You’re #1! Five Must-Haves for Cheer Parents

Coaches and cheerleaders (especially middle and high school cheerleaders) would have a hard time getting through an entire season without cheer parents. They’re the backbone of a squad! They provide spirit, carpools, encouragement, program payment, and cheer uniform stain removal. Cheer parents also help fundraise and volunteer at events. If you’re a cheer parent, you know how much work it is! To achieve and maintain status as “awesome cheer parent,” you need these five essentials: A Planner With so many practices, gym time, games, competitions, fundraising, and events, it is impossible to remember everything. A daily planner can be a lifesaver. To make it even easier, have a daily planner entirely dedicated to cheerleading and color code by type of event. For example, use pink ink or highlighter for competitions, blue for practice, green for fundraising, and red for important reminders. Availability Once cheer becomes a part of your daughter’s life, it becomes a part of your life too. You’ll need the time to take her to and from practice, games, competitions, and other events. She may need your help with creating fundraising flyers. The coach may need volunteers to keep the squad safe at away games. Keep time on the weekends open for cheer events. Passion To survive as a cheer parent, you’ve got to have passion for cheer. It’s part of your life now! You must genuinely enjoy cheerleading and watching your son or daughter’s squad perform. This is connected with the next must-have. A Supportive Attitude Along with passion, you must be supportive of your cheerleader. Let her know when you’ve noticed improvement! Cheer the squad on at games and competitions. Assist with fundraising efforts or volunteer to make lunches for practice or events that require travel. Your cheerleader needs your support! There will be numerous times when she is upset or frustrated. She’ll turn to you for answers! The 101 on Cheerleading In order to understand cheer and your cheerleader’s passion, you’ve got to understand cheerleading. It’s a sport that inspires passion and dedication. Cheerleaders don’t just do cheer. They live for cheer. By understanding this, you’ll understand why your cheerleader can get emotional over a lost competition or a bad day at practice. Additionally, in order to know what your cheerleader and coach are talking about, get to know the cheer terminology and stay up-to-date on current cheerleading issues. Many of them will include changes in competition regulations or safety requirements! What do you think is a necessity for cheer parents?