There are Consequences to Your Actions/ In-Actions

Ok I was just catching up on Cheerleaders, because I was WAY behind, and Eddy has a great method of punishing his cheerleaders if they drop a stunt or it bobbles at a comp: do that stunt Perfect 20 times. Why had I not thought of this? My squad was ALWAYS dropping stunts (that's what happens when you don't practice) and I was always trying to think up a good way to punish my girls and work on the stunt. This is like a super simple solution. I am absolutely in LOVE.

My coach always said that if we could do a stunt 3 times in a row perfect that it was game-ready. I don't think that this is enough times to know for sure that you aren't going to drop it. I definitely think that more times are needed. 20 may be a little excessive, but I think that the repetition will get it into their minds that dropping a stunt is not tolerable

I also feel that repeating a stunt 20 times perfect (that's at least 20 times, not counting the times that the stunt isn't perfect) may cause injury. I know from the base and backstop's point of view that repetitive stunting is hard on your body. Your wrists, back, legs, and arms hurt. I was never a flyer, so I don't know how their body feels after stunting for long periods of time, but I can imagine that their body feels just as bad if not worse that the bases and backspot. When you're excessively tired is when mistakes are made and in cheerleading an innocent mistake can cause serious injuries.

Cheerleaders need to learn that mistakes are not acceptable, but safety needs to be first and foremost. I think that maybe the number of times a stunt should be repeated perfectly will also depend on the squad and the stunt group. For one stunt group, repeating a stunt 10 times may be miserable, to another stunt group it may take 20 repetitions to feel the same pain.

I Think I'm Going To Do It

After not cheering for 2 years, I have decided that I just can't NOT cheer ever again. I want to start up cheer lessons in my community because this isn't offered in my area. The closest cheer gym is almost 40 miles away. I live in a relatively poor community that can't afford costs of cheer and travel. I want to offer these lessons to give young girls the basics they need to go on to cheer competitively or in high school. These lessons will help the high school squad in the long run because the coach will not have to spend time teaching the basics at the beginning of the season and can get started on learning material. This post is generally going to be me working out the logistics of what I need to do to get this started. Its not a final draft of what I will do, but rather getting my thoughts out.

Location: See if I can use the high school gym, or talk to a church if the high school is not available.

People to talk to: Talk to high school and junior high coaches. Learn what they want the girls to know for their squad and integrate it into the program, talk to school administration for permission to use high school, church board for a church.

Certification: Get certification to have a business, become certified to coach cheer, stunting, and tumbling

Curriculum: Develop a plan of progression. Follow rules set forth by the AACCA or USASF. Youth Recreational Cheer does not have set rules.

Advertising: Facebook page for community, flyers in gas stations, grocery stores, day cares, Twitter for high school

Fees: $20 a session (2-hours), $30 administration fee

Waver: Have parents sign waver saying I am not liable for injuries. Kids must have medical insurance and a physical on file

Ages: 6- 18. General beginner cheer lessons to start with.

Is there anything else I didn't think of??