Cheerleading Safety From AACCA. Solutions to address the risks involved in cheerleading.

It’s that time of the year when some teams are preparing their routines for homecoming or competition, or even just filming skills videos for college competition. Here are a few tips and reminders about “routine” safety:

• It goes without saying to follow the rules. If you question a skill your team is working on, contact the organization running the event to make sure the skill is legal. If they have a question about the interpretation, they will contact us, the NFHS or the USASF depending on the rules being used.
• Only include routine elements that are solid. Not only is it a safety issue, but you will gain more points (with the crowd or judges) by having solid stunts that don’t fall vs. harder stunts that are shaky or that fall. Having solid stunts in the routine also allows your team members to show confidence, which is always a plus!
• One of the great things about routines is that you can choreograph to your individual team skills. If the entire team doesn’t have a particular tumbling skill, showcase those that do while having the others perform complimentary skills or have them prepared to immediately follow the tumbling with some solid stunts in the back of the routine.
• Put the routine together in blocks or sections. Learn each part and practice it on its own before combining them into the full routine. You should also have a “run through” version of the routine that doesn’t include actually building some of the more difficult elements of the routine. This will allow your team to work on formations and the flow of the routine with more repetitions.
• As much as possible, utilize the skills you are already using for games or that you’ve perfected for past routines. Build on these skills to add variations or different mounts, dismounts or transitions with them.
• Give yourself time to perfect the routine. You shouldn’t be adding or working on skills the week before you are to perform the routine. Skills should be capped with enough time to work on the details of spacing and synchronization. Attention to these details will be more valuable to your team than adding a difficult skill.
• Find a place for everyone and give them the opportunity to succeed and enjoy being a part of the team.
• Keep in mind the opportunity for teachable moments and how routines and healthy competition fit in with the mission of your organization. Focus on your team and doing the best you can do, and NOT on beating someone else. After all, the only thing you have control over is your performance, not the final outcome.

Putting together a routine can be a rewarding experience. Make sure it’s also a safe one!