You’ve trained for months. You’ve practiced your tumbling, sharpened your motions, and perfected your stunts. But on tryout day, one small mistake can undo all your hard work. Coaches evaluate hundreds of candidates, and they’re looking for reasons to narrow the field. Don’t give them an easy excuse to cut you.
1. Showing Up Unprepared
The single biggest mistake candidates make is walking into tryouts without knowing what’s expected. Every college cheer program publishes tryout requirements, dates, and required paperwork. If you show up without a physical, missing your application, or not knowing the required skills, you’re telling the coach you don’t take the program seriously.
How to avoid it: Research the program’s official athletics website weeks in advance. Print your paperwork, get your physical early, and memorize the required skills list. Check out our complete college cheerleading tryout directory for school-specific requirements.
2. Poor Attitude and Low Energy
Coaches can teach tumbling. They can improve your stunting technique. What they cannot teach is attitude. If you walk into the gym looking bored, distracted, or annoyed, you’re done before you even start. Cheerleading is about spirit and energy — if you can’t show it at tryouts, you won’t show it on game day.
How to avoid it: Smile. Be enthusiastic from the moment you walk in. Clap loudly during chants. Encourage other candidates. Say “yes coach” when given feedback. Energy is contagious — be the person who raises the room’s energy level.
3. Not Dressing Appropriately
Tryout attire matters more than you think. Showing up in baggy clothes, jewelry, or the wrong color sends a message that you don’t understand game-day presentation. Some programs, like Clemson, specifically require orange, white, or purple attire. Others require hair pulled back with no jewelry.
How to avoid it: Wear fitted athletic wear — sports bra or fitted tank, spandex shorts, and cheer shoes. Pull your hair back securely. Remove all jewelry. Check if the program has specific color requirements. Look game-day ready.
4. Sloppy Motions
Motions are the foundation of cheerleading, yet many candidates focus exclusively on tumbling and neglect their motion technique. Loose wrists, bent arms, and lazy placements tell a coach you lack discipline. Every motion should be sharp, tight, and deliberate.
How to avoid it: Practice your motions daily. Focus on wrist placement, arm angles, and sharpness. Record yourself and compare to college cheerleaders. Review our cheerleading glossary to make sure you know every motion by name.
5. Attempting Skills You Can’t Land
This is the most dangerous mistake on the list. Trying to throw a full when you can barely land a tuck is a recipe for injury and instant elimination. Coaches would rather see a clean, confident back handspring than a sloppy, crashed full.
How to avoid it: Showcase your best skills confidently. If you’re asked to demonstrate something beyond your ability, be honest. Say “I’m working on that skill but I’m not quite there yet.” Coaches respect honesty over recklessness.
6. Being Late
Arriving late to tryouts is an automatic red flag. Cheerleading requires commitment and punctuality. If you can’t arrive on time for the most important day of your cheer career, how will you make it to 6 AM practices all season?
How to avoid it: Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Account for traffic, parking, and registration time. Being early also gives you time to warm up and settle your nerves.
7. Not Following Directions
During tryouts, coaches teach material — cheers, dances, stunt sequences. If you’re talking while the coach is demonstrating, modifying the choreography, or doing your own thing, you’re showing them you won’t be coachable during the season.
How to avoid it: Listen actively. Nod when the coach explains something. Perform the material exactly as taught. If you have a question, raise your hand and ask politely. Coaches love athletes who listen and apply feedback immediately.
8. Poor Sportsmanship
Cheerleading is a team sport. If you’re eye-rolling at other candidates, ignoring your stunt group, or competing against your teammates instead of supporting them, coaches will notice — and they won’t like it.
How to avoid it: Cheer for others. Help your stunt group. Compliment good performances. Be the teammate you’d want to have. Coaches are building a team, not selecting individual all-stars.
9. Ignoring Feedback
When a coach corrects your motion placement or stunt technique, they’re testing whether you can take instruction. If you roll your eyes, argue, or continue doing it your way, you’ve failed the coachability test.
How to avoid it: Say “thank you” or “got it” when corrected. Apply the feedback immediately. Show the coach you can adapt. This is one of the most important qualities coaches look for.
10. Forgetting to Have Fun
Coaches can see when you’re terrified. Nervousness is normal, but if you look miserable, coaches will wonder if you actually enjoy cheerleading. The best cheerleaders perform with joy — that’s what makes them great crowd leaders.
How to avoid it: Take a deep breath before you start. Remember why you love cheerleading. Smile genuinely. Show them that performing is fun for you. Enthusiasm is the one skill that requires zero athletic ability but makes the biggest impression.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common reason cheerleaders get cut at tryouts?
The most common reason is poor attitude and low energy. Coaches can develop skills, but they cannot manufacture enthusiasm. Showing up with a positive, coachable attitude is more important than having perfect tumbling.
Should I attempt a skill I’m not confident in at tryouts?
Only attempt skills you can land consistently. A clean back handspring looks better than a crashed full. If asked about a skill you don’t have, be honest and say you’re working on it.
What should I wear to cheer tryouts?
Wear fitted athletic clothing: a sports bra or fitted tank top, spandex shorts, and cheer shoes. Pull hair back securely, remove all jewelry, and check if the program has specific color requirements. Look game-day ready.
How early should I arrive for cheer tryouts?
Arrive at least 30 minutes early. This gives you time to register, warm up, and settle your nerves. Being late is one of the easiest ways to get cut before tryouts even begin.
Last reviewed: July 2026 | CheerLeadersLife Editorial Team
