If you have a team of girls that you’re unfamiliar with, it can be difficult to know where to start. It’s always good to sit them down and go over a few ground rules and introduce yourself and your coaching staff. You can go over rules regarding missing practice. When are they allowed to miss practice (illness, religious activities, etc.)? How much notice do you need if they are going to miss practice, especially if it’s something like a vacation that is planned ahead of time? If they’re injured, are they required to come to practice and watch?
This is also a good time to tell them what to do if they’re having a problem with one of the other girls, a coach, or something in the routine. Young girls don’t always know how to address an issue, so telling them ahead of time how to talk to you can help. If they’re uncomfortable doing something you’ve put in the routine, you need to make them feel comfortable talking to you (or one of the coaches). Most of the time you’re going to hear about problems like this from parents, but reminding the kids that they can come talk to you themselves is good too.
I always line my kids up in height order and make a list. Later on, when I’m making stunt groups at home (and can’t look at the kids), this helps me figure out who can stunt together. Keep in mind, when kids extend their arms, their heights change - a short kid with really long arms may be able to base with a taller kid with short arms. This happens a lot, especially when they’re young and all growing.
I also ask if any of the kids have prior experience in cheerleading. If they have, I write next to their name what they’ve done in the past with regards to stunting (flier, base, backspot). If they’re already experienced in something, I might as well use it to my advantage. It doesn’t always work out, but sometimes it does.
Something else I like to get done the first week is my tumbling list. I like to see where everyone is with their tumbling skills. I line them all up and have them forward roll, cartwheel, and roundoff. Depending on the difficulty level I’m planning on competing in, I write down which roundoffs are good enough to be used in a routine. Next, I move on to front and back walkovers. By this time, I usually don’t have the full team able to participate anymore, so it goes quickly. I also look for back handsprings and anything more advanced. If you’re a lower level (difficulty wise, not age wise), you may want to ask about handstand forward rolls and back extension rolls. They can add some difficulty and creativity to your routine. Many times, kids don’t know what these are so it’s great if you can have someone demonstrate.
If there’s a coach qualified to spot tumbling, you can ask if anyone would like to try. Encourage them, because many times the kids are hesitant to try, especially in front of other team members.
The last thing I make sure I have done the first week is finding out what type of flexibility my fliers have. I get all the kids that have the slightest chance of being a flier and write their names down. I then ask them to do arabesques, heel stretches, scorpions, scales, and bow and arrows on each leg. I write down any that have one of those skills and note which leg it is on. I also write down any that are close. Later when I’m trying to figure out what I have for my routine, this helps.
These lists are really helpful. You may think you’ll remember, but if Julia had a heel stretch on her right leg, but the scorpion on her left, you can’t put those two skills in the same stunt sequence unless you switch feet. It’s a lot to keep straight!
Most of all, have fun! The first few practices as a cheer squad can be difficult…especially for those new to cheer. It’s beneficial to impart lots of positivity. Encourage the cheerleaders to keep trying, and do their very best. Cheering is fun and exciting.