cheerleading

the
cheerleading
guide to
being
being
a a
being
cheer
parent
captain
captain
presented by cheerleadingblog.com
© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
table of contents
leadership skills
4
You were selected because you represent a
cheerleading role model; as a captain, you have
a lot more responsibility than just knowing your
routine and stunts.
‘champion’ defined
8
A champion is much, much more than a game winner or
highest competition scorer. In fact, being a true champion
doesn’t even have to mean winning the gold.
stop bullying
To be a leader, you must be able to motivate your team to
achieve their goals by finding the balance between being
honest and being critical.
get inspired
10
13
What’s the best way to learn how to be a great captain for your team?
Follow by example! Get inspired with quotes from famous leaders that
came before us, as well as today’s cheer captains.
the cheerleading guide to being a captain
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2
leadership
skills
Whether your team voted for you or the coach
selected you, becoming captain of your cheer
squad is a big deal. You were selected because you
represent a cheerleading role model; as a captain,
you have a lot more responsibility than just knowing
your routine and stunts. You’re there to lead your
fellow teammates by example; to help your coach;
and to always be the motivator, the inspiration,
and the spirit-booster.
© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
prove
yourself
passion
This is a must-have. You have to be passionate
about cheerleading in order to succeed as
a captain. As a cheerleader, you already
dedicated endless numbers of hours to cheer.
As a captain, you’ll spend even more time doing
and thinking about cheer, after and before
practice, with the coach, and at home.
organization
Every leader needs to be organized. You should
always have practice, game, and competition
schedules memorized or on hand. Keep a daily
planner with you (or download a planner app on
your phone) and update it often. If a holiday is
approaching, make sure you know if the coach
plans on still holding practice. If any payments or
paperwork is due soon, remind your teammates.
As a captain, the coach is expecting you to help
her with her tasks and reminders.
nail it
In order to be a great captain
for your squad, you should have
these five key leadership skills.
If you need help, ask a sibling,
mentor or your coach how you
can improve.
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5
© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
responsibility
As a leader, you are ultimately responsible for your team. If your coach
thinks the team is slacking, it is your responsibility to motivate them to pump
it up and work harder. You can’t point the finger and blame individual
teammates; take the responsibility and show your coach that you can get
your squad back in tip-top shape!
communication
A great captain is an honest communicator. Is the rigorous practice
schedule taking a toll on the squad? Are a few teammates falling behind in
school? Has the coach been harder than usual on the team? Many of your
teammates will come to you for advice and solutions. You’re one of them
so they may feel more comfortable talking to you than the coach. While
you might be intimidated yourself, it’s ultimately up to you to speak with the
coach and let her know the truth. Let her know if the practice schedule is
too hectic or if some of the teammates are worried about grades.
ability to
inspire
It’s up to the captain to keep the team positive, upbeat, and spirited!
Take a few moments to speak with your squad before or after practice
or a game. Inspire them with motivational words of encouragement;
let them know when they’re doing a great job; congratulate them on
achievements. This can greatly boost your team’s morale and, in general,
make practice a lot more fun.
the cheerleading guide to being a captain
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© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
‘champion’
defined
According to the dictionary, a champion is
“a person who has defeated or surpassed all
rivals in a competition, especially in sports.” Sorry
dictionary, but we don’t agree with that definition.
A champion is much, much more than a game
winner or highest competition scorer. In fact, being
a true champion doesn’t even have to be the
gold winning medalist.
In order to be a successful and inspiring captain
(or even teammate!) of your cheer squad, you
must understand what being a champion is really
all about.
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© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
the power of
interpretation
Cutting straight to the chase, a champion is: an advocate,
a supporter, a defender, a protector, a believer, and a
cheerleader in every sense of the word. To be a great
captain, you should be a champion – someone who
supports her team through thick and thin, believes they
can overcome obstacles, and inspires spirit after a loss or
difficult practice. A captain is, above all, a cheerleader for
her squad!
