Omni Cheer Blog

It is the best time of year‚
competition season! Congratulations on making it this far, and with final competitions quickly approaching, you might be thinking what’s next. Your team has their choreography down, travel and lodging is taken care of, uniforms are in tiptop dry-cleaned shape and you are all set to go. However, you know as an experienced coach, once you arrive at the competition, anything and everything can go wrong‚ especially when it comes to run-throughs! Every year, it is something new, so here are a few ways to make run-throughs better at your next competition.

1.
Have a family meeting right when you get there. This meeting should include parents, or anyone involved in pickup and drop-off, i.e. chaperones or carpool parents. Depending on the age of your team and if this is your team’s first competition, some parents need to be informed of what to do more than others. Most parents new to cheer may not know about run-throughs at all! During this meeting,
break it down for your parents. This might be your 12
^th competition season and you may think parents might know what to expect, but I can guarantee you, they have no idea and have probably never even heard the word “run-throughs’ before in their life. I can also guarantee they have no idea it is closed to parents or that they have 3-4 hours to kill before their child actually competes. Make it clear and then proceed to check into the hotel.

2.
Time is not on your side. I cannot stress how important punctuality is at competitions! These
competitions are like well-oiled machines: schedules are strict, and not something to mess with. If you are late, you will lose your practice spot. Period.

3.
Judging. Don’t get it twisted‚ teams are being judged from the moment they walk in that door. Some competitions are stricter than others, and things like
poor sportsmanship can cost you a few points before you even set foot on the mats. As soon as your team walks in that building, they are representatives of the cheerleading community as well as their team. Be sure to talk to your team about cell phone use, appropriate competition conversation, etc. You don’t want to miss out placing because of something that could be easily avoided!

4.
Know what needs work. Your team has been
practicing this routine for weeks, and you know what parts of it need last minute practice time to get right. As a coach, your team has worked hard to get to this point and you do not want to waste precious practice hours just doing the routine over and over.  You need to push those last-minute practices to make sure everyone hits their portion just right. Of course, you will want to do full routine run-throughs and take a few breaks before you go out to the main stage. But, you really want to focus on what needs most attention to make your routine flawless.

By following the steps above, run-throughs will be a breeze. The competition atmosphere is intense and a lot of things are going on all at once. Having a game plan together and being prepared is the best thing you can do take make sure all aspects of your competition day will run smoothly.

How do you have to better competition run-throughs? Share your tips with us in the comments!

There’s something special about getting out on the competition mat while rocking glittery eyeshadow, bright lipstick, and a pop of color on the cheek. Once the competition is over (and your squad is heading home with a shiny new trophy, of course), though, removing your makeup is a necessary task. 

Properly removing your makeup and keeping your face clean is important for your skin. Leaving daily makeup on for too long can cause breakouts, fine lines on the skin, and dryness or irritation. This is the one time where adding more glitter doesn’t help!

Of course, there’s no reason to panic over makeup removal. It’s a piece of cake to keep your face clean and bright and only takes a few minutes every day.

First of all, when you take your makeup off at the end of the day, use makeup removal wipes. These can be purchased from the drugstore. Even if it’s a little more expensive, invest in brand names you know and trust. These products not only take care not to irritate the skin, but may also have additional benefits such as softening your complexion. Don’t be afraid to use more than one wipe if necessary. It’s important to remove all your makeup, particularly around your eyes. You won’t need to scrub too hard and shouldn’t. If you’ve got stubborn glitter, go for a second wipe to finish the job.

Once the makeup is off, wash your face with warm, soapy water or hop in the shower. Warm water will help to open up your pores when you scrub and get your skin extra clean. If you use a particular face cleanser for acne control or exfoliation, add that to your routine. Be sure to wash away all excess product and pat your face dry with a towel. Soothe your skin with a dab of your preferred moisturizer. Too much and you’ll feel oily, but a fingertip’s worth will go a long way keeping your face soft.

