Cheerleading Basics: How to Get Started with Jumps, Chants, and Tumbling

In organized sports, part of the fun of the whole affair is when you and your fellow fans get up and cheer for your favorite team! At some sports events, those cheers are bolstered by the exultations and acrobatic prowess of a team of athletes that many sports fanatics overlook; the cheerleading squad. Cheerleading and team sports often goes hand-in-hand, but many people don’t realize that cheerleaders are themselves athletes in their own right.

This energetic sport combines elements of dance, gymnastics, and performance. In their efforts to cheer on athletes and pump up the crowd, cheerleaders have to memorize routines, speak publicly, and even practice safe tumbling and acrobatics via group stunts, jumps, and other amazing moves. This all requires a degree of practice, teamwork, and positivity that not every young athlete possesses.

In this article, we will delve into the art of cheerleading by going over the basics every young athlete needs to know in order to get started. We will touch on the powerful jumps, acrobatic moves, and catchy chants that budding cheerleaders need to know if they want to succeed. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show dear reader!

Understanding Cheerleading

Many readers may not know this, but cheerleading has actually been around since the 18060s. In those early days, it was probably just a bunch of people leading fans in an old-timey cheer, but the sport has grown and evolved quite a bit since then. Indeed, if movies like Bring it On are any indication, modern cheerleading is far more like high-level gymnastics than it ever was in the olden days. Today’s cheerleading combines athletic skills, teamwork, and high-energy routines.

Cheerleaders usually perform at sporting events to encourage the crowd to cheer on their team, but they also compete in their own events. In these endeavors, cheerleading squads showcase difficult stunts and intricate routines in an attempt to out-do one another. If you’re child is interested in a fun way to stay active, make new friends, and learn skills that boost confidence and coordination, then cheerleading may be the sport for them.

The Basics of Cheerleading

Before jumping (get it?) into the specific moves and techniques used by the cheerleading squads of today, it’s helpful for you and your child to understand the basics:

• Team Spirit: Cheerleading is about drawing people into your own excitement with a mix of enthusiasm and energy. Having a positive, upbeat attitude goes a long way in being successful and having fun!
• Sharp Movements: If you’ve ever seen an acrobatic cheerleading routine, then you know that learning and perfecting those skills requires precise, sharp arm and leg movements. Practice is going to be essential in helping you nail every move.
• Proper Form: Proper form is essential for staying safe when tumbling, climbing, dancing, jumping, or being tossed in the air. Athletes should focus on maintaining good posture, straight lines, and pointed toes. By putting in the work and finessing the form, cheerleaders can keep ingeach movement look clean and controlled.

Essential Cheerleading Gear

Cheerleading requires some proper gear in order to perform it correctly, so before you or your child get’s started make sure you get the right fit to stay comfortable and safe:

• Cheer Shoes: Cheer shoes are basically like sneaker or trainers. These shoes are lightweight, supportive, flexible, and specifically designed for jumps, stunts, and tumbling.
• Comfortable Clothing: Aside from the sometimes skimpy, basic cheer uniform you see professional cheerleaders wear, cheerleading only really requires athletic clothing that is both snug and flexible, allowing for a full range of motion. Even if you need to wear a uniform during games and meets, leggings, tank tops, and other athletic wear can likely be worn for practice.
• Pom-Poms: Though they might seem like an essential piece of the cheerleading pie, pom-poms are not always necessary. Still, the do add flair to cheers and chants and are often used in routines as a way to engage the crowd.

Learning Basic Cheerleading Jumps

Jumps are one of the main moves in cheerleading. They are used to add energy and excitement to routines. Below we have listed some of the basic jumps every cheerleader should learn:

The Toe Touch

The toe touch involves kicking both legs out to the sides while reaching for your toes with your arms. It’s an impressive and popular cheer jump that is used fairly often.

• How to Do It: Start with feet together and arms in a high “V” (arms up and out to form a “V” shape). Bend the knees, jump, and kick the legs out to the sides, keeping them as straight as possible. As the cheerleader reaches the top of their jump, they should reach their arms toward their toes.
• Practice Tips: Cheerleaders should practice regular stretching and practice high jumps to build flexibility and height.

The Herkie

The herkie jump is a classic cheer move that combines flexibility and strength. This is a great way for budding cheerleaders to add variety to their jumps.

• How to Do It: Start with feet together and arms in a high “V.” Bend the knees, jump, and kick one leg out to the side while keeping the other bent beneath. Reach arms toward the front leg.
• Practice Tips: Athletes should work on balancing and strengthening their leg muscles to improve this jump.

The Tuck Jump

This is a tricky jump that involves bringing both knees to the chest in mid-air. It’s a powerful move that helps with height and control, but it’s also pretty strength intensive.

• How to Do It: Start with feet together, arms in a high “V.” Bend the knees, jump as high as possible, and pull both knees to the chest.
• Practice Tips: To master this move, focus on knee strength and height to create a strong tuck jump.

Mastering Cheerleading Chants and Cheers

Cheering is the name of the game and many cheerleading squads accomplish this through a mix of chants and cheers together. The idea is to get the crowd as excited as you can! Here are some tips for mastering basic chants and creating your own catchy cheers.

