Cheerleading is a sport just like Football, Basketball, Soccer etc. Cheerleaders are great athletes who use a lot of discipline and techniques to do what they do best, cheering the crowd and spectators

All the fans of cheerleading will agree that cheerleading is a sport. In general, cheerleaders work hard at their craft. They usually put their full attention, time and energy into their performances and often risk injuries. How many of them come home hungry and tired after long hours sitting in classrooms and then the practice room? As long as there are queen bee character and what is called 'leader of the pack' among girls and high school girls in general, there will be a need for cheerleading. Girls who were once known as shy end up being extrovert and full of confidence at the end of the season or school year. In one word, they are great athletes, performers and entertainers. Based on this premise and definition, many fans of cheerleading are fighting to give their favorite sport a place of recognition among all other sports disciplines. Yet, many colleges and universities do not always appreciate the efforts of these young men and women. New creations of coed cheer squad are adding muscles to the finesse of the stunts performed by the young women.

For the past few years, BIO or Bring It On movie series have created some excitement among little girls who are dreaming of becoming an Alpha girl in high school. They want to be on their school cheer teams. In many middle schools and high schools all over the country, the competition to join these teams can be cut-throat. Parents of students are known to get into squabbles over who is more qualified to join the cheer squad. For the girls, it is about prestige and being part of the in-group or clique.

Safety Rules by The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators or AACCA

2009-10 High School Rules

A. Definitions: How to Understand the Lingo of Cheerleaders and Cheerleader Coaches

1. Base - A person who is in direct contact with the performing surface and is supporting another person’s weight.

2. Basket Toss – A stunt in which a top person is tossed by bases whose hands are interlocked.

3. Bracer – A top person that is supporting another top person in a pyramid.

4. Cradle - A dismount from a partner stunt, pyramid or toss in which the top person is caught in a face-up, piked osition before being placed on the performance area or remounting into another stunt, pyramid or loading position.

5. Cupie/Awesome - A stunt in which both feet of the top person are in one hand of a base.

6. Dive Roll - A forward roll where the feet leave the ground before the hands reach the ground.

7. Double Based Suspended Roll - Dismount or transition with a foot-over-head rotation.

8. Elevator/Sponge Toss – A stunt in which the top person loads in to an elevator/sponge loading position and is then tossed into the air.

9. Extended Stunt – A stunt in which the entire body of the top person is extended in an upright position over the base(s). Chairs, torches, flatbacks and straddle lifts are examples of stunts where the bases’ arms are extended overhead, but are NOT considered to be extended stunts since the height of the body of the top person is similar to a shoulder level stunt.

10. Hanging Pyramid – A pyramid in which the top person’s weight is primarily supported by another top person. Examples of hanging pyramids are: a person being suspended between two shoulder stands; a "whirlybird" stunt where one person’s weight is being supported by the legs of a top person in a shoulder sit; and a "diamond head" where two persons are suspended from one shoulder stand.

11. Helicopter Toss - A stunt in which the top person is tossed into the air in a horizontal position and rotates parallel to the ground in the same motion as a helicopter blade.

12. Inverted – A body position where the shoulders are below the waist.

13. Knee Drop – Dropping to the knees without first bearing the majority of the weight on the hands or feet.

14. Loading Position - A position in which the top person is off the ground in continuous movement that puts the bases and top in a position to end the movement in a stunt.

15. Post - A person on the performing surface who may assist a top person during a stunt or transition.

16. Prop – Any object which can be manipulated or used as a base (ex: poms, signs, flags, megaphones, etc.)

17. Quick Toss – A toss technique where the top person begins the toss with both feet on the ground. The bases can apply an upward force on any part of the body other than under the feet.

18. Released Pyramid Transition – A pyramid in which the top person in a braced stunt is released from their bases and is in a descending mode before being caught in a cradle, stunt or loading position prior to being transitioned to another stunt.

19. Spotter - A person who is responsible for assisting or catching the top person in a partner stunt or pyramid. This person cannot be in a position of providing primary support for a top person but must be in a position to protect the top person coming off of a stunt or pyramid.

20. Stunt - One or more bases supporting one or more top persons off of the ground.

21. Tension Drop - A dismount from a stunt or pyramid where the top person(s) are directed toward the ground while their feet are held by the base(s) until just before the landing.

22. Top - A person who is either being supported by another while off of the performing surface or who has been tossed into the air by another person.

B. General Guidelines

1. Cheerleading squads should be placed under the direction of a qualified and knowledgeable advisor or coach.

2. All practice sessions should be supervised by the coach and held in a location suitable for the activities of cheerleaders (i.e., use of appropriate mats, away from excessive noise and distractions, etc.).

3. Advisors/coaches should recognize a squad's particular ability level and should limit the squad's activities accordingly. "Ability level" refers to the squad's talents as a whole and individuals should not be pressed to perform activities until safely perfected.