When you get up in the morning, wash your face first thing, again with warm soapy water or a hot shower. Be sure that your face is completely dry before applying makeup. To improve the smoothness and elasticity of your skin, wear makeup no more than five days a week and heavier makeup‚ like what you wear for games or competitions‚ no more than one of those times. 

Makeup isn’t meant to hide the face but to accentuate it. We can use it to draw attention to our favorite features or to express ourselves through color and design. Even so, it’s important to let our skin breathe and go without makeup some days, too. Be sure to wash your face thoroughly even on days you don’t wear makeup. 

Drinking lots of water also promotes a glowing complexion, and cheerleaders have hydration down to a science. Fruits and veggies are also a great source of nourishing vitamins and antioxidants that keep your skin bright and smooth. True, “drink plenty of water and eat healthy ” seems like dull advice, but it’s not only good for what’s inside. Take care of your body and it will show‚ you won’t even need foundation with that natural cheer glow!

The main celebration of the summer is upon is, and it’s time to bust out the barbecue and the fireworks‚ it’s the 4^th of July! With fireworks exploding up above, delicious food on the grill, and friends enjoying each other’s company everywhere, what’s not to love about this holiday?? Red, white, and blue is the theme; it doesn’t get more American than this. As people across the country take the day to appreciate their freedom and the great nation we live in, cheerleaders do it a little differently. From the moment cheerleaders wake up to the last firework in the sky, the Independence Day activities differ from the norm. Here’s a breakdown of how cheerleaders celebrate the 4^th of July:

You wake up and immediately assemble your uniform.

[Source: Giphy]

The uniform is the ultimate sign of a cheerleader, and that means you’ve got to be as red, white, and blue as possible! The pressure is on to step it up, since you’re cheering on your country today! Good thing you’ve stocked up on adhesive glitter stars throughout the last cheer season to put all over your body like you’re a flag‚

Like this…

[Source: Giphy]

The sky isn’t the only thing that’s going to be sparkling today‚

[Source: Giphy]

Holidays are the perfect times to bust out your extended glitter collection! You’re thinking red glitter lips, with blue eyelids, and white for cheeks, arms, legs, and maybe even streaks in your hair. Has anyone ever rocked glitter eyebrows? Is that a thing?? And, glitter isn’t just an accessory today, it’s a strategy: in case you get lost in the excitement, your friends can just follow the glitter trail that you’ll inevitably be leaving behind you as you go.

You can’t wait to show your Liberty!

[Source: Giphy]

The barbecue get-together is starting to get poppin’ outside, and your cheer besties have arrived! Time to do some [safe] cul-de-sac stunting for America!! You might not have the full team present, but you have enough teammates and energy to get creative. So, gather round, everyone, we cheerleaders have prepared a little something for the holiday festivities‚ called a Liberty.

Watching the fireworks display gets you inspired.

[Source: Giphy]

The way the fireworks are bursting above you makes you think of ideas for your next cheer season. Don’t those kind of look like shiny poms‚ poms that you can throw in the middle of your routine in fun new ways? Like how that firework exploded, kind of out to the side‚ the team has never thrown poms in that direction before! You make a mental note to reach out to your coach after the holiday concerning how dazzling your team could be come Homecoming.

****************************************************************************************

No matter what you end up doing this 4^th of July, have the most amazing time doing it! From Omni Cheer to you, have a very Happy Independence Day!

[Source: Giphy]

In what other ways do cheerleaders celebrate the 4^th of July differently? What are some memorable Independence Day moments that you’ve had as a cheerleader? Share your story in the comments!

If a cheerleader were a superhero, spirit would be her power. Cheerleaders have the ability to pump up the crowd, inspire fans, encourage athletes to push harder, and support an entire team or school. With some pom shakes, catchy cheers, and a bright smile,
your squad can get the whole crowd spirited.

We recently discussed
cheers and chants, from when to use them and how to teach and learn them. Now, it’s all about using them (and other things) to get the spirit going. After all, cheerleaders (especially school cheerleaders) are always a source of spirit.

