Cheerleaders Are The Physical Embodiment Of Team Spirit
Cheerleading is something that has gone through many changes over the last hundred years. Several things have remained constant. One, cheerleaders should be easy for the crowd to look at. Two, cheerleaders embody the spirit of the team. Three, smiles and enthusiasm are absolutely key to motivating the team. Four, cheerleaders are an extension of the team itself.
There’s a reason many relationships develop between players on the team and cheerleaders. See, when cheerleaders do well, they actually act as subconscious collateral motivation for the players. What they have to look forward to in terms of after-game festive “bloom” is “planted” during varying cheers.
That is to say: players have a natural motivation to be on their best for the sake of the cheerleaders. Additionally, what the cheerleaders do beyond being motivational to the team directly is get the fans riled up enough that they actually help motivate players.
There have been competing schools of thought on this, but the point of cheerleading isn’t to present sensually choreographed numbers as entertainment. The point is to lead fans in cheers! So with this in mind, following are several things cheerleaders most definitely should not do if they want to see the teams they represent perform at their absolute best.
Don’t Forget How Important Your Role Is
Sad cheerleaders who aren’t attractive in personality or physique are going to depress the team subconsciously. You don’t have to be traditionally attractive to help the team reach a zenith of spirit; you just have to have your heart and mind in the right place. Cheerleaders shouldn’t be “emo”. They shouldn’t be downtrodden. Smiles are key.
Yes, diet and exercise are key in fully flourishing. People do expect cheerleaders to be physically attractive. But an attitude that is confident, happy, exuberant, and, for lack of a more appropriate word, “bouncy”, is one that’s easy to impart to the crowd.
When fans can see cheerleaders giving their all on the basketball court, and caring not for personal embarrassment, they themselves will be more apt to cheer with no regard to appearances. To that end, you need to set yourself up to be the most “bouncy” and “exuberant” you can be.
Show up early. Don’t stay up too late the night before, and ensure you’re paying close attention to the game. Cheerleaders shouldn’t only cheer between periods or during times when there is a lull in the game. They should be as invested from the bench as they are on the court.
2. Don’t Date Players On The Other Team
This may seem pretty basic, but it’s not always something cheerleaders understand. Never, NEVER, date players on the other team. If you do, there will be something inside of you which is rooting against your own players. If you’ve got a mutual attraction, hold off on it till the end of the season as best you can.
If cheer spirit is split among the girls with the pom-poms, that will work its way through the team, throughout other ladies cheering the game, and perhaps even through the crowd itself.
How can you be authentically convicted in cheering for your team when you’d rather the man you’re dating on the other side win? You can’t! Team loyalty means having a friendly rivalry with the opposition.
3. Take Aladdin’s Advice: Be Punctual
You should always be on time. Like Aladdin’s compliment from the Disney film, maintaining punctuality is very important. Don’t leave early; even if the game isn’t going well. It’s possible your energy and faith in your players could be the straw that “breaks” the losing camel’s “back”.
Also, your team isn’t going to win every game. That’s a reality everybody needs to take into account. So when the game is lost, it may be your duty to help keep team spirit alive by showing your team you haven’t lost any faith in them after the fact. It’s probably a good idea to fraternize with players after the fact to help them keep their wits.
4. Don’t Put Personal Style And Preference Above The Team
How you dress is important. You might want to complete the team look with custom jackets, or something similar. Cheerleaders should look like they’re part of a team. What are the team colors? You shouldn’t have any apparel which is in conflict with them. Your outfits on the court are important, but so is what you wear coming and going.
When you’re leading the spirit of your team and your fans, it’s important to be seen coming and going. Yes, you want to come early and leave late. But when anyone sees you, they should see you in team colors. A great way to do this is to get team jackets for everybody that match team style.
A Winning Combination
Teamwork is important not just on the basketball court; it’s a life skill. As a cheerleader, here’s the truth: you are part of the team. Now a productive team in a corporate sense may include the janitor as well as the CEO; everybody’s playing on the same “page”, as it were. As a cheerleader in basketball, the same is true.
Team exercises should incorporate cheerleaders. Also, cheerleaders should have an attitude which considers each woman on the squad as a larger extension of the team itself. When that’s your mindset, the things explored here will naturally manifest themselves.
