spirit essentials

the cheerleading guide to
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SPIRIT ESSENTIALS
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CONTENTS
the basics of spirit 3
Learn the cheerleader’s role and what spirit really means,
from chants at games to encouraging the crowd.
9
incorporating fundraising 6
Have fun with your fundraisers by keeping them spirited. It not
only boosts attitudes, it can boost your results!
spirited parade floats 9
By knowing what you need to create a float, you can spend
more time getting those creative juices flowing so you can
create the best float ever.
team bonding 11
Spirit starts from within. Before you can encourage spirit,
your team needs to be a shining example of spirit, which
requires bonding.
11
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the cheerleading guide to
spirit essentials
SPIRIT
ESSENTIALS
If a cheerleader were a superhero, spirit would be her power.
Cheerleaders have the ability to pump up the crowd, inspire
fans, encourage athletes to push harder, and support an entire
team or school. With some pom shakes, catchy cheers, and a
bright smile, your squad can get the whole crowd spirited.
P
Particularly in the fall season, cheerleading squads at
school will be focused on incorporating spirit in almost
everything they do. Your squad will be cheering at
football games and basketball games, hosting and
performing at pep rallies, fundraising, participating in
homecoming, and many other school or squad-related
events. A good cheer squad uses spirit in all of these
events and tasks to keep things fun, light-hearted, and
exciting for everyone involved.
cheers. You’ll know if your spirit is successful based
on the crowd’s participation. Are they joining you
in chanting? Are they responding positively to your
cheers? The more spirited you are, the more spirited
the audience and, as a result, the more spirited the
sports team. That can make all the difference between
winning and losing the game.
When it comes to poms, go for holographic or metallic
ones that catch the light and grab everyone’s attention.
You don’t need to use them with every cheer, but they
are a great way of getting the crowd to notice what
you’re doing. Megaphones are perfect for getting the
At games or pep rallies, it’s important to go all out with
spirit. The easiest way to do so is to use pom poms,
megaphones, banners, signs, and catchy chants and
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the cheerleading guide to
spirit essentials
audience involved with your cheers. While the
squad performs a chant, one cheerleader can
use the megaphone to encourage the crowd
to join in. If you use banners, keep the phrases
and words short and sweet, like “go team!” or
“win!”. All poms, megaphones, and banners
should include your school or team colors.
When performing your chant, keep the words
sharp and clear. The better the audience can
understand you, the more likely they are to
cheer with you. At pep rallies, you can use all
of these techniques but include music. Make
sure the song has a catchy beat and easy to
follow rhythm.
Remember, spirit isn’t easily categorized and
there are no certain rules as to what will and
won’t inspire spirit. It all depends on the cheer
squad and the audience. Don’t be afraid to
think outside the box when thinking of ways to
promote spirit. Ultimately, your goal is to get
everyone in a great and competitive mood and
to encourage school and team spirit!
Richard Paul Kane
Cheer on!
We asked our readers what they love
to cheer for most and a majority said
that as long as they’re cheering, it
doesn’t matter the sport or team!
This proves that cheerleaders are
first and foremost dedicated to spirit.
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the cheerleading guide to
spirit essentials
Putting the “Fun” in
FUNDRAISING
Many cheer squads fundraise often throughout the year in
order to cut down on the costs of team uniforms, competitions,
equipment, and more. Since you’ll be spending so much time
fundraising, the best way to make the most out of it and to have
fun is to incorporate spirit into your fundraising!
D
on’t rely on old fundraising methods, like door-to-door selling or waiting outside grocery
stores for donations. Take action and use that cheer spirit when planning your next fundraiser.
The most traditional way to fundraise is through sales, such as baked goods, candy, and
cheerleading accessories. However, many squads also host events, like car washes, parties, raffles,
performances, and more. Whichever style you choose to do, you can easily add some elements of
spirit to spice things up.
If you choose the traditional route of a sale, create a spirited setting. Decorate your table with banners,
pom poms, or other fun accessories. You want people to notice your table and you especially want
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the cheerleading guide to
spirit essentials
them to be drawn to what you’re selling.
If you’re holding a bake sale, think of fun
and creative names for your treats. Rather
than just calling it a chocolate cookie, call
it a “chock full of cheer” cookie. Or, make
sugar cookies into pyramid shapes, or
design pom poms on them with frosting.
If you decide to host an event like a car
wash, bring a stereo and create lots of
signs! Encourage people to participate with
upbeat cheer music and colorful banners
and signs.
A really great spirited fundraiser idea is
to sell “cheergrams” at school. Like a
candygram, you can sell mini pom poms
or megaphones. When you go to deliver
them, perform a short cheer! This is great
to do before a big Homecoming game or
before prom.
Even if you choose to do a fundraiser as
simple as Fun“d” 2 Raise cards (where you
ask participants to scratch off a card to see
how much money they’ll contribute), you
can add a dose of spirit. If the scratch-off
reveals the largest donation amount – $3 –
perform a short cheer for that person as a
“thank you.”
Think outside of
the box
add spirit
to your
fundraising
Hold a brainstorming session with your squad
to think of fun ways to fundraise. Don’t feel
boxed into the traditional methods and don’t be
afraid to try something new!
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Homecoming parades are a staple during
the Fall season for many high schools
across the US and the floats included are
quite the display!
PARADE
FLOATS
Many schools will allow each class –
freshman, sophomore, junior and senior –
to create their own float. In addition, some
local businesses may participate. And of
course, the football team has their own
float, loaded with and surrounded by the
team, coaches, and cheerleaders.