Particularly in the fall season, cheerleading squads at school will be focused on incorporating spirit in almost everything they do. Your squad will be cheering at football games and basketball games, hosting and
performing at pep rallies, fundraising, participating in homecoming, and many other school or squad-related events. A good cheer squad uses spirit in all of these events and tasks to keep things fun, light-hearted, and exciting for everyone involved.

At games or pep rallies, it’s important to go all out with spirit. The easiest way to do so is to
use pom poms, megaphones, banners, signs, and catchy chants and cheers. You’ll know if your spirit is successful based on the crowd’s participation. Are they joining you in chanting? Are they responding positively to your cheers? The more spirited you are, the more spirited the audience and, as a result, the more spirited the sports team. That can make all the difference between
winning and losing the game.

When it comes to poms, go for holographic or metallic ones that catch the light and grab everyone’s attention. You don’t need to use them with every cheer, but they are a great way of getting the crowd to notice what you’re doing. Megaphones are perfect for getting the audience involved with your cheers. While the squad performs a chant, one cheerleader can
use the megaphone to encourage the crowd to join in. If you use banners, keep the phrases and words short and sweet, like “go team!” or “win!” All poms, megaphones, and banners should include your school or team colors.

When performing your chant, keep the words sharp and clear. The better the audience can understand you, the more likely they are to cheer with you. At pep rallies, you can use all of these techniques but include music. Make sure the song has a catchy beat and easy to follow rhythm.

Remember, spirit isn’t easily categorized and there are no certain rules as to what will and won’t inspire spirit. It all depends on the cheer squad and the audience. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when thinking of ways to promote spirit. Ultimately, your goal is to get everyone in a great and competitive mood and to encourage
school and team spirit!

What does your squad do to inspire spirit?

So you want to be a cheerleader. You’ve watched Youtube video after video, you’ve watched the cheerleaders perform, and you’ve
prepared for tryouts (maybe you’ve even just made the team!). Now, the only hurdle left is telling your parents.

For some, telling your parents your want to be a cheerleader isn’t as easy as it seems. You might be nervous that they’d disapprove or not let you join the squad. Maybe they just want you to focus on school or join another sport. Or, maybe they just don’t know how much you want to be a cheerleader.

Whatever the reason for your hesitation, we’re here to help! There are several ways you can approach your parents and share with them your desire to wear the
cheerleading uniform.

You’re afraid your parents won’t understand.

A frequent fear of the hopeful cheerleader is that their parents won’t understand why they want to cheer. Many times, this thought only stems from the fact that your parents never knew your dream in the first place! Explain to them the reasons
why you want to cheer, how your interest grew, and why you would enjoy it. Parents want their kids to be happy so focus on explaining why cheerleading would do just that!

Your mom or dad wants you to play another sport.

This is often the case if one of your parents played a particular sport growing up and he or she wants you to keep up the tradition. Let’s say mom or dad played tennis and wants you to tryout for the tennis team. While you don’t have any interest in playing tennis, you
do want to cheer. It may be difficult, but you’ve got to tell your parents that their dreams aren’t the same as yours. Cheerleading is your tennis; just as they loved playing tennis, you want to cheer. Also, it may help to remind your parents that cheerleading
requires just as much athleticism as any other sport. It’s competitive, it demands dedication, and rit equires hard work and drive.

Your parents have fallen prey to negative cheerleader stereotypes.

Unfortunately, there are a few negative cheer stereotypes
‚ cheerleaders are ditzy, cheer isn’t a sport, cheerleaders don’t have good grades, cheerleading won’t help you get into college. It’s important to not only remind your parents that these stereotypes aren’t true, but to also show them
how they’re not true. Put together some research that proves those stereotypes wrong. Show them that many cheerleaders are smart, go to college, and
pursue careers in politics and science; reveal to them how much athleticism and drive cheerleading requires. Perhaps most importantly, explain to them that cheerleaders
make a difference in their community, learn the value of teamwork, and dedicate much of their spare time to cheer.

