Tag Archives: inclusion

Cheer How-To Series, Featured, Tips

Building a Strong Team: Strategies for Effective Cheerleading Squad Management

Posted on by Steve Pawlyk
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06
Mar
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Byline Steve Pawlyk

By Steve Pawlyk

Published March 6, 2023

As a cheer coach, one of your main responsibilities is to build and manage a successful cheer squad. A strong team is essential to achieving success in cheerleading, both on and off the field. In this article, we’ll explore strategies for effective cheerleading squad management, and how to build a strong team that can achieve its goals.

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First and foremost, effective communication is key to building a strong team. Regular team meetings, whether in-person or virtual, can help to keep your squad members informed about upcoming events, practice schedules, and any changes to the team’s goals or objectives. It is also important to establish open lines of communication, and to encourage your squad members to share their thoughts and ideas.

Another important strategy for effective cheerleading squad management is to establish clear roles and responsibilities for each squad member. This can help to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them and can help to prevent confusion and conflicts. It’s also important to recognize and reward your squad members for their hard work and dedication, whether it’s through verbal encouragement or rewards program.

Creating a positive and supportive team culture is also crucial for building a strong team. This means fostering an environment that encourages teamwork, mutual respect, and trust among your squad members. This can be achieved through team-building activities, such as bonding events and retreats, and by promoting a culture of inclusion and diversity.

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It’s also important to establish a clear set of team rules and expectations, and to enforce them consistently. This can include things like attendance policies, dress codes, and social media guidelines. By having clear rules and expectations in place, it will be easier for you to hold your squad members accountable and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Finally, effective cheerleading squad management also involves providing your squad members with the necessary resources and support to achieve their goals. This can include things like providing proper equipment, arranging for coaching and training, and even arranging for mental health support.

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In conclusion, building a strong team is essential to achieving success in cheerleading. By implementing effective strategies for cheerleading squad management, such as clear communication, clear roles and responsibilities, and positive team culture, you can help your squad members to achieve their goals and perform at their best. Additionally, by providing necessary resources and support to your squad members, you can ensure that they have what they need to succeed.

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In conclusion, building a strong team is essential to achieving success in cheerleading. By implementing effective strategies for cheerleading squad management, such as clear communication, clear roles and responsibilities, and positive team culture, you can help your squad members to achieve their goals and perform at their best. Additionally, by providing necessary resources and support to your squad members, you can ensure that they have what they need to succeed.

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Featured

ParaCheer, an opportunity for innovation!

Posted on by Rick Rodgers
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21
Feb
Rick Rodgers

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By Rick Rodgers

Published on February 21, 2019

It is said that cheerleading is wonderfully inclusive because there’s a space on team for every body shape, but up until recently that wasn’t entirely true.

In 2014 I met with the ICU to discuss ways to include people with physical and sensory disabilities into our wonderful sport. I had personally drawn the attention of the ICU and many of the global cheerleading community with my Wheelchair Partner Stunt performances on the world stage in 2011 and 2012, but it was in that board room in 2014 where ParaCheer was truly born.

By the next year we had formed the charity ParaCheer International CIO, had advised on rules and best practice for the divisions, and were creating a team to bring to showcase in 2016. The first competitive debut of the divisions took place at Worlds 2017, that first year there were only 5 teams across the 3 divisions, Unified Advanced, Freestyle Pom and Hip-hop but it was heart warming to see that, through these Paralympic inspired divisions, we finally had Cheer For Everyone!

The ParaCheer divisions are for disabled and non-disabled athletes working together to perform most of the elements of classical cheerleading routines. The sport is now recognised as part of the world championships and is participated in by people in over ten countries, with more building all the time. We’re hopeful it will soon become a recognised Paralympic sport alongside cheerleading’s recent recognition in the Olympics. What’s unique and exciting about this element of cheer is that it really highlights the teamwork inherent in our sport; there are many times when you’ll need more than one individual involved in making adaptations from the classic techniques, to assist a disabled participant in achieving a skill.

Over this last year we have been working really hard to ensure that information and understanding about these divisions spreads far and wide, so the opportunities for people with disabilities to participate isn’t restricted to national teams but also becomes mainstream within All-star, club, and university teams too. Chantal, my flyer, and I have personally been to over 11 countries during the last year to showcase what is possible for disabled athletes to achieve, and to run workshops for teams and national federations, helping coaches better understand the basics of stunt adaptation and how to be more confident working with people with a range of different disabilities.

It is our dream that eventually all programs and clubs will be open and inclusive of disabled participants, either by creating ParaCheer teams of their own or enabling disabled athletes to participate more freely within the current classical structures.

When coaches understand how to adapt and Event Producers open up these divisions locally and regionally the opportunities for innovation and inclusion are endless. We will continue to assist the ICU in driving the sport towards recognition by the Paralympics and to build more resources and support services for coaches and athletes to train effectively and adapt techniques.

You can get involved with the movement yourselves by checking out our website www.paracheer.org, or following us on social media Facebook: ParaCheerInternational Instagram: @ParaCheer or my personal Instagram: @wheelchairpartnerstunt. Support the charity and gain great resources to start your own teams by becoming a member and getting involved with discussions on our coaches resource group on Facebook. If starting a team for the benefit of the participants isn’t enough to encourage you, maybe the understanding that 20% of the population has some form of disability will. That’s a huge untapped market for your gym; all you need to get started is just 1 athlete on your team to have a disability.

If you want to start your own team and be coached by the pioneers of this sport then please get in touch. But do it fast, as we’re taking on the world here!

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