4. All cheerleaders should receive proper training before attempting any form of cheerleading gymnastics (tumbling, partner stunts, pyramids and jumps).

5. Professional training in proper spotting techniques should be mandatory for all squads.

6. All cheerleading squads should adopt a comprehensive conditioning and strength building program.

7. All jewelry is prohibited during participation.

8. An appropriate warmup routine should precede all cheerleading activities.

9. Prior to the performance of any skill, the immediate environment for the activity should be taken into consideration including, but not limited to proximity of non-squad personnel, performance surface, lighting and/or precipitation. Technical skills such as tumbling, partner stunts, pyramids and jumps should not be performed on concrete, asphalt, wet or uneven surfaces or surfaces with obstructions.

10. As a general rule, all programs should qualify cheerleaders according to accepted teaching progressions. Appropriate spotting should be used until all performers demonstrate mastery of the skill.

11. Supports, braces, etc., which are hard and unyielding or have rough edges or surfaces must be appropriately covered. A participant wearing a cast (excluding a properly covered air cast) shall not be involved in stunts, pyramids, tosses or tumbling.

12. Squad members must wear athletic shoes (no gymnastic slippers).

13. When discarding props (signs, etc.) that are made of solid material or have sharp edges/corners, team members must gently toss or place the props so that they are under control.

C. Partner Stunts, Pyramids and Tosses

1. All pyramids and partner stunts are limited to two persons high. "Two high" is defined as the base having at least one foot on the ground.

2. The top person in a partner stunt, pyramid or transition may not be in an inverted position and cannot transition to another stunt, the ground or a dismount in an inverted position. Exceptions to this rule are the following:

1. Double based suspended forward rolls where the top person has continuous hand-to-hand contact with two primary bases or with two posts who are controlling the top person are allowed to a cradle or the performing surface. They may not land in a loading position for a stunt. The top person cannot have contact with one base and one post.

2. The top person in a stunt may begin in an inverted position on the performing surface and be loaded into a non-inverted position shoulder height or below provided that they have constant contact with a base or spotter until they are in the non-inverted position. A base or additional spotter if necessary must be in a position to protect the head, neck and shoulder area of the top person.

3. Suspended splits in a transition are allowed provided there are a total of four bases that support the top person; at least three of the bases must support under the legs of the top person, and the fourth base may support under the legs or make contact with the hands of the top person. Top person must have hand contact with bases during transition.

4. Partner stunts and pyramids higher than shoulder stand level must have a continuous spotter for each person over shoulder stand level. Spotters are considered part of the squad with regard to the squad member maximum limitation. For single-based extended stunts, the spotter may hold at the ankle of the top person and / or the wrist of the base. If the spotter is supporting under the sole of the foot in any way, they are considered to be a base and would require an additional spotter.

5. When one person is bracing another (including overlapping of arms), one of the individuals must be at shoulder height or below. Exceptions to this rule are the following:

1. Extensions (double or single based) may brace other extensions.

2. Double Cupies/Awesomes (two cupies/awesomes being held by the same base) are allowed. If the stunt is dismounted to cradles, there must be three people for each top person being cradled. This exception does not include variations such as Double Heel Stretches.

6. If a person in a partner stunt or pyramid is used as a brace for an extended stunt, that brace must not be supporting a majority of the top person's weight. (To demonstrate this, the foot of the top person’s braced leg must be at or above the knee of their supporting leg.)

7. Extended Straddle Lifts must have an additional spotter for the head and shoulders of the top person (similar position to a Double Based Elevator/Extension Prep).

8. The bases of any extended stunt must have both feet in direct weight-bearing contact with the performing surface.

9. Hanging pyramids must have a continuous spotter for each shoulder stand involved in suspending another person. Hanging pyramids are not allowed to rotate.

10. In a Released Pyramid Transition the following rules apply:

1. At least 3 bases must be under the top person throughout the transition.

2. Bracers at shoulder level must have a spotter in place during the transition movement. Exception: Shoulder sits and double based thigh stands do not require an additional spotter.

3. The top person must be in hand/arm to hand/arm contact with at least one bracer during the entire transition.

4. The top person may not be supporting their weight on any other body part of the person(s) assisting (i.e. Shoulders of the bracer).

5. The top person must be continuous in motion and cannot be supported so that they pause at the top of the transition.

11. Basket tosses, toe pitch tosses, elevator/sponge tosses or similar tosses are limited to no more than four tossers and must be dismounted to a cradle position by two of the original bases, plus an additional spotter at the head and shoulder area. These tosses may not be directed so that the bases must move to catch the top person. The top person may not hold any objects (poms, signs, etc.) during the toss. (Rule 11 does not apply to a "Quick Toss.")