Your parents are worried your grades will slip.

It’s natural for parents to want you to focus on your grades. They’re important! If you want to cheer, and believe you can handle both the rigorous training schedule and homework, then it’s important to tell (or even better, show) your parents that you can
maintain your good grades. Talk to the cheer coach about the schedule to get an idea of how many hours a week the squad practices, competes, and performs. Then, create a weekly or monthly schedule, creating time blocks for homework and studying. If you plan out your schedule, not only will it help your parents see that you’ll still have time for school work, it will also show them that you’re serious about becoming a cheerleader.

Your parents think cheer is too expensive.

Cheerleading costs can add up and it’s natural for your parents to be worried about all the expenses. Ask the cheer coach what the typical fees are and find out if your school offers any kind of funding or scholarship. Many squads fundraise to help cut down squad fees. Let the coach know that you’re worried about all of the costs and see if you can do some
extra fundraising or work out a payment schedule with the school. Many coaches and schools are accommodating so don’t assume that you can’t
afford to join the team!

Whatever the reason for your hesitation, don’t let the fear of your parents saying “no” prevent you from trying out for cheerleading. Open up to them and share all the reasons why you want to be a cheerleader!

A genius who is clearly using his power for good has made what is perhaps the best, most important discovery of 2015 thus far. We don’t know how
YouTube user Thomas Jung stumbled upon the fact that Katy Perry’s “Firework” matches up perfectly with an “80s cheerleading video, but we are sure glad he did.

We
first saw this brilliant find  on the Huffington Post, who pointed out that the cheer video is from 1984″ “the same year Katy was born. They joke that this is probably just a coincidence, but we aren’t so sure.

Maybe this mashup is a sign that Katy should start her own cheer squad. She does  
wear cheerleading uniform-inspired outfits a lot, and those sharks she danced with during her incredible Super Bowl halftime performance yesterday could be her team mascots!

It’s too bad “Firework” wasn’t around when the routine was originally performed, because the fierceness of the song is a great match for the fierce old-school cheer moves. Somewhere over the past 30 years we’ve stopped using the robot and running man quite as often in our competition routines, but that same cheer spirit is still pumping through cheerleaders’ veins on blue mats, grassy fields, and gym floors today.

Watch the amazing
“Firework”-University of Louisville cheer team mashup below:

Did you love the Katy Perry halftime show as much as we did? Does seeing this mashup make you want to go watch a bunch of videos of old cheer competitions, too?

You’ve poured your blood, sweat and tears into practicing a cheer routine over and over again for the upcoming
cheerleading competition. You are physically ready to dance, tumble, stunt and yell your heart out to get that first place trophy. But have you put much thought into your diet the week of competition down to the actual day? This is a surprising detail that a lot of
cheerleading teams dismiss as they do not understand the importance of nutrition and how it will effect them when they perform.

It’s easy to get stressed before the big competition and either be to stressed to eat or eat too much. Both will throw off your cheer performance completely and effect your outcome of winning dramatically. It’s important to remember that what your putting into your body that entire week leading up to the competition will either be a disadvantage or a game turning advantage.

So what does your body need the week of competition and how do you get it?

Your body will need the maximum amount of stored energy that it can pull from when you are putting your all into the routine. Think of your body as a car that needs to fuel up before a long drive. Your need to fill up your glycogen stores for the maximum amount of endurance and energy by increasing the amount of carbohydrates your body. Your food amount intake should remain the same as you usually eat. However, you should be eating complex carbohydrate foods with low glycemic indexing. Examples of complex carbs include wheat pastas, wheat breads, healthy cereals, and baked potatoes. Increase the amount of complex carbohydrates, decrease the amount of high protein foods such as fish, eggs, and meat, and try to minimize the amount of fat intake. These foods should should be proportioned into small meals or snacks every two to three hours.

