Cheerleading Stunts & Accessories

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches how to do a cheerleading toe touch, which is one of the most popular jumps in cheerleading and requires pointed toes, a straight back and even legs.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to show you how to do a cheerleading toe touch. A toe touch is one of the most popular jumps that you will perform in cheerleading. A toe touch is going to look like this when it's in the air. You want to have your legs spread evenly on both sides. It's very important to make sure you have your toes pointed. That's going to be one of the most important things when doing this jump. Your arms are going to be positioned parallel to your legs, out on each side. There's a couple variations of how you can hold your arms. You can hold them as fists as I'm demonstrating right now. You could also choose to do blades, which are going to look like this. And in that sense, it looks as if you're reaching towards your toes. When you do a toe touch, you want to remember your form which we just went over, is the most important thing. The height of the jump will come later as you practice it, but go ahead and make sure that your back is straight, your arms out and your legs are both even. And we don't want one leg higher than the other. This is what a toe touch looks like. When we do our toe touch, we want to make sure after we land that we stick our landing and pop out of it. One more time. And that is how you do a cheerleading toe touch."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches the cheerleading herkie jump, which can be done to the left or right, and is often incorporated into cheerleading routines, cheers or just when showing spirit.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to show you how to do a cheerleading herkie. A herkie is a jump that cheerleaders perform. It's slightly more difficult than the most common jump, a toe touch. When you're doing your herkie, it's really important to make sure you stretch out, because this jump is a higher level of difficulty. A cheerleading herkie in air is going to look like this. You're going to have either your right or your left leg out just like you would in a toe touch. The opposite leg is going to be bent at a ninety degree angle. The front part of your leg jetting out like it would in a toe touch, and the back part of your leg bending straight in a ninety degree angle. You want to make sure your toes remain pointed. Your arms are going to hold a V position parallel to your legs. You can also choose to put your arms in blades. When doing your herkie, you can either do a right herkie like I'm demonstrating right now, or switch it up and do a left herkie. It is important to maintain both of them, because in a routine you may need to do it to one side or another. It's appropriate to do these jumps within a cheer or in a choreographed routine, or just when you're showing spirit in general. A herkie jump is going to look like this. And that was the right herkie."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches about the most important part of learning the splits for cheerleading, which is stretching properly.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to show you how to do splits in cheerleading. Cheerleading splits are a commonly used pose to do when you're doing a cheerleading formation. You can also use these splits in your stunts as well, once the fliers have gotten good at them. It's important to make sure you stretch out when doing a cheerleading split. We're going to concentrate on the left and right splits. This is going to be a right split with your right leg out forward. First we want to start out with our right leg forward. We're going to stretch forward. Make sure your knee is at a ninety-degree angle. We don't want our knee to go past our toe. So we're going to stretch forward into it. After you do this stretch for about fifteen seconds, you want to lean back and stretch the underneath of the leg. Stay back in this stretch for about fifteen minutes. You can lean your chest forward on this one as well. After that, you can simply slide into your split. A common pose you can use is the high V once you're in your split. That's the right split. The left split is going to be the exact same thing to the other side. Ninety degree angle. Make sure we get a nice stretch on the inside of your thigh, lean back and stretch the underneath of our leg, and we're going to slide into our left split and hit our high V. The last split is going to be a middle split. That's going to be when you're facing forward. This is the most difficult and will take the most prep to get into. You can stretch for this one by simply going down over both legs. You can do a squat stretch and then into your middle split. And that is how you do a cheerleading split."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches how there are several ways to make cheerleading bows, starting with simple ribbons in school colors and moving to more complicated sewn bows.