How to Start a Cheerleading Team

Determine whether you will be a competitive or regular cheerleading squad. Competitive, or “all-star”, teams work with the goal of competing in and winning local, regional, and national cheerleading competitions. Regular, or plain squads perform for show.cheering for a semi-pro or little league sports team; traditional squads bring entertainment to sporting events. If you want to start a traditional squad, contact your local semi-pro or little league team head coaches, and simply ask if they’d like to have a cheerleading squad – 9 times out of 10, you will get an enthusiastic “yes!”.

Decide on your squad’s name, colors, and regulations. These will likely be decided for you if you’re a traditional squad. For all-star squads, your regulations will be especially important, and will govern practice times and locations, uniform and travel costs, tryout guidelines and eligibility, insurance policies, team fees, community involvement and philanthropy, and discipline.

Establish a bank account to keep track of your squad’s funds. It is extremely important that you not mix the squad’s funds with your personal funds.

Find a place to practice, typically a gym. For all-star squads, this must be a space with adequate padding for stunting and tumbling practice, as well as a regulation-size floor mat to practice competition routines. For traditional squads, you can likely use your sports team’s gym or practice space- check with your team’s head coach to coordinate times the space will be available for your squad’s practices.

Conduct tryouts. At a minimum, come up with a quick dance routine that is at least eight 8-counts, and require the performance of one cheer, and couple of jumps. For all-star squads, the performance of stunts, standing tumbling, and a tumbling pass may be necessary. Make sure you have at least three judges, a space to hold tryouts, plenty of copies of scores sheets, and badges for participants to write their try-out number on. It is optional, but some squads offer try-out clinics and/or require a tryout registration fee, usually $10-$25.

Order your uniforms and gear from a reputable company. Your squad will need duffel bags, shell tops, skirts, bloomers, poms, cheer shoes, socks, and at least one set of practice shorts and a team shirt. Optional items include hair bows and team sweat suits.

Find a few competitions to compete in. Your competition schedule will determine the time line you have to perfect your routine and raise money for uniforms, competition fees, and travel expenses.

Coordinate a few quick fundraisers to assist with covering your expenses- car washes are easy to do and generally make a good amount of money. Split all fundraising profits among those who choose to participate in the fundraiser.

Search for and contact local companies that may provide sponsorship for your squad in the form of money and/or services, such as beauty salons, spas, restaurants, and car rental companies.

Traditional squads: choreograph and teach your cheers, chants, and sideline routines. You’ll also want to keep a few half-time routines on reserve that you can easily perform to popular songs and dance mixes. All-Star squads: choreograph and teach your competition routine. The time limit, music, and technical requirements will be set by the competitions you choose to attend.

Cut your routine music. You can either find software for this, or get a professional’s help- many all-star squads enlist the help of a pro.