What does your body need the day of cheer competition and how do you get it?

The day of competition, you’ll want to keep up the complex carbohydrate intake in small meals or snacks, while keeping your intake on fiber, fat, and protein low. You can choose from wheat bread, healthy cereals, oatmeal, fruits, fruit juices, plan crackers, boiled rice, potatoes, pasta, muffins, and carbohydrate drinks that have high electrolytes such as Gatorade.

What about right after the competition?

After the competition, your energy level will be low and your glycogen stores will be used up. You’ll want to eat something that will raise your blood sugar levels up quickly. Foods that are higher on the
glycemic index such as watermelon, potatoes, brown rice, bagels, etc are perfect for raising your blood sugar.

In conclusion, remember that what you put into your body the week of your cheerleading competition will help determine the outcome of your scores. Eat healthy complex carbohydrates, less protein and fat in small meals every couple of hours, and you’ll have plenty of healthy energy to pull you through the performance.

Cheerleaders and the
cheerleading uniform are one of the most icon images across all forms of pop culture. One place where cheerleading is often mention and used as a visual is in music. In songs, the “cheerleader’ is sometimes the villain – a girl that is “perfect’, shallow, materialistic or snobby. This isn’t always the case though! Cheerleading is used in music videos to represent great dance and
cheer choreography, and even to represent a large social group.

Here is a list of some of the most recent, and some of our favorite, cheerleading references in music:

Cheerleading in Music

Gwen Stefani, “Hollaback Girl”, 2005

This video has a high school theme – and even includes cameos from several local (Orange County, CA) cheerleading, marching band, pep flag and drill teams! In the video, Gwen and her dancers wear
cheerleading uniforms and even perform some
cheerleading stunts. They even use cheerleading signs to spell out the word “bananas”. Gwen’s video was nominated for four MTV Video Music Awards, and took home the honors for Best Choreography.

Toni Basil, “Hey, Mickey”, 1982

The video features Toni Basil and some dancers performing in cheerleading uniforms and is one of the most iconic in
music history! It is spoofed, sampled and referenced across all pop culture outlets – from
television shows to movies to other music.

Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”, 2009

In this video, Taylor Swift plays two high-school aged characters: the shy girl and the popular cheerleader. The popular
cheerleader character is represented as a popular, and mean, girl that does not appreciate her boyfriend. Taylor also references the difference of high school social circles with the lyrics: she’s
cheer captain I’m on the bleacher. The song was nominated for several Grammy awards, Kid’s Choice awards and Country Music Awards.

Madonna, “Give Me All Your Luvin'”, 2012

Madonna performed at the 2012 Superbowl, and the (then-upcoming) gig inspired the video for this song! The video features M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj
dressed up as cheerleaders and leading a group bazaar, mask-wearing cheerleaders…we’re guessing this was just an artistic choice! Madonna’s Superbowl performance also featured cheerleaders!

What did we leave out? Which songs and music videos that feature cheerleading are your favorite?

Congratulations to Alejandra, who won our drawing for Reader of the Month!

Alejandra is one cool cheerleading coach. Not only does she coach, she works with migrant students in her community, which she loves. When not coaching or helping others, she is a big fan of bedazzling. That’s right – bedazzling. Since she’s such a big fan of sparkle, she loves ordering sequined Chasse bows from
Omni Cheer.

Alejandra would love to visit Giza, Egypt. Her dream is to visit all seven world wonders, including the Giza Pyramids, which she finds the most interesting.

She’s a frequent Cheerleading Blog visitor (she reads us almost every day!) and her favorite article was on
bullying versus constructive criticism. This helps her with coaching and knowing how to provide constructive criticism when one of her cheerleaders needs to know what to improve and work on.

We are now accepting entries for next month’s Reader of the Month! Alejandra is getting a prize package
from Chasse Cheer full of great cheer accessories this month. Next month it could be YOU!

Learn how to enter to win next month’s prize!