Who’s Watching You at Cheer Competitions?

Judges aren’t the only attendees at competitions‚ there’s an entire audience watching you! While it may seem like the judges are the only people that matter, the audience can actually affect how well or poorly you score. The audience’s level of interaction and cheering can have an influence on judges’ scores‚ especially if they’re looking at specific spirit elements and energy levels. But before you can impress the audience, you have to know who actually attends competitions. Fellow Cheerleaders The most obvious attendees are fellow cheerleaders! Many times, once a cheer squad has performed, they’ll watch the rest of the teams from the stands. Some cheer squads that are planning on eventually competing may attend competitions as spectators to help them get an idea of what to expect. Luckily, cheerleaders are generally supportive of one another and cheer on other squads when they perform impressive stunts. Cheer Parents A lot of the audience will include cheer parents. We all know how supportive and involved cheer parents are so it’s usually easy to spot them in the stands‚ they’re the ones cheering at the top of their lungs! Coaches Many cheer coaches‚ especially coaches from gyms‚ attend competitions to scope out the best of the best (both teams and individuals). They may even be there to recruit cheerleaders for their gyms and All Star squads, particularly high school cheerleaders who may not be on an All Star squad yet. College Recruiters or Coaches While cheerleaders aren’t recruited by colleges as often as other types of athletes are, some colleges may express interest in a cheerleader they see perform at competitions. Now that you know who is in the stands while you’re competing, you can determine ways to impress all the groups. First of all, your team should look like winners. This doesn’t mean you need an expensive uniform. A stylish stretch uniform, like this Chasse one, is budget-friendly but still elite enough for competitions. Make sure your cheer shoes are specifically designed for indoor performances, as they’ll be lighter in weight and help you gain more height during tumbles, jumps, and other stunts. Add a metallic hair bow and you’ll be ready to shine! Once you look the part, act the part! You’ve trained hard all season. While you shouldn’t focus on being perfect (that’ll only make you nervous and stressed), focus on what you can control‚ your spirit. Don’t just smile; be interactive with the judges and audience. The best way to do this is to change your smiling expressions to match changes in the music or type of stunts. If you make a mistake, don’t let it show on your face; instead, act like nothing happened. Keep the audience in mind when you’re performing. If it helps, focus in on a specific person or area of the stands. Remember, cheer competitions aren’t only about the stunts; they’re also about spirit and energy! How do you interact with the audience during a performance?