Welcoming Freshmen to the Team the Cheerleader Way

Whether you have one or 10 freshmen on your cheer squad this year, the best way to unite the team as a family and show the power of cheer by example is by welcoming your freshmen and helping them out. It’s already hard enough and intimidating being a freshman at school and on the squad. As someone who used to be a freshman not too long ago, you should know from experience how scary it can be. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors: show your freshmen what spirit is all about! Don’t wait until school starts to get to know the freshmen. You have summer practice and cheer camp for a reason – it’s not just to learn and practice routines, it’s to bond with your teammates! Don’t wait until September to finally talk to the freshmen. Use the summer to get to know them and become friends. The best squads are the squads that care about each other and are friends. Host an official welcome to freshman year party! If you’re on a large squad, or if you have quite a few new freshmen, think about throwing a small party to welcome them to the team and to high school. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; it could even be a simple potluck after the last summer practice session. Don’t haze. Even if you think it’s just a fun way of welcoming new members to the squad, hazing is a form of bullying and peer pressure. Freshmen have it hard enough starting a new school and joining a new squad; they need friends and peers to guide them, not bully teammates. Cheerleaders are about being a family and being a team; singling someone out and pressuring them to do something embarrassing isn’t the cheer way. Offer a hand before someone asks for it. Don’t wait for one of the freshmen to ask for help. Offer it! As school begins, let the freshmen on your team know that you’re there if they have any questions, even if it’s just directions to history class. Think about it, wouldn’t you have liked someone to rely on for help when you were first maneuvering your way through your school’s halls? Look out for mistakes. As the school year kicks in, some of the freshmen may start feeling overwhelmed. They’re only just learning how to balance new classes with a new cheer schedule. During practice, keep an eye out on them and watch for any mistakes. They may forget a few things in the process of figuring out the crazy world of high school. The more you help them, the more your entire squad will look! Remember, it’s a team effort. What are your tips for welcoming freshmen? What do you wish you knew when you were a freshman?