the regular version







This is our version, where you actually make a V with your upper and lower body and your legs!

 Cheerleaders are not prissy girls who just wear short skirts, make-up, and bows. Behind all the glitter and glam, when no one is watching these girls are sweating in a gym, burning fat, and making pure muscle machines. They must be in top shape in order to jump around for hours and make it look easy. Cheerleading is not an easy sport; it takes time, hard work, perseverance, sweat, and pain. Like they say no pain, no gain. Cheerleaders are just tough creatures that can fight beyond the pain and cover it with a pretty smile. How can they say were not a sport?

This work by Veronica Oviedo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Tumbling..Not just ANYONE can do it!

To be able to tumble takes a lot of work, time, dedication, and courage. Tumbling can be very dangerous. Many cheerleaders are injured while tumbling. If you don’t get the precise amount of power or you don’t turn your body enough to make it over, you won’t make it over and you can seriously be hurt. Tumbling is taken very seriously amongst coaches and athletes. You need to make sure you are spotted (someone is there to catch you in case you don’t make it over) every time you are doing a new tumbling pass until you are ready to execute it on your own.

There are different levels of tumbling passes one can throw. There are the basic tumbling passes which consist of forward and backward rolls, kart-wheels, and round offs. When a cheerleader first starts tumbling, they must learn and master these passes before moving on. These passes are not as difficult to perform, but they are significant because they teach you how to move and control your body when it is in motion, and are the fundamental passes needed for more intense passes.

Then there are your more intermediate tumbling passes which consist of front walk-over’s, back handsprings (also known as a back-flip), and running passes such as a running round off back handspring. These passes are more difficult and require more time, technique, and coaching before mastering. Most high school cheerleaders are tumbling at this level.

This is me in the middle of a back-handspring
(Picture taken Senior year of highschool at a fundraiser)



Then there are your more advanced tumbling passes which consist of no-handed passes, such as tucks, layouts and full twists. These tumbling passes are most intricate because they require no hands, which means they require more power and more training in order to execute them. More advanced or All-Star squads require these tumbling passes.

Tumbling takes a lot of time, focus, power, and courage. Tumbling is not only a technical and power game, but it is a mind game as well. You can’t think about what if’s, you just have to trust your body and go out and throw it. If you think about tumbling too much you can freak yourself out and you can hurt yourself. Tumbling is mostly an individual aspect of cheerleading, but it does help the team’s image and competitive advantage tremendously. The support of each cheer member is vital to one cheerleaders tumbling performance and advancement. The effort of each cheerleader to advance her tumbling skills is crucial to the team’s progress and advancement. Because of tumbling and stunting, cheerleading can be more dangerous than football if one little thing goes wrong. Tumbling takes an incredible amount of athleticism, thus it should be considered a sport because of this if nothing else.

This work by Veronica Oviedo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Cheerleaders Get “Up’s” Too!

Jumping in cheer is something almost everyone is expected to do. Many people think it is super easy to jump, but little do they know technique and flexibility are major components of jumping. Incorporating jumps into routines and cheers is expected for competitive squads. Jumps are also executed when spiriting at football games, basketball games, and other sporting events. Being able to jump at every cheerleading function is extremely important, especially at competitions and games. This is one of the main reasons why cheerleaders run, train, and condition much more than what people think. To be able to get any “up”, or any height in the air, one must build their leg muscles. Lunges, squats, and running are a few of the training tactics to build the leg muscles so cheerleaders can get into the air. Cheerleaders must also be flexible. Flexibility can either be inherited or earned. In my case, I was the least flexible person in my cheer group at the age of five. For years I stretched on my own time, sitting in a straddle while watching TV, to be able to get my legs in the air. For some girls flicking their legs into the air was second nature, for me it was work, but now after cheering and stretching for years anyone would believe I was born with natural flexibility.

There are many different types of jumps cheerleaders can execute, although some are more difficult than others. I will list the different jumps and explain the different approaches and executions used during the different jumps.

Toe-Touch

The toe-touch is the most basic and most executed jump amongst cheerleaders, although, the toe-touch is one of the hardest to execute.

Approach:

1.       Start in a “clean” position (Someone will count out loud if the squad is jumping together you can count to yourself if you are doing a jump on your own. Counting allows the team to be in sync.) Hold the clean position for (5-6-7-8)

2.       Clasp (1-2)

3.       High-V (3-4)

4.       Swing arms around toward each other in a circular motion while bending legs (5)

5.       Hit the jump in the air, arms are in a T-motion and legs are in a straddle position with toes pointed. (6)

6.       Snap legs back together and land “clean” (hands by your side and legs slightly bent, absorbing your weight so you don’t injure your knees)(7-8)

7.       Stand in “clean” position on (1)

 You can view the steps and exact positioning here.