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi everyone, I'm Lucy Spain here to show you how to make cheerleading hair bows. The most common cheerleading hair bow is going to be a collection of two simple ribbons that you can buy at any local craft store. You're going to tie them together to simply form a bow, loop that through your ponytail holder so it's nice and secure and won't fall out while you're running around. You want to make sure you use your school colors, or you can use one of your school colors and white or black. A step up from that is going to be a simple ribbon that we're going to decorate with puffy paint. You're going to want to get a wider ribbon this time from your craft store and get colors of puffy paint that correlate with your team colors. On one side of the bottom of the ribbon you can write your name, school name, mascot, or some team player's numbers. You're going to want to make sure you cut triangles at the bottom of all your ribbons. This is going to keep them lasting long and from fraying. Last but not least, we have the fanciest cheerleading ribbon which is going to be made with a sewing machine. This is going to be taking a thick piece of ribbon from a craft store, like so. You're going to want to loop it into a bow and then we're going to take a hot glue gun and actually attach this to a barrette like we have here at the bottom. Once you have it attached to your barrette, you can simply unhook the barrette, clip it in through your ponytail holder, and attach the ends. These bows are going to be a little more difficult to make, so if you have a mother of someone on your squad that has a sewing machine, this would be a great time for her to help you out and get into your team spirit. And this is how you make a cheerleading bow."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches how to do homemade cheerleading pom poms, which can be made with trash bags that come in different colors.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to show you how to make cheerleading pom poms. There are two different kinds of poms that you can use. The first one is going to be a single pom with one handle. This is a common pom pom. However, now most squads are going to be going to this type of pom pom which will actually just look like one ruffle, however, the handle is actually hidden in the middle. These pom poms hold like this and actually hide your entire hand. So that's the kind we're going to concentrate on today. You're going to want to go to any store and buy about ten trash bags in your school's colors. Black and white are the most easy to find, so if you find one of your school colors, go ahead and mix it up with some black or white. Take about ten of your trash bags and layer them on top of one another. You're going to want to use a flat surface where you can't cut anything up, so I wouldn't recommend using carpet or hard wood. I would go ahead and use a nice cutting surface. You're going to want to put your bags together and lay them down on a flat surface. After that you're going to have to cut off some of the uneven edges, such as the lacing up here. We're going to want to go ahead and cut all that off. Just get rid of any corners or anything uneven that you're not going to be able to use. So once you get it cut nice across the top, we're going to fold these bags in half once again. After we do that, you're going to want to cut off the folded edge, and after that make sure your bags are all still aligned. Keep in mind you should have about ten. And then you're simply going to go from each side and make slits towards the center. If you want your pom poms to be fuller, go with thinner strips. If you want them to be less full, go with thicker. You want to cut them in towards the center leaving about three inches on each side. So go ahead and keep cutting your strips on both sides. After you get your strips cut, you're going to want to gather that central part that we left and wrap it with some electrical tape or duct tape or any kind of sturdy tape that you can find around the house. You're going to tie that center part up. Then after that, you're going to take the strips that we made earlier and do what's called fluffing the pom pom. You just want to crinkle them up, keep crinkling them until you've got nice strips that look like a completed project right here. And that's how you make a cheerleading pom pom."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches the best way to make cheerleading tryouts, which is to begin preparing at least three months in advance, with proper diet, exercise and daily stretching.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to talk to you about how to make cheerleading try outs. Cheerleading try outs are something you should start preparing for at least three months ahead of time as your body needs this much time to get ready. You're going to want to start exercising, watching your diet and stretching every day three months prior to your try outs. It's also a good idea to inquire the squad you're trying out for and know what the requirements are. After you find out the requirements, you should sign up for a gymnastics class, a dance class, or enroll yourself into cheerleading camp. After you do these things, it's important to rent cheerleading videos or go to collegiate and community games to watch the cheerleaders there because you'll learn more things the more you watch. When the time for the try outs approaches, you want to make sure you dress with no jewelry, wear clothes that are fitted so they won't get in the way, make sure your hair and make-up are neatly done and make sure your nails are trimmed. It's also important to make sure you have a flat footed shoe on. This way when you're doing stunts with your other girls on your squad, the bases will have something to grab on the flier's foot which is really important. You should also know if you're trying out to be a base or a flier. When you show up at try outs, make sure you fill out all your paperwork honestly. It's really important to make sure you show up with confidence, and a smile on your face always. You're going to start out by learning the routine from the coaches and former captains. You should learn attentively, try to pay attention and then go practice alone for a while and then practice with a group. When it's your turn to take the floor, make sure you show spirit. That's going to get your true personality across and may give you an edge up if it comes down to picking between you and another girl. When it comes time to finding out, make sure you take it in stride whether you make it or you don't, because there's always next year. Good luck."