This Might be Why You Didn't Make the Cheer Squad

Trying out for the cheerleading squad is a dream for a lot of males and females, especially when you get to collegiate and professional levels. However, you got to the cheer tryout only to hear your name be called when they're announcing the cuts. You thought you did everything right and you tried really hard. So what did you do wrong that caused you to not make the squad?

Your attitude: The coaches look at your attitude and can tell whether or not you are being genuine. If you had a bad attitude and it showed or you were trying to hide it, then this would be a red flag for the cheer coaches. This goes along with your spirit; if your enthusiasm was not there, then the coaches will not choose you because they want that good enthusiasm.
Your personality: Were you hiding your personality or were you being you? Sure, you might have a great personality but if the coaches didn't get a chance to see it, then they didn't know it existed and that's a problem.
Your leadership skills: Taking control of situations or helping guide the pack is not something only the coaches do or the assigned captain, it's something everyone can contribute a bit to when the situation calls for it. Each cheerleader has a little captain duties, not just the one with the C on their cheerleader uniform. 
Your team work skills: Did you have conflict with another person at the tryouts? Were you showing that it's either your way or the highway? That's a problem. This also includes if you are helpful to the team or just let things become someone else's responsibility.
You ability to adapt and change: If you are someone who has a really hard time adjusting to different duties that may not be your own, then that sticks out to the coaches.

Don't worry, there is the next year's tryouts for you to go for. Consider these things and practice your moves!

How To Choose the Best Shoes for Cheerleading - 6 Tips

Cheerleading can be quite tough on the body, especially when you have a competition on top of a couple games that week; maybe those games even went into overtime. Bottom line is that you need shoes that look good but also have good support and keep your feet feeling good.

Here are some tips for finding the right kind of shoe for you. Bonus points for finding one that matches your cheerleading apparel and cheer uniform. 

• Grips. You want to find a shoe that has good finger grips in it, especially if you are a flyer. When your fellow cheer squad members hold you up and toss you, you want them to have the best grip on your shoes as they can get. Look for shoes that have finger grips that can fit almost all finger sizes so you don't have to worry about who can grip your shoe and who can't. 
• Insoles. You will want shoes that have a good amount of padding inside the shoe to cushion your foot from the stunts, especially for landing. If you can, try to find shoes that have interchangeable insoles or at least find a good pair of insoles that you can place inside the shoe in addition to what is built in. 
• Comfort. Consider the comfort of the shoe; this is perhaps the most important aspect of finding the right shoe because if it is not comfortable, no amount of padding will make you want to wear them. Find shoes that are flexible and even breathable. The lighter the shoe, the more comfortable it will likely be; heavier shoes tend to make your feet tired and then they will start to hurt. 
• Arch support. You will want shoes that have good arch support. The better the arch support, the more comfortable they will be because you won't develop flat feet, landing will be easier on the feet, stunts will feel better, and your feet will just feel better overall. 
• Color: The color is entirely up to you/your squad. Most cheerleading squads prefer a white shoe because the color is neutral and compliments any uniform color scheme. 
• Lining. Finding a shoe that has a good lining is important as well. With many athletic shoes, you can find ones that have anti-microbial linings to prevent stink from sweat and bacteria. The strength of the lining matters since you are doing a lot of work on your shoes and a weak lining can make your shoes difficult to wear. 

If you are looking for good cheer apparel and cheer accessories then check us out! 

How to Get Guys on Your Cheerleading Squad

So cheerleading is predominantly a women's sport in the current times however did you know that cheerleading started out as a man's deal? Not only that but if you look at college cheerleading squads, there are a fair amount of guys on the cheer squads and they are not ashamed of it. So what are some ways you can get your squad to have a few more guys?

1. Let the females do the selling. A guy is always intrigued when a few cheerleaders come talk to them and ask them to come to their practice and try it out. Also, the cheerleaders know the sport the best so what better representatives than them? The cheerleaders will be able to answer any questions the prospective members have about the sport, the squad, the stunts and cheers, etc. 
2. Look for the guys who seem interested. At almost every sporting event, there are guys who are very into the cheers for the team and go wild in rooting for the team. Try to target these guys as they are already open to the idea of cheering for a sports team. Some people will be harder to recruit than others so look for people who give you at least a little bit of an opening. 
3. Let them know how athletic it is. A lot of guys believe that cheerleading is just a hobby and not a real sport because there is no ball, field, court, rink, etc. The truth is, you have to be pretty strong to be able to lift people up and you have to be coordinated. Let them know it is a workout, lifting weight, each time they do a practice, competition, or game. No, there are not as many components o cheerleading as there are for other sports but that does not mean it is not a sport, let them know this. Chances are, they will be pleasantly surprised. 
4. They will be celebrities... sort of. In most levels of cheerleading, there are more girls than they are guys, even at the collegiate level where there are a lot of male cheerleaders, they are out numbered by their female counterparts. Thus, if they were to join the squad, they would be noticed for sure and complimented for their bravery and courage. It could even get them more noticed by the ladies. 
5. Remind them it is a sport. This was hinted at before that it is indeed a sport despite not having a ball or object that needs to be scored into a net or part of the field. However, it is tough, requires strength, coordination, mental toughness, and it makes you sweat. So bam! It's a sport.