Right Herkie



My technique in this jump is not the best
(I was working on height...so don't pay attention to my arms)

 

The right herkie happens to be a preferred jump. It is easier than the toe touch because you only have to focus on lifting one leg as high as possible while the other hits a bent position. The approach to the herkie is very similar to that of the toe touch. The only step that is different is step 5.

Approach:

1.       Start in a “clean” position (5-6-7-8)

2.       Clasp (1-2)

3.       High-V (3-4)

4.       Swing arms around toward each other in a circular motion while bending legs (5)

5.       Hit the jump in the air, arms are in a T-motion and the right leg is in a straddle position while the left leg is bent to the side of you with the front part of the thigh facing forward, the knee facing to the side, and the toe pointed behind you. (6)

6.       Snap legs back together and land “clean” (hands by your side and legs slightly bent, absorbing your weight so you don’t injure your knees)(7-8)

7.       Stand in “clean” position on (1)

 You can view the steps and exact positioning here.

Left Herkie



Again, don't pay attention to my arms!

 

The left herkie is the exact same jump as the right herkie except the legs switch roles. The left leg is straight in a straddle position while the right leg is bent as if “peeing like a dog on a fire hydrant” (this is how most coaches explain the position.)

Right Hurdler





The right hurdler happens to be one of my favorite jumps because it does not take as much effort as the other jumps if you have some level of flexibility. It is often used in competitions because it looks a lot cleaner than most jumps. The approach to the hurdler is different than that of the toe-touch and herkies.

Approach:

1.       Start in a “clean” position. Hold for (5-6-7-8) Hold (1-2)

2.       Clasp  and bend legs (3)

3.       Turn to the right and shoot arms up in a clasp position about 45° between your head and chest (4)

4.       Swing arms down, while bending legs. (5) Swing arms out once reaching the knees, and around back to the same position but not clasping (make a fist with both hands and just extend both arms up in the same position without closing your arms)

5.       Hit the jump in the air, arms are in the original motion (a “touchdown” motion) except at a 45° angle and the right leg is directly in front of you lifted as high as possible. Left leg is bent behind you trying to lift as high as possible and toes pointed. (6)

6.       Snap legs back together and land “clean” (hands by your side and legs slightly bent, absorbing your weight so you don’t injure your knees)(7-8)

7.       Stand in “clean” position facing back forward on (1)

 You can view the steps and exact positioning here.

Left Hurdler

The left hurdler is the exact same jump as the right hurdler except the legs switch roles. The left leg is the straightened directly in front of you while the right is bent behind you. The direction of the jump changes as well, on count 4 you turn to the left.

Pike

The pike can either be the most difficult jump or the easiest jump depending on the flexibility and fear level of the person. This jump is actually easier for people with stronger leg muscles. It has the same approach as the hurdlers except on count six (step 5), you bring both legs up as high as possible giving the illusion as if your sitting on a table for a brief second. Both legs must stay together, touching at all times. The scariest part of this jump is the landing you have a second to get your legs as high as possible and then snap them back down or you can fall and break or injure your tailbone. This fear is what keeps most cheerleaders from reaching their full potential and height when executing the jump.

Jumps obviously are individual tricks, but all cheerleaders need to know how to jump because cheerleaders  jump as a squad too. It takes time to get jumps high and looking pretty. But the time and training definitely do pay off in the end!

Trinity Cheer by Veronica Oviedo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The Secrets Behind Stunting

This stunt is called a bench



Stunting in cheer is one of my personal favorite aspects of the sport. It requires teamwork, concentration, muscle power, timing, a little bit of thought, and mostly fearlessness. Everyone’s job within the stunt group is equally as important to make sure no one gets hurt. A stunt group usually consists of 4 people. There is the flyer, who is the person in the air. There are the bases, the two people who face each other and are in essence the floor for the flyer while she is in the air. And there is the backspot, the person monitoring the stunt and trying to alleviate as much weight off of the bases as possible. Sometimes there is also a front spot, who supports the stunt by helping to alleviate the weight as well.



These are our 1st year bases who have picked it up (literally!) so fast!



I am usually a base so I will start with that position first. The bases, the two people facing each other, are the flyer’s main support. They carry the majority of the flyers weight by trying to hold as much of her shoe (foot) as possible so she feels secure. If the bases are performing their duties right she should feel as if she is standing on the ground. The bases have to master their timing when picking up the flyer; if the bases timing is off, the flyer could lose her balance and fall. The bases also have to transform their grip on the flyer’s shoe while the stunt is taking action and going up.



