How to Do Basic Cheerleading

These steps are simple things to get you or your squad on the way to becoming a better cheerleader!

Steps

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    Below is a list of things that you need to accomplish to get on your cheerleading squad.
    • Learn basic motions.
    • Learn basic jumps.
    • Learn basic tumbling.
    • Learn basic stunts.
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Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Motions

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    High V[1]
    • Stick your arms up in to a V position. Your arms should be a little more forward. Your elbows should be locked and your wrists should align with your arms. Your hands should be in fists. You should see your fists from the corner of your eyes.
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    Low V
    • This is the same as high v, except your arms should be down and not up. Again, make sure that your wrists are not broken, your hands are in fists, and your elbows are locked. Your thumb should go OVER the rest of your fingers in all motions. The pointer finger should face the audience.
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    Daggers
    • Stick your arms by your chest. Tuck your elbows and arms in but not so they are touching each other. Your hands will be in fists and your pinkies should be facing out.
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    Touchdown[2]
    • From dagger position, bring your arms straight up. Your pinkies should be facing out in fists, your elbows should be locked instead of bent, and your ears should feel your arms a little bit. That's how much in your arms should be in. Make sure that your wrists are not broken..
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    T[3]
    • Bring your arms straight out so your body looks a little bit like a T. Bring your arms in so you can see them out of the corner of your eye. Your hands should be in fists with no fingers out.
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    Broken T
    • From a T position, bring your forearms in by your chest so your forearms are a horizontal position. Your pinkies should be facing out and your hands in fists.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Jumps

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    Herkie[4]
    • On count one, you are going to clasp with your arms tighter than dagger position and your hands are in a fist like position together.
    • On count two, bring your arms up to a high V.
    • On count three, swing your arms in a cross position and bend your legs.
    • On count four, bring your arms up to a T, hit your herkie. One of your legs will be out like you are doing the straddle splits and the other leg will be bent back. Your arms will be in a T position with fists.
    • On count five, land with your legs bent with your hands by your side.
    • On count six, hold that position.
    • On count seven, straighten out your legs.
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    Toe Touch
    • On count one, you are going to clasp with your arms tighter than dagger position and your hands are in a fist like position together.
    • On count two, bring your arms up to a high V
    • On count three, swing your arms in a cross position and bend your knees.
    • On count four, hit your toe touch. DO NOT ACTUALLY TRY TO TOUCH YOUR TOES!!!!! This cannot be emphasized enough. If you do, then your toe touch will look completely messed up. Your legs will be in a straddle split position. Your arms will be in a T position and in fists.
    • On count five, land with your legs bent with your hands by your side.
    • On count six, hold that position.
    • On count seven, straighten out your legs.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Pike

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    On count one, you are going to clasp with your arms tighter than dagger position and your hands are in a fist like position together.[5]
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    On count two, bring your arms up to a rocket (a high clap)and turn 90 degrees to either side.
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    On count three, swing your arms in and bend your knees
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    On count four, hit your pike. Your legs will be in a pike position, meaning that you are going to extends your legs together in front of you with your toes pointed. Your arms should be over your legs and in fists.
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    On count five, land with your legs bent with your hands by your side.[6]
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    On count six, hold that position.
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    On count seven, straighten out your legs.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Stunts