Stop thinking of a champion as a ‘winner.’ By doing
that, the game or competition just becomes a stressful
job rather than a fun and rewarding experience. You’re
supposed to enjoy your sport, not see it as a hurdle to
jump. Athletes that are only focused on winning usually
burn out the quickest. They forget why they enjoyed the
sport in the first place. They get stressed and snap at
teammates when they make a mistake.
And that’s when a team stops being a team. A true team
is made up of individual champions who support one
another and genuinely enjoy what they do, win or not.
This is especially important for cheer squads that don’t
compete. Sometimes they may feel like they don’t have
an opportunity to shine and show what they’ve got. As a
champion captain, remind your squad that cheering on
the sidelines and performing at pep rallies is your time to
shine! Getting the crowd spirited and excited for the game
is your goal!
So, captains, be a champion for your squad and inspire
them to be champions themselves and for each other.
Your squad will have a stronger bond, which will set you up
for a great cheer year!
start right
Before the season gets in full swing,
do a team-building activity where
you have your squad tell you what
‘champion’ means to them. It will
help you get a grasp of how far the
word can reach!
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© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
stop
bullying
There’s dealing with bullies and then there’s the issue
of not becoming one when you’re the captain and
must lead your cheer squad. You must balance your
new power and learn how to achieve your goals
without bringing the spirit of your team down.
the cheerleading guide to being a captain
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© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
great
responsibility
To be a leader, you must be able to motivate your team
to achieve their goals. When those goals aren’t met or you
experience a loss or mistake, you, as a captain, should
be honest and open about improving skills, but not be
negative and critical. Everyone is disappointed about a loss
or mistake; you don’t need to remind them. Instead, focus
on how those mistakes can be prevented next time and
what should be improved.
As a captain, your attitude is a reflection of the entire
squad! That means if they’re not acting spirited or positive,
you probably haven’t been acting that way either. It can
be hard to stay cheerful after a long day of practice or
a bad performance but it’s up to you to keep your head
up and inspire your squad to do the same. Think of goals
other than winning that you may have accomplished, like
teamwork or supporting one another.
The biggest differences between a leader and a bully are
respect and fairness. A leader respects her teammates
and doesn’t treat them as if they were beneath her. A
bully assumes that being a leader means ultimate rule
and often time abuses her power. A leader, on the other
hand, provides teammates with feedback instead of
criticism, support instead of embarrassment, and tough
love instead of cruelty.
stay positive
Talk with your coach about
individual goals certain teammates
can reach for, like higher jumps
or louder cheers. This way, in the
event of a loss, your team can still
find the positives.
the cheerleading guide to being a captain
There is a big difference between constructive criticism
and bullying. Don’t think that the only way you can
avoid being a bully is to never critique a team member.
While it can be difficult to give (especially to a friend),
constructive criticism is a necessity. It helps one improve
skills and understand what needs improvement. If you’re
nervous about doling out criticism, balance it with a
few honest compliments. Mention something that she is
doing well or visibly improving on. By adding in positives,
constructive criticism will come across more as helpful and
less…well, critical.
Remember, you may have to speak with some team
members differently from others. Some girls take criticism
well, while others don’t. As you continue leading, you’ll
learn the differences between your teammates and know
how to handle them individually when needed.
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11
get
inspired
Famous leaders and current cheer captains
give us inspiring examples to follow and hopeful
advice to consider.
© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
leaders
before us
team idea
Why not create your own vault of
quotes and advice? Record funny
or inspiring quotes throughout the
year, and also have each squad
member submit advice to pass
along to next year’s squad!
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© 2013 cheerleadingblog.com. All rights reserved.
today’s
captains
advice from the pros
We asked our fans and readers
what their cheer captains say.
Here’s what they had to say!
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about us
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Chassé®
The official cheerleading blog
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Chassé® is a leader and innovator in the world of
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