Position when setting for stunt



Position when stunt is set in place
(notice the change in hands!)



It’s not holding her up that is the hard part, it’s the getting her up there. Teamwork amongst the bases is critical to the stunt, which includes the timing, the muscle power put into getting her in the air, and the concentration.



These are two of our backspots!



Then there is the backspot, whose job is just as critical. The backspot is in essence the leader of the stunt group. She/he calls the beginning counts of the stunt, so the bases, flyer, and themselves are all together and master the timing element. The backspot is usually the tallest out of the stunt group allowing her/him to lift the weight up by pulling up on the ankle or calve of the flyer. The backspot also calls the beginning counts for the pop-cradle (the motion of getting her down from the stunt) so the cradle is timed perfectly. The cradle is probably just as difficult as getting the flyer up in the air. The bases and backspot have to time it perfectly where they all dip and toss her in the air at the same time. If any member is off, or throws to hard (over-powering another member) the flyer could fall to the ground or go flying over one of the bases heads. This control over the stunt group is given to the backspot, they are responsible for attaining the perfect timing in the group, and the safety of all members since she/he can see every member better than anyone else in the group.

These are our brave 1st year flyers!






Last but not least of the stunt group is the flyer. Although the flyer looks like they do nothing but smile in the air, they actually have to do much more than just say cheese! The flyer has to be fearless! She has to entrust her safety and well being to her group members, but she can’t depend solely on them. The flyer has to push off of the bases shoulders when the stunt is put into action, helping the bases get her in the air in a matter of seconds.

Even though she wears a pretty smile, she is squeezing every muscle!

Second, she has to lift as  much of her weight as possible by squeezing ever muscle in her body, particularly her legs, butt, and abdominal muscles. This actually, believe it or not, takes a good amount of weight off of the bases and backspot. The flyers main responsibility, besides not freaking out while going into the air, being in the air, and coming down from the air, is to be as tight as possible. By squeezing every muscle in her body she prevents any chance of hitting the floor than if she were to just be loose in the air. This is because if the stunt does happen to fall, or lose control, the bases and backspot will be able to recover quickly or catch her quickly if she is tight. If she is loose and the stunt goes wrong she can come down with arms and legs flopping everywhere, most likely knocking out her bases and backspot and leaving no one to catch her. As you can tell, the flyer has just as much responsibility as the other three girls lifting her.

This stunt is called a liberty aka lib!

(it is a one legged stunt)

By realizing everyone’s role in the stunt, you can be able to tell how hard it is to master a stunt, especially one legged stunts (harder for the flyer because they also have to control their balance!) Everyone has to put in a substantial amount of effort, power, and concentration in order to make a 30 sec. stunt look so easy and effortless.

This is our first year flyer who mastered a lib after two practices!



This work by Veronica Oviedo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The background of TU Cheer



Day Before Game Day!

Trinity University has many sports on campus. Of course there are the obvious ones such as football, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer which usually draw a crowd. And then there are the sports that don’t draw nearly as big of a crowd, but are just as important such as golf, tennis, cross country, swimming and diving, and track and field. Yet, there is a team that Trinity students forget about when listing the sports on campus and that team is made up of the cheerleaders.

Most individuals, not only at Trinity but throughout the world, disagree with the fact that cheerleading is a sport. They claim that cheerleader’s soul purpose for existing is to entertain the fans of other sports. These individuals do not realize that cheerleading IS considered a sport. A sport can be defined in many ways, although the basic principle included in the definition of a sport (which many people do agree on) is the concept that a sport is a competitive, physical activity. With this common concept, cheerleading would then be considered a sport.

The cheerleaders at Trinity University are a dynamic group of girls that bring love, commitment, understanding, cooperation, and perseverance to practices and games. Don’t be fooled by the tiny skirts, bows, smiles, and make-up, the cheerleaders practice like every other team on campus. We do entertain the crowd, lead chants and cheers, and raise the spirits of students, parents and fans at every home football and basketball game, but we do much more beyond that. We train for our sport. We practice many hours throughout the week, stunting, tumbling, jumping, and conditioning. To the fans and students the stunts and tricks we pull at the games may look effortless, but it is only because we put the time and work into getting it perfect at practice. Every other week I will give a quick breakdown of how cheerleaders pull off their effortless moves at the games, so maybe people could actually understand the difficulty of what we do, and maybe think twice before stating that cheerleading is NOT a sport. After all, ESPN (the official sport channel) airs cheerleading competitions. If cheer was not a sport, why would they air such a spectacle?

Trinity Cheer by Veronica Oviedo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.