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches that when performing a cheerleading pyramid, you must try making it more creative by creating different formations and trying different dismounts.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to tell you how to perform cheerleading pyramids. Now a basic pyramid is going to be a collection of the stunts that your squad should already have. Whether these stunts be a half, a full, the liberty, the heel stretch, and the scorpion, you're going to want to make sure you have these basic stunts mastered before you move on to pyramid work. The reason this is important is because a pyramid is usually going to consist of about six or more people. And in this pyramid, if one part of the pyramid falls, the other part is most likely to go down as well. So you want to make sure you're not putting your other squad members at risk. It's also very important to make sure that you have spotters around when you're doing your pyramids. For every girl in the air, she should have her own spotter. There are also rules and regulations that go from state to state as far as how pyramids can be built, how many levels high they can be, and different ways to dismount. So you want to make sure you're following your state's rules when it comes to putting your pyramids together. Now, the most interesting thing about pyramids are the creative ways you can link them together. Say your squad has a couple of liberty groups. You can bring these groups together and link them with your arms. You can do different levels, different ways of reaching and different motions while you're in the air with your liberties. You can have an outside girl do a right liberty, and a girl next to her do a left liberty and simply join them with opposing arm motions. That's going to turn out to be a nice looking pyramid. Another way to make your pyramids creative is different dismounts. The most common dismount would be a step out where you simply would grab the shoulders of the person in front of you, and step out of your pyramid. Another step up from that is going to be the cradle where your bases will give you a pop and the flier will simply ride the cradle up and land within her two bases and her back spot. If you want to do a variation on the cradle after you get that down, you can do a twisting cradle which is also referred to as a three sixty. When the flier is riding her pop, she will simply ride up and twist down into her cradle. That is going to be the most advanced way to get out of a pyramid. Now that you've got the tools to get started, go ahead and get creative and start putting your individual stunts into a pyramid. And that's how you create a cheerleading pyramid."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches some popular cheerleading chants, which are passed down through the years and are performed by chanting a very simple string of words.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to show you how to perform popular cheerleading chants. Now, contrary to popular belief, a chant is actually different from a cheer. A chant is going to consist of one line of words and you're going to repeat that line of words along with motions three times. Now, these words can be something that your squad makes up or they can be from common cheers passed on from years before. The one we're going to learn today is going to be called G, O. Now first you're going to start out by teaching your squad the words. The words to this chant are, "G, O, go, go, go team, go. G, O, go, go, go team, go." Like I said before, you're going to repeat three times. Second, you're going to want to teach your team the motions. The motions to this cheer are G, O, go, go, go team, go. One more time. G, O, go, go, go team, go. Now you've got the motions and the words down, you can go ahead and put them together and perform the chant three times too. Usually the captain of the squad or whoever taught the squad will call the chant by simply saying it one time. G, O, go, go, go team, go. G, O, go, go, go team, go. G, O, go, go, go team, go. G, O, go, go, go team, go. Let's go team. Here we go. Always remember to show spirit after all of your chants. And that is how you teach and learn a popular cheerleading chant."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches that when practicing cheerleading jumps, you must stretch frequently and thoroughly, and try practicing in front of a full-length mirror.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to tell you about how to practice your cheerleading jumps. Practice is very important when it comes to jumps because you're height and form are going to improve immensely if you do a few simple exercises every day. Fist and foremost, to get your jumps looking their best, you're going to need to stretch. Stretch, stretch, stretch. I cannot say it enough. It's so important. Especially when it comes to your more advanced jumps like the herkies, the pikes and the double nines. You're going to want to do regular stretches, legs apart, down to the side, to the middle, to the other side. You're also going to want to do a lot of floor stretches such as your butterfly, stretch the inside of your legs, and the split stretch where you're going to want to work on getting your chest to the ground and getting your head to your legs. Now that we've talked about stretching and the importance of it, you should work on it for about twenty minutes a day. Next you can work on strength, toning and training your muscles. A good exercise to do are simple leg lifts. Concentrate on the right leg. You're going to want to be in a straddle position, lean back