Start Simple with Basic Chants

Short chants are easier to learn and help kids practice their rhythm and voice projection. Try out easy, repeatable chants like “Go, Team, Go!” or “Let’s Go, Tigers, Let’s Go!”

• Voice: Encourage budding cheerleaders to use a loud, strong voice to lead the crowd. They should be careful to enunciate each word clearly so that everyone in the crowd can understand.
• Timing: Young cheerleaders should make sure that their voice matches the beat of the chant. A good way to learn this skill is to practice with a metronome and keep a steady rhythm.

Use Hand Movements with Chants

In cheerleading, chanting and cheering is often combined with hand movements. This add energy to the routine and helps engage the crowd. Pom-poms are commonly used in this regard, but cheerleaders also add clapping, waving, or using arm motions that match the words of the chant.

• Example: For “Let’s Go, Team!” Cheerleaders start with hands on hips, then clap on each word, and end with their arms in a high “V.”

Writing Your Own Cheers

Cheerleading allows many young athletes to indulge in their own creativity by creating their own cheers. This activity can be a fun way to show team spirit and get your child more engaged, so it might be a good suggestion, especially if your kid is gunning for cheer captain! Here’s a simple formula they can use:

1. Start with a team name or mascot (e.g., “Let’s go, Tigers!”).
2. Add an action word (e.g., “Fight, win, score!”).
3. End with a cheer word (e.g., “We got spirit, let’s hear it!”).

Getting Started with Tumbling

Tumbling is another tool in the cheerleading arsenal that has more in common with gymnastics than dance. This facet often includes rolls, cartwheels, flips, and more. Below we have accumulated some beginner-level tumbling moves your kid can try:

The Forward Roll

A simple forward roll is a basic gymnastics move that can help a young cheerleader get comfortable with movement and balance.

• How to Do It: Start by standing with feet together. Bend the knees, tuck the head, and roll forward on the ground, finishing in a standing position.
• Practice Tips: Remind children to always tuck their head to avoid landing on their neck. Practice on a soft mat to stay safe.

The Cartwheel

Cartwheels are another classic tumbling move for a cheerleader’s repertoire that build confidence and strength.

• How to Do It: Start with one leg forward. Then, reach down to the ground with the hands, kick the back leg up, followed by the front leg, so that the body goes sideways in the air. Land with one leg at a time.
• Practice Tips: Kids can practice this move against a wall or with a coach to help with balance.

The Back Walkover

A back walkover is an advanced move, so it’s important to have someone spotting if the cheerleader is new to it.

• How to Do It: Stand up straight, lift the arms, and bend back, placing the hands on the ground while kicking one leg up and over the head.
• Practice Tips: Kids should work on shoulder flexibility and core strength. A coach or experienced cheerleader can help spot them while they practice. This move is best done once the kid is enrolled in an official capacity.

Building Flexibility and Strength

Cheerleading requires a good degree of flexibility and strength to perform jumps, stunts, and tumbling skills safely. Below are a few exercises that will help improve flexibility and build the strength needed for cheer:

• Stretching: Kids can work on leg and back stretches daily to improve their flexibility, especially for moves like toe touches and herkies. The butterfly stretch, hamstring stretch, and splits are especially helpful for this.
• Core Workouts: Having a strong core helps with balance and power. Cheerleading novices can try out exercises like planks, leg lifts, and crunches to build strength.
• Leg and Arm Strength: For jumps and stunts, leg and arm strength are key. Squats, lunges, and push-ups will help them build the muscles they need for powerful moves.

Working on Stunts and Partner Skills

As children and teens get more comfortable with the sport, they may be able to try some basic partner stunts with their teammates. Once more, these should likely be practiced only in an official capacity with cheer coaches to spot. Below is a brief introduction to stunting for beginners:

• Spotters: Spotters are teammates who help keep stunts safe by watching and catching teammates if needed. Coaches and cheerleaders can both fill this role.
• Bases: Bases are the people at the bottom of stunt towers who lift or support the flyers. Generally, you want folks who are physically strong to be at the bottom levels of the base, just in case.
• Flyers: Flyers are the ones lifted into the air. These cheerleaders need to have good balance, agility, and flexibility.

Joining a Cheerleading Team

If your child is interested in joining a local cheer squad at their school or in your town, then it might be time to start looking at local options. Many schools and gyms offer cheerleading programs where kids can practice with others, compete, and perform at games or events. Team cheerleading is one of the best ways for outgoing kids to build new friendships, learn from experienced teammates, and feel the excitement of working together toward a common goal. The contagious excitement and positivity of the sport might even help a shy kid to come out of their shell!

Cultured Athlete Says…

By now, you have learned that cheerleading is a sport full of energy, fun, and endless opportunities for kids and teens to grow as athletes. Kids can learn exciting jumps and chants while mastering tumbling moves, dance moves, and stunts. Each of these cheer skills can help to build confidence and positivity, which are essential for every cheerleader. In the end, cheerleading may even provide your child with the self-confidence they need to succeed in other areas of their life as well!