Preparing for Competition

Competition season can be stressful for every cheerleader. In order to have the best competition season, your squad needs to be organized and plan ahead for the upcoming season.  As a high school squad, you have to balance so much—pep rallies, games, classes, school activities, your role as school ambassadors and, of course, your competition season. All of this can be done efficiently with the right preparation and planning.

At the beginning of the season, coaches should decide competitions are best for your squad. There are several options to choose from: Regional, State, National and Game Time Competitions. To find out which competition, date and location are best for your squad, log onto varsity.com/competitions for more information.

To start the year off right, consider making a timeline of the entire season.  This timeline should include, but not be limited to, all games (football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, etc.) pep rallies, community service projects, appearances, practices (divided between game and competitions) and competitions.

Practice – It’s important to have assigned practices specifically to competition. Time management is key; knowing when your squad is practicing for what will help you plan the best use of your practice time. When you are practicing for competition it is important to mentally prepare for competition. This means practicing as if you were performing. If you have the chance to perform your routine at local events or half-time shows, take advantage of the opportunity to put your squad in front of a crowd. For safety, always be sure you bring mats or check for approved surfaces. As the day of your competition gets closer, consider doing a “run through” of the competition,  starting with a mock warm up time all the way through to performance time. By the time you arrive at the competition, your team should be as prepared as they can be.

Performance, Packing List – Create a packing list for game days and for competition. On game days, you may have to bring several things to school for the entire day, from the morning pep rally to the evening game and everything in between.  Competition packing lists are extremely important; remember that you can’t run home for anything you may have forgotten. Coaches and captains should create a packing check-list for the team. List everything each cheerleader will need for the entire competition. Instruct the team to pack uniforms, shoes and uniform essentials on the top of their bags, and then on departure day assign one person in charge of double checking those items.

Emergency Plan – Review your emergency plan that you have in place; if you don’t have one, now is the perfect time to create one. Check all medical release forms for allergies and medications anyone may be taking while away. Review the emergency plan with the entire squad. On the day of competition, show the squad the venue and create a meeting place for the squad. This is where the squad will meet if they are lost or at your assigned meeting times.

Sportsmanship– Be polite to everyone at the competition, from the staff to the other teams. Support all of the other teams at the competition, and remember to treat your competitors the way you want to be treated. At the awards ceremony, clap for everyone and wait to celebrate only when your team is called. Your team is there to do your personal best!

Performance – On the day of the competition, stay calm and focused. By this time, you will have practiced everything exactly the way it should be done on competition day. Look around the venue when you arrive, check out the stands and visualize yourself on the floor.  Take a deep breath and breathe, believe in yourself and your team, be confident!

Memories-  Hold on to all of your competition memories. Ask someone—maybe a team parent or assistant coach—to take pictures of the experience. And don’t forget about all of your souvenirs from the competition shop—fun t-shirts and other items are a great way to remember the competition experience.