Decorating Tips
While things may vary depending on your role in the float
creation, your squad can follow a general plan of attack
to build a parade float that’s spirited!
The following are a few basics for your float design:
Chicken Wire. This is used as the basic framework for
your masterpiece, and the decorations will be attached
to it.
Getting Started
•
•
•
•
Decide who is going to work on the float, and which
tasks (like painters, purchasers, designers, props,
and costumes) will be done by which people.
Tissue Paper Squares. You can use colorful tissue
paper to fill in the holes of the chicken wire. You can also
use different colors to make patterns or words.
Have everyone contribute their ideas for the float
theme and décor, then have the group leaders (either
captains or coaches) make the final decision for the
float.
Fake Grass. This is a great pop of color for the floor of
your float, and it can even represent a football field!
Balloons. You can get big Mylar balloons, make a
balloon bouquet or just use individual balloons all over
the float to add some color and depth.
Secure both a float trailer and a vehicle to use for the
parade. The vehicle will need to be able to tow the
float, so find an SUV or truck. For your trailer, try to
stick with 8 feet or less in width. This will help you
travel with more ease.
Streamers. These can be used all over the float, but are
especially impactful if you attach them to the back so
they blow in the wind during the parade.
Find a location to build your float. Good places to
look for are a garage that has a lot of space, or an
unused shed – anywhere that can be secured in case
of bad weather or vandals.
Common Questions
•
Who drives the float vehicle?
This will be up to the athletic staff, but the safest
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the cheerleading guide to
spirit essentials
™
bet is to have an experienced adult drive (preferably
someone that has driven for a parade before).
BODY BASICS
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What should you do if it rains?
The parade organizers will let everyone know if they
are going to delay or cancel the parade. There are
many décor options that are waterproof, so consider
using those just in case.
General Tips
•
Don’t wait until the last minute to plan and decorate.
Building a float is a lot of work and takes a lot of
people and a lot of time. Don’t stress out your
volunteers by waiting too long to get started.
•
Keeping your idea easy is the best route. Moveable
parts, exaggerated decorations, and unrealistic
expectations will dampen the experience for
everyone. Simple can be impressive!
•
If you have the space, try to take the float for a test
run to make sure everything holds up and looks the
way you want it. Try to do the test run a week or two
before the parade so that there is time to make any
necessary improvements.
•
Be prepared for any weather by having team body
basics and warm-ups ready if needed.
march on!
What’s your role?
Different schools will have different levels of
involvement for the cheer squad when it comes
to parade floats. Some will be solely responsible
while others might just be extra helping hands.
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the cheerleading guide to
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Unite
Your
Squad
Team-building activities are
important components of any
organization, but especially a
cheerleading squad. They promote
better communication, leadership
development, and teamwork. Perhaps
most importantly, they are spirited
ways to unite the team. There are a
number of different ways to facilitate
team-building activities, so it is
important to find activities relevant to
your team.
Y
Your first step when deciding on activities is taking
into consideration the age and dynamics of your
squad. Are they middle or high schoolers? Is your
squad small and intimate or large and diverse?
From there, consider any specific aspects of
teamwork or spirit on which you’d like your squad
to work. Do you feel trust is most important? What
about communication? Maybe you think the best
thing for a squad is to learn respect for one another.
Whatever the case may be, tailor your activities to
these specifications.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to plan a team-building
activity at every practice, but they should be done often
in the early months of the season. It gives the team time
to bond before games and competitions begin.
The best time for spirit and team-building activities
is at practice, either before or after (or as a middleof-practice wake-up!). Depending on how long your
practice session is, reserve some of the time for
spirit-boosting activities.
Check out these five fun activities:
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the cheerleading guide to
spirit essentials
Mine Field
In Mine Field, objects are scattered in an indoor or outdoor place. In
pairs, one person verbally guides his/her blindfolded partner through
the minefield. This is a great way for your cheerleaders to build trust
with their teammates because it requires them to rely entirely on one
another in order to be successful. Objectively, this exercise exemplifies
how important trust is among teammates and how failing to trust one
another can reap devastating effects on the team’s overall performance.
The Knot
With your team standing in a circle, each person reaches across the
circle with their right hand and grabs someone else’s hand. Once
everyone is grabbing another hand with his or her right hand, start
again, this time with the left hand. Now, it’s time to get out of the knot
without anyone letting go of a hand. This activity teaches the power of
communication and the importance of all working together.
Design a Megaphone
If you plan on using them during football season, let your cheerleaders add
individual style to their megaphone before the season begins! Bring the
megaphones to a practice session and plan an afternoon where everyone
can design, paint, and draw on a megaphone. Everyone can add their own
creative flair, whether it’s painting their name or their favorite cheer items.
Scavenger Hunt
This is a game everyone knows how to play! Divide your squad into
small teams and set them on their way. Your squad will enjoy some
friendly competition while learning to work as a team.
Guess the Teammate
Gather your squad in a circle and have everyone fill out a form or list on a
card a few of their favorite things – color, movie, book, cheer stunt, etc.
Then, shuffle them in a hat or bag. Draw one card out at a time and read
the answers aloud. Then, have everyone guess the owner of the card.
Your squad will quickly get to know each other!
By focusing on team bonding, your cheer squad is likely to be more spirited! This will make it
easier for the team to remain united during hard times, like a game or competition loss or an
injury. Additionally, if your cheer squad is naturally spirited, it will be easier to think of ways to
incorporate spirit into your cheers, routines, fundraising events, and more.
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