Cheerleading Goals for the New Year

You can set and reset goals any time, but the beginning of a new year is an especially good time to decide what you want to accomplish and start working toward it. For many of us, one of our top goals is to improve our cheering. If your New Year’s resolution is to become a better cheerleader, you will need to set goals of mastering specific skills. Here are some jumps, stunts, and tumbling skills to learn this year. As you work on these, make sure safety measures are in place! Use mats, training equipment, and spotters. Attempting any skills without proper equipment, training, and supervision may result in serious injury. Don’t forget a proper warmup to avoid injuries! Beginners: If you’re a beginning cheerleader, set a goal of learning these skills: Straight jump Tuck jump X jump Back Walkover Front walkover Roundoff Intermediate: Ready to move on from the beginner skills? Work on these: Stop your roundoff in the middle and hold the handstand position, then transition to a front walkover. Do the beginning skills several times in a row. See how many roundoffs and walkovers you can do without stopping, then try to beat your record. Make up combinations of the beginning moves. Instead of doing multiple of the same move in a row, mix them up. One-handed roundoff Toe touch Pike Around the world Scorpion Arabesque Advanced: If you’ve mastered the intermediate skills, make a goal of learning these this year: Hurkie Hurdler Aerial Needle Front handspring Back handspring Then, try some combinations, like: Roundoff, back handspring Roundoff, back handspring, back handspring Roundoff, back handspring, cartwheel Roundoff, back handspring, front walkover Aerial, front handspring, back handspring Now that you’ve set your goals for what skills you are going to learn this year, let’s learn them! Consult these free resources for step-by-step visual instructions on performing the skills listed above. The Cheerleader’s Guide to Practicing and Mastering Jumps The Complete Guide to Tumbling for Cheerleading The Cheerleading Guide to Stunt Group Positions, Training, and Tips What are your cheer goals for this year?