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    Thigh Stand.
    You are going to need two bases, a flyer, and a back spot. The bases will be in a side lunge position. If your base is on the left side, he or she will lunge to the right side. If your base is on the right side, he or she will lunge to the left. The bases' foot that are facing each other will be side by side. The back spot is going to be in the back holding the flyer's waist throughout the entire stunt.[7]
    • On count one, the flyer is going to step his or her right foot on the right base's thigh that is lunging out. Still all of the flyer's weight will be on the left foot (The one that is on the ground). His or her hands will be on both of the bases shoulders.
    • Hold count one.
    • On count three, the flyer will put all of his or her weight on his or her right leg. The flyer will step up on his or her right bases leg.
    • On count four, the flyer will stand clean with her weight still on the right base's leg. The flyer will not step on the left base's leg yet.
    • On count five, the flyer will step her left leg onto the left base's thigh.
    • On count six, the flyer will stand clean. He or she will now be up on both of the bases' thighs. The bases will hold the flyer's ankles.
    • Hold count six on count seven.
    • On count eight, the flyer is going to hit a high v.
    • The flyer is going to keep hitting the high v.
    • The flyer will still be hitting the high v.
    • On count three, the flyer will bring her arms down in a T motion. When the flyer does this, the bases will grab her upper arm and her hand.
    • Hold count three on count four.
    • The bases will bend down still in their side lunge position.
    • The bases will pop up and the flyer is going to jump up forward, so he or she can land on the ground.
    • The flyer will land and the bases will let go of the flyer's arms and hands. The backspot can let go of the flyer's waist.
    • Everybody will stand clean. The flyer will be in the front, the backspot will be right behind her. The two bases will be side by side.
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    Half.You are going to need two bases, a flyer, and a back spot. The bases will have their hands over each other and their arms down so the flyer can step on their hands. The back spot will be holding the flyer's hips, and the flyer will be holding the bases' shoulders.
    • The flyer will jump onto the bases' hands and the back spot will help her up.
    • The flyer is going to bump.
    • The bases will lift their hands up to their chins. Once the flyer is raised, the back spot will grab the flyer's ankles. This is really important.
    • The flyer will hit a high V.
    • Do go down, the bases will bump their hands down and then squeeze the flyer's legs together, the flyer will hold the bases' shoulders and squat, and the back spot will catch the flyer by her bottom.
    • Once the flyer is down, the whole stunt will clean and the bases will turn 90 degrees to the front.
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    Shoulder sit.
    You are going to need one base, a flyer, and a back spot. The base should have one leg out in a lunge, the flyer should have her leg on the base's leg, and the back spot should be holding the flyer's hips.[8]
    • The flyer will push her self up and sit on the base's shoulders, one leg at a time. The back spot will help her up.
    • The base will wrap her arms around the flyer's legs to make sure she doesn't fall.
    • Once the flyer is up, the back spot won't need to hold her hips anymore.
    • The flyer will hit a high V.
    • To get down, the base will slide the flyer's legs off her shoulders, grab her hands, and bump down.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Tumbling

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    Forward roll[9]
    • Squat and lay your hands on the floor
    • Tuck in your chin and push off your hands and legs.
    • Roll forward.
    • Squat your legs against your chest and hold your arms up in front of you.
    • Get up.
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    Cartwheel
    • Put your best leg forward and your arms up against your ears.
    • Move your whole body forward and slowly raise your back leg.
    • Once your hands reach the ground, kick your back leg over.
    • Kick your other leg over.
    • Land in a lunge position, with your arms up against your ears.
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    Backbend
    • Raise your arms up against your ears and spread your legs apart.
    • Push your hips forward.
    • Bend your back and look at the ground.
    • Bend IN, not out.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Do I need to have my back handspring down?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Not usually, but it helps to have it, so you can make the team with higher ability.
  • Question
    How do the cheer squads pick the flyers, do they just choose the lightest cheerleaders?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Sometimes, but not always. You do not have to be small to be a flyer. The coaches will consider flexibility and the ability to pull body positions in the air.
  • Question
    Do cheerleaders have to have their hair long enough for hair ties?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It's not necessary. As long as your bow fits in your hair well, it is perfect.
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Warnings

  • When doing stunts, make sure that you have mats on the ground and you have a trained coach watching your stunts. Also, everyone should focus on the task at hand when doing a stunt. If one person makes a mistake, then someone could get hurt. So, be very careful when doing stunts.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽


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References

  1. ↑ http://blog.omnicheer.com/ebooks/MotionsStances.pdf
  2. ↑ http://blog.omnicheer.com/ebooks/MotionsStances.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.mflmarmac.k12.ia.us/media/cms/Motions_A2608709AB61D.pdf
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlKVIc4GdEk
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErSkCnyy2Ig
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErSkCnyy2Ig
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djEmSJe5T78
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pJwrfX7xIs
  9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIP4gc4gFmk

About This Article

Janice Tieperman
Co-authored by:
Janice Tieperman
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Janice is a professional and creative writer who has worked at wikiHow since 2019. With both a B.A. and M.A. in English from East Stroudsburg University, she has a passion for writing a wide variety of content for anyone and everyone. In her free time, you can find her working on a new crochet pattern, listening to true crime podcasts, or tackling a new creative writing project. This article has been viewed 248,055 times.
79 votes - 82%
Co-authors: 40
Updated: January 26, 2023
Views: 248,055
Categories: Cheerleading
Article SummaryX

To get the hang of basic cheerleading, try mastering non-stunt moves, like the high V, where you raise both arms while making fists with your hands, or making daggers by tucking your elbows into your chest as you raise your fists. You can incorporate these motions into jumps like the toe touch, where you do a high V and bend your knees to build up momentum before jumping to try and bring your toes to your fingers. Keep reading for how you can do more complicated stunts and tumbles!

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