12. Participants may not pass over or under other participants from tosses. Exceptions to this rule are the following:

1. Single based tosses can go over another person.

13. Free falling flips or swan dives from any type of toss, partner stunt or pyramid are prohibited.

14. Partner stunts, pyramids and participants may not pass over, under or through other partner stunts or pyramids.

15. Single based stunts in which the top person is parallel to the performing surface and the bases’ arms are extended must have a continuous spotter at the head and shoulder of the top person. (i.e. Bird, Side T, Single Based Flatback, etc.)

16. Multi-based tosses that land in stunts (i.e. basket to elevator/extension prep, etc.) are allowed; however, they cannot significantly exceed the height of the intended stunt and cannot include a skill (twist, toe touch, etc.) during the toss. Multi-based tosses cannot land in a loading position. Multi-based tosses that include a skill (twist, toe touch, etc.) must be cradled. (Rule 16 does not apply to a "Quick Toss.")

17. A single based toss (one base touching during the toss movement) is allowed into a loading position to that original base.

18. Backward suspended rolls and single based suspended rolls are prohibited.

19. Cradle dismounts from partner stunts or pyramids shoulder height or above require one spotter in addition to the original base(s).

20. Cradle dismounts from multi-based tosses require one spotter in addition to the original base(s).

21. Cradle dismounts from partner stunts (other than basket tosses, elevator/sponge tosses or similar tosses) to another set of bases must be caught by three bases. Any type of gymnastics movement (1/2 turn, twist, toe touch, etc) is prohibited........

[OscarBuzz, RedCarpet Buzz, Oscarknockoff buzz]

[More OscarKnockoff Links to Browse and Shop ,Splurge or Cheap and Affordable Prom & Quincenera Knockoff Fashion, Celebrity Oscar Dress & Gown Knockoff DataBank, KnockoutOscarKnockoff Fashion Insider & Observer,][Celebs' Prom & Quincenera: Usher's Fashion Advice on Prom & Quincenera] [Go to AllQuincenera Dresses, Shops and Accessories] [Quinceanera Dresses Rock: All Things Quincenera Shop] [QuinceGirlGownRock: Zum Zum, Jovani, Mystique Quincenera Dresses and Gowns, Oscar-inspired Wedding Dresses: Sampling of Great Wedding Dresses, Registereddresses: Hot Strapless Gowns, Prom Dresses Registry List, ]

[KnockoutOscarKnockoff Fashion Insider & Observer, Splurge & Knockoff or Look-alike Fashion Market, Huge Oscarknockoff Market with Allen Schwartz & ABS ][Luxury Oscar knockoff & Prom Dresses] [Celebrity Asian Wedding Dress Designers] [PhotoVideoDaily: Prom Fashion, Summer Fashion Photos & Videos] [Celebs' Prom & Quincenera: Usher's Fashion Advice on Prom & Quincenera] [Go to AllQuincenera Dresses, Shops and Accessories] [Quinceanera Dresses Rock: All Things Quincenera Shop] [QuinceGirlGownRock: Zum Zum, Jovani, Mystique Quincenera Dresses and Gowns, This Year's Golden Globes Award Gowns and Dresses, NothingbutShopping Celebrity Oscar Fashion & Finery, OscarIndex2: Best Dresses, Best Tresses, Best Hairstyles ]

[Splurge or Cheap and Affordable Prom & Quincenera Knockoff Fashion, Celebrity Oscar Dress & Gown Knockoff DataBank, KnockoutOscarKnockoff Fashion Insider & Observer,][Celebs' Prom & Quincenera: Usher's Fashion Advice on Prom & Quincenera] [Go to AllQuincenera Dresses, Shops and Accessories] [Quinceanera Dresses Rock: All Things Quincenera Shop] [QuinceGirlGownRock: Zum Zum, Jovani, Mystique Quincenera Dresses and Gowns, Oscar-inspired Wedding Dresses: Sampling of Great Wedding Dresses ]

Subscribe to RSS headline updates from:
Powered by FeedBurner

Freelance Writers or Contributors Wanted

If you are a cheerleader or cheerleader coach who is good at writing and wants to write to freely share your ideas, give feedback to Promdressesrock Cheerleaders, we have good news for you. Submit your articles on any of the various stunts performed by cheerleaders in high school and colleges all over the country. See the definitions of terms used by cheerleaders above on this page.

By submitting your articles, stories or feedback to us, you agree to let us publish it on this site. You also agree that the byline is your only form of compensation besides pride, prestige and bragging rights. We will give you credits for your efforts!

Contact or give cheer suggestions to Promdressesrock Cheerleaders Editors
E-mail: nothingbutshopping [at] gmail.com or use our saynow number: 1 (559) 847-0159

Subscribe to RSS headline updates from:
Powered by FeedBurner