over your left leg, placing your right hand in front so you've got your balance. You're going to simply want to point your toes, same form you would in your jump, and lift this leg off the ground. I would do about fifteen to thirty reps, take a break, and switch sides. Now that we've learned that exercise, you can do a standing one in a similar fashion. These are called leg kicks. You're going to want to start with the right leg behind you if you're practicing the right leg, arms up in your high V, and simply. You can do the same thing with your left leg. Make sure you alway keep your strength training and stretching even on both sides, or else in your jumps you're going to be lopsided with the leg you're favoring. It's also important to practice your jumps in front of a full length mirror, sideways so you can see your form. Make sure you're not hunching over. You want to stay nice and straight. Another great ways to practice these is on a trampoline. So if you know anybody that has a trampoline, or sign up for some gymnastics classes, that would be a great time to practice your jumps. And that's how you practice your cheerleading jumps."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches that when practicing cheerleading stunts, it is important to have an experienced coach and several spotters.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to tell you how to practice your cheerleading stunts. It's very important when you're practicing any kind of cheerleading stunts that you have an experienced coach around, mats set on the ground, and you also need to make sure you have some people on the squad that are acting as spotters, which is very important. You're going to decide who is going to play which role in the stunt. You're going to need at least two bases, a back spot and a flier. Now the bases are probably going to be the strongest people on your squad, as they are going to be lifting the fliers up into different positions. You're going to want to make sure that they have strong leg muscles, strong arm muscles. Now bases, your most important exercises to worry about are going to be weight lifting and toning with your legs and arms. Next you have the flier. The flier is going to be some of the smaller members of the squad. It doesn't always make the most sense to pick the smallest girl. You're going to want someone who's muscular and who can keep really tight while they're up in the air being thrown around. The back spot is going to always be one of the most tall people on the squad so they can reach up and catch the flier before they come down to the base's level. Some good stunts to practice are a half, where the flier will hit this position and be chest level on the bases. Next the bases can pull the flier in her same position up to a full. We can also work on one legged stunts where the bases will hold, one will hold the front and back of the shoe, the other base will hold the top and bottom of the shoe. The flier can hit many positions, the liberty, the heel stretch, and the scorpion. Some good drills for fliers to practice are obviously going to be your flexibility. It's also great if you can find an uneven ledge such as a staircase, and step up on that ledge. Practice pulling yourself up tight and practice holding your balance. Those are going to be crucial to practicing your stunts."

In this video lesson, Cheerleading Instructor Lucy Spain teaches that a cheerleading routine often consists of six elements that need to be choreographed together, including cheering, dancings, jumps, tumbling, individual stunts and pyramids.



Video Transcript: LUCY SPAIN: "Hi, I'm Lucy Spain here to tell you how to get started choreographing your cheerleading routine. A cheerleading routine commonly consists of six elements a cheer (cheering), a dance (dancing), jumps, tumbling sequence, individual stunts, and pyramids. Now that we've got our six elements, we're going to want to decide what we're choreographing our routine for. Routines can be used anywhere from games to events, such as, parades in your town, all the way up to the competition level. It's important to know what you're choreographing for because you'll know what space you have to work with and what time restraints you have. Usually your routine is going to be around three minutes. Next, we get to start choreographing and putting together our music for the routine. The music can be mixed be a hired professional or you can choose to mix it yourself on your home computer. You're going to want to use multiple song clips, you can also use some special sound effects, such as, your school mascots noise or claps or bell ringing anytime a jump, or a stunt, or a tumble is hit. After you've got the music down, it's time you start choreographing the different elements of your routine. Everything is going to go to music except for the cheer portion, this is why most squads decide to start out with a cheer and then go ahead and have the music throughout the rest of the routine. Once we have some of the elements in place, it's important to decide what you're going to do for your transitions from one thing to the next. Say from our cheer, to our dance, to our tumbling sequence. When you're doing transitioning you want to be as creative as possible just make sure everybody on the team is using the same movements. You can decide you want to walk in transition with your head down and fists, you can decide to do a cute jog, you could also do spins, tumbles, or even have girls on each others shoulders, or in flat back positions as you go from one part of the routine to the next. The most important thing in your routines in creativity so go ahead and get together with the people on your squad and get started and this is how you'll choreograph an awesome cheerleading routine."